2004 LEXUS ES 330 Complaints

WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE HESITATED AND STALLED AT LOW SPEED. DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. MANUFACTURER INSISTED THERE IWASNOTHING DEFECTIVE ON THE VEHICLE.*AK

AT MOST SPPEDS, ESPECIALLY WHEN STOPPED OR AT SPEEDS BELOW 40 MPH, MY LEXUS ES330 HAS A SEVERE HESITATION/ACCELERATION DELAY THAT WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, ACCELERATION IS DELAYED AT LEAST 1.5 SECONDS, IS UNPREDICTABLE AND COMPROMISES SAFETY AND PLACES THE DRIVER AT RISK IN MOST DAY TO DAY DRIVING SCENARIOS. IT IS ALSO IMPOSSIBLE TO MATCH THE SPEED OF A VEHICLE IN FRONT WHEN IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC, WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS PRESSED, THE ES330 WILL CONTINUE TO ROLL FORWARD FOR A FEW SECONDS THEN ACCELERATE, IT WILL NOT "CREEP" AT THE SPEED OF TRAFFIC. I AM TOLD BY LEXUS THAT THIS IS NORMAL AND IS INHERINT IN THE VEHICLE DESIGN. IF THIS IS TRUE, ONE WOULD THINK THIS DESIGN FLAW WILL SOON ECLIPSE THE FIRESTONE/FORD EXPLORER INJURIES OF THE PAST.*AK

LEXUS HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN THEIR ES MODELS SINCE 2002. THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY, AND AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE INTO TRAFFIC, TURN AT INTERSECTIONS, ETC., THE TRANSMISSION HESITATES SEVERELY, NOT KNOWING WHICH GEAR TO GO INTO. I'VE NEARLY BEEN BROADSIDED SEVERAL TIMES AT INTERSECTIONS WHEN MY 2004 LEXUS ES330 WITH LESS THAN 8,000 MILES ON IT WOULDN''T DOWNSHIFT PROPERLY. I'VE SENT 3 LETTERS TO LEXUS HEADQUARTERS, AND THEY WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM. SIGHT UNSEEN, THEY STATE THE CAR IS "FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED". HOWEVER, LEXUS SERVICE WRITERS AND SALEPEOPLE HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THERE IS A PROBLEM, AS HAVE SCORES OF PEOPLE ON EDMUNDS.COM COMMENT AREAS. EVERYONE CONCERNED GETS THE SAME ANSWER FROM LEXUS, BECAUSE THEY APPARENTLY HAVE NO FIX AVAILABLE AND DON'T WANT TO ADMIT THERE IS SUCH A LARGE PROBLEM. PLEASE ADVISE AS TO ANY FURTHER STEPS I MIGHT TAKE TO GET SOME ACTION. *AK

MY 2004 LEXUS ES330 HAS A TRANSMISSION THAT HESITATES BETWEEN GEARS THAT CAUSES A HAZARD WHEN ACCELERATING INTO TRAFFIC. LEXUS REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND THEREFORE TO FIX IT.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS VEHICLE HESITATED THEN SURGED FORWARD. NO IMPACT REPORTED. *AK THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS APPLIED THEN SUDDENLY AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATED SUDDENLY. *NM

MY 2004 LEXUS ES330 HAS A TRANSMISSION HESITATION PROBLEM. WHEN I ACCELERATE AS THE CAR IS COMING TO A STOP, THE TRANSMISSION HESITATES AND TAKES ABOUT 2 SECONDS TO REACT. SAME THING HAPPENS WHEN I GO ABOUT 40 MPH AND ACCELERATE. THIS HAS CREATED MANY SITUATIONS WHERE I WAS ALMOST INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. I CAN'T PASS CARS, AND WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS, I HAVE TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NO ONE WITHING 400 FEET OF ME BEFORE ATTEMPTING THE TURN. THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON, AND I CONSIDER IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.*AK

I OWN A LEXUS ES 330 AND HAVE BEEN VERY DISPLEASED WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THERE IS A HESITATION OF A SECOND OR TWO WHEN YOU ACCELLERATE AND IT ALSO JERKS THE CAR WHEN YOU TRY TO ACCELLERATE WHEN THE CAR IS SLOWING DOWN. THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE OR MERGE ONTO A HIGHWAY. APPARENTLY THE CAR IS OPERATING THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS BEFORE SOMEONE LOSES THEIR LIFE! I'VE WANTED A LEXUS FOR YEARS AND NOW THAT I CAN AFFORD ONE I WISH I BOUGHT A BMW. THIS WILL BE THE LAST LEXUS I WILL OWN!*AK

TRANSMISSION SHIFT DELAY. THE SHIFTING DELAY CAN GO AS LONG AS 3 - 4 SECONDS AND HAVE CAUSED SEVERAL LIFE THREATENING CLOSE CALLS ACCIDENT. LEXUS WAS AWARE OF THE SHIFT DELAY PROBLEM BUT CLAIMS THAT THIS IS NORMAL AND DONE BY DESIGN. *AK

04 LEXUS ES330 TRANSMISSION HESITATION IS SERIOUS DANGER TO DRIVER. ENGINE HESITATES WHEN STARTING FROM A DEAD START. CAR HAS TO BE FLOORED TO MOVE AND EVEN THEN IT HESITATES EVEN MORE. ALSO CAR HAS SERIOUS BLIND SPOTS ON LEFT AND RIGHT OUTER SIDE MIRRORS (THEY ARE TOO SMALL FOR THE CAR). ALSO, CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT STAYS LIT EVEN WHEN THE BRAKE IS HIT OR YOU DIS-ENGAGE IT. THE ONLY TIME THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT TURNS OFF IS WHEN YOU PHYSICALLY TURN IT OFF WITH THE SWITCH OR SHUT THE ENGINE OFF COMPLETELY. THIS GIVES THE DRIVER THE IMPRESSION THAT IT IS ON ALL THE TIME EVEN WHEN IT IS OFF OR WORSE THEY THINK THEY HAVE SHUT IT OFF BUT IT'S REALLY STILL ON AND YOU HAVE A VERY GOOD CHANCE OF REAR ENDING SOMEONE. THIS IS EXTREMELY BAD ENGINEERING AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. HOW YOU GUYS LET A CAR LIKE THIS ON THE ROAD IS BEYOND ME. DID YOU TEST IT? IF SO, HOW DID YOU LET IT PASS THRU TO THE USA? THIS CAR WITH IT'S HESITATION, BLIND SPOTS, AND DANGEROUS CRUISE CONTROL IT'S LIKELY TO GET SOMEONE INJURED OR KILLED IN A HURRY. CAR DOESN'T GET ANYTHING NEAR THE EPA RATINGS UNDER ANY CONDITION. I'VE CONTACTED LEXUS CUSTOMER CARE AND THEY SAY THIS ALL NORMAL. NO HELP OR SUGGESTIONS. PLEASE GET LEXUS TO PUT OUT TSBS ON THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED OR KILLED. I'M VERY CONCERNED. I'VE BEEN A DRIVER FOR 34 YEARS. I'VE NEVER DRIVEN A CAR SO DANGEROUS IN MY LIFE. *AK

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS ALMOST ALWAYS IN TOO HIGH A GEAR FOR CONDITIONS. SHIFTS UP TOO QUICKLY AND SHIFTS DOWN TOO SLOWLY. PRESENTS A SEVERE DANGER IN THAT EMERGENCY ACCELERATION IS VERY POOR FROM LOW SPEED AND/OR WHILE NEGOTIATING A TURN. DEALER STATES THIS IS NORMAL FOR FUEL MILEAGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS.*AK