2002 LEXUS ES Complaints

I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 35 MPH ON HIGHWAY. WHEN THE TRAFFIC SLOWED DOWN, I APPLIED THE BRAKE TO BRING DOWN THE SPEED OF THE CAR TO ABOUT 3-7 MPH. AFTER FOLLOWING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS AT ABOUT 3/4 CAR DISTANCE, I SAW THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME SPEEDED UP SLOWLY AND I DECIDED TO FOLLOW UP BY PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR MODERATLY. THE CAR FIRST SHUDDERED, THEN PAUSED FOR ABOUT 1 SECOND, AND FINALLY ACCELERATED AT ALMOST MAXIMUM POWER. THIS WAS A NEAR MISS. BEFORE THIS HAPPENED, I BROUGHT OUR CAR TO LEXUS DEALER TO COMPLAIN ABOUT SHUDDERING/PAUSING WHEN ACCELERATING FROM LOW SPEED AFTER THE CAR WAS UPDATED WITH TSB-TC004-03; THE CHIEF TECHNICIAN DROVE THE CAR AND REPRODUCED THE KIND OF PROBLEMS THAT WE HAD. HOWEVER, HE SAID THAT HE COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND WAS GOING TO WRITE A REPORT TO TOYOTA CORP BECAUSE IT WAS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE RECEIPT FROM THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY DID NOT FIND ANY ABNORMAL TRANSMISSION SHIFT DURING TEST DRIVING, BUT WOULD FILE A REPORT. WHAT A CONTRADICATION! THE DANGER OF THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WAS FURTHER MAGNIFIED BY THE FACT THAT 2002 ES300 RUNS VERY SMOOTHLY AT MOST TIMES (>98%). THIS SHUDDER/PAUSE/ACCELERATION OR PAUSE/ACCELERATION THAT ONLY OCCURS SPORADICALLY UNDER VERY SPECIAL CONDITIONS GIVES DRIVERS SURPRISE THAT IS THE LAST THING THEY WANT DURING DRIVING. FOR CURIOSITY, I TESTED DRIVING THE CAR FOR ABOUT 50 MINIUTES BY REPEATLY SLOWING DOWN TO ABOUT 5 - 10 MPH BY APPLYING BRAKE, THEN ALLOWING THE CAR TO ROLL FOR ABOUT 3 SECONDS WITHOUT PRESSING GAS PADDLE, AND THEN ACCELERATING MODERATELY TO ABOUT 20 - 30 MPH. THE PROBOBILITY FOR THE SHUDDER/PAUSE/ACCELERATION IS ABOUT 5%, WHILE THAT FOR PAUSE/ACCELERATION ABOUT 15%. IT SEEMED THAT THIS PROBLEM HAPPENDED MORE OFTEN ON DOWN/UP HILL.. *AK

DANGEROUS CONDITION EXISTS WITH 2002 LEXUS ES300, WHERE A SEVERE HESITATION EXISTS WHEN ACCELERATING AT SLOW ROLL (< 5MPH) AT INTERSECTION TURNS, EXITING DRIVEWAYS, AND GENERALLY ANYWHERE WHEN TRYING TO GET INTO FLOW OF TRAFFIC WHEN NEARLY STOPPED - ESPECIALLY WHEN A TURN IS INVOLVED ALONG WITH THE ACCELERATION. VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION EXISTS WHEN TRYING TO ENTER LANE, OR MAKE A TURN, IN FRONT OF FAST-MOVING TRAFFIC. IT SEEMS THE CAR'S ELECTRONICS DOES NOT REGOGNIZE THE ACCELERATOR'S REQUEST FOR FUEL UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS. A PRIOR LEXUS TSB ADDRESSED TRANSMISSION SHIFTING AT HIGHER SPEEDS, BUT SEEMS TO HAVE CREATED A NEW, AND POTENTIALLY MORE DANGEROUS CONDITION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH OR ABOVE VEHICLE WILL STRONGLY PULL TO THE LEFT. DEALER CHANGES WHEELS/TIRES, AND DONE AN ALIGNMENT, BUT SAME PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING.*AK

PROBLEMS WITH 2002 LEXUS ES300 SEDAN. *MR THE BRAKE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE CORRECTED. (DUE TO VIBRATION WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED) THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC WHO'S VEHICLE MAY BE AFFECTED BY THE DEFECT. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE WRONG BRAKE PADS WERE PLACED ON THE VEHICLE DURING ASSEMBLY. THEY WILL NOT HOLD UP TO THE PRESSURE AND HEAT. NEW BRAKE PADS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE INSTALLED IN REPLACE OF THE DEFECTIVE PADS. *SCC *JB

WHEN PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE TRAVELING AT LESS THEN 10 MILES PER HOUR, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, PROCEEDED FORWARD HITTING ANOTHER PARKED CAR HEAD ON. THE VEHICLE THEN JUMPED A CURB AND HIT A SECOND CAR. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE CAR USING THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE CAR DID NOT STOP. IN ADDITION THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS DONE TO TWO OTHER VEHICLES BESIDE MINE.*AK UPDATED 7/3/12 *CN

PROBLEMS WITH 2002 LEXUS ES 300 STEERING WHEEL VIBRATING WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED.*MR THE ROTORS WARPED*TS *JB

THE TRANSMISSION HAD A JERK IN THE TRANSMISSION, THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER IT WAS THE DESIGN THE OF THE VEHICLE. *TS *JB

THE 2002 LEXUS ES300 HAS A SIGNIFICANT FLAW IN THE NEW ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED TRANSMISSION SYSTEM. THIS FLAW HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY MULTIPLE DEALERSHIPS AND BY LEXUS CUSTOMER SERVICE. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A RESOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM SINCE DECEMBER 2002 WHICH IS SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THERE ARE THREE VERY OBVIOUS SYMPTOMS THAT HAVE BEEN OCCURRING EVER SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. DEPENDING UPON FUEL AND DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE CAR WILL DEVELOP A NECK JERKING SHUTTER AS IT VIOLENTLY SHIFTS BETWEEN GEARS. THIS USUALLY OCCURS ANYWHERE BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH, BUT MOST OFTEN WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT SPEED. THE SECOND CONDITION OCCURS WHEN YOU GO FROM A SLOWING SITUATION INTO AN ACCELERATION SITUATION. DURING THIS TIME, THE CAR OFTEN GOES INTO A NEUTRAL CONDITION AND TAKES A COUPLE SECONDS BEFORE POWER IS RETURNED TO THE WHEELS. THIS CONDITION IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN MOVING INTO TRAFFIC OR TURNING A CORNER. WHEN TURNING, YOU WILL NEARLY COAST AROUND THE CORNER UNTIL THE POWER IS RETURNED TO THE WHEELS. WHEN THE POWER IS RETURNED, IT IS VERY ABRUPT AND LUNGES THE CAR FORWARD. THE THIRD CONDITION OCCURS DURING FULL THROTTLE ACCELERATION. THIS IS MOST EVIDENT WHEN ACCELERATING ONTO A HIGHWAY. THE CAR SEEMS TO SHIFT INTO A VERY LOW GEAR WHERE RPM IS NEARLY RED-LINE AND POWER IS ALMOST NON-EXISTENT. THE CAR THEN JERKS INTO A DIFFERENT GEAR WHERE YOU MAY GET MORE POWER, BUT IT DOESN'T USUALLY STAY IN THAT GEAR EITHER. IT THEN SHIFTS BACK TO THE LOW GEAR, RED-LINES AGAIN AND REPEATS THE PROCESS. THIS WILL OFTEN OCCUR 2 OR 3 TIMES BEFORE A GOOD GEAR IS FOUND AND YOU CAN THEN PROCEED WITH NORMAL DRIVING. AT THIS POINT, LEXUS DID MAKE A COUPLE LEASE PAYMENTS FOR ME IN EXCHANGE FOR WAITING A FEW MORE MONTHS FOR THE FIX. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WAS NEARLY A YEAR AGO AND I'M STILL WAITING. WE NEED TO GET THIS FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED, NOT AFTER! *NLM

WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED FOR THE PURPOSE OF PASSING OR FOR MERGING INTO TRAFFIC AT VARYING SPEEDS BETWEEN 25-50 MPH, THE VEHICLE "LAGS" OR ENCOUNTERS A DEAD SPOT BEFORE RESPONDING (BY SUDDENLY SPEEDING OFF). THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO BE ATTEMPTING TO DECIDE HOW TO RESPOND TO THE ACTION OF THE ACCELERATOR BEING PRESSED (WHETHER TO REMAIN IN THE CURRENT GEAR, OR DOWN-SHIFT FOR QUICK ACCELERATION). THE 'RPMS' WILL RISE EXTREMELY HIGH, BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION FIGURES OUT WHAT GEAR TO SHIFT INTO IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUEST OF THE DRIVER'S ACTION. THIS 'LAG PERIOD' IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TIME FOR THE VEHICLE'S OCCUPANTS AS THE VEHICLE DOES NOT RESPOND LIKE NORMAL VEHICLES CONFRONTED WITH A "WIDE-OPEN-THROTTLE" REQUEST DO. IF MY WIFE, WHO IS NO "CAR BUFF" AND GENERALLY DOES NOT PAY ATTENTION TO ANYTHING BUT STARTING THE VEHICLE, HAS ALSO BROUGHT THIS ISSUE TO MY ATTENTION, THEN I KNOW THERE IS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM. AS THE PROBLEM PRESENTS ITSELF AS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE FOR MY FAMILY, I HAVE CONTACTED LEXUS CUSTOMER SERVICE WHO HAVE ADVISED ME THAT "LEXUS IS ATTEMPTING TO DEVELOP A FIX FOR THE CONCERN THAT MANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION". I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS "FIX" FOR OVER 7 MONTHS NOW, AND THE EXPECTED DATE KEEPS BEING PUSHED BACK! PLEASE TAKE SOME ACTION REGARDING THIS SERIOUS ISSUE, AS THERE ARE MANY OTHER LEXUS OWNERS WHO WERE IN THE "PASSIONATE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION" (LEXUS SLOGAN), BUT HAVE NOT TAKEN THE TIME TO FILE A COMPLAINT!!*AK

2002 LEXUS MALFUNCTIONING BRAKE SYSTEM. *MR THE ENGINE SURGED WHILE BRAKING. IT WAS INDICATED THAT THIS MAY BE DUE TO AN INCREASE IN IDLING SPEED WHEN THE A/C WAS OPERATING. ON ONE OCCASION THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE ALTHOUGH THE CONSUMER APPLIED EXTREME PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. *SCC *NLM