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Engine & cooling

1996 Lexus ES300 Engine problems

Owners have filed 13 complaints about the 1996 Lexus ES300's engine & cooling with NHTSA - 32% of all its complaints, most recently on May 29, 2013. They describe 0 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries. Stalling, loss of power, oil consumption, overheating, head gaskets, timing chains and engine failure.

Complaints
13
Recalls
0
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
0

Engine complaints

Engine & coolingFuel system

I smelled what I thought was transmission fluid or anti-freeze. The next day my wife smelled gas and some friends called my cell to tell me gas was running out from under the car. I could not find a leak under the car. I lifted the hood and found gas running down the side of the engine. After taking the lexus cover off the engine, I found gas shooting straight up into the air. It was coming from a vacuum line that had popped off. I re-attached the line and started the engine. The line popped off and gas again shot...

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straight into the air. I replaced the vacuum line. It stayed on but the gas ran through a nearby switch and onto the engine. It took me a while to figure out the gas should not be going through the vacuum line. The fuel pressure regulator had mal functioned and allowed the gas to go through the vacuum side of the regulator. While driving the regulator had allowed over 10 gallons of gas to pour directly over my engine. It bothers me how easy it would have been for the car, my wife and me to go up in flames. I would hate to have someone die because I failed to warn people of this defect. I do have the defective part. *Tr

Filed Incident Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 10514170
Electrical systemEngine & coolingFire

Car exploded and started fire in the garage after the car had been parked for approximately 20 minutes. Got home from work and stop at grocery store. Parked car in garage and brought in some groceries. About 10 - 15 minutes later went out to get paper products (tp and paper towels) out of trunk. There was nothing out of the ordinary, no smoke, no fire, no noise. Went in side put away everything and started to cook. Heard loud explosion noise. Went to the garage and opened the door. Hot, heavy black smoke and...

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chemical odor came pouring into the house. I could see flames to the left. It was very hot and there was some liquid mixed in, and the garage was pitch black yet it was a very sunny day with the sun pointing at the garage. Because it was so dark, it looked like the garage doors were closed, but actually, one side was open, but I didn't know because it was so black. Couldn't see anything, and my arm was so hot trying to open garage door at wall switch, burned all the hair off my arm. I then left house, 911 was on the way. Garage caught on fire, everything in garage burned or melted, including my car. Interior hall, all fixtures in hall and bath burnt or melted, extensive smoke damage to entire home. Thousands of dollars and almost 10 months in a hotel. Cars are not supposed to explode or start fire when they are off, parked for 20 minutes in your garage. *Tr

Filed Incident Electrical system · EngineNHTSA 10491604
Engine & cooling

1996 Lexus es300; sludge build-up; excessive oil consumption; white smoke on start-up; dealer says the engine needs to be rebuilt at a cost of about $7000. This is the same problem that toyota/lexus has acknowledged for 1997 to 2001 models with the v-6 engine. Why won't they honor the repair to the engine for a 1996 model? *Nm

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 10137705
Engine & cooling

Engine failed (seized up) due to oil sludge, despite the fact that the car's oil had been regularly changed. In fact, the car's oil was changed every 3-4,000 miles, not every 5,000 as recommended by lexus. Car was also completely serviced by lexus at 70,000 miles and they obviously didn't look at the engine very well . . . There must have been evidence of sludge by that time.

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 10071144
Engine & cooling

My oil light came on in march. I took the car to the lexus dealer on 141 in norcross because I knew my 3 year warrenty ran out in may. The lexus dealer told me that the oil was not flowing properly. He suggested the previous owner did not change the oil and the oil became caked to the engine. The oil was then braking up in pieces and clogging the engine. He said I needed to get another car. I still had payments left (around 6k) and could not afford it. In october, the engine broke. I called lexus and they told me...

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they can't to anything for me. They wanted 11.5K for a new engine. I had to pay $5,037.49 For a new engine to baron's garage. I changed my oil religiously every 3,000 miles. Please call me at 678-642-9913, I want my money refunded

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 10071126
Engine & cooling

"Check engine" light illuminates intermittently, blue exhaust smoke on startup, excessive oil consumption, gelled oil or sludge present beneath oil filler cap on valve cover after going to lexus the best they would offer was to eat the parts cost, about $500 but I would still have to pay $1500 for a head job that anyone else charges $950 for

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 10069733
Engine & cooling

Engine oil sludge we spent a total of 2716.00 For a used engine, the mileage 109,313, I bought the engine on march 10, 2003....And the breakdown occured about a week prior..

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 10069567
Engine & cooling

Engine seized in december 2000. Lexus said it was out of warranty. Suggested I find a third party to put a new engine in the car which I did.

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 10068987
Engine & cooling

Engine check light intermittently on, blue exhaust in engine smoke, abnormal oil consumption, gelled oil or sludge present inside valve cover below oil filler cap. Called lexus america, brought car into dealer, they tell me I must pay $2,071.06 For repairs and pretend not to know of this common 3.0L v-6 engine problem that is extensively documented on the internet and that lexus has already started reimbursing car owners starting with 1997 models.*Ak

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 10029186
Engine & cooling

Excessive blue smoke comes out of the tailpipe. Engine oil consumption is very high. Engine damage due to oil gelling/sludge. *Ak

Filed Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 764396
Engine & cooling

I just recently purcharsed this car and I am already $1000.00 In the hole and looking at $2000 just to be able to drive it.It was a lemon from the start and nobody is willing to cover are assit with the repair just trying to see what legal options I have .I have'nt made a payment on it yet ,but it's undriveable at this point. No safetyd efect listed. *Ak

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 759352
Engine & cooling

While driving engine check light would come on. Engine blew due to sludge(hard oil in engine). Vehicle was repaired in november. The problem arose again in december. There was main bearing damage, too severe to repair and has had problems with the rear main oil seal. *Jg *ak

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 8004190
Engine & coolingFire

ENGINE FIRE.

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 520388

Lexus ES300 engine complaints by year

ES300 engine problems, every year

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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