2003 Lexus ES300 complaints

SINCE MY ACQUISITON OF A 2003 LEXUS ES-300, THE VEHICLE HAS DISPLAYED VERY UNEVEN SHIFTING AND HESTITATION AS THE TRANSMISSION UPSHIFTS AND DOWNSHIFTS, PARTICULARLY AT LOW SPEEDS. IN RESPONSE TO MY COMPLAINT AFTER 2,000 MILES OF DRIVING, THE DEALER EXAMINED THE PROBLEM AND I WAS TOLD THAT LEXUS HAD PROVIDED A SOLUTION IN THE FORMS OF A "RE-FLASH" FOR THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER. THIS WAS PERFORMED, HOWEVER, FAILED TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION AT ALL. WHEN I COMPLAINED A SECOND TIME AFTER 5,600 MILES OF OPERATION, THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT NOTHING FURTHER COULD BE DONE AND REFERRED ME TO THE LEXUS NATIONAL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION LINE. AFTER SEVERAL CALLS I WAS TOLD BY A NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED AND NOTHING COULD/WOULD BE DONE. IN ITS PRESENT CONDITION, THE VEHICLE IS BOTH UNPLEASANT TO DRIVE AND UNSAFE SINCE IT HESITATES BEFORE ACCELERATING.

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN PULLING FROM A STOP OR TURNING A CORNER FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE HESITATION WAS NORMAL. THIS HESITATION HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN THREE TIMES SINCE OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *PH

IGNITION KEY CAN BE REMOVED WHEN IN NEUTRAL AND ENGINE IS OFF, PERMITTING CAR TO ROLL.*AK

AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONSUMER PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE HESITATED BEFORE MOVING. THE CAUSE WAS NOT DETERMINED. *AK *SCC *JB

THERE IS A PRONOUNCED HESITATION WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS FLOORED. THIS LACK OF RESPONSIVENESS LEAVES THE VEHICLE AND THE DRIVER EXPOSED TO ACCIDENT AND INJURY. LEXUS HAD OFFERED "REPAIR" FOR THIS, BUT IT DOES NOT WORK ON ALL TYPES OF MODELS. THEY NOW STATE THAT THE AUTO IS WORKING AS DESIGNED. *LA *JB

TRANSMISSION IS UNPREDICTABLE. SOMETIMES IT HESITATES, SOMETIMES IT LURCHES. IT SHUDDERS AT TIMES WHEN SHIFTING. I'VE HAD THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER FOR 2 COMPUTER DOWNLOAD FIXES. THE FIRST LASTED A DAY MAKING THE CAR SEEM LIKE THE DEMO I TEST DROVE. THE CAR WAS RETURNED AND ANOTHER FIX BY COMPUTER WAS DONE WITH NO CHANGE TO THE QUERKY, UNSAFE CONDITION OF THIS TRANSMISSION. MY WIFE WAS NEARLY BROADSIDED IN CROSS TRAFFIC PATTERN AS THE CAR HESITATED AS SHE ATTEMPED TO TURN ONTO A SIDE STREET. I HAVE HAD 4 SIMILAR SITUATIONS. THESE PROBLEMS ARE AT SPEEDS UP TO 40 MPH. THESE PROBLEMS DO NOT SEEM TO OCCUR IF YOU STOMP ON THE ACCELERATOR FROM A STOPED POSITION. THE GENEARAL MANAGER AT THE AGENCY HAS DRIVEN THE CAR "AROUND THE BLOCK" AND EXPERIANCED NONE OF THESE PROBLEMS. YET THE SERVIVE DEPT. ADMITS ITS NOT THE WAY THIS CAR SHOULD OPERATE AND NO FURTHER MANUFACTURER UPDATE/CORRECTION IS AVAILABLE. THEY SAY THEY ARE WORKING ON IT. THE MANAGER SAYS PER TOYOTA THIS IS THE NORMAL WAY THIS CAR DRIVES AND THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING TO SATISFY MY COMPLAINT. THESE TWO STATEMENTS ARE A CONTRADICTION. I'VE BEEN ADVISED BY ONE OF THE TECHNICIANS TO USE PREMIUM FUEL BECAUSE IT WOULD HELP THE ENGINE/TRANSMISSION WORK BETTER. I'VE DONE THIS SINCE THAT CONVERSATION AND THE PERFORMANCE IS STILL SUB STANDARD AND IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC STILL UNPREDICTABLE AND DANGEROUS. *LA

THESE TWO ISSUES MAY BE RELATED? THE VEHICLE DISPLAYS INSTABILITY AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. THE ORGINAL TIRES WERE MAKING NOISE BEYOND ANYTHING CONSIDERED NORMAL. HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 20000K. COST $477

WHILE DRIVING, THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE WAS DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK THE DEALERSHIP RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE CONSUMER WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE MECHANIC LATER STATED THE DASHBOARD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CONSUMER HAD TO WAIT FOR A REPLACEMENT DASH TO ARRIVE. *PH *JB

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S TURN SIGNALS.*MR THE CONSUMER WANTED THE DEALERSHIP TO INCREASE THE SOUND OF THE TURNING SIGNALS WHEN ACTIVATED, AND THE SIGNALS TURNING OFF ONCE THE TURN WAS COMPLETED. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT THE TURN SIGNALS. *PH *JB

HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION. I NOTICE THE VEHICLE LACKS THE ABILITY TO PICK UP SPEED FROM A SLOW DOWN OR DEAD STOP. I FEEL THIS IN 1ST-3RD GEARS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A DECELERATION SPEED OR STOP. THIS IS VERY SERIOUS AND IS CAUSE FOR SAFETY CONCERNS. I JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE AND I HAVE ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH A CLICKING, WHINING NOISE WHEN TURNING INTO A PARKING SPOT OR MAKING SLOW TURNS.

THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT THE DESIGN OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING. ON ONE OCCASION THIS CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *AK *CB *NLM

THE TRANSMISSION OF THE LEXUS 2003 ES300 IS SUBJECT TO MAJOR HESITATION, PARTICULARLY IN CROWDED INTERSECTIONS AND WITH LACK OF ACCELERATION. VERY NOTICEABLE WHEN TRAVELING ABOUT 27 MPH, AND THEN NEEDING TO MOVE, THERE IS MAJOR DELAY IN THE SIGNAL TELLING THE ENGINE, AND TRANSMISSION TO WORK TOGETHER, AND MOVE THE CAR. THIS VEHICLE IS NEW WITH ABOUT 1000 MILES. IT CANNOT MAKE UP ITS MIND TO UPSHIFT OR DOWNSHIFT AND THIS DELAY WILL MEAN A MAJOR CRASH SOMEDAY. AROUND 40 MPH IT WANTS TO UPSHIFT TO THE 5TH GEAR, AND JUST BELOW THAT HUNTS TO GO BACK TO 4TH. THE MFG. SAYS, AS HE DID FOR THE 2002 MODELS, THAT A SOFTWARE FIX IS BEING PREPARED. THEY STATED THE PROBLEM FROM THE 2002 WAS FIXED. EVIDENTLY THAT IS NOT THE CASE. THEY NOW TELL ME THAT A FIX IS COMING YEAR END. HOW MANY ACCIDENTS WILL OCCUR BY THEN? DEALER SAYS THAT THE CAR WILL LEARN FROM THE DRIVER, BUT THAT IS NOT WORKING, AND HESITATION FROM 0-5, FROM 27-45, ETC. IS VERY PRONOUNCED. IF YOU "FLOORBOARD" IT FROM SLOW SPEEDS, ITS HESITATION IS GREAT, AND CAR ALMOST DIES. LEXUS SAYS "DON'T DO THAT", BUT FROM CAR CREATION TO NOW, CAR MOVEMENT MEANT ADD MORE GAS, NOT THE REVERSE. MY SAFETY DEPENDS ON IT. *NLM

THE NEW 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION ON MY '03 LEXUS SEEMS A LITTLE STRANGE. IF I DRIVE ABOUT 35 MPH AND THEN SLOW DOWN TO ABOUT 5 MPH AND THAN TRY TO ACCELERATE THERE IS A HESITATION. IT'S AS IF THE TRANSMISSION CAN NOT DECIDE ON WHAT GEAR TO GO INTO. WHEN IT FINALLY DOES THERE'S A SLIGHT LURCH FORWARD. THIS SITUATION IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN TRYING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE. *NLM

THE VEHICLE HAD PROBLEMS PICKING UP SPEED, WHEN THE ACCELERATOR WAS PRESSED THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND, IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH SOMETHING WAS TICKING INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE LEXUS MANUFACTURE AND WAS TOLD THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WHICH WAS CALLED " THE HAZARD COMPUTER MODULE CONTROL" BUT DID NOT KNOW HOW TO REPAIR IT. *JB

WHEN ACCELERATING OUT OF A SLOW TURN(USUALLY A U-TURN) THE CAR WILL DELAY APPROX 1 SECOND BEFORE TRANSMISSION ENGAGES. WHEN SLOWING TO STOP BUT NOT COMPLETELY STOPPING THE TRANSMISSION FEELS LIKE IT IS SLIPPING WHEN ACCELERATING. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE VEHICLE JERKS AND DRAGS, CONTACTED THE DEALER THEY SAID THAT LEXUS WAS DOING SOME SORT OF COMPUTER PROGRAM UPDATE THAT RELATES TO HER VEHICLE. PLEASE ADD ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. MR