2003 Lexus ESProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 23 owner complaints about the 2003 Lexus ES, most often about the vehicle speed control. It has no vehicle safety recalls on record.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 27, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: OSX, Public domain.
Where the 2003 Lexus ES has problems
23 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle speed control | 6 | 4 |
| Power train | 5 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 4 | 3 |
| Air bags | 3 | 2 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 1 |
| Engine | 3 | 1 |
| Steering | 3 | 2 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 1 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 1 | 0 |
| 4 other systems | 4 | 1 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
2003 Lexus ES recalls and how many were fixed
No vehicle safety recalls are on record for this model year.
2003 vs. every other ES year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the ES median. How we score
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
What ES owners report
Recent vehicle speed control complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
DRIVING OUT OF MY GARAGE USUALLY SLOWLY AND WHEN I PUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS WHILE IN REVERSE TO PULL OUT THE CAR JUST FLEW OUT INTO THE STREET. THE IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO BRAKE AND COULDN'T WORK. WHEN I HIT A TRUCK IN THE STREET BEHIND ME THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED. I HAD NO CONTROL. THIS NEVER HAPPENED…
I WAS REVERSING AND TRYING TO TURN WHEN MY CAR LEXUS ES 300 SUDDENLY PICKED UP HIGH SPEED ACCELERATION BY IT SELF AND WENT FORWARD AND HIT A FENCE IN FRONT. THE VEHICLE PICKED UP UNINTENTIONAL HIGH SPEED (FULL THROTTLE). IT WAS BEYOND MY CONTROL. MY BODY WENT FORWARD AND BACKWARD VIOLENTLY. FOR FEW…
BACKING UP INTO MY DRIVEWAY MAKING TURN TO STRAIGHTEN CAR OUT AND ALL OF SUDDEN THE CAR JUST SPEED UP IN REVERSE. CAUSING CRASH INTO SIDE OF MY HOUSE. AFTER THAT I TRIED TO BACK CAR INTO DRIVEWAY BUT DUE TO DAMAGE WAS UNABLE TO. I PULLED CAR OVER TO STREET PARKING. WHEN I PULLED CAR ONTO STREET…
Own a 2003 ES?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.