2004 Lexus ES330 complaints

TRANSMISSION SHIFT DELAY. THE SHIFTING DELAY CAN GO AS LONG AS 3 - 4 SECONDS AND HAVE CAUSED SEVERAL LIFE THREATENING CLOSE CALLS ACCIDENT. LEXUS WAS AWARE OF THE SHIFT DELAY PROBLEM BUT CLAIMS THAT THIS IS NORMAL AND DONE BY DESIGN. *AK

THE 2004 LEXUS ES330 TRANSMISSION WAS HESITATION OR LACK OF RESPONSE, I COULD SENSE THE HESITATION TO SUDDEN SPEED WHICH I IMAGINE COULD BE A PROBLEM IF THERE WAS A CAR TAILGATING ME OR CHANGING LANES.*AK

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS ALMOST ALWAYS IN TOO HIGH A GEAR FOR CONDITIONS. SHIFTS UP TOO QUICKLY AND SHIFTS DOWN TOO SLOWLY. PRESENTS A SEVERE DANGER IN THAT EMERGENCY ACCELERATION IS VERY POOR FROM LOW SPEED AND/OR WHILE NEGOTIATING A TURN. DEALER STATES THIS IS NORMAL FOR FUEL MILEAGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS.*AK

STANDARD COMPLAINT FOR THIS CAR. ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION DELAY WHEN GAS PEDAL WAS RELEASED THEN SUDDENLY DEPRESSED. THIS OCCURS WHEN MERGING ONTO FREEWAYS, 4 WAY STOPS, A TRAFFIC LIGHT CHANGES, AND WHEN PULLING OUT TO PASS OR IN CERTAIN EMERGENCY MANEUVERS. THE DELAY IS APPROXIMATELY 1 OR 1.5 SECONDS AND DISRUPTS TIMING WHEN YOU DEPEND ON THROTTLE RESPONSE THE MOST! THIS HAS LED TO SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS. DEALER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT WHEN CAR WAS 1 WEEK OLD AND I WAS TOLD THE ADAPTIVE SYSTEM NEEDS 1,000 MILES TO LEARN MY DRIVING HABITS. THE DEALER IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND SAYS ALL THE 2004 ES330S SUFFER FROM THE SAME PROBLEM. LEXUS CUSTOMER CARE CLAIMS THAT THE "CAR IS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED". THERE IS AND WILL BE NO ATTEMPT BY LEXUS CO. TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. THE DEALER'S HANDS ARE TIED AT THIS POINT SINCE THE COMPANY NEEDS TO ENGINEER A FIX. *LA

MY 2004 LEXUS ES330HAS A PROBLEM WITH SHIFTING. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE THE CAR HESITATES SIGNIFICANTLY BEFORE DECIDING TO DOWNSHIFT. THIS IS A NOTABLE PROBLEM WHEN TRYING TO AVOID TRAFFIC OR CHANGE LANES FLUIDLY UNDER CROWDED TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. LEXUS SAYS THIS IS NORMAL FOR THE CAR.*AK

WHEN ACCELERATING FROM AN IDLE POSITION VEHICLE HESITATES. *AK

2004 LEXUS ES330 HESITATES AND THAN LUNGES ON ACCELERATION FROM 1ST TO 2ND. EALER UNABLE TO CORRECT; MANUFACTURER WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A PROPLEM.*AK

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION/VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL FAILED. *AK THE VEHICLE HESITATES WHEN THE THROTTLE IS APPLIED WHILE DRINING AT 30 TO 40 MPH DUE TO POOR TRANSMISSION SHIFTING. THE DEALER INSTALLED NEW SOFTWARE WHICH IMPROVED (~50%) BUT DID NOT ELIMINATE THE CONCERN. THE CONSUMER SAYS THIS IS A COMMON CONCERN WITH THESE VEHICLES BASED ON HIS INTERNET RESEARCH. *DSY

THIS CAR IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. IT'S EITHER A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION OR BAD DRIVE-BY-WIRE DESIGN.THE CAR HESITATES EXTREMELY BADLY ON ACCELERATION. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU ARE ENTERING A LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY, IF YOU SLOW DOWN AND THEN STEP ON THE GAS, THERE IS A LONG LAG BEFORE THE CAR BEGINS TO PICK UP SPEED. THIS LAG IS OFTEN A SECOND OR MORE. I HAVE NEARLY BEEN HIT NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE THE CAR MAKES UP ITS MIND WHETHER IT WANTS TO MOVE OR NOT.THE DEALER HAS REFUSED TO FIX THE PROBLEM.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AND COMING TO COMPLETE STOP VEHICLE HESITATED UPON ACCELERATION FOR A FEW SECONDS. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE, AND INDICATED THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED BY MANUFACTURER. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WHEN TRYING TO PASS OTHER VEHICLES IT HESITATED FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. AFTER ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE WILL NOT GO INTO ANY PARTICULAR GEAR. ALSO, ENGINE WOULD WHINE DURING THIS PROCESS. DEALER CLAIMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED TO ADAPT TO THE DRIVERS HABITS.*AK

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 TH

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

CONSUMER HAD DIFFICULTY STEERING BECAUSE THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT. THE DEALER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS. CONSUMER GOT A SECOND OPINION FROM AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED A FRONT END ALIGNMENT. THE VEHICLE PERFORMED BETTER AFTER THE ALIGNMENT. *AK *JB

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

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?

FOR THE LAST 3 MONTHS SINCE I PURCHASED MY LEXUS RX330,I HAVE EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATIONS IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING IMPROPERLY. THOUGH I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR INTO LEXUS MANY TIMES THEY HAVE NOT FIX THESE PROBLEMS AND I BELIEVE THEY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.*AK

I HAVE A LEXUS 330 MODEL YEAR 2004 4 DOOR SEDAN. THE CAR HAS AN INDICATOR ON THE DASHBOARD ADVISING WHETHER OR NOT THE PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG IS TURNED "ON" OR "OFF". THIS DIAL INDICATES THE AIRBAG IS ALWAYS TURNED "OFF" IF A PERSON WEIGHING LESS THEN 85 POUNDS IS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. WHEN AN 85 POUND FEMALE IS IN THE FRONT SEAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT INDICATES THE AIR BAG IS TURNED "OFF". IF THE PASSENGER PLACES A 10 POUND BAG OF POTATOES IN HER LAP, THE AIRBAG INDIDATOR SHOWS THAT THE AIRBAG IS TURNED "ON". I PURCHASED A CAR WITH 2 FRONT SEAT AIR BAGS. HOWEVER, THIS IN NOT WHAT I HAVE RECEIVED. THERE IS NO MANUAL SWITCH TO TURN THE AIR BAG "ON" OR "OFF". THE DEALER AND LEXUS CORPORATION REFUSE TO CORRECT THIS SO THAT MY 85 POUND WIFE IS PROTECTED BY AN AIR BAG. DOES THIS COMPLY WITH YOUR REGULATIONS? VERY TRULY YOURS, JULES I. KURZ. *AK

WHEN YOU ACCELERATE FROM A VERY LOW SPEED THERE IS A HESATATION WHICH I FEEL IS DANGEROUS IF I HAD TO REACT FAST TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR IT IS A 2004 ES330 AND WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. IS LEXUS WORKING ON FIXING THIS PROBLEM IT CAN BE DANGEROUS

AS I WAS PULLING INTO THE GARAGE AT MY PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT, I PRESSED ON THE BRAKES AND THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE, I CONTINUED TO BOUNCE OFF THE WALL SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE CAR WOULD STOP. I FELT THAT THE BRAKES FAILED OR THE THROTTLE WAS STUCK. I HAVE CONTACTED MY DEALER, THEY CALLED ME BACK 30 MINUTES LATER AND SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH CAR AND I COULD PICK IT UP. I FELT AS IF I HAVE BEEN "BLOWN OFF' AND I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AGAIN. I HAVE SINCE CONTACTED THE CORPORATE OFFICES AND PLACED A COMPLAINT, HOWEVER, THIS ISSUE STILL REMAINS UNRESOLVED. THE FORM WILL NOT LET ME ENTER THE CORRECT MODEL OF MY CAR, IT IS AN ES330 NOT AND RX. *LA