Acceleration complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Tl contact owns a 2003 Lexus RX300. While driving 10 MPH out of the parking lot the vehicle accelerated and he lost control. As he swerved the vehicle he hit three small trees, a wooden fence, and a brick wall before the vehicle stopped. The ambulance and police department came because he was trapped in the vehicle. He was taken to the hospital for injures to his lower back. The vehicle was destroyed. There is a police report if needed. The insurance company was notified. The dealer nor manufacturer have not been called. The failure mileage was 14,070. Updated 05/10/10 the vehicle was declared a loss. Updated 05/17/10.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Lexus RX300. While driving into a driveway at speeds of fewer than 8 MPH, she heard a loud revving noise and the vehicle accelerated without intent. The vehicle crashed into the garage door and pushed the two vehicles into the driveway through a cement wall and into her home. There were no injuries. Neither the manufacturer nor dealer was contacted. The repairs were covered through her insurance company. The failure mileage was 38,000 and the current mileage was 70,000.
I entered parking lot and pulled into parking spot with my foot on brake barely going. I was almost all the way into spot when my car lunged up with extremely high rpms. I went into small tree, drove over another car, car flipped on side, then flipped over on roof and into another parked car. Engine overtook the brakes. I am original owner with car extremely well maintained by Lexus. I have never heard or felt this car like this before.
While pulling into a parking space in my office parking lot, I had an unattended acceleration while my foot was on the brake. The car lunged over the curb, up a slight incline, hit a small tree which knocked down the perimeter fence. I called the Lexus dealership and they gave me an 800 number to call. I reported what happened and they sent a tow truck to bring my car to the dealership because I was afraid to drive it. At the dealership they indicated to me that I was not suppose to bring it to them so I had the manager drive it to their collision place where I had the bumper repaired. My insurance company did not pay for a rental replacement. The repair cost me $250 (my deductible) + the rental car cost of approx. $210.00. My insurance paid for the tree and fence repair of about $2,000+. My car was subsequently inspected by Toyota's inspection company. …
When parking the vehicle, the vehicle suddenly accelerated while the driver was not pressing the accelerator. Despite the driver's efforts to stop the vehicle, the vehicle jumped over a curb and headed toward a head-on collision with traffic. In an attempt to avoid a possibly fatal collision, the driver swerved hard to the left intending to hit a pole to stop the vehicle. The vehicle missed the pole and hit a starbucks with the vehicle ending up completely inside the starbucks. Six people who were inside the starbucks were injured. The driver never pressed the accelerator during the entire incident.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Lexus RX300. While driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle accelerated without warning. The brakes failed when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was shifted into neutral and merged to the side of the road where the vehicle was turned off. The failure recurred once. The vehicle was towed to the contact's resident. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.
I experienced and had an accident due to the revving engine issue with Toyota/Lexus. I have a 2000 (used) Lexus SUV and was pulling into a parking space in the lot of a business when the accident happened. I did not have my foot on the gas as I was allowing the car to "creep" into position but had it hovering and/or touching the brake pedal. All of a sudden the engine revved and starting speeding forward, again without my foot on the gas pedal. It happened suddenly and quickly and I immediately hit a sign at the front of the parking space. This set off the air bags, jamming me back in the seat and pulling the seat back. I could not longer reach the pedals but I was stunned by the seat belt explosion. The car went over the sign (flattened it), over a low cement barricade, and into the side of the business. …
While driving, the car jerks and then cuts off. This has happened at least half a dozen times within the last 2 months. Engine light is constantly on, even after servicing the car at local Lexus dealer. When car is parked, I noticed exhaust fume smells heavily with gas.
Frequently asked questions
Which Lexus RX300 years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2001 (20), 2002 (15), 2000 (14), 1999 (11) and 2003 (5) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 12% of all complaints for the 2001.
Is there a recall for Lexus RX300 acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for any Lexus RX300 model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Lexus RX300 acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 92,000 miles; 21% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the accelerator pedal (8 mentions), followed by the linkages (2).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.