There are 4 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2002 Lexus ESin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
MY 2002 ES 300 HAS HEADLIGHT SENSORS WHICH MAKE IT GO UP AND DOWN DEPENDING ON WHAT ANGLE THE CAR IS PARKED/MOVING AT. SO GOING DOWNHILL, IT SHOULD DIP DOWN TO AVOID ONCOMING TRAFFIC FROM GLARE AND GOING UPHILL, IT SHOULD MAKE THE LIGHT GO FARTHER. SOMEHOW THE SENSOR (OR SOMETHING ELSE) GOT FAULTY. LEXUS DEALERSHIP MADE ME DRIVE AT LEAST 5000 MILES (I USED TO LIVE IN FARGO, ND AND THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP WITH 225+ MILES ONE WAY) BEFORE THEY COULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE LIGHTS. I HAD TO MAKE A VIDEO AT NIGHT (AS THEY DENIED TEST DRIVING AT NIGHT) TO SHOW THEM MY SAFETY CONCERNS ABOUT THE HEADLIGHTS. THE DISTANCE I COULD SEE WAS VERY SMALL AND IT GOT DANGEROUS AT NIGHT TIME, UNLESS I TURNED MY HIGH BEAM ON. LEXUS ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM, KEPT MY CAR FOR ONE MONTH, DROVE IT FOR APPROXIMATELY 3000 MILES. ENGINEERS FROM CHICAGO AND LA CAME (I WAS TOLD) AND THE ANSWER WAS: WE COULD NOT FIND WHAT EXACTLY IS CAUSING THIS, BUT THERE IS SOME MAGNETIC FIELD AROUND THE WIRE TO THE SENSOR WHICH DISRUPTS THE FUNCTIONING OF THE SENSOR. WE HAVE PUT THE SHIELDED WIRE AROUND THE WIRE AND IT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. I HAD NOT BEEN DRIVING THIS CAR MUCH SINCE THEN AT NIGHT TIME DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS, TILL I MOVED TO ALBUQUERQUE. THE TERRAIN HERE IS HILLY AND I DON'T SEE THE LIGHTS TO DIP DOWN OR GO FARTHER WHILE GOING DOWNHILL AND UPHILL RESPECTIVELY. WHILE MAKING TURNS AROUND CANYONS AND CLIFFS , GOING UPHILL, IT BECOMES DANGEROUS AS YOU CAN' SEE MORE THAN 30-40 FEET (OR LESS) ON A FREEWAY WHICH IS NOT A SAFE BRAKING DISTANCE AT 65-70 MILES/HR AND IF YOU TURN THE HIGH BEAM ON IT'S NOT SAFE FOR THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I URGE THAT NHTSA INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND I AM WILLING TO PROVIDE MY CAR FOR DRIVING UP TO 300-400 MILES. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE PUT AUG 22ND 2003 AS THE INCIDENT DATE, THAT IS MY PURCHASE DATE FROM MY UNCLE (THE ORIGINAL OWNER) AND IT HAPPENS . EVERYTIME I DRIVE. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME IN THIS MATTER. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LEXUS ES300. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TURN SIGNAL VOLUME WAS VERY LOW AND COULD NOT BE HEARD WHEN IT WAS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE SERVICED FOR THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAD EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82000.
MY 2002 LEXUS ES 300, WHEN DRIVEN AT HIGHWAY SPEED AT NIGHT TIME, THE HEADLIGHTS (HID'S) KEEP COMING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE VEHICLE. AFTER ABOUT ONE HOUR OF DRIVING THE DISTANCE COVERED BY THE LIGHT IS ABOUT HALF THE LENGTH OF A SEMITRUCK TRAILER. IT IS VERY HARD TO DRIVE ON CORNERS ON THE FREEWAY AND I HAVE TO TURN THE HIGH BEAM ON. THE OTHER WAY TO DESCRIBE THE DISTANCE COVERED BY THE LIGHT IS TO TELL THAT I CAN SEE ONLY TWO DOTTED POINTS (THE DIVIDER LINE ON THE FREEWAY) AT ANY GIVEN POINT IN TIME. MY ESTIMATION IS THAT THE DISTANCE COVERED BY THE LIGHT AT THAT TIME IS ABOUT 15-20 FEET AT THE MAX. THE LIGHT GETS SO CONCENTRATED CLOSE TO THE CAR THAT IF I TURN THE FOGLIGHTS ON (WHICH FALL VERY CLOSE TO THE CAR) I CAN'T EVEN SEE ANY DIFFERENCE IN THE LIGHT INTESITY. ONCE I HIT THE BRAKES OF THE CAR, THE HEADLIGHTS GO BACK TO NORMAL FOR A FEW MILES AND THE DISTANCE COVERED IS DEFINITELY MORE THAN 100 FEET. I DID TAKE MY CAR TO LEXUS DEALERSHIP WHICH IS ABOUT 250 MILES FROM MY HOUSE TWICE, ONLY TO HEAR THAT THIS CAR HAS A SPECIAL SENSOR WHICH ADJUSTS THE DISTANCE COVERED BY THE LIGHT AND ALL THE SENSORS ARE WORKING CORRECTLY. THEY SAY THEY CAN'T TEST DRIVE MY CAR AT NIGHT TIME AS THEIR DEALERSHIP IS CLOSED AND THERE IS NO WAY THAT THEY CAN CONFIRM MY COMPLAINT. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR AT NIGHT BECAUSE THE DISTANCE COVERED BY THESE SO CALLED SPECIAL LIGHTS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND THE ONLY OPTION FOR ME AT THAT TIME IS TO TURN THE HIGH BEAM ON WHICH IS AGAIN NOT SAFE FOR THE OTHER TRAFFIC AROUND. I AM PUTTING THE INCIDENT DATE AS AUG, 2003 AS I BOUGHT THE CAR SOMETIMES AT THAT TIME AND THIS COMPLAINT HAPPENS EVERYTIME I GO FOR A FREEWAY DRIVING AT NIGHTIME. PLEASE HELP ME DEAL WITH THIS MATTER AND OBLIGE.*AK
ON A SUNNY DAY AND WHILE IN MOTION, CONSUMER STATES THE DASHBOARD CANNOT BE READ, EVEN WITH SUNSHADES ON. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. TS *JG
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026