2002 Lexus ES Powertrain & Transmission Problems

DEALER AND FINANCE COMPANY CLAIM CLEAN TITLE BUT DOCUMENTS REFLECT OTHERWISE. *TR

MY WIFE, WHO DRIVES THE LEXUS ALL THE TIME, WAS PREPARING TO DRIVE THE CAR FROM THE GARAGE TO DRIVE DOWNTOWN. SHE HAD HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL (AS IS NECESSARY TO MOVE THE TRANSMISSION TO REVERSE). THE MOMENT IT WAS ENGAGED THE CAR LEAPED BACKWARD, LEAVING TIRE MARKS ON THE CEMENT OF THE GARAGE AND ALSO THE DRIVEWAY ITSELF. HER EFFORTS TO STOP THE CAR BY STOMPING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD NO EFFECT. SHE GRAZED THE HOUSE, MOVED THROUGH A FLOWER BED, LEAVING A TIRE MARK THE WHOLE DISTANCE, STRUCK THE CORNER OF THE HOUSE AND CONTINUED UP A SMALL INCLINE IN THE NEIGHBOR'S YARD, LUCKILY MISSING A LARGE TREE THERE AND CAME TO A STOP. THE CORNER OF THE HOUSE REMOVED WAS ABOUT 3-4 FEET ON EACH SIDE OF THE CORNER JUNCTURE ITSELF. THERE WERE TWO WITNESSES ACROSS THE STREET IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE, BOTH OF WHOM IMMEDIATELY CAME TO HER AID AND VOICED THE OPINION THAT THE CAR WAS TRULY MOVING AT A HIGH SPEED. MY WIFE HAD NO INJURIES OTHER THAN BEING VERY SHOOK-UP AND THANKFUL THAT NEITHER SHE OR OTHERS WERE INJURED. OF COURSE, THE CAR IS A MESS: BRICKS FROM THE HOUSE IMPACT FELL ON THE HOOD, TOP, AND TRUNK LID. A THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR IS SCRAPED, ONE REAR WINDOW IS BROKEN, THE LARGE REAR WINDOW IS GONE, THE TRUNK LID IS IN BAD SHAPE AS IS THE REAR BUMPER. THE TOP HAS SEVERAL DENTS AND WINDOW TRIM ALSO. MY PRIMARY CONCERN IS WHETHER OR NOT THE CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE AFTER THE EXTERNAL REPAIRS ARE MADE. I BELIEVE ONLY LEXUS CAN TELL ME, IF THEY WILL. *TR

MY 2002 LEXUS ES300 HAS BEEN JERKING AND SHIFTING VERY HARD ON ACCELERATION. IT SEEMS TO HAVE MORE OF A PROBLEM WHEN I ACCELERATE SLOWLY IN THE LOWER GEARS. IT JERKS VERY NOTICEABLY. I WAS TOLD IT WAS JUST THE NATURE OF THE CAR, BUT IT HAS BEEN GETTING MUCH WORSE OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR. IT ALSO HESITATES WHEN STEPPING ON THE GAS AFTER DECELERATION. *TR

MY 2002 LEXUS ES 200 WAS DYING OR NOT STARTING AT ALL. SUDDENLY, IT WAS WORKING FINE. 2 DAYS LATER, WHILE IDLING OR WHEN MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, IT WOULD LURCH FORWARD AND START ACCELERATING AT SOMETIMES 40MPH. I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES, THEN EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP, THEN AFTER I TURNED IT OFF, IT WOULD SHAKE FORWARD. *KB

LEXUS (2002 ES) HAS DRAMATIC TRANSMISSION STUTTER AT LOW OR HIGH SPEEDS, JERKING OCCUPANTS AND MAKING QUICK STARTS (TURNING ACROSS LANES) VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

2002 LEXUS ES300, CAR LUNGES AND JERKS DURING ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION. CAR DROVE FINE UNTIL LEXUS UPGRADED SOFTWARE, AND THEN 100% NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE IN PERFORMANCE. CAR WAS BROUGHT TO JM LEXUS APPROX 4-5 TIMES FOR PROBLEM, AND ONCE TO PALM BEACH LEXUS. CAR JERKED DURING TEST DRIVE WITH MECHANIC. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A "CHARACTERISTIC" OF THE CAR, AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO FIX IT. MECHANIC STATED HE HAS SEEN THE SAME PROBLEM ON OTHER CARS. PROBLEM HAS BEEN GETTING WORSE. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 LEXUS ES300. MY CAR AT SLOWER SPEEDS HAS BEEN JERKING/SURGING AT LOWER SPEEDS AND LURCHES FORWARD WITHOUT NOTICE. IT IS A NIGHTMARE TO DRIVE THIS CAR IN TRAFFIC. I KEEP BEING TOLD ITS NORMAL, IT SEEMS HUNDREDS OF OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED, BUT I'M NOT GETTING ANYWHERE. THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP DID A SOFTWARE UPGRADE RECENTLY, IT ONLY MADE THE MATTER WORSE. I HATE DRIVING THIS CAR, EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY AVOIDS DRIVING IT, AS WE JUST DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THE WAY IT ACCELERATES AND SHIFTS GEARS. ITS A 2002 MODEL, WITH 49K MILES. I AVG 25K MILES A YEAR DRIVING, DO THE MATH, THIS CAR SUCKS, AND I AVOID USING IT OUT OF FEAR/ANNOYANCE. *TR

ON 11/20/09, I WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE IN MY 2002 LEXUS ES300. WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, IT BOOMED FORTH, AND THE BRAKE DIDN'T WORK. I TRIED TO GET AROUND THE CAR THAT WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF ME BUT THE SPEED WAS SUCH THAT I HIT IT. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO MY CAR AND THE CAR I HIT. THE DRIVER WAS IN THE CAR AND HAS SINCE CLAIMED SHE WAS INJURED. I HAD ANOTHER INSTANCE OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION 2 YEARS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT BUT WAS ABLE TO STOP. I URGE YOU TO PUSH TOYOTA TO ADMIT THAT THERE ARE CASES OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION IN MODELS THAT PRE-DATE THE ONES THEY ARE RECALLING AND TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. *CN

LEXUS 2002 ES 300 82,000 MILES TRANSMISSION WENT COMPLETELY OUT WITH NO WARNING AND WAS SERVICED ON 02/28/2007 WITH 58995 MILES AS AN OIL CHANGE ATTENDANT NOTIFIED MY THAT MY TRANSMISSION FLUID LOOKED COMPLETELY WORN OUT. MY STARTER WAS REPLACED BY LEXUS OF TULSA ON 01/29/2008 THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE HAD NEVER SEEN ONE COMPLETELY WORN OUT AS THIS WITH SO FEW MILES. I WONDER IF I HAVE A LEMON. LEXUS OF TULSA HAS QUOTED A TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT OF 4200-4600 DOLLARS THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. MY WIFE AND I HAVE A NEW BABY AT HOME AND THIS IS OUR ONLY CAR THAT THE BABY'S CAR SEAT CAN TRAVEL IN. WE NEED HELP. *TR

CAR ACCELERATES WHEN NOT APPROPRIATE AND SHIFTS VERY POORLY ESPECIALLY WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING IS ON. SEEMS TO BE STUCK IN GEAR WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE. HESITATION. BUCKS AND SHIFTS REALLY HARD INTERMITTENTLY. *JB

TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ROUGHLY AND SOMETIMES ABRUPTLY IN THE LOWER GEARS. THE DOWNSHIFT AT TIMES IS VERY HARD. THE VEHICLE WILL ALSO SURGE FORWARD AT TIMES OR WILL NOT ACCELERATE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED. *NM

THE TRANSMISSION ON THIS VEHICLE WILL HESITATE AND SURGE CAUSING ERRATIC BEHAVIOR. THIS BEHAVIOR IS DANGEROUS AND ANNOYING. ONE NEVER KNOWS HOW IT WILL REACT. I WOULD LIKE THIS FIXED ONCE AND FOR ALL. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE LEXUS USER GROUP HAS MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS BEHAVIOR. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT MAY GET SOMEONE INJURED. *JB

DANGEROUS HESITATION IN THE TRANSMISSION WHEN STEPPING ON THE GAS AFTER DECELERATING. NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. LEXUS HAS TRIED 2 TIMES TO FIX AND NOTHING HAS HELPED. *NM

THIS VEHICLE HESITATES INTERMITTENTLY IN TRAFFIC AND HAS A DANGEROUS LOSS OF POWER. WHEN I PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC, OR TURN A CORNER, THE VEHICLE OCCASIONALLY LOSES POWER AND WILL NOT ENGAGE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS, THEN THE VEHICLE WILL PROCEED. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY BLOW UP AND THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOST POWER, AND HAD TO BE TOWED. THE DEALER HAS DENIED THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS, AND THAT I AM THE ONLY ONE THAT IS EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. THEY HAVE REFUSED ANY ASSISTANCE. *JB

MY 2002 LEXUS 300 HAS A DANGEROUS AND SIGNIFICANT HESITATION AND SHIFTING PROBLEM. ACCELERATION IS SLUGGISH AND THEN SURGES FORWARD SUDDENLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO MOVE FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. IN ADDITION, THERE IS A REPEATED SHIFTING PROBLEM AT LOW SPEEDS WHEREIN THE VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY SHIFTS IN AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE, AGAIN WITH UNEXPECTED AND UNCONTROLLABLE RESULTS. THE DEALER INDICATED THIS WAS THE WAY THESE CARS WERE ENGINEERED AND DID AN FIRMWARE UPGRADE. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM PERSISTS IN MUCH THE SAME WAY. *JB

MY 2002 LEXUS ES300 HAS HAD CONTINUAL TRANSMISSION AND SHIFTING PROBLEMS. WE TOOK IT IN FOR THE UPDATE BUT THAT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. WHEN I ASKED AGAIN I WAS TOLD I ALREADY HAD THE UPDATE AND THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THAT COULD BE DONE. I BELIEVE LEXUS NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND FIX THIS ISSUE. OFTEN TIMES I WILL PRESS THE GAS PEDAL TO QUICKLY GET OUT OF THE WAY AND THE DELAY IS NOT ONLY ANNOYING, IT'S DANGEROUS.*JB

ROUGH SHIFTING/SLIPPING IN LOWER GEARS (1,2). WHEN ACCELERATING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC CAR SEEMS TO STALL BEFORE IT SUDDENLY BUMPS INTO GEAR. INTERMITTENTLY - WHEN ACCELERATED SUDDENLY (MOVING STEADY AT ABOUT 10 MILES PER HOUR) TRANSSMISION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR, ENGINE RPM REACHED ABOUT 4000 RPM. IT ENGAGED IN GEAR AFTER I RELEASED ACCELERATOR. *AK

WHEN ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING VEHICLE SHIFTED VIOLENTLY. DEALER STATED THEY KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT COULD NOT FIND A SOLUTION AT THIS TIME. *AK

I OWN A 2002 LEXUS ES300, AND THE CAR IS DANGEROUS! I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER MANY TIMES TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION CHECKED OUT, BECAUSE IT HESITATES IN TRAFFIC WHEN YOU PRESS THE GAS.THEY JUST SAY SOME BABBLE ABOUT THE "TRANSMISSION JUST NEEDS TO GET USED TO THE DRIVER", IM SORRY BUT JUST BECAUSE WE CAN AFFORD AN EXPENSIVE CAR DOESNT MEAN THAT WE'RE STUPID. THIS IS MY WIFE'S CAR, AND I REALLY DON'T THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE ANY INJURIES OR FATALITIES TO HAVE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THIS WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED,TRANSMISSION SLIPPED WHILE SHIFTING FROM THIRD TO FOURTH GEAR. ALSO, THERE WA S HESITATION, AND THE RPMS WENT WAY UP. DEALERSHIP REPLACED A CHIP AND CALIBRATED THE TRANSMISSION, AND PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK