Lexus Is 300 2002

Model Is 300 made in 2002 by Lexus got 28 consumer complains as well as 14 service bulletins. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to air bags and engine and engine cooling. Technical service bulletines regarding electrical system and engine and engine cooling. The car has one 3 engine.

Model 2002

Engine [L]CylindersTransmissionDriveEstimate MPG (city/highway/combined)Unadjusted MPG (city/highway/combined)FuelFuel costClassRelease date
3 6Manual, 5 gearsR18/25/2119.9334/32.0192/24.0119Premium1178COMPACT CARS
3 6Semiautomatic, 5 gearsR18/25/2019.9669/31.4944/23.9041Premium1238COMPACT CARS

Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
4444B12/16/200410016074Body electrical - troubleshooting repair manual correction for the 2002 lexus is300. 00245-rm869-u2. *tt08/19/2005
4439B12/16/200410016073Combination meter repair manual correction for the 2002 lexus is300. 00245-rm869-u2. *tt08/19/2005
0020108/26/20020020110001173Immobilizer key code reset. *scc04/17/2003
EL0070111/30/2001627152Customers with the sport cross may complain of the remote navigation switch being inoperative. *slc02/05/2002
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
5030B04/26/200510015651Heated oxygen sensor repair manual correction. 00245-rm105-4u2. *tt 00245-rm869-u2. *tt 00245-rm869-u2. *tt 00245-rm980-u2. *tt08/02/2005
EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
0010302/07/200310001308Cd changer improvements. *tt04/29/2003
POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION
TC0030306/17/200310003370Clutch chirping noise in neutral with clutch pedal released. *tt10/17/2003
STEERING
0040112/21/20010040110017720Repair manual supplement - vehicle pulling to one side. all lexus 2002 - 2006 models. *tt all '02 - '07 models. lexus. *tt11/21/2005
STRUCTURE - BODY
0020402/05/200410006225Hvac control panel peeling (heater control housing sub-assembly). *mr04/26/2004
SUSPENSION
0120210/11/200210000251Suspension ball joint inspection method. *tt02/20/2003
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
EG0040209/12/2002EG00402635745Some vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission may exhibit a malfunction indicator lamp on with diagnostic trouble code p0300 - p0306 and harsh 2-3 shifts. *tt10/31/2002
EG0040207/30/2002633805Some vehicles including the is300 sportcross equipped with an automatic transmission may exhibit a malfunction indicator lamp on with diagnostic trouble code p0300 - p-306 and/or harsh 2-3 shifts during acceleration. *tt09/24/2002
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
2LA06/03/2002633813Lexus has initiated a limited service campaign (lsc) to replace the cruise control switch. *tt09/24/2002
VISIBILITY - REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES - INTERIOR
EL0070207/05/2002633796Some vehicles may exhibit the in-mirror compass inoperative. *tt09/24/2002

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
AIR BAGS
08/13/20091004741
 Lexus is300 2002 vehicle rollover on freeway. defect that caused the car to roll was from the left front wheel/rim broke in half while driving. i was merging and heard something break under the car. my steering wheel turned a hard right forceful and without my control. i tried to straighten the steering wheel out from this involuntary harsh direction of vehicle, it was locked up. i turned completely around facing traffic. all attempts to turn the steering column would not allow me to do so (completely locked position). the vehicle spun and i heard and felt the back end hit something. the car catapulted over a 8 ft. fence that separates the access road. the car landed on its roof. my airbags never deployed! impact crushed the roof into the ground i was suspended upside down by my seat belt. the car engine was still running. i attempted to unlatch my seat belt, it took a few attempts. i could not find a door handle, or window to get out. i tried forcing the drivers door open. it would not move, i was trapped inside the upside down vehicle. in a panic, i feared the car would spill gasoline and catch fire. i turned the ignition off. i then realized no one stopped to help...i forced my body to hit the door over and over, to break it open. i got the side mirror to break allowing the door to open a few inches...just enough to crawl out. i went back in to find my phone and call 911. at that time a person pulled over. i found my phone and for some reason i decided to take a picture of the vehicle. i captured the broken wheel in the picture. police asked me what happened, i said over and over it locked up...my phone battery died right after i took the picture. i didn't have medical coverage for emergency, so i didn't go to the hospital. the cop said, people don't walk away from this kind of accident he advised i go with the ambulance, however i couldn't afford the cost. i didn't realize i was injured, until later. no one has ever seen a wheel do that. *tr
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
05/01/200494000501/16/2002
 Premature catalytic converter failure. *ak
OTHER
10/07/200535420109/27/2005
 My 2002, lexus is300 had a case of sudden unintended acceleration that led to a crash causing over $10,000 worth of damages to both my car and the other persons car. i have seen other reports of other people wondering if the electronic throttle is suspect in these cases, however i personally believe that the real problem is only partly to blame on the electronic throttle. in my opinion, the problem is the likelihood of the pedal getting stuck under floor mats is too high, combined with the relatively light spring force on the gas pedal because it is a throttle-by-wire system which leads to the floor mat easily holding the pedal down to full throttle causing an accident. i say that this is negligent pedal design on the part of the car manufacturer. i also believe that they knew this was an issue because they make reference to this in the owners manual on: pg.76 where there is a caution that states make sure the floor mat is properly placed on the floor carpet. if the floor mat slips and interferes with the movement of the pedals during driving, it may cause in accident. no manufacturer should be allowed to use that caution as a disclaimer to get away with negligent pedal design. they, fully well knowing that this is a safety issue, should have recalled those car models with a pedal design that has a high risk of getting jammed and redesigned the pedal so that it cannot get stuck by a floor mat. in all the cars that i've owned in the past, if a mat slips it just prevents you from applying full gas pedal, not the opposite of applying full pedal. i strongly move that toyota company recalls all these cars with this potential problem and fix it properly before someone get fatally injured or crippled for life. *nm the dealer informed the consumer there were 2 codes that indicated there was a problem with the abs. updated
POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
08/01/200462603205/01/2002
 Transmissiong was replaced and clutch. new clutch wore in in 24,000 miles. claimed it was wear and tear. never had a clutch go out that early ever!
02/20/200540200104/20/2002
 I own a 5-speed manual 2002 lexus is300. currently, my car has 40,000 miles. everything in the vehicle is stock, no modified parts and accesories. i drive this car normal like any other manual transmission cars. i rev match when i downshift, never ride the clutch etc...i have been driving manual cars for the last 10 years. a few days ago, i noticed that the transmission clutched began to slip as i was accelerating on-ramp onto freeway. the car is drivable but i have to be careful accelerating and passing or else, the clutch slips and car won't accelerate. because of this premature clutch failure, i can't drive the car as it was intended to be. i drive it really slow. painfully slow. i can't believe lexus (toyota) won't warranty this item. most manual transmission cars' clutches have a lifetime of at least 100,000 miles. as an engineer, i see this as a manufacturer defect. because of this incident, i will never ever persuade potential lexus buyers in buying lexus vehicles.
04/18/20031360010
 Clutch throw out bearing, clutch disc, pressure plate, fly wheel,clutch master cylinder replaced after 13000 miles. *nlm
POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY - PEDAL/LINKAGE
06/16/2003145001
 After getting clutch replaced, i press the clutch pedal down and release the pedal, it takes sometimes up to 30 or 40 seconds before the pedal pops back out.. i have to reach down with my hand and pull the pedal up. *nlm
POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION
08/08/20021108/08/2002
 Loud thumping noise from rear of trunk, on manual transmissions when shifting between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.*ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK
10/07/200535420109/27/2005
 My 2002, lexus is300 had a case of sudden unintended acceleration that led to a crash causing over $10,000 worth of damages to both my car and the other persons car. i have seen other reports of other people wondering if the electronic throttle is suspect in these cases, however i personally believe that the real problem is only partly to blame on the electronic throttle. in my opinion, the problem is the likelihood of the pedal getting stuck under floor mats is too high, combined with the relatively light spring force on the gas pedal because it is a throttle-by-wire system which leads to the floor mat easily holding the pedal down to full throttle causing an accident. i say that this is negligent pedal design on the part of the car manufacturer. i also believe that they knew this was an issue because they make reference to this in the owners manual on: pg.76 where there is a caution that states make sure the floor mat is properly placed on the floor carpet. if the floor mat slips and interferes with the movement of the pedals during driving, it may cause in accident. no manufacturer should be allowed to use that caution as a disclaimer to get away with negligent pedal design. they, fully well knowing that this is a safety issue, should have recalled those car models with a pedal design that has a high risk of getting jammed and redesigned the pedal so that it cannot get stuck by a floor mat. in all the cars that i've owned in the past, if a mat slips it just prevents you from applying full gas pedal, not the opposite of applying full pedal. i strongly move that toyota company recalls all these cars with this potential problem and fix it properly before someone get fatally injured or crippled for life. *nm the dealer informed the consumer there were 2 codes that indicated there was a problem with the abs. updated
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - CALIPER
02/22/200540000303/03/2002
 The intial problem is that there is a popping noise that is coming from the brakes. the dealer says that this is normal, and is due to brake shifting. a day later the brakes started to squeal. the rotors and pads were reserfaced twice, and the problem now comes and goes. i feel there is a major issue with the brake system in the lexus is 300, and the noise is not normal. out of the 5 cars i have owned i never heard this in any of them. *ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - ROTOR
02/22/200540000303/03/2002
 The intial problem is that there is a popping noise that is coming from the brakes. the dealer says that this is normal, and is due to brake shifting. a day later the brakes started to squeal. the rotors and pads were reserfaced twice, and the problem now comes and goes. i feel there is a major issue with the brake system in the lexus is 300, and the noise is not normal. out of the 5 cars i have owned i never heard this in any of them. *ak
STEERING
08/13/20091004741
 Lexus is300 2002 vehicle rollover on freeway. defect that caused the car to roll was from the left front wheel/rim broke in half while driving. i was merging and heard something break under the car. my steering wheel turned a hard right forceful and without my control. i tried to straighten the steering wheel out from this involuntary harsh direction of vehicle, it was locked up. i turned completely around facing traffic. all attempts to turn the steering column would not allow me to do so (completely locked position). the vehicle spun and i heard and felt the back end hit something. the car catapulted over a 8 ft. fence that separates the access road. the car landed on its roof. my airbags never deployed! impact crushed the roof into the ground i was suspended upside down by my seat belt. the car engine was still running. i attempted to unlatch my seat belt, it took a few attempts. i could not find a door handle, or window to get out. i tried forcing the drivers door open. it would not move, i was trapped inside the upside down vehicle. in a panic, i feared the car would spill gasoline and catch fire. i turned the ignition off. i then realized no one stopped to help...i forced my body to hit the door over and over, to break it open. i got the side mirror to break allowing the door to open a few inches...just enough to crawl out. i went back in to find my phone and call 911. at that time a person pulled over. i found my phone and for some reason i decided to take a picture of the vehicle. i captured the broken wheel in the picture. police asked me what happened, i said over and over it locked up...my phone battery died right after i took the picture. i didn't have medical coverage for emergency, so i didn't go to the hospital. the cop said, people don't walk away from this kind of accident he advised i go with the ambulance, however i couldn't afford the cost. i didn't realize i was injured, until later. no one has ever seen a wheel do that. *tr
STRUCTURE
1
 Consumer loss control of the vehicle, which resulted in an accident.*jb
STRUCTURE - BODY
08/13/20091004741
 Lexus is300 2002 vehicle rollover on freeway. defect that caused the car to roll was from the left front wheel/rim broke in half while driving. i was merging and heard something break under the car. my steering wheel turned a hard right forceful and without my control. i tried to straighten the steering wheel out from this involuntary harsh direction of vehicle, it was locked up. i turned completely around facing traffic. all attempts to turn the steering column would not allow me to do so (completely locked position). the vehicle spun and i heard and felt the back end hit something. the car catapulted over a 8 ft. fence that separates the access road. the car landed on its roof. my airbags never deployed! impact crushed the roof into the ground i was suspended upside down by my seat belt. the car engine was still running. i attempted to unlatch my seat belt, it took a few attempts. i could not find a door handle, or window to get out. i tried forcing the drivers door open. it would not move, i was trapped inside the upside down vehicle. in a panic, i feared the car would spill gasoline and catch fire. i turned the ignition off. i then realized no one stopped to help...i forced my body to hit the door over and over, to break it open. i got the side mirror to break allowing the door to open a few inches...just enough to crawl out. i went back in to find my phone and call 911. at that time a person pulled over. i found my phone and for some reason i decided to take a picture of the vehicle. i captured the broken wheel in the picture. police asked me what happened, i said over and over it locked up...my phone battery died right after i took the picture. i didn't have medical coverage for emergency, so i didn't go to the hospital. the cop said, people don't walk away from this kind of accident he advised i go with the ambulance, however i couldn't afford the cost. i didn't realize i was injured, until later. no one has ever seen a wheel do that. *tr
STRUCTURE - BODY - BUMPERS
 Rear bumper near exhaust burned out. had vehicle repaired. dealer contacted. please add vin. *ak
SUSPENSION
02/04/2010620001
 I would like to report a problem with the lexus is300 models 2001-2005. there is some type of defect in the frame or front arm bushings that cause excessive wear on the front inner tires. despite the car being regularly aligned, uneven and excessive tire wear continues to occur. tires will sometimes last less than 8,000 miles and can wear down to the steel in the inner sides. this is a common occurrence and complaint among is 300 owners. as far as i know, there has been no fix from lexus and can lead to potential blowouts on the freeway due to tire failures. please also see this message thread documenting some of the problems: http://my.is/forums/f89/alignment-woes-stock-suspension-need-input-390629/. *jb
09/01/2004200001
 Tire wear and alignment problems on 2002 lexus is300. *bf the front end made a loud sound of rolling marbles. the dealer suggested that it was a normal sound and the fact that the brakes had settled the noise would be heard. *sc *jb
SUSPENSION - FRONT
08/28/200219000102/15/2002
 The front tires after 19.500 miles inside edge of tire down to steel belt. outside edge of tire looked brand new. contacted dealer and the the dealer inspected the car. they recommended replacing the tires and aligning the front end at a whopping fee of $732.00 and told me that this was normal tire wear for 19k miles. i took the car to two different tire shops and was assured that this is not normal and that a negative camber of the allignment would cause this type of wear pattern. i do not dispute a tire of this caliber will wear quickly. the wear pattern is what i dispute. this car has an allignment problem!! i purchased two new yokohama tires with the same specks as the original bridgestone tires and had the front end alligned and will monitor the wear very closely and report back my findings. *ak
TIRES
200001
 The vehicle skidded when the ground was wet and also when traveling uphill. provide further details. *jb
100001
 The vehicle skidded intermittently when the ground was wet. provide further details. *jb
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
04/01/200810000
 Accelerator failure: twice that i can clearly remember. first time happened in 2003 after gentle depression of the gas pedal, it seemed to push itself further and was stuck into the floor resulting in uncontrolled, max acceleration...this was mentioned to the dealer when i took it for service (ray catena lexus, larchmont, ny). after that, it didn't happen until the spring of 2008 where i was on the i95 on my way to work, in rush hour when the car suddenly went from about 40mph to 70 or 80. i managed to weave around traffic and drove on the shoulder while pressing full force on the brake pedal, pulled on the emergency brake and was finally able to get the car in park. after that occurred, i was followed off he highway by the help truck, took my car to a local mechanic for inspection and nothing was found...i immediately made an appt with the dealer but had to wait until the next day for service. in the meantime, it happened twice more on the highway but i was cautious and stayed away from cars and close to the shoulder. i took it to the dealer and was charged $100 to look at it (lexus of greenwich, ct), was told that it was the floor mat. interestingly enough, this hasn't happened again and i still have the car but i am very worried that it might.
03/15/2008860001
 Accelerator failure in a lexus is300 about two years my daughter got on a car accident at that time she mentioned that her accelerator got stuck. there has bee a few time that i felt that the accelerator got stuck while driving my car also. i called the dealer and the lexus company for the last 6 months and all they said is that my car is not involve in the recall. that don't mean that my car is not defective, or there need to be a fatal accident for them to take action. *tr
08/28/200626000107/26/2002
 On 8/28/06, at approximately 8:50 am i was driving to work on a two lane, level, straight paved county road. i was driving my 2002 lexus is 300 that had just reached 26,000 miles. (this car has received all regularly scheduled maintenance services from lexus of reno and has not had any problems whatsoever. i am the original owner of this vehicle) the road was clear and dry. i was traveling at approximately 45 mph when i accelerated to pass another vehicle. as i passed, my car kept on accelerating even as i let up on the accelerator. i attempted to apply the brakes. the engine acceleration was so powerful, the car did not respond well to my attempt to brake, so i took my foot off the brake. the speed on the dashboard was 60 mph and accelerating. i applied the brakes again with all the strength i had and was able to pull the car safely off the road. the engine was racing even when stopped. i moved the shift into park. even in park the engine was racing. i turned the engine off. my husband was following me and stopped. he drove it 1.5 miles our office without incident. i then called the reno, nv lexus dealership where i purchased the car. the head of the service department called me back and suggested i have the car towed to the dealership. i asked him if he was aware of any other rapid acceleration problems with these vehicles and he said no. he said the 4 year warranty was up in 7/06 and i would have to pay for any repairs. that afternoon i had the car towed to the reno lexus dealership. on the evening of 8/28/06 i searched the internet and found that the nhtsa had investigated 2002-2003 lexus es 300 models for faulty throttles that may have caused rapid acceleration. so far lexus has not acknowledged a problem. i shared with the rep what i had found on the internet re: problems with rapid acceleration and that i was not picking the car up until lexus replaced the throttle. *jb
10/07/200535420109/27/2005
 My 2002, lexus is300 had a case of sudden unintended acceleration that led to a crash causing over $10,000 worth of damages to both my car and the other persons car. i have seen other reports of other people wondering if the electronic throttle is suspect in these cases, however i personally believe that the real problem is only partly to blame on the electronic throttle. in my opinion, the problem is the likelihood of the pedal getting stuck under floor mats is too high, combined with the relatively light spring force on the gas pedal because it is a throttle-by-wire system which leads to the floor mat easily holding the pedal down to full throttle causing an accident. i say that this is negligent pedal design on the part of the car manufacturer. i also believe that they knew this was an issue because they make reference to this in the owners manual on: pg.76 where there is a caution that states make sure the floor mat is properly placed on the floor carpet. if the floor mat slips and interferes with the movement of the pedals during driving, it may cause in accident. no manufacturer should be allowed to use that caution as a disclaimer to get away with negligent pedal design. they, fully well knowing that this is a safety issue, should have recalled those car models with a pedal design that has a high risk of getting jammed and redesigned the pedal so that it cannot get stuck by a floor mat. in all the cars that i've owned in the past, if a mat slips it just prevents you from applying full gas pedal, not the opposite of applying full pedal. i strongly move that toyota company recalls all these cars with this potential problem and fix it properly before someone get fatally injured or crippled for life. *nm the dealer informed the consumer there were 2 codes that indicated there was a problem with the abs. updated
01/01/200415012/01/2003
 Dt: the contact owns a 2002 lexus is300. the contact states the vehicle stalls and will not accelerate, the check engine light will come on either on the highway or on off roads. the vehicle will stall at decelerating or accelerating. the only warning prior to this failure is the check engine light coming on. this occurs at various speeds. the engine will restart usually immediately after the failure. it happened about 100-150 times. the car has been to the dealership about 10 times within the last year. the dealership has attempted to repair the vehicle, but has been unsuccessful. the transmission is automatic. *ak
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - ACCELERATOR PEDAL
230003
 Intermittently when accelerator pedal is depressed it sticks. when this occurs vehicle accelerates at a high speed. the brake pedal fails to stop the acceleration. ignition has to be turned off to stop the acceleration. vehicle had been serviced several times by the dealership, but was not able to resolve the problem. *ak
VISIBILITY - SUN ROOF ASSEMBLY
06/12/20035000208/16/2002
 The sunroof/moonroof creaks and crackles. this is not the normal wear and tear. the noise started after 5000 miles on the car. lexus dealership where i went for service had delay this back and back. they once attempted to fix it but made it worse. there are many users (www.is300.net) with the same problems. this is so annoying that it's like buying a toyota corolla. the same sound applies to the seat belt buckle; i wonder if this is a safety issue. *la
WHEELS
08/13/20091004741
 Lexus is300 2002 vehicle rollover on freeway. defect that caused the car to roll was from the left front wheel/rim broke in half while driving. i was merging and heard something break under the car. my steering wheel turned a hard right forceful and without my control. i tried to straighten the steering wheel out from this involuntary harsh direction of vehicle, it was locked up. i turned completely around facing traffic. all attempts to turn the steering column would not allow me to do so (completely locked position). the vehicle spun and i heard and felt the back end hit something. the car catapulted over a 8 ft. fence that separates the access road. the car landed on its roof. my airbags never deployed! impact crushed the roof into the ground i was suspended upside down by my seat belt. the car engine was still running. i attempted to unlatch my seat belt, it took a few attempts. i could not find a door handle, or window to get out. i tried forcing the drivers door open. it would not move, i was trapped inside the upside down vehicle. in a panic, i feared the car would spill gasoline and catch fire. i turned the ignition off. i then realized no one stopped to help...i forced my body to hit the door over and over, to break it open. i got the side mirror to break allowing the door to open a few inches...just enough to crawl out. i went back in to find my phone and call 911. at that time a person pulled over. i found my phone and for some reason i decided to take a picture of the vehicle. i captured the broken wheel in the picture. police asked me what happened, i said over and over it locked up...my phone battery died right after i took the picture. i didn't have medical coverage for emergency, so i didn't go to the hospital. the cop said, people don't walk away from this kind of accident he advised i go with the ambulance, however i couldn't afford the cost. i didn't realize i was injured, until later. no one has ever seen a wheel do that. *tr

Car dealers selling


StateCityZipNamePhone
CACARLSBADLEXUS OF CARLSBAD
CASAN DIEGO92131KEARNY MESA LEXUS
GAATLANTANALLEY LEXUS
MIUTICA48318MEADE LEXUS OF LAKESIDE(586) 726-7900
NVRENOLEXUS OF RENO775-826-5050
VACHANTILLYPOHANKA LEXUS703-968-6600