2004 LEXUS RX330 Complaints

TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS RENDERED THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY UNSAFE, PRONE TO POTENTIAL ACCIDENTS. *BF THE CONSUMER DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM AS LAG OR HESITATION WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED FROM FIRST TO SECOND AND OR SECOND TO THIRD, SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE REVVED UP TO THE REDLINE WITH OUT THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGING. THE DEALER RESET A COMPUTER CHIP THAT WAS INVOLVED IN REGULATING THE POWER TRAIN SYSTEM. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THERE WAS ELSE THAT COULD BE DONE. THE TRANSMISSION WAS THE RESULT OF THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. (LAWYER IRA NEWMAN ON BEHALF OF CLIENT, PETER JANCZUK)*JB

REAR WINDOW SHATTERED WITHOUT PROBABLE CAUSE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND THE POLICE WERE NOTIFIED. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE WINDOW BROKE DUE TO EXTREME HEAT. *AK THE CONSUMER PURCHASED ANOTHER 2004 LEXUS (MODEL/RX330) AND THE SAME WINDOW SHATTERED. THE SERVICE MANAGER SUGGESTED THAT THIS HAPPENED DUE TO HEAT. *SC *JB

SINCE I HAVE BOUGHT MY CAR THE TRANSMISSION HAS NOT BEEN SHIFTING PROPERLY. IT HESITATES IN LOW GEARS WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATES . THE MOST BOTHERSOME IS THE LACK OF PROPER RESPONSE WHEN THE DRIVER NEEDS TO SLOW DOWN AND THEN ACCELERATE (SUCH AS TURNING LEFT OR CHANGING LANES TO AVOID OBSTACLES OR DOUBLE PARKED CARS). IN THESE CASES TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO GO INTO NEUTRAL, AND AFTER ABOUT A SECOND GOES INTO THIRD OR FOURTH GEAR WITH A RAPID , JERKY MOVEMENT OF THE WHOLE CAR, WHICH I WOULD COMPARE TO BEING REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER CAR. IT HAPPENED TO ME AND MY WIFE 4 TIMES AND RESULTED IN NECK PAIN AND HEADACHE, AND ALMOST BEING HIT BY ANOTHER CAR. LEXUS DEALER AND CUSTOMER CARE STATE THAT THE CAR WAS DESIGNED TO WORK THIS WAY AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO.*AK

THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUING PROBLEM SINCE PURCHASED NEW IN DEC 2003. AS HAS BEEN REPORTED NUMEROUS TIMES, MY CAR ACCELERATION HESITATES FROM A STOP OR FROM LOW SPEEDS. ALSO MY VEHICLE HAS EXTENSIVE PAUSE OR LAG BETWEEN GEARS. THIS HAS CREATED NUMEROUS DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WHERE I WAS STUCK WHILE OTHER VEHICLES HAD TO TAKE ACTION TO AVOID HITTING MY RX330. OFTEN, WHILE MAKING LEFT TURNS AGAINST ONCOMING TRAFFIC, THIS LAG IS SO LONG AS TO BE DANGEROUS. IN THE PAST, I HAVE ACCELERATED HARDER THAN I FEEL NECESSARY IN ORDER TO COMPENSATE FOR THIS LAG. THIS RESULTS IN A SUDDEN DOWNSHIFT AND FORWARD LURCH THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO MY DEALER ON 3 OR MORE OCCASIONS AND THEIR RESPONSE IS THAT THIS IS NORMAL FOR MY MODEL. THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER DID DOCUMENT THIS COMPLAINT ON MY SERVICE RECORD THE LAST TIME I VISITED ON 8/13/04.*AK

JUST LEFT MY LEXUS DEALER FOR MY 20,000 SERVICE. FINALLY THE SERVICE MGR ACKNOWLEDGED MY TRANSMISSION WOES. SEE MY PREVIOUS POST. HE SAID LEXUS IS AWARE OF THE CONCERN "NATION WIDE". THEY CHANGED? THE TRANNY FOR 2005!!! THEY ARE ALSO POSTPONING THE HYBRID FOR 6 MONTHS DUE TO THE CONCERNS OF THE 2004 RX TRANSMISSION THOUGH WE KNOW THAT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT APPLICATION. THE KICKER IS THOUGH IT'S STILL AN OPEN CASE, LEXUS AT THIS TIME DOES NOT HAVE A FIX. SO 20,000 MILES LATER I HAVE A 40,0000 SUV THAT HAS A TRANSMISSION OF A YUGO. NO OFFENSE TO THE YUGO. I WAS TOLD HOW FRUSTRATED THEY ARE WITH THIS. I BELIEVE MY FRUSTRATION IS GREATER, SEEING HOW I MAKE THE PAYMENTS AND DRIVE THIS CAR DAILY. ALSO NOT MUCH THEY CAN DO RIGHT NOW UNTIL LEXUS MAKES A MOVE. AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH. NOT HAPPY IN THE TWIN CITIES.*AK

MY LEXUS RX 330 HAS HAD REPEATED TRANSMISSION AND THROTTLE PROBLEMS. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HESITATES, HUNTS, SHIFTS INCONSISTENTLY, HANGS IN BETWEEN GEARS, DELAYS, ETC. THE THROTTLE DELAYS AT THE FIRST APPLICATION OF GAS AND THE RATE OF ACCELLERATION SURGES UP AND DOWN UNEVENLY. THE RESULT IS THAT THE CAR OFTEN CANNOT AVOID HAZARD SITUATIONS. IF ONE IS TRYING TO PULL INTO TRAFFIC THE DELAYS CREATE HAZARDS. IF ONE ANTICIPATES AND APPLIES THE THROTTLE EARLY TO COMPENSATE, ONE SOMETIMES LURCHES INTO TRAFFIC. WHEN YOU ATTEMPT A LANE CHANGE THE SAME PROBLEMS CAUSE THE SAME TROUBLES: DELAYS AND A HAZARD. THE DELAY ALSO HAS CAUSED ME TO BE ALMOST REAR ENDED AT STOP LIGHTS. I HAVE REPEATEDLY REPORTED THIS PROBLEM OR PACKAGE OF PROBLEMS TO MY LOCAL SERVICING DEALER AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT LEXUS KNOWS OF THE WIDESPREAD NATURE OF THE COMPLAINTS BUT THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT LEXUS WILL DO FOR IT (OTHER THAN ONE REFLASH THAT DID NOT WORK FOR THE ISSUES). AMAZINGLY, WHEN I RAISED THESE ISSUES IN WRITING, THE WRITTEN RESPONSE ON MY SERVICE RECORDS SHOWED "NO PROBLEMS". WHEN I PUSHED THE SERVICE PERSONNEL ON THIS, THEY ADMITTED THAT ALL OF MY COMPLAINTS WERE FOUND BUT THAT LEXUS CLAIMS THESE PROBLEMS ARE "NORMAL" TO THE DESIGN, THEREFORE, THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD BY LEXUS TO SIMPLY RESPOND THAT "THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION IS PERFORMING AS DESIGNED. A BAD DESIGN IS JUST THAT. LOCAL SERVICE PEOPLE SIMPLY THROW THEIR COLLECTIVE HANDS UP AND SAY THE THEY KNOW ABOUT THE GRAVITY OF THE PROBLEM BUT THAT LEXUS WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO EXPECT NO SOLUTION AND TO JUST LIVE WITH IT. SIGNIFICANTLY, THIS IS THE LARGEST SELLING LEXUS MODEL. THEREFORE, THESE PROBLEMS AND THE HAZARDS THAT THEY CREATE AFFECT THOUSANDS OF MOTORISTS.*AK

THE CONSUMER SMELLED A ROTTEN EGG SMELL, THE PROBLEM WAS THAT WHEN DRIVING THE CAR, THE EXHAUST SMELL ENTERED THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE EVEN WITH THE WINDOW UP. IT WAS WORSE WITH THEM DOWN. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED TO THE CONSUMER TO CHANGED GAS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB

WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, THE TRUCK WAS HIT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BY A MOTORIST DRIVING BETWEEN 20-40 MPH. UPON IMPACT THE SEAT MOUNTED SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A CONCUSISON AND INJURIES TO HIS/HER LEFT HAND. *JB

1.2004 RX 330 TRANSMISSION SLIPS WHEN ACCELERATING ,PASSING(MOST DANGEROUS WHEN GOING UP AN INCLINE),AND FROM A DEAD START(IE: LIGHT OR STOP SIGN).CAR SEEMS TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND HESATATES WHILE TACHOMETER REVS TO 5-6000 RPM.*AK 2. DANGERIOUS WHEN ENTERING FREEWAY ON RAMP AND ALMOST GOT REARENDED DUE TO DELAY. 3. REPORTED 3 TIMES TO DEALER, THEY SAID IT IS WITHIN SPECS.HAD A LOANER LEXUS RX 330 WHEN MINE WAS IN FOR SERVICE AND THE TRANSMISSION WES PERFECT. CONSTANT PROBLEM.

SINCE NEW THE VEHICLE HAS BOTH TRANSMISSION HESITATION SHIFTING PROBLEMS NOTED BY MANY OTHERS. AROUND 40 MPH, ASKING FOR ACCELERATION WITH ABOUT 3/4 THROTLE CAUSES THE TRNASMISSION TO COME OUT OF GEAR AND HUNT FOR ABOUT TWO SECONDS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS - DON'T PLAN ON PASSING ANYONE. COASTING AROUND 10 MPH, MILD THROTLE CAUSES THE TRANMISSION TO SHIFT HARD AND LURCH THE VEHICLE. LEXUS ACKNOWLEDGES THE CONDITION, BUT STATES IT IS NOT "A PROBLEM.*AK