2002 LEXUS ES Complaints

CAR HAS VERY POOR SHIFTING CHARACTERISTICS. IT IS ALWAYS ANNOYING AND SOMETIMES UNSAFE. TWICE I HAVE STARTED TO QUICKLY ACCELERATE FROM A STOP TO TURN LEFT AND HAD THE TRANSMISSION START TO DOWNSHIFT THEN WAIT THROUGH A DELAY AS IF THE SOFTWARE WAS CONFUSED. THE RESULT WAS THE CAR SITTING IN THE INTERSECTION WITH THE ACCELERATOR DEPRESSED BUT NO POWER TO THE WHEELS FOR AROUND 1 OR 2 SECONDS. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES "SHIFTING COMFORT" ISSUES ARE THE NUMBER ONE COMPLAINT FOR THE CAR BUT SAYS NO FIX IS AVAILABLE. I HAVE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER ON THIS ISSUE FOR OVER 8 MONTHS AND HAVE HAD NO HELP.*AK

WE HAVE A SURGE OR SKIP ON DEACCELERATION.THIS WILL HAPPEN FROM 40 TO 60 MPH. THE DEALER WILL ONLY TELL US THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT HAVE NO CURE. I FEEL THAT AFTER 7 MONTHS THEY SHOULD HAVE A FIX.*AK

VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE SPEEDOMOTER - DARK BACKGROUND WITH DARK NEEDLE REQUIRES TOO MUCH TIME TO SEE SPEED. *AK

CANNOT SEE SPEED READING ON DASHBOARD IN SUNLIGHT. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT THE CHANGE OF INSTRUMENTS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THIS MODEL HAS THE SAME LIGHTING. RIGHT FRONT DOOR HARD TO CLOSE DUE TO BEING MISALIGNED, DEALER ADJUSTED DOOR STRIKER, SPEEDOMETER NEEDLES DIFFICULT TO SEE. *SCC

OPTITRON INSTRUMENTATION: NOT EASY TO READ IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. WHEN DRIVING, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD. UNDER NORMAL DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS, INSTRUMENT READINGS ARE VIRTUALLY INVISIBLE. CURRENT SPEED NECESSARY TO SET CRUISE CONTROL. POOR DESIGN: AT NIGHT, OR UNDER LOW AMBIENT LIGHT CONDITIONS (DUSK, HEAVY SHADE, RAIN, ETC.) INSTRUMENT LIGHTING IS EXCEPTIONAL: ALL ELEMENTS OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ARE VERY CLEAR, VERY VISIBLE. UNDER NORMAL DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS (WITH SUN OVERHEAD - NOT SHINING DIRECTLY ON THE PANEL) THE ILLUMINATION LEVEL WITHIN THE CLUSTER IS INSUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE EASY VISIBILITY. (STARING INTENTLY WILL YIELD RESULTS - A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE IN A MOVING VEHICLE.) IN ORDER TO SET THE CRUISE CONTROL, IT IS NECESSARY TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT SPEED THE VEHICLE IS AT: VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. (THE MAUFACTURER ADVERTISES THEIR OPTITRON INSTRUMENTATION AS "ILLUMINATED FOR FASTER AND EASIER READING".)*AK

LIGHT ON DASHBOARD PANEL, AND CANNOT SEE READING OF SPEED. CONTROL PANEL WILL NOT SET BECAUSE SPEED READING CANNOT BE READ DUE THE LIGHT.*AK

IN DAY LIGHT HOURS WHEN SUN IS OUT CONSUMER CAN'T SEE DIALS ON SPEEDOMETER, UNABLE TO TELL HOW FAST VEHICLE WAS GOING. CONSUMER FELT THIS WAS VERY UNSAFE. *AK CONSUMER ALSO CAN NOT SEE THE FUEL GAUGE, ENGINE SPEED AND ENGINE TEMPERATURE. *TT

WE HAVE AN ESCALATING SHUDDER WHEN DOWN SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH SOFTWARE BETWEEN THE ENGINE AND THE POWERTRAIN/TRANSMISSION. THEY DO NOT HAVE A FIX AND ARE ASKING CUSTOMERS TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR ANOTHER POSSIBLE 45 TO 60 DAYS UNTIL THE FIX IS ISSUED. WE HAVE REQUESTED ANOTHER CAR SINCE THIS IS OUR 4TH ES400 IN THE PAST TEN YEARS AND THE 97 LEXUS WE TRADED WAS IN PERFECT CONDITION. WE ARE NOT WILLING TO WAIT FOR A REPAIR AND HAVE NOTIFIED THE COMPANY THAT THEY NEED TO RESOLVE OUR PROBLEM CAUSED BY THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCT WITH A NEW VEHICLE.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, UPON IMPACT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*JB

THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING 2-3MPH PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DROPPED TO THE FLOOR CAUSING SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STRICK A CONCRETE BUMPER DAMAGING THE FRAME AND RADIATOR, THE CONSUMER BELIEVE THAT UPON DEPRESING THE BRAKLE HE ALSO PRESSED TH ACCELERATOR WHICH CAUSED THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THE CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER. *JB *MJ