Lexus cars and trucks

November 30, 2009

2002 or 2003 ES300 no trunk open warning

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 6:42 pm

That’s correct no warning, no indication the trunk is open
The problem is if your lights are on auto, the headlights will stay
on all night if your trunk is left open.
This happened to me, the trunk does not pop open, just stays ajar.
I contacted my dealer, they agreed on my findings, but will not address
this.

My (I did this, not dealer)solution was a fiber optic cable from the
trunk light within
the trunk and installed it in the rear brake light housing facing front.
When the trunk is open, I see a dot of light in the rearview mirror..

What would happen if you packed your trunk full, and for some reason
it did not latch. You start driving, something falls out at 50 mph
big accident, possible fatality, lexus did not seem to be concerned.

Not what I expected. perhaps a car&driver magazine would like to look
into this?

Mike is interested in sterling silver skull pendant online store. .

14 Comments »

  1. What a waste of time and a bunch of crap. I have a 2002 ES 300. You know
    what my solution is? I close the trunk!!!

    - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

    "jr" <jer…@pobox.com> wrote in message news:3E02A0C4.E0343849@pobox.com…
    > That’s correct no warning, no indication the trunk is open
    > The problem is if your lights are on auto, the headlights will stay
    > on all night if your trunk is left open.
    > This happened to me, the trunk does not pop open, just stays ajar.
    > I contacted my dealer, they agreed on my findings, but will not address
    > this.

    > My (I did this, not dealer)solution was a fiber optic cable from the
    > trunk light within
    > the trunk and installed it in the rear brake light housing facing front.
    > When the trunk is open, I see a dot of light in the rearview mirror..

    > What would happen if you packed your trunk full, and for some reason
    > it did not latch. You start driving, something falls out at 50 mph
    > big accident, possible fatality, lexus did not seem to be concerned.

    > Not what I expected. perhaps a car&driver magazine would like to look
    > into this?

    Comment by admin — November 30, 2009 @ 6:42 pm

  2. > What a waste of time and a bunch of crap. I have a 2002 ES 300. You know
    > what my solution is? I close the trunk!!!

    I think it is reasonable to want to have a trunk-open warning light for your
    new car.  What isn’t reasonable is to buy a car without checking so see if
    it has the features you want, then complaining.  And going to the dealer and
    expecting them to add the feature you didn’t bother checking for.

    - Mark

    Comment by admin — November 30, 2009 @ 6:42 pm

  3. I think it’s reasonable to expect that a Lexus (especially in the year 2003)
    should have a Trunk Open indicator on the dash.

    I wouldn’t refuse to buy the car due to the lack of the lamp, that’s for
    sure, but if my old 1990 Dodge had that light (and it did),  it certainly
    should be in a 2003 Lexus.

    I have to say that when I bought my 98 ES, I was surprised to find it didn’t
    have the lamp. Now, having bought my 02, I’m not surprised anymore, I’m just
    puzzled. Puzzled as to why the people at Lexus continue to omit that
    not-so-hi-tech item, given all the other stuff the car provides………

    Do they think we’re not willing to pay the price for that lamp?

    Comment by admin — November 30, 2009 @ 6:42 pm

  4. Jeff, waste of time…

    My battery was dead, car would not run.
    Maybe when one of your kids leave the trunk open
    and your battery is dead it won’t be such a "waste of time"

    You do have a choice not to read all the messages you know.

    - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

    jt wrote:

    > What a waste of time and a bunch of crap. I have a 2002 ES 300. You know
    > what my solution is? I close the trunk!!!

    > "jr" <jer…@pobox.com> wrote in message news:3E02A0C4.E0343849@pobox.com…
    > > That’s correct no warning, no indication the trunk is open
    > > The problem is if your lights are on auto, the headlights will stay
    > > on all night if your trunk is left open.
    > > This happened to me, the trunk does not pop open, just stays ajar.
    > > I contacted my dealer, they agreed on my findings, but will not address
    > > this.

    > > My (I did this, not dealer)solution was a fiber optic cable from the
    > > trunk light within
    > > the trunk and installed it in the rear brake light housing facing front.
    > > When the trunk is open, I see a dot of light in the rearview mirror..

    > > What would happen if you packed your trunk full, and for some reason
    > > it did not latch. You start driving, something falls out at 50 mph
    > > big accident, possible fatality, lexus did not seem to be concerned.

    > > Not what I expected. perhaps a car&driver magazine would like to look
    > > into this?

    Comment by admin — November 30, 2009 @ 6:42 pm

  5. The guy makes a decent point. At the very least I’ll take his experience to
    be careful to be sure the trunk is closed. Not something I really am going
    to worry about.

    "njbok" <ayonne…@NOSPAMhotmail.com> wrote in message

    news:dDPM9.71966$hK4.5905053@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net…

    - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

    > I think it’s reasonable to expect that a Lexus (especially in the year
    2003)
    > should have a Trunk Open indicator on the dash.

    > I wouldn’t refuse to buy the car due to the lack of the lamp, that’s for
    > sure, but if my old 1990 Dodge had that light (and it did),  it certainly
    > should be in a 2003 Lexus.

    > I have to say that when I bought my 98 ES, I was surprised to find it
    didn’t
    > have the lamp. Now, having bought my 02, I’m not surprised anymore, I’m
    just
    > puzzled. Puzzled as to why the people at Lexus continue to omit that
    > not-so-hi-tech item, given all the other stuff the car provides………

    > Do they think we’re not willing to pay the price for that lamp?

    Comment by admin — November 30, 2009 @ 6:42 pm

  6. > I have to say that when I bought my 98 ES, I was surprised to find it
    didn’t
    > have the lamp. Now, having bought my 02, I’m not surprised anymore, I’m
    just
    > puzzled. Puzzled as to why the people at Lexus continue to omit that
    > not-so-hi-tech item, given all the other stuff the car provides………

    I suspect the fact that the ES300 is a built-to-a-price family car – a
    Camry – under the skin plays a large part.  You can graft on a better stereo
    system, more curvevaceous sheet metal, and and fancier instruments for the
    Lexus version, but Toyota decided that a trunk-open warning was below the
    bar on a Camry and didn’t want to make a separate wiring harness and sensor
    system for the Lexus version.  It’s probably just a cost tradeoff.

    - Mark

    Comment by admin — November 30, 2009 @ 6:42 pm

  7. Even my $20,000 Grand Prix has a sensor to cut power from the battery
    after your trunk or any doors are open for more than 15 minutes.  This
    has saved me more than once.

    One more reason, why I am hesitant to buy a Lexus.

    Comment by admin — November 30, 2009 @ 6:42 pm

  8. > One more reason, why I am hesitant to buy a Lexus.

    Yep, great reason to get a Grand Prix.

    - Mark

    Comment by admin — November 30, 2009 @ 6:42 pm

  9. Grand Prix-O-Shit

    Which vehicle have more plastics, the Grand POS or the Avalanche….

    Comment by admin — November 30, 2009 @ 6:42 pm

  10. LQ…@webtv.net (J. Fmamj Jasond) wrote in message <news:20347-3E05C6F1-57@storefull-2173.public.lawson.webtv.net>…

    > Grand Prix-O-Shit

    > Which vehicle have more plastics, the Grand POS or the Avalanche….

    Yes, perhaps the GP interior is land-o-plastic, but at least it has a
    tolerable engine and transmission, something that cannot be said about
    the ES300.

    Comment by admin — November 30, 2009 @ 6:42 pm

  11. >but at least it has a tolerable engine
    >and transmission, something that cannot
    >be said about the ES300.

    I guess your definition of ‘tolerable’ is anything quieter than a cheap
    lawnmower.

    ES = extremely sirene

    Comment by admin — November 30, 2009 @ 6:42 pm

  12. > I guess your definition of ‘tolerable’ is anything quieter than a cheap
    > lawnmower.

    > ES = extremely sirene

    No, I meant "tolerable" is the transmission knows when it is supposed
    to shift and it not having a 1 second delay when trying to find the
    gears.  I think if you’ll read through the ES300 owner evaluations in
    Edmunds.com, about 40% would agree the ES300 transmission absolutely
    sucks.

    I’ll be the first to admit that the Grand Prix interior is cheap, as
    is most GM products, but when spending $35K on a car, I want to have a
    transmission that knows what it’s doing.

    Comment by admin — November 30, 2009 @ 6:42 pm

  13. >No, I meant "tolerable" is the
    >transmission knows when it is
    >supposed to shift and it not having
    >a 1 second delay when trying to
    >find the gears. I think if you’ll read
    >through the ES300 owner evaluations
    >in Edmunds.com, about 40% would
    >agree the ES300 transmission
    >absolutely sucks.

    The Es300 has a vvt-i engine, which means at the early stage of its
    life, it will be trying to learn the owner’s driving styles and
    calibrate it to work in harmony with its pilot and the "delay" you’re
    referring about is the intelligence doing its jobs.

    Comment by admin — November 30, 2009 @ 6:42 pm

  14. Simmer down children.

    Now, what exactly does the GP transmission know to do?  Fail at 35k
    miles, right after the engine goes?

    My parents only owned GM cars throughout their lives.  From the
    LeSabre that would not stop leaking, to the Lumina that they had to
    replace the engine at 29,000 miles and now sounds like a motor boat
    when accelerating (Chevy keeps insisting that nothing is wrong with
    the car, I guess it’s supposed to sound that way!).  They finally
    learned their lesson and bought a Honda Accord.

    I’ll buy you a Grand Prix in exchange for your ES300.
    I had a 1971 Grand Prix (great car).
    Moved on to a 1981 Olds Cutlass (same car as the GP).
    AT no point in the history of the Grand Prix, does it compare to a
    2002/03 ES300.  The ’71 was great, but for different reasons.  That
    SD-455 engine was a beast, but the 8 mpg were killer.  GM cars have
    been getting worse and worse over the years.  The fact that you even
    mention GM and Lexus in the same breath leads me to believe that you
    may be medicated on something.
    To listen to some of these people carry on about the 1 second it takes
    the transmission to shift, about how they could die because of it.
    "It’s a hazard," "the car is a menace to the road."  If they really
    feared for their lives they should sell the car and quit their
    bitchin’.
    I own the car and have no problems at all with my transmission.  I
    usually just laugh when I hear people complain, but to hear someone
    actaully compare it to a Grand Prix, thems fightin’ words!!!  I really
    think people need something to complain about and the transmission
    seems to be the biggest target.
    As far as the "trunk open" problem.  I understand your grief.  I’m
    sure the reasoning was simply to keep the dash clutter free.  Really
    the only thing thats lights up are the gauges and they probably just
    couldnt fit the light inside one of them.  But that is something they
    should have had a workaround for–maybe a "ding" similar to what they
    do if your door is open.
    Just remember to check to see if your trunk is closed.  I always shut
    my headlights off before I leave the car behind, by hitting the button
    to lock the doors twice on the keyless entry.  That will shut off the
    headlights immeadiately so you won’t have to wait the 45 seconds and
    that way, you’ll know something was left open if they don’t go off.

    Comment by admin — November 30, 2009 @ 6:42 pm

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Leave a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Powered by WordPress