What are some things you don't like about your ES
09-02-20, 05:55 PM
#1
Rookie
Thread Starter
What are some things you don't like about your ES
I don't like the fuel economy.. But considering I was driving a civic, I just call extra gas bill the luxury tax.
Frameless window.. The car would be perfect without wind noise due to the frameless window. Good thing my speakers work.
That's about all I can think of.
Frameless window.. The car would be perfect without wind noise due to the frameless window. Good thing my speakers work.
That's about all I can think of.
09-02-20, 06:31 PM
#2
Lexus Champion
The fuel economy for sure, it sucks. I have 3 Toyota/Lexus's with a V6 the mileage on all of them is poor. Another thing like you say is on very windy days the glass gets sucked away from the seal and you get wind noise. It's more notable since the car is quiet otherwise.
09-02-20, 09:56 PM
#3
Pole Position
Hello,
There is a bunch of small flaws in ES300, but the fun part is that almost all of them are pretty easy to correct.
The biggest problem, in my opinion, is their alternators - 80A is not nearly enough for the car, all the lights keep flickering, when the headlights, seat heater and blower motor are on, the voltage drops to less than 12V. But like I said, it is pretty easy to to solve by installing a 100A or 130A alternator off of Lexus RX300/Toyota Highlander.
The other problem is "dull" interior. Now don't get me wrong, it does look really good, it just lacks small details for the eye to grab. Coach and Platinum editions came with special veneer trim, which looks more detailed than a regular one. And to add even more details, you can install chrome handles and shifter **** off of RX300 and Toyota Avalon.
There is not a lot of organizers in the trunk, which can be really annoying when you are trying to carry some loose items. But again, there are a bunch of organizing nets sold on eBay and Amazon, which make it so much easier to keep a lot of loose stuff in one place.
There are only two problems that I wasn't quite able to find an elegant cure for - cupholders and shifting. Stock cupholders are atrocious, one sharp turn and your day is ruined.. I've seen people modifying those, but it either doesn't make any difference, or it is far from being practical. Good thing I am not using those that often, but I would still appreciate ideas about it.. The second "feature" that drives me nuts is how it will not shift in third before the car warms up a little - the problem is that 2nd gear is about 30-35mph, so I am frying the brains of everyone who is behind me until it will have the right mood to shift. And no, it is not a transmission issue, it is supposedly made to shorten warm-up period, but it was clearly made for different kind of roads..
Judging by a government fuel consumption resource, it is pretty average for the car of this age, though admittedly, it is a bit high for the modern standards.. As for the wind noise, I have no idea, since my window regulator is living its last moments, so the window won't stay fully shut.. I will probably get to it .. at some point..
That is pretty much all I can think of, just some small annoyances that are not that hard to deal with, of course if you know how..
Hope this helps and best of luck!
There is a bunch of small flaws in ES300, but the fun part is that almost all of them are pretty easy to correct.
The biggest problem, in my opinion, is their alternators - 80A is not nearly enough for the car, all the lights keep flickering, when the headlights, seat heater and blower motor are on, the voltage drops to less than 12V. But like I said, it is pretty easy to to solve by installing a 100A or 130A alternator off of Lexus RX300/Toyota Highlander.
The other problem is "dull" interior. Now don't get me wrong, it does look really good, it just lacks small details for the eye to grab. Coach and Platinum editions came with special veneer trim, which looks more detailed than a regular one. And to add even more details, you can install chrome handles and shifter **** off of RX300 and Toyota Avalon.
There is not a lot of organizers in the trunk, which can be really annoying when you are trying to carry some loose items. But again, there are a bunch of organizing nets sold on eBay and Amazon, which make it so much easier to keep a lot of loose stuff in one place.
There are only two problems that I wasn't quite able to find an elegant cure for - cupholders and shifting. Stock cupholders are atrocious, one sharp turn and your day is ruined.. I've seen people modifying those, but it either doesn't make any difference, or it is far from being practical. Good thing I am not using those that often, but I would still appreciate ideas about it.. The second "feature" that drives me nuts is how it will not shift in third before the car warms up a little - the problem is that 2nd gear is about 30-35mph, so I am frying the brains of everyone who is behind me until it will have the right mood to shift. And no, it is not a transmission issue, it is supposedly made to shorten warm-up period, but it was clearly made for different kind of roads..
Judging by a government fuel consumption resource, it is pretty average for the car of this age, though admittedly, it is a bit high for the modern standards.. As for the wind noise, I have no idea, since my window regulator is living its last moments, so the window won't stay fully shut.. I will probably get to it .. at some point..
That is pretty much all I can think of, just some small annoyances that are not that hard to deal with, of course if you know how..
Hope this helps and best of luck!
Last edited by Arsenii; 09-02-20 at 10:11 PM.
09-02-20, 11:39 PM
#4
Lexus Champion
The interior is a bit dull and dated, but compared to most other cars of the era it's way better. The cup holders, complete trash they may as well not exist. I rarely drink any beverage in my car (I don't drink coffee) so don't care but if you do, you'll curse the thing. I have a set of chrome door handles have not put them in yet. My car lacks stability control (has traction control) wish it had the stability option just because.
Alternator upgrade is a must, the engine runs better and has more power. I know that sounds impossible but it's real. The shift delay is due to ECU programming this was a Toyota thing since about 1978, not sure when they finally canned the idea. No fold down seats might bother some I don't care. The cabin filter location is asinine I finally removed mine. I don't notice any difference but the air quality here is generally about perfect.
Alternator upgrade is a must, the engine runs better and has more power. I know that sounds impossible but it's real. The shift delay is due to ECU programming this was a Toyota thing since about 1978, not sure when they finally canned the idea. No fold down seats might bother some I don't care. The cabin filter location is asinine I finally removed mine. I don't notice any difference but the air quality here is generally about perfect.
09-03-20, 05:02 AM
#5
Unremarkable ride quality ('04). New struts all around helped a bit but not much. Plenty of road noise.
Features that are inexcusably missing on a so-called luxury car: No steering wheel mounted radio controls. No quick swipe (mist) wiper function. No heated seats.
As mentioned, useless cup holders.
Features that are inexcusably missing on a so-called luxury car: No steering wheel mounted radio controls. No quick swipe (mist) wiper function. No heated seats.
As mentioned, useless cup holders.
09-03-20, 09:47 AM
#6
Lexus Champion
Your 2004 has no heated seats? Yes the mist function, on the 3ES that can be fixed by swapping in an IS300 stalk.
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09-10-20, 09:30 AM
#9
Dear fellow Lexus owners, my 98 Lexus ES300 is such a great car, after a few years, I purchased what I thought was the same car, a 2001 Lexus ES300. Then the troubles began. The 01 Lexus has automatic dimming mirrors. The driver side mirror began clouding up, a very expensive fix. Since I bought a Lexus safety inspected used car, I contacted Lexus and they agreed to pay half the repair.
The 01 runs halfway up on the temp gauge, while the 98 runs at 1/8. I have to add water every few months with the 01.
The heater fan on the 01 has an interference problem and sometimes makes loud noises. Right now it doesn't work at all, and looks like I have to replace the fan.
My 01 right passenger window regulator had to be replaced. My 01 right passenger window switch had to be replaced.
The 01 seems to drain the battery when not run for a week or more.
While the 98 with 225,000 miles on it, is still a great car, the 01 with 90,000 miles on it, is not so good.
Does anyone else own a 98 and/or an 01 Lexus ES300? What is your experience?
The 01 runs halfway up on the temp gauge, while the 98 runs at 1/8. I have to add water every few months with the 01.
The heater fan on the 01 has an interference problem and sometimes makes loud noises. Right now it doesn't work at all, and looks like I have to replace the fan.
My 01 right passenger window regulator had to be replaced. My 01 right passenger window switch had to be replaced.
The 01 seems to drain the battery when not run for a week or more.
While the 98 with 225,000 miles on it, is still a great car, the 01 with 90,000 miles on it, is not so good.
Does anyone else own a 98 and/or an 01 Lexus ES300? What is your experience?
09-10-20, 10:18 AM
#10
Pole Position
I own a 2000 Lexus ES300, basically the same car as 2001, and I've never had issues like you described.
Sorry, but I didn't really understand what are you trying to convey.. Does your car overheat or eat coolant?
Automatic dimming mirrors is a must-have option, it is times better than getting blinded by a bunch of trucks following behind. Those do cloud sometimes, but the replacement mirror element (or the whole mirror for that matter) can be found on eBay for a pretty reasonable price, and replaced in about 5 minutes for the element, and 30 minutes for the whole mirror.
By a heater fan, do you mean a Blower Motor? It is located right behind the glove box, and it is pretty easy to take out and inspect. Sometimes people remove their cabin air filters, thereby allowing all kinds of debris to enter the HVAC system, which will cause symptoms that you described. And even if it is a blower motor that is bad, you can find a bunch of them at the junkyard for pretty cheap.
As for the passenger window regulator, I am not sure, those are not used that often to get worn out that quickly.. Are you sure that it is a regulator at fault? What exactly is the issue that you are facing? Considering the fact that the switch also needs replacing, maybe it got shorted out, thereby putting load on the regulator..? Driver side regulator does get worn out quite often, but it is because of age and frameless window design.
Battery drain is a sign of a parasitic draw. You can find more information on how to diagnose it here.
It doesn't seem like any of those issues have something to do with the car's design, all those issues are probably a result of a neglect. It seems like the previous owner wasn't really taking care of that car, hence why you now have all those issues..
Hope this helps and best of luck!
Automatic dimming mirrors is a must-have option, it is times better than getting blinded by a bunch of trucks following behind. Those do cloud sometimes, but the replacement mirror element (or the whole mirror for that matter) can be found on eBay for a pretty reasonable price, and replaced in about 5 minutes for the element, and 30 minutes for the whole mirror.
By a heater fan, do you mean a Blower Motor? It is located right behind the glove box, and it is pretty easy to take out and inspect. Sometimes people remove their cabin air filters, thereby allowing all kinds of debris to enter the HVAC system, which will cause symptoms that you described. And even if it is a blower motor that is bad, you can find a bunch of them at the junkyard for pretty cheap.
As for the passenger window regulator, I am not sure, those are not used that often to get worn out that quickly.. Are you sure that it is a regulator at fault? What exactly is the issue that you are facing? Considering the fact that the switch also needs replacing, maybe it got shorted out, thereby putting load on the regulator..? Driver side regulator does get worn out quite often, but it is because of age and frameless window design.
Battery drain is a sign of a parasitic draw. You can find more information on how to diagnose it here.
It doesn't seem like any of those issues have something to do with the car's design, all those issues are probably a result of a neglect. It seems like the previous owner wasn't really taking care of that car, hence why you now have all those issues..
Hope this helps and best of luck!
Last edited by Arsenii; 09-10-20 at 10:26 AM.
09-10-20, 10:54 AM
#11
Lexus Champion
Fully agree with the above response. Your problems are highly out of the usual experience owners of 2001 es 300 are experiencing. (There may be some rare exceptions I’m sure)
I own a 2001 well maintained es300, 150k miles. it’s been an amazing trouble free car
I own a 2001 well maintained es300, 150k miles. it’s been an amazing trouble free car
Last edited by PFB; 09-10-20 at 10:58 AM.
09-10-20, 11:07 AM
#12
Lexus Champion
1/8th temp gauge reading is the car with the problem, not going up half way.
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Hayk (09-10-20)
09-10-20, 06:23 PM
#13
Rookie
Thread Starter
2000 es here and don’t have those problems. It’s possible when the window regulator was replaced initially they used non-oem and caused premature failure. I’m just guessing.
As for buttons on steering wheel, don’t really like them. As for technology/ infotainment..The car came with apple CarPlay head unit with back up camera. That’s pretty much all I need. (i might upgrade to a wireless CarPlay / android down the line).
im tempted to buy a ls430 and sell this one just because the fuel economy would be the same but so much better ride.. but at the same time, I hate how everyone is driving a suv/cross over/pickups and they block my view. I hate not being able to see what’s ahead
As for buttons on steering wheel, don’t really like them. As for technology/ infotainment..The car came with apple CarPlay head unit with back up camera. That’s pretty much all I need. (i might upgrade to a wireless CarPlay / android down the line).
im tempted to buy a ls430 and sell this one just because the fuel economy would be the same but so much better ride.. but at the same time, I hate how everyone is driving a suv/cross over/pickups and they block my view. I hate not being able to see what’s ahead
09-10-20, 08:46 PM
#14
1. Cup holders - more like cup trays where you hold the cup the whole drive. I only pull them out when I really have to.
2. Stock Halogen headlights - very dim, I imagine the higher trim HIDs solved that
3. No fold down rear seats - would've liked to see more practicality out of the car.
4. Wind noise - life lesson to never buy frameless window cars
5. Auto-down but no auto-up windows - maybe only a base trim issue?
6. The gear shift handle - not a fan of the design, seems overly large and really dates the car
Other than those, I can't fault the car for anything else. It's a late 90s design when fuel economy wasn't even thought for luxury cars.
2. Stock Halogen headlights - very dim, I imagine the higher trim HIDs solved that
3. No fold down rear seats - would've liked to see more practicality out of the car.
4. Wind noise - life lesson to never buy frameless window cars
5. Auto-down but no auto-up windows - maybe only a base trim issue?
6. The gear shift handle - not a fan of the design, seems overly large and really dates the car
Other than those, I can't fault the car for anything else. It's a late 90s design when fuel economy wasn't even thought for luxury cars.
09-10-20, 11:15 PM
#15
Pole Position
1. Cup holders - more like cup trays where you hold the cup the whole drive. I only pull them out when I really have to.
2. Stock Halogen headlights - very dim, I imagine the higher trim HIDs solved that
3. No fold down rear seats - would've liked to see more practicality out of the car.
4. Wind noise - life lesson to never buy frameless window cars
5. Auto-down but no auto-up windows - maybe only a base trim issue?
6. The gear shift handle - not a fan of the design, seems overly large and really dates the car
Other than those, I can't fault the car for anything else. It's a late 90s design when fuel economy wasn't even thought for luxury cars.
2. Stock Halogen headlights - very dim, I imagine the higher trim HIDs solved that
3. No fold down rear seats - would've liked to see more practicality out of the car.
4. Wind noise - life lesson to never buy frameless window cars
5. Auto-down but no auto-up windows - maybe only a base trim issue?
6. The gear shift handle - not a fan of the design, seems overly large and really dates the car
Other than those, I can't fault the car for anything else. It's a late 90s design when fuel economy wasn't even thought for luxury cars.
In my car, both of the front windows have the Auto function, and it works in both directions. That said, mine is a 2000 ES300, so I am not sure how it works for pre-facelift ones.. And continuing on the window topic, I actually love frameless design to the point that I don't even mind the noise, the sheer look they bring is unbeatable..
As for the shifter, I've heard about people swapping-in a shifter off of RX300, which does look more modern, as well as gives a nice chrome accent, which will work even better if you have chrome handles. That said, I am not sure if it is doable or not..
No ability to fold rear seats is indeed a bummer, but it was probably made to decrease noise level and increase comfort, so it is a fair trade-off, it's a luxury car after all..
Hope this helps and best of luck!