2003 Lexus ES Powertrain & Transmission Problems

I PURCHASED A USED 2003 LEXUS ES30FROM USED CAR DEALER. AFTER A COUPLE DAYS OF DRIVING IT I NOTICED IT WAS SHIFTING GEARS INNORMALLY. IT WOULD SURGE UP TO 4000RMP BEFORE SHIFTING TO 2ND GEAR AND AT ONE POINT WASN'T MOVING WHILE I HIT THE GAS THE ACCELERATION VERY FAST OUT OF NOWHERE. MY MOTHER ALSO HAD THIS SAME YEAR MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE A FEW YEARS BACK AND IT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND MANY OTHER LEXUS CUSTOMERS EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. I FOUND A WEB SITE THAT CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS A TSB PUT OUT FOR THIS VEHICLE AND THAT THE LEXUS/TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS WOULD FIX THIS PROBLEM WITH AN UPGRADE. I WAS WONDERING IF THIS UPGRADE IS STILL AVAILABLE AND IF MY VEHICLE WOULD QUALIFY? AND IF SO HOW WOULD I GO ABOUT THIS PROCESS.

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE FROM CARMAX ABOUT 2.5 MONTHS AGO WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. AFTER DRIVING MY VEHICLE DAILY BACK AND FORTH TO WORK, I NOTICED THE HESITATION WHILE COMING TO COMPLETE STOP OR A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE RPM WOULD INCREASE WHILE THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HESITATE WHEN I PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR BETWEEN THE SPEEDS OF 10 - 35 MPH. AT FIRST SIGN, IT APPEARED THE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTED, SO I DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO CARMAX SERVICE CENTER. TWO DAYS LATER I RECEIVED MY 2003 LEXUS ES300 WITH A CLEAN SLATE (THE SERVICE TECHNICIANS INDICATED THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT INDICATED WEAR) AND I WAS TOLD TO BRING IT BACK IF I STILL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I AM TAKING MY VEHICLE TO THE SERVICE CENTER WITH MORE INFORMATION TOMORROW. LEXUS/TOYOTA NEEDS TO EITHER RECALL THESE VEHICLES TO FIX THIS ISSUE OR THEY WILL HAVE A MAJOR LAWSUITS FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH A CLASS ACTION SUITE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESS FROM LEXUS/TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVES TO KEEP TOYOTA/LEXUS IN GOOD STANDINGS. AFTER READING OTHER COMPLAINTS, I AM REALLY NERVOUS ABOUT DRIVING MY VEHICLE AND I JUST PURCHASED IT. *TR

WE HAVE EXPERIENCED ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS THAT VEHICLE HESITATES WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE AT STOP SIGN OR WHEN INITIALY IN START TO DRIVE AT ABOUT 20-30 MILES PER HOUR AT TIMES FOR FEW SECONDS & AT TIMES IT RATTLES 3-4 TIMES. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED AS CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED FROM LEXUS DEALER IN EXCELLENT CONDITION IN 2006 THAT CAME WITH EXTENDED WARRANTY UPTO 75000 MILES BUT THIS PROBLEM STARTED WITH SLIGHT & SMOOTH JERK ABOUT 3 YEARS BACK, TOOK IT TO DEALER AFTER NOTICED FOR FEW TIMES TO DIAGNOSIS. AT FIRST INSTANCE THEY COULD NOT FEEL IT SINCE IT WAS NOT CONSISTENT BUT WHEN AGAIN COMPLAINED FOR SECOND TIME WAS TOLD THAT IT COULD BE FUEL INJECTORS CLOGED FOLLOWED BY OTHER LIST OF POTENTIAL SERVICE ITEMS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT $1000+ EXPENSE WHICH WE DENIED IT SINCE WE HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED OUR CAR GOOD & ALWAYS USE 93 OR 89 OCTAINE GAS WITH MAINTENANCE SERVICE AS RECOMMENDED. THIS ONE IS MY WIFE'S VEHICLE & USED TO COMMUTE TO WORK MOSTLY ON EXPRESS WAY. WE DO HAVE COUPLE OTHER ISSUES WITH THIS CAR BUT NOT AS IMPORTANT. NOW, LATELY THIS HESITATION FREQUENCY HAVE INCREASED & FROM WHAT I HEAR IS THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE AND THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH SOME OTHER ES300 OWNERS AS WELL. *TT

I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY, LESS THAN 10 MPH, APPROACHING A RED LIGHT BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE. SUDDENLY, MY CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD AND COULD NOT BE STOPPED BY BRAKING. I COLLIDED WITH THE REAR END OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, BUT BOTH CARS HAD SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. *CN

THE CAR CHANGES GEAR WHEN BRAKING TO A STOP OR COASTING. WHEN I APPLY THE ACCELERATOR THE CAR MAY HESITATE AND THE SNAP INTO GEAR AND LUNGE FORWARD OR IT MAY QUICKLY GO BETWEEN TWO GEARS UNTIL IT FINALLY JERKS INTO GEAR AND LUNGES FORWARD. I TOOK THIS CERTIFIED CAR TO THE DEALER UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY CLAIMED TO HAVE UPDATED THE COMPUTER PROGRAM BUT IT IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS BEFORE. THE CAR HAS NOW STARTED TO HESITATE WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AS IF WAS CHANGING GEARS BUT DOESN'T NEED TOO. T HE CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY BUT I AM DISCOURAGED BY MY FIRST SERVICE EXPERIENCE. *JB

I HAVE A 2003 LEXUS ES300 WITH 41000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY AND ACTUALLY HESITATES THEN JERKS. I AM AFRAID THIS WILL LEAD TO A BREAK DOWN AT SOME POINT. THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THERE ARE NO UPDATES AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS TRANSMISSION. *JB

I OWN A LEXUS 2003 ES. THE TRANSMISSION IS PERFORMING UNSAFELY! 1. AT STOP LIGHTS, WHILE HOLDING THE CAR STOPPED WITH THE BRAKE, THE TRANS WANTS TO GO AND THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD. 2. AT LOW SPEEDS (20 -30 MPH) THE CAR DOESN'T KNOW WHAT GEAR TO BE IN. THE TRANS WILL JUMP DOWN CAUSING THE RPMS TO SUDDENLY INCREASE THEN SLAM INTO THE NEXT GEAR LUNGING THE CAR FORWARD. 3. MY BIGGEST CONCERN DRIVING DOWNHILL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, WHEN THE BRAKE IS APPLIED, THE TRANS JUMPS OUT OF OVERDRIVE INTO 4TH GEAR LUNGING THE CAR FORWARD! I AM AFRAID OF WHAT MAY HAPPEN WHEN THE ROAD IS WET! *NM

THE LEXUS ES300 HAS HAD A SERIOUS HESITATION PROBLEM SINCE DELIVERY IN MARCH 2003. I HAVE HAD IT IN FOR SERVICE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. ON MAY 8TH,2006, MY WIFE WAS TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AT AN INTERSECTION AND UPON ACCELERATING THROUGH THE TURN THE CAR HESITATED/LAGGED AND WAS STRUCK BY AN ONCOMING AUTO. AFTER CONTACTING LEXUS DIRECT, THEY CAME OUT TO TEST DRIVE THE AUTO. I WAS CONTACTED SEVERAL DAYS LATER AND WAS TOLD THAT MY LEXUS HAS NO PROBLEM. SINCE THIS PROBLEM STILL EXISTS, I TOOK THE CAR BACK IN FOR SERVICE ON MAY 26TH, 2006 AND AGAIN WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR HAD ALREADY RECEIVED A TRANSMISSION COMPUTER UPDATE AND THEIR FINAL WORDS WERE "VEHICLE IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED AT THIS TIME". THIS CAR STILL HAS THE PROBLEM. *NM

WHILE SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION HAD A TEN MINUTE DELAY BEFORE RESPONDING, AND THE TRANSMISSION JERKED UNCONTROLLABLY. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. *AK

I HAVE NOW SENT MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE TWICE TO LEXUS OF ORLANDO ABOUT UNEXPECTED SURGING OF THE VEHICLE AND VEHICLE HESITATION WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM, AS I DO NOT KNOW WHEN IT WILL OCCUR. WHEN IT DOES OCCUR THE UPSHIFT IS HARSH, THE DOWNSHIFT DELAYED AS IF THE TRANSMISSION IS CONFUSED ABOUT THE DRIVER'S INTENTION, AND THERE IS PRONOUNCED HESITATION WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED. THIS LACK OF RESPONSIVENESS LEAVES BOTH THE VEHICLE AND PASSENGERS EXPOSED TO ACCIDENT AND INJURY. ON MY FIRST VISIT, I WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE COMPUTER WOULD BE RESET, AS THE VEHICLE LEARNS YOUR DRIVING STYLE IN THE FIRST 30 OR SO MILES, AND I MUST HAVE DRIVEN THE VEHICLE HARSHLY. THIS SO CALLED RESET DID NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM; LESS THAN A WEEK LATER, I NARROWLY ESCAPED A CRASH AFTER MY CAR HESITATED WHILE CROSSING AN INTERSECTION. I PROMPTLY RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. UPON COMPLETION OF THE SECOND SERVICE, WHICH INCLUDED A DRIVE WITH THE TECHNICIAN, LEXUS SERVICE NOW SAYS THESE PROBLEMS ARE INHERENT TO THE MODEL AND THEY CAN'T FIX THEM. IN ADDITION, I AM AWARE THAT NUMEROUS OWNERS FREQUENTLY COMPLAIN OF HESITATION AND SURGING IN 2002, 2003, AND 2004 MODELS AND MANY COMPLAINTS (OVER 100) OF THE SAME NATURE HAVE BEEN FILED WITH THE NHTSA. THIS STATEMENT IS TO ISSUE NOTICE THAT I AM NOT SATISFIED, AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN FIXED.*AK

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, I HAVE TAKEN MY 2003 LEXUS ES300 IN FOR SERVICE TO REPAIR A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. I HAVE 23,511 MILES ON MY VEHICLE AND THE TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING ERRATICALLY AND HESITATING. IT IS CAUSING UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS. LEXUS DENIES ANY RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THE PROBLEM.*AK

ONGOING AND WORSENING LACK OF ACCELLERATION PREDICTABILITY. CAR WILL HESITATE ESPECIALLY WHEN POWER IS REQUIRED (SUCH AS MERGING TRAFFIC, LEFT TURNS, ETC.) AUTOMATIC RANSMISSION SOUNDS LIKE IT DELAYS ENGAGING WHEN NECESSARY.*AK

CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE FROM STOP AT TIMES. ENGINES REVS BUT TRANSMISSION WILL NOT CATCH. SEVERAL NEAR ACCIDENTS AT STOP SIGNS AND TRAFFIC LIGHTS. TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY ROUGH AND MAKES CAR STEER ERRATICALLY. CAR WILL BE PARKED UNTIL REPAIRED. LEXUS DEALER STATES THIS IS NORMAL. *JB

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE TRANSMISSION JERKED, WHICH CAUSED THE DRIVER TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY. THE DRIVER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. *AK THE VEHICLE JERKED AT ACCELERATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN GOING AT SLOWER SPEEDS. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED WITH NO WARNING AND WAS INTERMITTENT WHICH ALSO DISPLAYED A SLUGGISH DELAY. *SC *JB

LEXUS ES300 2003 - EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN ACCELERATING FROM 5-10 MPH TO FULL ACCELERATION (PASSING/MERGING ONTO HIGHWAY FOR EXAMPLE). TRANSMISSION HESITATES A VERY LONG TIME (1-2 SECONDS) BEFORE KICKING IN. DEALER CLAIMS THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BUT NOTHING IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT. RESEARCHING LEXUS FORUMS INDICATES THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM FOR 2002, 2003 YEARS AT LEAST. THE HESITATION IS EXTREMELY UNNERVING IN A HIGH STRESS MERGING ENVIRONMENT AT LEAST AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ACCIDENT POTENTIAL AT WORSE.

THERE IS A DANGEROUS AND UNPREDICTABLE TENDENCY FOR THE VEHICLE ENGINE/TRANSMISSION COMBINATION TO ACCELERATE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WHICH MAKES IT ESPECIALLY UNNERVING. IT IS MOST NOTICEABLE AT SPEEDS BELOW 40 MPH, WHEN FIRST SLOWING, FOLLOWED BY ACCELERATION. IT APPEARS TO BE EXACERBATE BY UNCERTAIN TRANSMISSION "HUNTING" FOR PROPER GEAR/ENGINE SPEED COMBINATIONS. THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION CAUSES A RAPID AND JERKY THROTTLE RESPONSE TO MILD ACCELERATOR PEDAL INPUT. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER ON AT LEAST TWO OCCASIONS FOR THIS ISSUE. THE FIRST TIME, THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE TRANSMISSION. THE SECOND TIME, THE TECHNICIAN TESTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTE "NO PROBLEM FOUND". AT CURRENT MILEAGE OF 32,000, THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE WORSENING. THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT, IF LEFT UNDRESSED, IS LIKELY TO BE THE CAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT, SERIOUS INJURY OR MUCH WORSE. *JB

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.

THE TRANSMISSION IN THIS CAR IS UNPREDICTABLE. IT JERKS, JUMPS AND ON OCCASION LURCHES AHEAD. IT WILL HESITATE WHEN STARTING FROM STAND STILL OR WHEN MOVING AHEAD AT VERY LOW SPEEDS. I HAVE REPEATEDLY TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER. THEY HAVE DONE 2 COMPUTER DOWN LOADS OF A SUPPOSED FIX. THE FIRST LASTED A DAY. I'VE BEEN TOLD TO USE ONLY PREMIUM FUEL, AS THIS WOULD HELP. I'VE USED PREMIUM SINCE THAT TIME WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN THE CARS PERFOMANCE. MY WIFE DOES NOT WANT TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE OF A NEAR T-BONE IN A CROSS PATTERN TRAFFIC. I'VE HAD 4 SIMILAR EXPERINCES. THIS PROBEM BECAME APPARENT AT ABOUT 1000 TO 1200 MILES AND EXITS TODY AT ABOUT 4000 MILES. ALL OF THESE QUERKY PROBLEMS EXIST BELOW 40 MILES PER HOUR. IF YOU DRIVE VERY AGGRESSIVELY (STOMP ON THE ACCELERATOR)THEY AREN'T EVIDENT...TO SOME EXTE THE SAME IS TRUE IF YOU BARELY DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR WHEN STARTING TO MOVE.

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

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