2005 LEXUS ES330 Complaints

I OWNED A 2005 LEXUS ES330 THAT WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. ON 4/29/09 THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATED AFTER HER FOOT WAS OFF ACCELERATOR CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH THROUGH A STOREFRONT WALL AND WINDOWS, CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO BUILDING AND TOTALING THE VEHICLE. THE POLICE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS AN ACCELERATION PROBLEM NOR DID I, UNTIL HEARING THIS RECENT REPORT ON THE NEWS. *TR

MY 2005 LEXUS ES330 HAS HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS SINCE WE BOUGHT IT ON 9/22/2008 WITH 30,057 MILES ON IT. THE TRANSMISSION WILL AT TIMES HESITATE AND/OR SEEM TO BE UNABLE TO FIND THE CORRECT GEAR TO BE IN FOR THE SITUATION.IT SHOWS UP MOST OF THE TIME IN THE 30-45MPH RANGE BUT IT ALSO HESITATES FROM A STANDING START. AT TIMES IT "LOOKS" FOR A GEAR TO BE IN AND HESITATES THEN HARD SHIFTS IN TO A GEAR. I ALSO OWN A 2000 CAMRY AND A 2008 COROLLA AND THEIR TRANSMISSIONS WORK JUST FINE. THE LEXUS TRANSMISSION JUST WILL NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY FOR THE SPEED AND THROTTLE INPUT. I SEE THIS HAS BEEN QUITE A PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL OF LEXUS CARS. THE LEXUS DEALER SAYS IT IS "NORMAL". THIS CAN NOT BE NORMAL. SINCE I GET TO DRIVE TWO OTHER TOYOTA CARS WITH AUTO TRANSMISSIONS AND THEY WORK JUST FINE I CAN TELL QUITE EASILY THERE IS A BIG PROBLEM WITH THIS TRANSMISSION. IT NEEDS TO BE RECOGNIZED BY LEXUS BEFORE THEIR IS A FATALITY DUE TO THE EXTREME LAG AT START FROM STOP CONDITIONS. I HAVE HAD THE GAS PEDAL ONE QUARTER OF THE WAY DEPRESSED BEFORE THE CAR EVEN RECOGNIZED I HAD APPLIED THE THROTTLE. THIS COULD EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT EITHER STARTING FROM A STOP SIGN WITH TRAFFIC CROSSING YOUR ROUTE OR THE VEHICLE "JUMPING" AT A START BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE PEDAL PART WAY DOWN BEFORE THE ENGINE/TRANSMISSION GETS THE SIGNAL AND YOU ACCELERATE RAPIDLY FROM A DEAD STOP. CORPORATE TOYOTA NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THIS PROBLEM AND COME UP WITH A FIX. IT MAY HAVE TO BE A RECALL OR PERHAPS JUST A SERVICE NOTICE TO ALL 2005 LEXUS ES330'S OWNERS. WHATEVER IT TAKES IT NEEDS TO BE DONE SOON. THIS IS A SAFETY RELATED ISSUE IT CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LEXUS ES330. THE VEHICLE HESITATES ABNORMALLY WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTS TO ACCELERATE. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, SHE DID NOT NOTICE ANY WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AND PROVIDE A REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 57,000. UPDATED 12/08/09. *LJ UPDATED 12/10/09.*JB

LEXUS ES330 2005 CAR SHIFTS IMPROPERLY WHEN DRIVEN AT 20-35 MPH, UNEXPECTED UP SHIFTS THAT OCCUR TO EARLY AND DOWN SHIFTS WHILE SLOWING DOWN CAUSING THE DRIVER TO HAVE TO MODULATE THE BRAKING TO AVOID EITHER COMING UP TO CARS IN TRAFFIC AHEAD TO QUICKLY OR TRAFFIC COMING FROM BEHIND SO AS TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT FROM BEHIND AS YOU SLOW TO QUICKLY. HAPPENS ONLY ABOUT 20% OF THE TIME BUT FORCES THE DRIVER TO BE VIGILANT CONSTANTLY TO AVOID PROBLEMS. *TR

MY 2005 LEXUS ES 330 CAUSED THE MOST HORRIBLE ACCIDENT YESTERDAY. I AM LUCKY TO BE ALIVE! I STARTED MY CAR AND PUT THE GEAR IN REVERSE AND PROCEEDED TO PUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL AND IT ACCELERATED TO SUCH AT HIGH SPEED BACKWARDS, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE PEDAL AND THE CAR STILL PROCEEDED TO ACCELERATE, I HIT THE BRAKES AND IT STILL WOULDN'T STOP UNTIL I SLAMMED INTO A TREE. I WAS COMPLETELY HELPLESS. IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE TREE, I WOULD HAVE GONE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC ON THE MAIN ROAD. I WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL AND AM PRETTY BANGED UP. MY NECK & BACK ARE IN EXCRUCIATING PAIN AND MY HAND MUST HAVE SLAMMED INTO MY SIDE WINDOW AND IS CUT, BRUISED, AND SWOLLEN TO 5 TIMES THE SIZE OF MY OTHER HAND. THE POLICE HAD MY CAR TOWED AND THE WHOLE BACK OF THE CAR WAS CRUSHED ALMOST TO THE BACK SEAT WITH THE REAR WINDOW SHATTERED. I HOPE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE. THE NEXT PERSON MAY NOT HAVE A TREE TO STOP THE CAR AND MAY NOT SURVIVE. *TR

RE: LEXUS ES330('05)DELAYS IN ACCELERATION,LURCHING WITH STOPS AND STARTS,UNPREDICTABLE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS,WHEN BRAKING CAR FEELS LIKE IT IS SLIPPING FORWARD. LEXUS FIRST DENIED PROBLEM BUT I SHOWED THEM INTERNET BLOG AND NHTSA COMPLAINTS,THEN ADMITTED TO SOFTWARE PROBLEMS. 3 OR 4 ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE SOFTWARE HELPED TEMPORARILY. I WAS TOLD I WOULD GET USED TO THIS. AFTER 2 AND HALF YEARS OF ERRATIC SHIFTING AND SEVERAL NEAR MISSES ON LANE CHANGES (CAR REFUSED TO ACCELERATE) I THREATENED LEGAL ACTION. LEXUS RELUCTANTLY CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION. I COULD NOT BELIEVE THE DIFFERENCE,THOUGHT THEY CHANGED THE CAR!IT FINALLY DROVE THE WAY THE DEMO CAR DID. MORE CONSISTENT ACCELERATION,ALBEIT STILL HAD SOMEWHAT OF A DELAY. I NO LONGER FELT EVERY GEAR SHIFT. STOPS AND STARTS MUCH SMOOTHER. THE INTERNET DISCUSSIONS ARE RIGHT. SOME OF THE LEXUS ES330 MODELS HAVE A SERIOUS TRANSMISSION DEFECT,BUT IT APPEARS TO BE A MECHANICAL,NOT A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. I READ THE NHTSA RESPONSE TO A COMPLAINT LODGED AGAINST THIS SAME VEHICLE IN 2005. THE CONCLUSION WAS THAT THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO LAUNCH AN INVESTIGATION. I WOULD HOPE THE NHTSA WOULD RETHINK THIS POSITION. THERE ARE ALOT OF COMPLAINTS REGISTERED ON THE INTERNET (I.E. EDMUNDS.COM).I WORRIED EVERY TIME I GOT BEHIND THE WHEEL. WHEN LEXUS FINALLY CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION, I FELT IT WAS FINALLY SAFE TO GET RID OF THE CAR. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT LEXUS DOES KNOW ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AND HOW TO FIX IT BUT WILL NOT VOLUNTARILY FIX IT UNLESS FORCED TO DO SO. THEY WOULD NOT FIX MY CAR UNTIL I THREATENED LEGAL ACTION. MANY OF THESE CARS WILL BE GOING OFF LEASE AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS NOT AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. IT IS UNFAIR TO THESE BUYERS,NOT TO MENTION RISKY TO THEIR LIVES,NOT TO HAVE THIS SITUATION RECTIFIED. I BELIEVE THAT ONLY AN ORGANIZATION SUCH AS THE NHTSA CAN FORCE LEXUS TO REMEDY THE SITUATION. THE ONLY OTHER WAY WOULD BE A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT BUT I DOUBT ENOUGH PEOPLE WOULD COME TOGETHER FOR THIS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. *TR

I OWN A LEXUS ES 330, 2005 YEAR MODEL. THE VEHICLE RANDOMLY FAILS TO START AFTER IT WAS PURCHASED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS PROBLEM MIGHT BE DUE TO THE MANY GADGETS IN THE CAR. IN ANY CASE SUCH AN EXPENSIVE VEHICLE IS NOT A RELIABLE ONE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 (NA) LEXUS ES330. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD RANDOMLY FAIL TO START AFTER IT WAS PURCHASED. THE DEALER MADE REPAIRS AND STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO SO MANY GADGETS BEING IN THE VEHICLE. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTS. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 8,000.

I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN A SHOPPING CENTER WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD. THE CAR SPED UP TO A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 45MPH. I SWERVED IN AND ABOUT THE CARS IN THE PARKING LOT AND HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE SPEED, BRAKING OR STEERING. I EVENTUALLY STOPPED THE CAR AFTER ABOUT 200 YDS. BY SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL, TURNING OFF THE IGNITION AND BOUNCING OVER AT LEAST FOUR CURBS. NO PHYSICAL INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE CAR IS AT THE DEALERS FOR INSPECTION. *TR

ON AUGUST 6, 2008, I WAS DRIVING HOME, WHEN I WAS MAYBE A FEW MINUTES FROM MY HOUSE, COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP,WHEN ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN TO ALMOST 100MPH, WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND THE BRAKING SYSTEM STOPPED, THE RESULT WAS THAT THE VEHICLE CROSSED OVER FOUR LANES JUMPED A CURB AND I ENDED UP CRASHING INTO A NEARBY HOUSE. I SPENT DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL, AND NOW I HAVE A FRACTURED KNEE, BROKEN THUMB, AND MAY CUTS AND BRUISES. THIS WAS THE MOST FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE, AND AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE, SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT THIS, PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE AT RISK!!!! *TR