2001 Es300 Problems?

[GrayES300]

Hi,

I'm new to the list. I have a 1992 ES300 with 270,000 miles on it. I finally decided to retire it because the power steering pump went out, the exhaust needs repair (waited too long to replace the struts and went over railroad tracks ) and other minor repairs. Now I have a 2001 ES300 and love it. I know on my old '92 the needles in the instrument cluster went out and I was wondering if anyone knows if Lexus fixed this problem. I see posts for older ES300's with this problem, but none for newer cars. Also has anyone heard of or experienced any other problems with 2001's?

[SW03ES]

Yes, Lexus no longer uses the needles that fail so quickly.

[lexusk8]

Also has anyone heard of or experienced any other problems with 2001's?

I've been an '01 ES owner for 13 months so far, and it was a smooth transition from owning a '96 ES for many years beforehand. Yet, like any other car, the '01 does have problems, but nothing drastically major or classified as "common annoyances". Here's a brief list of problems I ran into (and eventually fixed):

- bad charcoal canister (led to "check engine" and TRAC OFF lights)

- few burnt out bulbs from tailight and center console

- driver's side window switch went defective

- infrequent rough/low idle upon engine start-up (this is my current and only problem, to be fixed soon)

I still like my '01 ES. Nice combination of luxury, comfort and power :D

[chadmg7]

Does anyone know what some of the common problems are with the 97 model year? I think that the strut mounts are definitely an issue with this year and others.

[lexusk8]

Strut mounts is one of a handful of common problems with the '97 ES. For a list of other recognizable issues for that model year ES, look here:

http://www.alldata.com/TSB/31/97310308.html

They are called technical service bulletins (TSBs), which are basically issues or problems Lexus service is aware of. If you go to the service dept and point out a problem on your car as a listed TSB in their database, they will be happy to repair the problem at minimal or no charge to you (even if you are out of warranty).

[chadmg7]

They will seriously fix the strut mounts for little or no money? Wow... that would be GREAT. Do I do to my local Lex dealer for this?

[steviej]

yep. If the car is under still warranty, then it shouldn't be a problem. If you are out of warranty, then you may have to ask very nice like and they might do it for free. It not, they should at least meet you half way. If they won't, try another Lexus dealer. Tell them you will bring your car there for the major services if they help you out on the TSB.

Always keep customer service in mind, they may be on your side too. 1-800-25-LEXUS (option 4, I think).

good luck.

steviej

[r00t61]

lexusk8,

Not to hijack this thread, but I also have an '01 ES, and I think I'm experiencing the same exact interrmittent starting/idle problem you described. What's your diagnosis and who's performing the repair for you?

[lexusk8]

r00t61, you could try one or more of the following things to fix the rough/low idle which occurs at engine start-up. They are listed in order of difficulty:

- change air filter if it is dirty

- feed the gas tank with some fuel injector cleaner fluid (brands like STP, Valvoline and Chevron Techron). I prefer the Chevron, they're the best.

- clean the tubings that connect from the air box to the throttle body with a spray bottle of carb/choke/throttle body cleaner. I use the Valvoline kind, it's about $3. Also clean inside the (2) inlets that lead into the throttle body, as they could be filled with carbon and fuel vapor, just like the tubings.

- replace the spark plugs if the plugs have never been changed and your mileage is past 60K

I advise you to try out the above method(s) first before thinking about bringing the car to the dealership. Unfortunately I've done all these methods, and the problem is still residing, and today I have just dropped my car off at the dealership. Got myself a nice baby blue RX330 loaner though ;) We'll see what happens in the next few days.

[lexusk8]

Well, I'm happy to announce the rough/low idle problem that has plagued me for the last several months is finally fixed CORRECTLY today by my local Toyota dealership. They performed the throttle body service, which involved cleaning the gunk out of the TB, and the idle is much better at 600-750 RPMs (than before which was between 300 to 0 RPMs). I was very disappointed that my Lexus dealership could not pinpoint the problem with the rough/idle issue in my two different visits there. I guess this goes to show that sometimes going to the Toyota dealership is better than going to a Lexus dealership to fix up a problem or performing a service. I'll definitely keep that in mind in the future :)