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1998 Lexus Es300 Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Moderate

61 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 1.39 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Moderate99V307000

Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar

THIS CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE STEERING WHEEL SET NUT.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE STEERING WHEEL SET NUT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED CAUSING STEERING VIBRATION AND LOOSENESS.

Complaint volume

61 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

15Crashes
1Fires
13Injuries
0Deaths

Across 61 complaints. Severity Index 1.39.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Air Bags · Frontal8 · 13%Vehicle Speed Control5 · 8%Tires3 · 5%Engine And Engine Cooling…3 · 5%Electrical System3 · 5%Service Brakes, Hydraulic3 · 5%Fuel System, Gasoline3 · 5%Seats · Front Assembly · …2 · 3%
  1. Air Bags:Frontal — 8 reports
  2. Vehicle Speed Control — 5 reports
  3. Tires — 3 reports
  4. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 3 reports
  5. Electrical System — 3 reports
  6. Service Brakes, Hydraulic — 3 reports
  7. Fuel System, Gasoline — 3 reports
  8. Seats:Front Assembly:Power Adjust — 2 reports
  9. Seat Belts:Front:Retractor — 2 reports
  10. Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly — 2 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (1) · 1996 (1) · 1997 (2) · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 (2) · 2003 · 2006 · 2013

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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