2002 LEXUS ES Complaints

TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ROUGHLY AND SOMETIMES ABRUPTLY IN THE LOWER GEARS. THE DOWNSHIFT AT TIMES IS VERY HARD. THE VEHICLE WILL ALSO SURGE FORWARD AT TIMES OR WILL NOT ACCELERATE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED. *NM

THE TRANSMISSION ON THIS VEHICLE WILL HESITATE AND SURGE CAUSING ERRATIC BEHAVIOR. THIS BEHAVIOR IS DANGEROUS AND ANNOYING. ONE NEVER KNOWS HOW IT WILL REACT. I WOULD LIKE THIS FIXED ONCE AND FOR ALL. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE LEXUS USER GROUP HAS MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS BEHAVIOR. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT MAY GET SOMEONE INJURED. *JB

WHEN MY VEHICLE IS IMMEDIATELY PUT IN DRIVE GEAR FROM REVERSE GEAR, FOOT TAKEN OFF THE BRAKE AND TAP THE GAS PEDAL, MY VEHICLE SURGES FORWARD AS IF IT IS IN FULL THROTTLE. AS RESULT, MY VEHICLE JUMPED THE CURB AND IMPACTED A BRICK WALL. I SUFFERED A BLOODY NOSE AND A CUT ON MY HAND. THE VEHICLE SUFFERED FRONTAL DAMAGE AND IS UNDRIVEABLE. I HAVE CONTACTED THE AUTO MANUFACTURER. THEY WILL TOW AND INSPECT IT. *JB

DANGEROUS HESITATION IN THE TRANSMISSION WHEN STEPPING ON THE GAS AFTER DECELERATING. NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. LEXUS HAS TRIED 2 TIMES TO FIX AND NOTHING HAS HELPED. *NM

THIS VEHICLE HESITATES INTERMITTENTLY IN TRAFFIC AND HAS A DANGEROUS LOSS OF POWER. WHEN I PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC, OR TURN A CORNER, THE VEHICLE OCCASIONALLY LOSES POWER AND WILL NOT ENGAGE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS, THEN THE VEHICLE WILL PROCEED. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY BLOW UP AND THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOST POWER, AND HAD TO BE TOWED. THE DEALER HAS DENIED THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS, AND THAT I AM THE ONLY ONE THAT IS EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. THEY HAVE REFUSED ANY ASSISTANCE. *JB

THE PLASTIC KEY TO MY 2002 LEXUS ES300 CRACKED DUE TO FAULTY PRODUCT DESIGN AND THE MICROCHIP THAT CONTROLS THE CAR FELL OUT. I DID NOT KNOW THIS HAD HAPPENED AND WAS UNABLE TO START THE CAR. I WAS STRANDED IN A RAIN STORM AND HAD TO CALL LEXUS FOR HELP. SUBSEQUENTLY I USED AN EMERGENCY KEY WHICH WAS IN MY PURSE. EVEN THOUGH THE BREAK OCCURRED BECAUSE OF FAULTY DESIGN, I HAD TO ORDER AND PAY FOR A NEW KEY ($206) BECAUSE MY CAR WAS BEYOND WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD BY THE LEXUS SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THESE KEYS BREAK "MORE OFTEN THAN WE WOULD LIKE ".CLEARLY, THE DESIGN OF THE KEY IS THE PROBLEM. WHEN THE CAR KEY BREAKS THE CAR IS INOPERABLE UNLESS YOU HAVE ANOTHER KEY WITH YOU. THE DEALER HAS TO ORDER A NEW KEY AND CANNOT START YOUR CAR FOR YOU. THIS IS A DANGER TO CONSUMERS AND OWNERS OF THESE CARS. I WAS NEVER ADVISED THAT THE KEY COULD CRACK AND BREAK DUE TO NORMAL USE OR THAT THE CAR WOULD BE INOPERABLE IF THE CHIP FELL OUT. I COMPLAINED TO LEXUS USING THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE ON-LINE WEB SITE. SOMEONE FROM A LOCAL DEALERSHIP CALLED ME AND WAS INDIFFERENT TO THE PROBLEM. I DID NOT ASK FOR MY MONEY BACK FOR THE NEW KEY BUT STRESSED THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO RESOLVE MY DILEMMA WITHOUT INJURY BUT OTHERS MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY. WHEN YOU PAY $40,000 FOR A CAR YOU EXPECT THE KEY TO HOLD UP TO NORMAL USE. I BELIEVE THAT ALL OWNERS OF LEXUS PRODUCTS WITH THIS STYLE KEY SHOULD BE NOTIFIED THAT THIS BREAKAGE MAY OCCUR AND BE ISSUED NEW UNBREAKABLE KEYS .ADDITIONALLY, FROM WHAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME LEXUS KNOWS THIS IS A PROBLEM AND SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A WARNING AND A RECALL. *NM

MY 2002 LEXUS 3000 SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AS I WAS PULLING FORWARD INTO A PARKING SPACE AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. WHEN IT HAPPENED, MY FOOT WAS RESTING LIGHTLY ON THE BRAKE, PREPARING TO BRAKE TO A STOP, AND LETTING THE CAR IDLE INTO THE SPOT. I HAD A SIMILAR THING HAPPEN ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO. *JB THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED SOME BRUISES AS A RESULT OF THE CRASH. UPDATED 12/19/05. *JB *NM THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY ONE OF TOYOTAS FIELD TECHNICIANS. THE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE, BRAKE SYSTEM AND OTHER ENGINE OPERATING PARAMETERS WERE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. *NM

DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, IN WET CONDITIONS A VEHICLE TURNED IN FRONT OF HIM WITHOUT WARNING. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO BROADSIDE THE OTHER VEHICLE WITH HIS FRONT END. THE BRAKES WERE SUDDENLY APPLIED AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALL OF THE OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS, BUT THE SHOULDER STRAPS DID NOT CATCH, CAUSING MINOR INJURIES. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED THE VEHICLE TOTALED. *JB UPDATED 3/9/2006 - *NM

WHEN BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE THE CAR WENT INTO A HIGH ACCELERATION. I REAR ENDED TWO CARS THAT WERE DIRECTLY BEHIND ME. IF THERE WAS ANYONE WALKING BEHIND I WOULD HAVE KILLED THEM. I BELIEVE THERE IS A THROTTLE CONTROL PROBLEM. *LA *JB

THE FLAWS AND FAILURES OF THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2002 LEXUS ES300 WERE NOTICEABLE WITHIN 500 MILES OF DRIVING THE NEW CAR OFF THE LOT. I NOW HAVE 47,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND LEXUS HAS PERFORMED RE-PROGRAMMING OF THE TRANSMISSION LOGIC. HOWEVER, THAT HAS NOT HELPED. IT SEEMS THAT AS I DRIVE MORE MILEAGE THE PROBLEM OF THE TRANSMISSION NOT KNOWING WHAT GEAR TO BE IN IS BECOMING WORSE. THE RESULTING HESITATION IS DANGEROUS FOR THE DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS OF MY CAR AS IT RESULTS IN CLOSE-CALLS WITH OTHER VEHICLES HITTING ME FROM BEHIND DURING HESITATION. *JB