2002 LEXUS ES Complaints

THE BRAKE ROTORS WERE WORN WHICH CAUSED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHEN BRAKING. *NLM

I HAVE EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT DELAY IN DOWNSHIFTING WHEN ATTEMPTING TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC IN MY 2002 LEXUS ES300. FOLLOWING THE DELAY, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS TO THE TOP OF THE RPM RANGE EFFECTIVELY RESULTING IN NO ACCELERATION, THEN IT UP SHIFTS TO AN APPROPRIATE GEAR. THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL NEAR MISSES FROM BEING REAR ENDED AS A RESULT. THE DEALER HAS DUPLICATED THIS PROBLEM ON OTHER 2002'S AND LEXUS IN CALIFORNIA ADMITS THERE IS A PROBLEM BUT HAS NO FIX. I HAVE BEEN TOLD FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW THAT A FIX IS COMING BUT STILL NO FIX. I HOPE SOMEONE DOES NOT GET KILLED FROM THIS DEFECT BEFORE IT GETS FIXED! PLEASE DO SOMETHING. *NLM

1. SHUDDERING TRANSMISSION IN STOP/GO TRAFFIC. 2. WHEN AT A COMPLETE STOP, CAR NUDGES FORWARD EVEN WHEN BRAKES ARE FULLY DEPRESSED. NOTIFIED DEALER AS WELL AS LEXUS CORP AND WAS TOLD NO FIX IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. *JB

1) STUMBLE - THIS OCCURS WHEN YOU QUICKLY ACCELERATE AND THE CAR HESITATES FOR 1-2 SECONDS BEFORE IT KICKS IN. 2) SHUDDER - WITH NO PATTERN, THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY SHUDDER. THIS OCCURS WITH NO/LITTLE ACCELERATION. 3) SURGING - THE CAR SURGES APPROX. 1/2 FOOT WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS INTENSIFIED WHEN THE CAR IS SLOWLY (E.G., IN TRAFFIC) MOVING DOWN HILL. *JB

THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY EXPERIENCED A HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING, THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *JB

CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO SEE FROM FRONT RIGHT SIDE DUE TO AN ENGINEERING FLAW. *AK *JB

THE SPEEDOMETER IS NOT VISIBLE IN BRIGHT SUNLIGHT. CONSUMER HAS NO IDEA HOW FAST THE VEHICLE IS GOING. *JG *JB *NLM

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED, THE ENGINE SUFFERED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. TS WHEN ACCELERATING TO CHANGE LANE OR ENTER THE FREEWAY, THE VEHICLE ALMOST STALLED AND OR DECELERATED. SCC

TRANSMISSION GETS CONFUSED WHEN SHIFTING INTO AND OUT OF THE LOWER GEARS, THEN SPENDS TOO LONG TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT GEAR TO BE IN. THIS CAUSES DANGEROUS DELAYS IN ACCELERATION, THE EFFECT IS THE SAME AS A MOMENTARY ENGINE STALL. WE HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, FREEWAY RAMP ENTRANCES ARE CERTAINLY THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THERE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SHIFTING DELAYS BUT THEY SAY NO FIX IS AVAILABLE. THIS IS OUR THIRD ES300, THE PREVIOUS MODELS USED A CABLE BETWEEN THE GAS PEDAL AND THE THROTTLE, THIS NEW ONE USES WHAT IS CALLED "FLY BY WIRE", A POSITION SENSOR ON THE ACCELARATOR THAT A COMPUTER IS SUPPOSED TO USE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO TELL THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. IT ISN'T WORKING VERY WELL. IF NOT RECTIFIED THIS PROBLEM WILL CERTAINLY LEAD TO A CRASH SOMEDAY, THEN WE'LL GET TO SEE HOW GOOD THE SAFETY EQUIPMENT IS.

ON A SUNNY DAY AND WHILE IN MOTION, CONSUMER STATES THE DASHBOARD CANNOT BE READ, EVEN WITH SUNSHADES ON. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. TS *JG