2004 Lexus Es 330

DURING THE FIRST WEEKS, THE TRANSMISSION ACTED ERRATICALLY. DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS, WHEN I RELEASE THE ACCELERATOR TO COAST, AND THEN ACCELERATE, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS OR TAKES TIME TO ENGAGE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LURCH FORWARD. (THIS HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A "DELAY/HESITATION IN SHIFTING," OR THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS "SEARCHING FOR A GEAR.") THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT SHIFT UP OR DOWN SMOOTHLY. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN. THE SERVICE TECH ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM. I WAS THEN ASKED TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN AND LEAVE IT FOR A FEW DAYS. NOT HEARING BACK FROM ANYONE, I CALLED AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD BEEN UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. A FEW DAYS LATER, I WAS TOLD TO PICK UP THE CAR. I SPOKE WITH [XXX]. HE INFORMED ME THAT LEXUS DROVE THE VEHICLE AND SPECULATED THE CAUSE WAS THE GAS. I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO "RUN THROUGH A FEW TANKS OF GAS." WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE, I WAS READING THE SERVICE TICKET AND SAW A STATEMENT ON THE TICKET THAT: "NO FAULT FOUND." DESPITE THIS, THE TICKET WAS INACCURATE. WORK WAS DONE ON THE VEHICLE, INCLUDING RESETTING THE MEMORY, REPLACEMENT OF A FILTER AND NEW GAS. I THEN SPOKE WITH [XXX], SERVICE MANAGER. HE CONCEDED THAT THE SERVICE TICKET WAS INACCURATE. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS LOOKING INTO THE ISSUE. HE CALLED ME BACK AND SAID THE LEXUS ENGINEERS WERE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND IT WAS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE. I HAVE NOW DRIVEN 2-3 OF THESE CARS, AND THE SYMPTOMS ARE CONSISTENT. I CONTACTED LEXUS. THEY STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A "CHARACTERISTIC" OF THE CAR, AND THAT THERE "WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR." LEXUS KNOWS THE CAR'S TRANSMISSION IS DEFECTIVE, BUT THE FIX IS TOO COSTLY. SO, CONSUMERS ARE GOING TO BE STONEWALLED. THE NHTSA SHOULD IMMEDIATELY RECALL ALL LEXUS VEHICLES WITH THE 330 ENGINE MATED TO THIS NEW 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED/KILLED. IF YOU OR ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME AT [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOI

TRANSMISSION FAILED TO ACCELERATE WHEN STEPPING ON GAS. TRANSMISSION ONLY WHINED AND FAILED TO GET A GEAR FOR A COUPLE OF MOMENTS. (BIG HESITATION) VERY DANGEROUS WHEN TRYING TO PASS AT LOW SPEEDS. THE TRANSMISSION ONLY DOES THIS INTERMITTENTLY, DEALER STATES ITS DRIVE BY WIRE AND IS NORMAL. I GUESS UNTIL SOMEBODY DIES THEY (LEXUS) ARE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. HELP, THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM AND THE CAR ONLY HAS 1600 MILES ON IT.*AK

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PRODUCES UNPREDICTABLE AND ERRATIC BEHAVIOR, INCLUDING VEHICLE HESITATION, TRANSMISSION SLIPPING, AND LURCHING ON ACCELERATION. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN FOR WHICH THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE MADE AWARE. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED ON FOUR OCCASIONS WITHOUT SUCCESSFUL REMEDIATION. THE DEALER CLAIMS AWARENESS OF THE ISSUES AND INSISTS THAT THERE IS NO IMMEDIATE REPAIR AVAILABLE.*AK

MY LEXUS ES330 WAS LESS THAN TWO MONTHS OLD AND THE MILEAGE READ ABOUT 950 THE TIME WHEN THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED.T OCCURRED ON THE WAY TO WORK AT 8:40 AM MARCH 8TH, 2004. IT WAS A SUNNY WARM DAY. AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE FAR RIGHT LANE OF SOUTH 5 FREEWAY WITH SPEED AROUND 65 TO 70 MPH, A CAR NEXT TO MY LANE WAS TRYING TO CUT IN FRONT OF ME. IN ORDER TO KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE, I TRIED TO SLOW DOWN THE CAR BY PRESSING THE BRAKE. THE MOMENT I PRESSED THE BRAKE THE CAR SWERVED TO THE RIGHT. I COULDN'T CONTROL WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS HEADING AND THE CAR DIDN'T SLOW DOWN AS I FURTHER PRESSED THE BRAKE. IT BUMPED INTO THE GUARDRAIL AND TURNED 180 DEGREE FACING THE ONCOMING CARS. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO MAKE A TURN AND PARKED THE CAR WITHOUT HITTING ANYBODY. THE CAR WAS DAMAGED FROM THE RIGHT HEAD LIGHT ALL THE WAY TO THE REAR BUMPER. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DEALER AND LEXUS SENT A INSPECTOR TO CHECK ON THE CAR. ONE WEEK LATER, I WAS INFORMED THE CAR IS OK AND THERE IS NOTHING ABNORMAL AFTER THEIR INVESTIGATION. I REQUESTED AN INVESTIGATION REPORT AND THE RESPONSE I GOT IS I HAVE TO "GO THROUGH THE LEGAL SYSTEM". THERE WAS NO EXPLANATION FOR THE EXACT MEANING OF THIS PHRASE. I AM A GOOD DRIVER WITH EXCELLENT RECORD. THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE WAS TOTALLY OUT OF NOWHERE AND UNPREDICTABLE. I KEPT LOOKING BACK TO FIND ANY CLUES THAT MIGHT LEAD TO THE ACCIDENT. AS I STUDIED THE NHTSA COMPLAINTS, MOST OF THEM HAPPENED DURING SLOW SPEED DRIVING. MY CASE HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY AND ALL I REMEMBERED WAS THE CAR DIDN'T SLOW DOWN AS I APPLIED THE BRAKE. *AK

VEHICLE DOES NOT ALWAYS RESPOND PROPERLY TO DRIVER DEPRESSING ACCELERATOR. IN SOME CASES, WHEN COASTING SLOWLY E.G., UNDER 10 MPH), SUDDENLY PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR SHARPLY WILL HAVE NO EFFECT FOR ABOUT 1.5 SECONDS. DURING THE DELAY, THE ENGINE WILL CONTINUE TO IDLE AND VEHICLE SPEED DO NOT INCREASE. AFTER THE DELAY, THE ENGINE AND VEHICLE SPEED INCREASE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION. THIS CAN LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT IF THE DRIVER IS MAKING A LEFT TURN WHEN THERE IS ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THERE IS ANOTHER POSSIBLY RELATED ANOMALY WITH THE CAR: WHEN DRIVING, UNDER SOME CIRCUMSTANCES, WHEN THE DRIVER SHARPLY PRESSES THE ACCELERATOR, THE ENGINE AND VEHICLE SPEED WILL NOT CHANGE FOR ABOUT 1.5 SECONDS. AFTER THE DELAY, THE TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFTS AND THE ENGINE SPEED INCREASES.*AK

MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED A NEW 2004 LEXUS ES 330 ON FEBRUARY 7TH, 2004. WE HAD READ MANY GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS CAR, AND THOUGHT WE WERE BUYING THE BEST.HE SALESMAN REAFFIRMED OUR THOUGHTS. WE BOUGHT THE CAR IN SARASOTA AND DROVE IT HOME TO BRADENTON. I NOTICEDA DIFFERENCE FROM THE DEMONSTRATOR IMMEDIATELY. THE TRANSMISSION WHINED AS IT WENT THROUGH THE GEARS; IT SLIPPED NOTICEABLY IN THE GEAR CHANGES; AND IT FAILED TO DROP INTO LOWER GEARS IMMEDIATELY WHEN I GAVE IT THROTTLE TO PASS. I THOUGHT THEY WOULD FIX IT IN THE 1,000 MILE CHECKUP, BUT WHEN I TOOK IT IN ON MARCH 11,'04, THE TECHNICIAN,S REPORT SAID,"...ALL DATA NORMAL. TRANSMISSION IS IS WORKING AS DESIGNED." I OBJECTED TO NO AVAIL. WHAT KIND OF MANUFACTURER WOULD DESIGN A TRANSMISSION TO SLIP, WHINE, AND IN THE WORDS OF CONSUMER GUIDE OF APRIL, 2004,"...TRANSMISSION TENDS TO LOITER IN HIGHER GEARS AND HESITATES TO KICK DOWN FOR PASSING, CREATING DELAYS IN PART-THROTTLE RESPONSE." I AMFINDING OUT THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE AT LEAST '02 WITH NO CORRECTIVE MEASURES BEING TAKEN. WE THINK THIS PROBLEM MAKES THESE CARS UNSAFE IN TODAY'S HEAVY TRAFFIC. *AK

EVER SINCE I PURCHASED BY 2004 LS430, I HAVE NOTICED AN UNACCEPTABLE ENGINE VIBRATION. THIS IS NOTICEABLE DURING IDLE/FIRST START-UP. THE ENGINE VIBRATES AND CAN BE FELT IN TO THE CABIN. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE ENGINE REVS ARE BETWEEN 1200 -1400 RPMS. THIS IS VERY DISAPPOINTING FOR A $62K LEXUS! I HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF A LEXUS DEALER AND HAVE GOTTEN THE "IT MUST BE BAD GAS" BS. I TOLD THEM I ONLY USE CHEVRON SUPREME (92), WHICH I ALSO USE IN MY BMW WITH NO PROBLEM. A SECOND TIME, THEY INDICATED THAT IT WAS NORMAL AND NOT A PROBLEM. THIS IS SOMETHING I WOULDNT IN A VEHICLE. *AK

I HAVE A 2004 ES330 WHICH HAS A SIGNIFICANT SHIFTING PROBLEM IN LOW GEARS. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE ALREADY AND AM READY FOR THE THIRD VISIT. THE DEALER "RESET" THE MEMORY FOR THE SHIFTING PATTERN AT 200 MILES BECAUSE OF UNPREDICTABLE DRIVING PATTERNS. THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ALWAYS SHIFT POORLY, ABOUT 25% OF THE TIME THERE IS A PROBLEM. THERE SEEMS TO BE A HESITATION DURING THE SHIFTING WHICH CAUSES A LACK OF POWER. I HAVE NOTICED THIS WHILE MERGING ONTO HIGHWAY TRAFFIC, AND IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. I HAVE CONTACTED THE LEXUS CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY WERE OF NO HELP, ONLY TO TELL ME THAT OTHER CUSTOMERS WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TRANSMISSIONS. IF I DO NOT GET SATISFACTION FROM THE THIRD VISIT I WILL GET A "LEMON LAW" HEARING AND HOPE FOR THE BEST. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE LEXUS/TOYOTA RESPONSE TO THIS OBVIOUS ENGINEERING BLUNDER. WHERE IS THE QUALITY THAT THEY ARE KNOWN FOR?