1994 Lexus ES 300 6 cylinder from North America

Summary:

You almost can't lose

Faults:

Car was purchased with the following defects:

Power steering high pressure hose leak.

Check engine light.

Valve cover gasket leaking oil.

Brake lines leaking.

Suspension worn out.

Since I've owned it:

New radiator, new tires, new bushings for the rack and pinion steering, and new battery. All between 185000 and 201000 miles. Not bad.

Most recent defect is some sort of electrical malfunction. When I apply the brakes, it drains the battery and the car dies in the middle of the road. Instruments go dark, and will not restart without a boost. Also, not charging the battery while running. As much as I love this car, I'm thinking it may be time to stop spending the money. Any ideas on what this might be?

General Comments:

Overall, considering this car had a ton of miles when purchased, I think it was a great value. In my opinion, spending the extra money for a Lexus is DEFINITELY worth it. The car looks nowhere near as old as it is, and if you stay ahead on maintenance, there's no telling how long they'll go.

The leather seats, and other interior parts have held up extremely well, with very little care. The seats are however a little stiff for my taste. All instruments and gauges still work, the AC blows strong, and the tranny shifts perfect.

I want another type of vehicle next, namely an SUV, and I simply cannot afford a Lexus SUV, however, the next time I'm able to own two vehicles, one will definitely be another one of these great sedans.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st June, 2010

6th Jun 2010, 20:11

Just to follow up to my original post: The electrical malfunction turned out to be a bad alternator. A $323 fix at a local shop. I probably got off easy considering. I wanted to use my own mechanic, but I was stuck a couple of hours from home. So the car is still alive, and still going. I think my nearly new battery got zapped while the alternator was bad, but I'll deal with that later. The car starts every time now, so I'm not worried about it. The shop that replaced the alternator said the battery tested bad though.

1994 Lexus ES 300 3.0 V6 from North America

Summary:

Reliable and comfortable!

Faults:

Replaced radiator, replaced battery, replaced axle.

General Comments:

Most reliable car I've ever had.

I have talked to a lot of people who have had this car, and all of them say they have had very few problems.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st February, 2010

1994 Lexus ES 300 3.0 V6 from North America

Summary:

Best Value and the most reliable car!

Faults:

Had a crack in the radiator, Dash lights going out, and one of the power windows went out.

General Comments:

These are very minor problems from my experience and from research that I have done on a car this old.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd October, 2008

1994 Lexus ES 300 3.0 V6 from North America

Summary:

Great Car

Faults:

Check Engine Light is On. Needed New Tires. Windshield Replace.

General Comments:

I purchase this car three days ago. I really like the car I purchase new tires and replace the windshield. The check engine light is on, don't know what is wrong? A friend of mine said that it something to do with the emission (since the car runs good), so I take care of that later. The car has 198150 miles on it so I going to have all the fluids change. I always wanted to own a Lexus and now I do. I am 21 years old so any suggestion on how to keep it up and running without spending a fortune would be great!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th March, 2007

11th Mar 2007, 07:43

With 198000 miles, you are gonna be spending money for maintenance and probably some repairs. Budget accordingly. However, since that model is nothing more than a glorified Camry, taking it to a Toyota service center could save you some cash.

11th Mar 2007, 11:34

Taking it to an independent mechanic will save you a lot. You would save hundreds of dollars if not thousands by going to an independent mechanic should something major go wrong.

21st Aug 2009, 11:36

Well it's been 2 years and now my car has 258,000 miles on it. And it still runs great. I have a independent mechanic, and total cost I've spent on brakes, exhaust, water pump, timing belt, is about 3 thousand, in two years!!! I will never buy American cars again. I recommend the ES300 to anyone.

15th Jan 2010, 12:59

I am so glad to hear that you have had your Lexus for 2 years and over 50,000 miles, and it's still going well. I just bought one at 198k last night, and everyone tells me that maintenance will be minimal on these cars. Thanks for updating your review!!

Christi in Glendale, CA.

11th Mar 2010, 23:11

Very good buy! I have one with 214890 miles on it and it runs like a top! I drive it every day, and when my buddies need to use it, they do. Change the oil regularly and keep an eye on the antifreeze. I will post again when it hits 300000. Oh yeah, the only problem I have had with it is changing the tires every 3 years...

23rd Sep 2010, 15:26

Well it's Sep 2010, and I'm still driving my Lexus, Not as much as I use to though. I bought a 95 LS400 with 165,000 (LOVE IT), no issues, got tired of driving the ES300. LOL It has 283 thousand miles and still running like a champ. I notice electrical issues like at night like I have to tap the lights on the shifter panel (Park, Reverse, Drive, etc..) for it to come on. But other than that, no problems. Amazing.