2004 LEXUS ES 330 Complaints

TRANSMISSION SHIFTING LURCH BETWEEN 30 AND 40 MPH STILL RE-OCCURRING AFTER TWO SOFTWARE PROGRAM UPDATES. *TR

I REPORTED ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE ON MARCH 2, 2006 AN ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED WHEN I WAS DRIVING A 2004 LEXUS 330 ON JANUARY 28, 2006 IN TUCSON ARIZONA. I REPORTED THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF MY ACCIDENT TO THE LEXUS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CENTER (LCSC). I FOLLOWED UP WITH A LETTER INCLUDING MY NHTSA WEBSITE REPORT, OTHER NHTSA REPORTS OF SIMILAR TYPES OF ACCIDENTS WITH LEXUS ES330, POLICE REPORT FOR MY ACCIDENT AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTION THAT LED TO THE ACCIDENT. A TECHNICIAN FROM TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, USA, INC. CAME TO THE LEXUS DEALER IN TUCSON AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM A CLAIMS ADMINISTRATOR-LEGAL DEPARTMENT OF TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, USA, INC. INDICATING THE TECHNICIAN'S REPORT CONCLUDED "IT (MY VEHICLE) WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AT THE TIME " OF THE ACCIDENT. THIS LETTER DID NOT INCLUDE AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE ACCIDENT. I WROTE ANOTHER LETTER TO THE CLAIMS ADMINISTRATOR STATING THAT HE HAD NOT ACCURATELY DESCRIBED THE ACCIDENT DETAILS AND I REQUESTED A COPY OF THE TECHNICIAN'S REPORT. I RECEIVED A LETTER ON JUNE 6, 2006 FROM THE CLAIMS ADMINISTRATOR STATING THAT "WHILE I (THE CLAIMS ADMINISTRATOR) HAD THE SCENARIO INCORRECT, THE CIRCUMSTANCES REMAIN THE SAME. THAT OVERSIGHT ON MY (CLAIMS ADMINISTRATOR) PART HAS NO BEARING ON THE TESTING CONDUCTED BY THE LEXUS FIELD TECHNICIAN." THE LETTER ALSO STATED THAT "BE ADVISED THAT IT IS NOT OUR POLICY TO RELEASE OUR INTERNAL REPORTS". I SENT A FOLLOW UP LETTER VIA CERTIFIED MAIL, TO THE CLAIMS ADMINISTRATOR ON JUNE 6, 2006 REQUESTING THAT AN EXCEPTION TO THE POLICY BE MADE IN MY CASE AND ASKING AGAIN TO RECEIVE A COPY OF THE TECHNICIAN'S REPORT. I NEVER RECEIVED A RESPONSE TO MY LETTER. THUS, I AM VERY UNSATISFIED WITH THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT THAT I HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, USA, INC. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE REAR MIDDLE SHOULDER BELT WAS PULLED AND WRAPPED AROUND THE NECK OF THE CHILD WHILE PROPERLY RESTRAINED IN A CHILD SAFETY SEAT. THE CHILD SEAT WAS INSTALLED BY THE LATCH SYSTEM. THE SEATBELT RETRACTED AND LOCKED, BUT WOULD NOT EXTEND EVEN AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. THE SEAT BELT WAS CUT IN ORDER TO RELEASE THE HOLD ON THE CHILD'S NECK. THE SERVICE DEALER HAD NO SOLUTION, BUT OFFERED TO REPLACE THE SEAT BELT. THE CONTACT WAS TREATED FOR EMOTIONAL TRAUMA. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED.

OUR 2004 LEXUS E330 HAS EXHIBITED MANY LIFE THREATENING PROBLEMS INVOLVING ITS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PERFORMANCE. OF GREATEST CONCERNS ARE LIFE THREATENING INSTANCES OVER THE TWO YEARS. HESITATIONS OCCUR WHEN PRESSING THE GAS DURING CRITICAL ENTRY ATTEMPTS ONTO INTERSTATE HWYS, ETC. WHERE WE HAVE EXPERIENCED NEAR DEADLY TRANSMISSION HESITATIONS OF NEEDED POWER GETTING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. MY WIFE WAS ALMOST KILLED BY AN 18 WHEELER WHEN SHE OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE HAD ADEQUATE TIME TO SAFELY MERGE HAD THE TRANSMISSION NOT HESITATED. SHE WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE SURVIVED. JUST ONE OF MANY CLOSE CALLS. ANOTHER ES 330 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEM IS THE UNTENABLE, UNTIMELY, ROUGH DOWN AND UP SHIFTING BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND GEARS THAT LEXUS HAS ADVISED HAS BEEN CORRECTED IN THE 2007 MODELS WHICH OF COURSE WILL NOT HELP WITH THIS VEHICLE I AM STUCK WITH. SUCH ADMITTANCE SUPPORT MY ARGUMENT THAT THEY ARE QUITE AWARE OF THIS VERY UN- LEXUS TYPE PERFORMANCE IN THE 2004. WHAT A SHAME THAT LEXUS WOULD LET THE GREAT LEXUS NAME BE SO DEGRADED BY THEIR FAILURE TO SUPPORT THEIR FAITHFUL CUSTOMERS IN SUCH JUSTIFIED COMPLAINTS; THIS IS OUR THIRD LEXUS! *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE EXITING THE DRIVE WAY THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WAS A CRASH WITH AN ONCOMING VEHICLE BEFORE IT STALLED IN THE YARD ACROSS THE STREET. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WAS PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO REPAIRED THE DAMAGES TO THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRINK IN THE DRINK HOLDER SPILLED AND RESULTED IN THE DRIVER BEING DISTRACTED. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THE POSITION OF THE DRINK HOLDER IS A POOR DESIGN AND COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THE CUP HOLDER HAD BEEN REDESIGNED IN THE NEWER MODEL.

I WAS DRIVING OUR 2004 LEXUS ES330 ON A CLEAR SUNNY DAY AT APPROXIMATELY 2:30 PM. I STOPPED IN THE LEFT TURN LANE AT A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION IN TUCSON, ARIZONA. THERE WERE THREE CARS IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE AND I HAD THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. WHEN THE LEFT-HAND TURN-LIGHT SIGNAL CHANGED TO GREEN, I PULLED THE GEAR SHIFT FROM NEUTRAL TO DRIVE. INSTANTLY, THE MOTOR MADE A LOUD REVVING SOUND AND THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD AND HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKE BUT MY CAR CONTINUED TO PUSH ON THE CAR THAT I HAD HIT. I THEN TRIED TO BACK AWAY FROM THE CAR I HAD HIT BY PUTTING THE GEAR SHIFT INTO REVERSE. WHEN I SHIFTED MY CAR INTO REVERSE IT HIT THE CAR BEHIND ME AND I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THEY DID NOT WORK. THIS OCCURRED TWICE BEFORE THE ENGINE DIED. THIS WAS A HARROWING EXPERIENCE. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS INJURED. EVEN THOUGH I WAS STOPPED IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THERE WAS $4,500 DAMAGE TO MY CAR AND $7,500 OF DAMAGE TO THE OTHER CAR. SINCE WE PURCHASED THE CAR IT WAS SERVICED REGULARLY AT THE DEALER WHERE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. UNTIL THIS ACCIDENT I HAD NEVER BEEN THE DRIVER OF A VEHICLE THAT WAS INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT. NHTSA WEBSITE HAS COMPLAINTS OF VERY SIMILAR PROBLEMS POSTED BY OWNERS OF THE 2004 LEXUS ES330 MODEL. I HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO LEXUS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CENTER. *NM

THE ACCELERATOR IN MY 2004 LEXUS ES 330 STUCK IN A CROWDED PARKING LOT AND CAUSED A COLLISION. *NM

THE JENCI'S CONTEND THAT MRS. JENCI PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE, IT THEN SURGED, MADE A LOUD SOUND AND LUNGED FORWARD OUT OF CONTROL. *NM

VERY BAD HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING. TOOK DELIVERY 4/27/04 AND FOUND THE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY. COMPLAINED AT 1000 MILE CHECKUP. TOLD TO GIVE IT TIME. COMPLAINED AGAIN AT 5000 CHECKUP. THEY SAID THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND IT WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. PROBLEM CONTINUED. COMPLAINED AT 15000 CHECKUP (9/28/05). PERFORMED AT THIS CHECKUP PER INVOICE: EG5017 26 99 .9 PERFORM TSB TC004-03. RECALIBRATE ECM ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. THE PROBLEM IS BETTER BUT STILL EXISTS. HAVE NOTICED VIA INTERNET RESEARCH THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH THE LEXUS ES. SPOKE TODAY (11/28/05) WITH A SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT MY DEALERSHIP AND HE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM THEY ARE DEALING WITH AND THERE APPEARS TO BE NO ONE GOOD FIX FOR IT. *JB