Three problems related to engine have been reported for the 2003 Lexus ES300. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
On March 26, 2010 my husband and I were stopped at a traffic signal, (with my foot on the brake as you would expect), when the car suddenly accelerated at full throttle. In the brief but terrifying moments that the car was out of control I unfortunately collided with another vehicle as I threw the gear selector into neutral.
Intermittently when pulling from a stop or turning a corner from a stop, the vehicle would hesitate for several seconds before accelerating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the consumer that the hesitation was normal. This hesitation has happened more than three times since ownership of the vehicle. The manufacturer is aware of the problem.
The vehicle had problems picking up speed, when the accelerator was pressed the vehicle did not respond, it sounded as though something was ticking inside the vehicle. The consumer contacted the Lexus manufacture and was told they were aware of the problem which was called " the hazard computer module control" but did not know how to repair it.