2002 LEXUS ES300 Complaints

THE 2002 LEXUS ES300 HAS A SIGNIFICANT FLAW IN THE NEW ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED TRANSMISSION SYSTEM. THIS FLAW HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY MULTIPLE DEALERSHIPS AND BY LEXUS CUSTOMER SERVICE. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A RESOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM SINCE DECEMBER 2002 WHICH IS SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THERE ARE THREE VERY OBVIOUS SYMPTOMS THAT HAVE BEEN OCCURRING EVER SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. DEPENDING UPON FUEL AND DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE CAR WILL DEVELOP A NECK JERKING SHUTTER AS IT VIOLENTLY SHIFTS BETWEEN GEARS. THIS USUALLY OCCURS ANYWHERE BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH, BUT MOST OFTEN WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT SPEED. THE SECOND CONDITION OCCURS WHEN YOU GO FROM A SLOWING SITUATION INTO AN ACCELERATION SITUATION. DURING THIS TIME, THE CAR OFTEN GOES INTO A NEUTRAL CONDITION AND TAKES A COUPLE SECONDS BEFORE POWER IS RETURNED TO THE WHEELS. THIS CONDITION IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN MOVING INTO TRAFFIC OR TURNING A CORNER. WHEN TURNING, YOU WILL NEARLY COAST AROUND THE CORNER UNTIL THE POWER IS RETURNED TO THE WHEELS. WHEN THE POWER IS RETURNED, IT IS VERY ABRUPT AND LUNGES THE CAR FORWARD. THE THIRD CONDITION OCCURS DURING FULL THROTTLE ACCELERATION. THIS IS MOST EVIDENT WHEN ACCELERATING ONTO A HIGHWAY. THE CAR SEEMS TO SHIFT INTO A VERY LOW GEAR WHERE RPM IS NEARLY RED-LINE AND POWER IS ALMOST NON-EXISTENT. THE CAR THEN JERKS INTO A DIFFERENT GEAR WHERE YOU MAY GET MORE POWER, BUT IT DOESN'T USUALLY STAY IN THAT GEAR EITHER. IT THEN SHIFTS BACK TO THE LOW GEAR, RED-LINES AGAIN AND REPEATS THE PROCESS. THIS WILL OFTEN OCCUR 2 OR 3 TIMES BEFORE A GOOD GEAR IS FOUND AND YOU CAN THEN PROCEED WITH NORMAL DRIVING. AT THIS POINT, LEXUS DID MAKE A COUPLE LEASE PAYMENTS FOR ME IN EXCHANGE FOR WAITING A FEW MORE MONTHS FOR THE FIX. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WAS NEARLY A YEAR AGO AND I'M STILL WAITING. WE NEED TO GET THIS FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED, NOT AFTER! *NLM

WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED FOR THE PURPOSE OF PASSING OR FOR MERGING INTO TRAFFIC AT VARYING SPEEDS BETWEEN 25-50 MPH, THE VEHICLE "LAGS" OR ENCOUNTERS A DEAD SPOT BEFORE RESPONDING (BY SUDDENLY SPEEDING OFF). THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO BE ATTEMPTING TO DECIDE HOW TO RESPOND TO THE ACTION OF THE ACCELERATOR BEING PRESSED (WHETHER TO REMAIN IN THE CURRENT GEAR, OR DOWN-SHIFT FOR QUICK ACCELERATION). THE 'RPMS' WILL RISE EXTREMELY HIGH, BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION FIGURES OUT WHAT GEAR TO SHIFT INTO IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUEST OF THE DRIVER'S ACTION. THIS 'LAG PERIOD' IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TIME FOR THE VEHICLE'S OCCUPANTS AS THE VEHICLE DOES NOT RESPOND LIKE NORMAL VEHICLES CONFRONTED WITH A "WIDE-OPEN-THROTTLE" REQUEST DO. IF MY WIFE, WHO IS NO "CAR BUFF" AND GENERALLY DOES NOT PAY ATTENTION TO ANYTHING BUT STARTING THE VEHICLE, HAS ALSO BROUGHT THIS ISSUE TO MY ATTENTION, THEN I KNOW THERE IS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM. AS THE PROBLEM PRESENTS ITSELF AS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE FOR MY FAMILY, I HAVE CONTACTED LEXUS CUSTOMER SERVICE WHO HAVE ADVISED ME THAT "LEXUS IS ATTEMPTING TO DEVELOP A FIX FOR THE CONCERN THAT MANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION". I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS "FIX" FOR OVER 7 MONTHS NOW, AND THE EXPECTED DATE KEEPS BEING PUSHED BACK! PLEASE TAKE SOME ACTION REGARDING THIS SERIOUS ISSUE, AS THERE ARE MANY OTHER LEXUS OWNERS WHO WERE IN THE "PASSIONATE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION" (LEXUS SLOGAN), BUT HAVE NOT TAKEN THE TIME TO FILE A COMPLAINT!!*AK

2002 LEXUS MALFUNCTIONING BRAKE SYSTEM. *MR THE ENGINE SURGED WHILE BRAKING. IT WAS INDICATED THAT THIS MAY BE DUE TO AN INCREASE IN IDLING SPEED WHEN THE A/C WAS OPERATING. ON ONE OCCASION THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE ALTHOUGH THE CONSUMER APPLIED EXTREME PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. *SCC *NLM

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