Your vehicle report
1997 Lexus ES300
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 45
- Received Feb 1997 to May 2017
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Seat belt fails to latch or retract6 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Unintended acceleration despite braking4 complaints · 8.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #99V307000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The steering wheel set nut may not have been sufficiently tightened causing steering vibration and looseness.
- Recall #97V156000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the states of alaska, colorado, idaho, illinois, iowa, kansas, maine, michigan,minnesota, montana, nebraska, nevada, new hampshire, new york, noth dakota, south dakota, vermont, wisconsin, and wyoming. A condition can occur where accumulated moisture can temporarily freeze in the brake vacuum hose if the vehicle is used in extremely cold climates for an extended period of time.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 6 crashes, 2 fires, 9 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 2 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 5 |
| 1998 | 3 |
| 1999 | 9 |
| 2000 | 5 |
| 2001 | 0 |
| 2002 | 5 |
| 2003 | 3 |
| 2004 | 4 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 45 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 6 | 13% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 4 | 8.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #99V307000November 1, 1999540,037 vehicles affected
steering: steering wheel/handle bar
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The steering wheel set nut may not have been sufficiently tightened causing steering vibration and looseness.
This Can result in a loss of vehicle control.
Remedy
Dealers will tighten the steering wheel set nut.
NHTSA recall #97V156000September 17, 199718,746 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: power assist
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the states of alaska, colorado, idaho, illinois, iowa, kansas, maine, michigan,minnesota, montana, nebraska, nevada, new hampshire, new york, noth dakota, south dakota, vermont, wisconsin, and wyoming. A condition Can occur where accumulated moisture Can temporarily freeze in the brake vacuum hose if the vehicle is used in extremely cold climates for an extended period of time.
This Can result in the elimination of vacuum assist to the brakes that Can increase stopping distances and could lead to a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will install a new design brake vacuum hose.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1997 Lexus ES300.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN