2005 Lexus ES Powertrain & Transmission Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LEXUS ES350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.

JUST BOUGHT CAR TODAY. HAD NEW TIRES INSTALLED AND THEY TOLD ME THEY PUT THE CAR IN PARK BUT IR STARTED ROLLING. HAD TO RESTART IN NEUTRAL AND PUT IN PARK AGAIN. WHEN I LEFT WENT TO AUTO PARTS STORE AND PARKED AND TURNED VEHICLE OFF. AS I WAS GETTING OUT REALIZED CAR WAS ROLLING. I PUT FOOT ON BRAKE AND CAR RESTARTED WITHOUT PUTTING IN NEUTRAL. SHIFTED TO DRIVE AND BACK TO PARK AND IT STOPPED THIS TIME.

TRANSMISSION HESITATES AND JERKS AT ALL TIMES PUTTING THE DRIVER IN UNSAFE SITUATIONS. THERE APPEARS TO BE A ENDLESS LIST OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS AND LEXUS NOT TAKING ANY ACTION TO CORRECT IT ON THEIR OWN. I JUST RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR A PULLEY PROBLEM THAT MAY CAUSE A BELT TO COME OFF BUT THEIR IS NO RECALL ISSUED FOR A DANGEROUS TRANSMISSION ISSUE, SERIOUSLY?? I HOPE SOMEONE FORCES THEM TO TAKE ACTION SOON SINCE THEY DON'T APPEAR TO BE CONCERNED WITH CUSTOMER SAFETY OR LOYALTY. *TR

I OWN AND PURCHASED NEW A 2005 LEXUS ES 330 OVER A YEAR AGO AND HAVE CONTINUAL PROBLEMS WITH A LAGGING TRANSMISSION WHICH CAN NOT BE FIXED PER LEXUS BUT POSES A DEFINITE SAFETY PROBLEM AS REPORTED BY MANY LEXUS OWNERS OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO. I FEEL LEXUS SHOULD BE MADE TO REPLACE THESE TRANSMISSIONS WITH ACCEPTABLE PERFORMING TRANSMISSIONS FOR ALL OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. *NM

THROTTLE DOES NOT RESPOND TO COMMANDS FOR MORE RPM AND SPEED. *JB

THE CAR WILL HESITATE AND THEN LURCH FORWARD WHEN YOU ARE GOING AT A SLOW SPEED AND THEN PUSH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. IT IS EXTREMELY ANNOYING AND COULD PRESENT A SAFETY HAZARD UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES. IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR. I HAVE BEEN TO TWO DEALERS AND ALWAYS GET THE SAME "COMPANY STORY". IT'S A NEW DRIVE BY WIRE AND IT HAS TO LEARN HOW YOU DRIVE. WELL, I HAVE HAD MY SOFTWARE CHANGED NUMEROUS TIMES AND IT NEVER IS FIXED. I HAVE HAD 4 LEXUS AUTOS, WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER. THEY KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM AND HAVE CORPORATE COVERUP PROGRAM IN PLACE TO HIDE IT, JUST BECAUSE NO ONE DIED YET. THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO FIX IT AND SPEND THE MONEY AND NEGATIVE PUBLICITY. *NM

MY NEW 2005 LEXUS ES330 HAS A MAJOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. IT HESITATES WHEN NEEDING TO ACCELERATE. FIRST IT DELAYS UPON ACCELERATION AND THEN IT JERKS AHEAD QUICKLY CAUSING WHIPLASH AND I EVEN CRASHED INTO MY GARAGE BECAUSE IT JERKED AHEAD WITHOUT ME BEING ABLE TO CONTROL IT. THE DEALER SAID TO JUST USE BETTER GAS AND COMPLAIN TO CUSTOMER SERVICE AT LEXUS BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS. BASICALLY, I WAS TOLD THE COMPUTER CONTROLS THE TRANSMISSION AND THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH IT BUT NO RECALL AS OF YET. WELL THIS IS AN OUTRAGE. I HAVE A NEW LEXUS THAT DRIVES WORSE THAN AN OLD CAR AND THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I HAVE READ HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE. *NM

HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION OF 1-3 SECONDS. AT CRUCIAL DRIVING POINTS (E.G., THROUGH INTERSECTIONS), THE HESITATION IS DANGEROUS FOR THE DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS. THE PROBLEM NOW OCCURS REGULARLY. *JB

THE CAR HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING IN TRAFFIC AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT LUNGES FORWARD. VERY DANGEROUS AND UNPREDICTABLE. *NM

I PURCHASED THE 2005 LEXUS ES 330 IN AUGUST OF 2005. SINCE THE TIME OF PURCHASE I HAVE EXPERIENCE A NOTICEABLE HESITATION AND LURCHING OF THE TRANSMISSION WHEN ACCELERATING FROM SLOW SPEEDS. THE HESITATION AND SUBSEQUENT LURCHING IS VERY NOTICEABLE WHEN ACCELERATING FROM 24 MPH. SINCE THE PURCHASE I HAVE RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM THROUGH THE INTERNET AND LEARNED THAT THERE ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION IN THIS MODEL GOING BACK TO 2002. SEVERAL WEB FORUMS, SUCH AS EDMONDS.COM AND LEXUS OWNERS CLUB SHOW OVER TWO THOUSAND POSTINGS ON THE PROBLEM. EVEN THE NHTSA HAS COMPLAINTS. LEXUS REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE SENT NUMEROUS E-MAILS AND LETTERS TO BOTH LEXUS AND MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THEY HAVE FEIGNED SURPRISE AT THE PROBLEM, AND THEN HAVE TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM TO BE FOUND. THEY HAVE RECOMMENDED PREMIUM FUEL, REBOOTING THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER AND WAITING FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO "SELF ADJUST". NOTHING HAS HELPED. LEXUS WILL NOT, OR CANNOT, FIX THIS PROBLEM. THE HESITATION AND LURCHING IS NOTICEABLE WHEN ENTERING A HIGHWAY OR DOING A "ROLLING STOP". IT IS HAZARDOUS. LEXUS HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE PROBLEM SINCE IT FIRST EXISTED IN 2002. THIS IS NOT ONLY AN UNCOMFORTABLE PROBLEM IN THIS SO-CALLED LUXURY CAR, BUT IT IS A DANGER. *NM

I PURCHASED MY 2005 LEXUS ES330 AT LEXUS OF ANNAPOLIS IN MID-MARCH 2005 WITH ONLY 63 MILES ON IT. BY APRIL 9TH, I BEGAN TO NOTICE JERKING UPON ACCELERATION. I CALLED THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS AND SCHEDULED AND APPOINTMENT TO HAVE IT EVALUATED. I TOOK IT IN, A TECHNICIAN RODE IN THE CAR WITH ME AND EXPLAINED THAT I NEEDED TO USE PREMIUM GAS. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A BRAND NEW CAR REQUIRING PREMIUM GAS, BUT I AGREED TO GIVE THIS A TRY TO SEE IF IT ALLEVIATES THE PROBLEM. IT DID NOT! HE ALSO STATED THAT IF THIS DIDN'T WORK THEN THEY WOULD NEED TO GO INTO THE CAR'S COMPUTERIZED ELECTRONIC TRANSIMISSION SOFTWARE AND RESET IT. HE SAID HE WOULD RECOMMEND THIS AS A LAST RESORT BECAUSE IT CANNOT BE UNDONE. WELL?! AFTER READING THAT SO MANY OF THESE VEHICLES ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, IT SEEMS THAT LEXUS WILL REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM CAN BE DANGEROUS. THIS ALSO TAINTS THE NAME (LEXUS) BRAND OF THIS CAR. I HAVE DRIVEN MOSTLY TOYOTAS IN THE PAST, EACH LASTING OVER 180K MILES AND I NEVER THOUGHT ONCE TO GET RID OF THOSE CARS. I KEPT THEM TO THE DYING END. HOWEVER, THIS LEXUS, I AM ALREADY THINKING OF GETTING RID OF IT, IF THIS PROBLEM CANNOT BE REPAIRED. I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT LEXUS IS NOT WAITING FOR AN INJURY, DEATH OR OTHER TRAGEDY TO HAPPEN BEFORE TAKING THIS PROBLEM SERIOUSLY.

THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC INCIDENTS TO REPORT, BUT I THINK IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN. THE CAR HESITATES AT LOW SPEEDS. THIS FREQUENTLY CAUSES HARROWING MOMENTS WHEN MERGING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, SUCH AS AT A STREET CORNER ON FREEWAY ON-RAMP.*AK

THE TRANSMISSION OF MY ES 330 IS ERRATIC DURING BOTH UPSHIFT AND DOWNSHIFT. INITIALLY THE DEALER RIVERSIDE LEXUS, COVINGTON,KY, SAID THAT IT WOULD WORK ITSELF OUT IN A FEW THOUSAND MILES. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. A FEW WEEKS AGO THE DEALER THEN CHANGED THEIR STORY TO ONE THAT LEXUS KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM. . I DID SEE A NUMBER OF OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE ES 330 TRANSMISSION ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. THE OTHER COMPLAINANTS SEEMED TO GET THE SAME TWO STAGE RESPONSE FROM LEXUS THAT WE DID. *NM

MY NEW 2005 LEXUS ES330 HAS VERY SIGNIFICANT HESITATION PROBLEMS. LEXUS SERVICE TECHNICIANS HAVE EXAMINED THE VEHICLE 4 TIMES AND STATE THAT IT IS WITHIN THEIR SPECIFICATIONS. I'M AFRAID THAT I'LL BE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE HESITATION. *NM

I HAVE ALMOST BEEN REAR ENDED TWICE BECAUSE MY 2005 LEXUS ES 330 HAS A PROBLEM WITH ACCELERATION AFTER COASTING. THERE IS A FEW SECONDS HESITATION BEFORE THE CAR STARTS TO ACCELERATE. *JB

2005 LEXUS ES330 WAS PURCHASED IN DECEMBER 2004. SOMETIME BEFORE TAKING IT IN FOR THE 5000 MILE SERVICE I NOTICED THAT THE CAR WOULD LURCH WHEN ACCELERATED FROM A SPEED AROUND 10 MILES PER HOUR. THIS IS VERY DISCONCERTING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC BECAUSE THE SUDDEN, UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I EXPLAINED THIS AT THE 5000 MILE SERVICE, BUT WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE IT. AT THE 10,000 MILE SERVICE I EXPLAINED THAT THE SAME PROBLEM EXISTED. AGAIN, WHEN I TALKED TO THE SERVICE CONSULTANT BEFORE PICKING UP THE CAR, HE SAID THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT REPLICATE IT ON THE 2 MILE TEST DRIVE. BUT HE SAID THAT THIS WAS THE DRIVER'S FAULT. THEN HE DID LET ME KNOW THAT THIS WAS THE WAY THE TRANSMISSIONS ON THE ES330 WERE DESIGNED AND THAT OTHERS HAD COMPLAINED OF THE SAME THING. THERE WERE NO ADJUSTMENTS THAT COULD BE MADE, THIS WAS THE WAY THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO REACT. *JB

MY 2005 ES330 HAS A LURCHING PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. LEXUS JUST REPLACED THE PROGRAM IN THE COMPUTER BUT NEVER TOLD ME THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. IT IS TOO SOON TO TELL IF THE FIX WILL WORK. THEY JUST TOLD ME TO BUY PREMIUM GAS. I HAVE READ FROM MANY OTHER LEXUS CONSUMERS THAT THE "FIX" AND BETTER GAS DO NOT WORK. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LEXUS ES330. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES AND JERKS BACK. *AK

MY 2005 LEXUS ES330 HAS TRANSMISSION HESITATION WHEN AFTER SLOWING TO ABOUT 5 MPH, I ACCELERATE. IT TAKES 1 TO 2 SECONDS FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO DOWNSHIFT AND THEN THE CAR LURCHES DANGEROUSLY FORWARD. THE DEALERSHIP INSTALLED A SOFTWARD FIX TO THE TRANSMISSION, BUT THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. *NM

I PURCHASED A 2005 LEXUS ES330 AND HAVE HAD CONSISTENT PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE'S ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION. THE VEHICLE HESITATES DURING ACCELERATION AND SUDDENLY LURCHES FORWARD. ALSO, DURING DECELERATION THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SLOWS DOWN UPON RELEASING THE GAS PEDAL. THIS HAS BECOME A SERIOUS ISSUE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND I''M CONCERNED IT MAY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE REPORTED THE ISSUE TO THE DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS BUT HAVE RECEIVED A STANDARD RESPONSE THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I''M HOPING THE DOT WILL INITIATE A RECALL AND HAVE THE MANUFACTURER FIX THE PROBLEM. I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED AND SHOCKED AT THE NUMBER OF SIMILAR REPORTS FILED WITH THE DOT. *NM