2004 LEXUS RX330 Complaints

MY 2004 LEXUS RX330 AWD HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION "HANGING" ON THE 2-3 UPSHIFT. THE CAR HESITATES THEN ROUGHLY SHIFTS INTO THE NEXT GEAR. IT HAS NEVER SHIFTED AS SMOOTHLY IN ANY GEAR AS OTHER LEXUS AND TOYOTA PRODUCTS I DRIVEN. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE ENGINE MANAGEMENT CONTROL. THE NET RESULT HAS BEEN THAT THE ENGINE SHIFTS AT A HIGHER RPM THAN IT DID BEFORE, BUT IS STILL NOT SMOOTH. THE HESITATION BETWEEN GEARS WAS LESS FREQUENT FOR A WEEK OR TWO AFTER THE REPROGRAM, BUT HAS NOW RETURNED AND THERE IS AN INCREASING LAG OR HESITATION IN SHIFTING IN THE 2-3 AND 3-4 UPSHIFT. LAST WEEK AS I WAS MERGING INTO EXPRESSWAY TRAFFIC, I PUSHED DOWN THE THROTTLE AND NOTHING HAPPENED. IT ALMOST SEEMED AS THOUGH THE ENGINE DIED. I RELEASED THE THROTTLE, PUSHED AGAIN AND THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGED A LOWER GEAR AND ACCELERATED. THE BEHAVIOR OF THE TRANSMISSION IS UNPREDICTABLE. SOMETIMES, BUT NOT ALWAYS, THE ENGINE FEELS LIKE IT STALLS WHEN TURNING A CORNER. THE HESITATION ON DOWNSHIFT HAS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES NOW SINCE THE REPROGRAM. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 6000 MILES ON IT. THE DEALER SEEMED TO TRY TO BE HELPFUL, BUT CAN ONLY PASS ON WHAT THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDES THEM, SO I THINK THE RESOLUTION LIES WITH TOYOTA AND LEXUS IN DEVELOPING A FIX FOR A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. *JB

LEXUS 2004 RX 330 - TRANSMISSION. SHIFTING HESITATION, LEXUS HAS ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM WITH A CHANGE IN COMPUTER SHIFTING POINTS BUT IT HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. THEY NOW REFUSE TO HELP FURTHER SAYING ONLY THAT IT IS WITHIN DESIGN STANDARDS. MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS PROBLEM IN LEXUS OWNERS FORUM WEB SITE, BUT NO HELP FROM LEXUS.*JB

WHEN I DRIVE MY 2004 LEXUS RX330 MANUAL ON 4TH, SPEED IS AROUND 40 MPH, AND LEFT OFF THE THROTTLE, I CAN HEAR A WHINING NOISE FROM REAR. ONCE I PUSH THE GAS PADDLE, THE NOISE IS GONE. IT CAN BE DUPLICATED ON D WHEN I SLOW DOWN FROM 50 MPH. THIS ALSO HAPPENS TO THE OTHER THREE RX330S (TWO LOANER CARS AND ONE BRAND NEW CAR).*AK

FULL LOAD SUSPENSION TRAVEL. BOTTOMS OUT CONSTANTLY WITH 700 LBS. LOAD (FOUR ADULTS).*AK

THE RX330 HAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM THAT AFFECTS THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE. THERE IS A SERIOUS LAG BETWEEN GEAR SHIFTS. THE ENGINE WILL REV UP BUT THE CAR DOESN'T MOVE. THIS HAPPENS WHEN STARTING FROM A STOPPED POSITION AND ALSO WHEN MERGING INTO TRAFFIC, CHANGING LANES, AND PASSING TRAFFIC. I HAVE NARROWLY AVOIDED BEING HIT IN THE REAR TWICE BECAUSE OF THIS BEHAVIOR. WHEN SLOWING DOWN THE CAR DOESN'T DOWNSHIFT INTO THE PROPER GEAR AT TIMES AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES AND WAS TOLD THAT IT IS "OPERATING AS DESIGNED". THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES THE COMPLAINTS THAT I HAVE BUT TELL ME THAT LEXUS HAS NOT COME UP WITH A FIX YET. I HAVE CONTACTED LEXUS CUSTOMER SERVICE ABOUT THIS ISSUE ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT IT IS "OPERATING AS DESIGNED". THIS VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND I FEAR A SERIOUS ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE TRANSMISSION BEHAVIOR. IS THERE NO RECOURSE FOR A CONSUMER WHO HAS BEEN SOLD AN UNSAFE VEHICLE? *LA

MY RX330 HAS JUST COME OUT OF THE DEALER SERVICE FOR THE SECOND TIME DUE TO A COMPLETE FAILURE TO DOWNSHIFT WHEN NECESSARY. ESPECIALLY AS I SLOW DOWN TO ABOUT 20 MPH, AND THE TRY TO RE-ACCELERATE, THE RPM'S GO TO 5500 BUT THE VEHICLE DOES NOT MOVE AND THE CLUTCH NEVER ENGAGES. YOU HAVE TO LET OFF THE GAS PEDAL AND LET THE RPM'S COME BACK DOWN AND TRY IT AGAIN. THIS HAS ALMOST GOT ME HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE AT LEAST 3 TIMES. ON THE FIRST SERVICE CALL THEY TRIED TO DO A TRANSMISSION "RESET" I HAVE DRIVEN THE VEHICLE 2500 MILES SINCE THEN AND IT MIGHT EVEN BE WORSE. THIS TIME IT WENT TO THE SHOP AND TWO TECHNICIANS, ONE MANAGER, AND ONE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP ALL TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SIMULATE THE PROBLEM ON TEST DRIVES BUT THAT IT IS "NORMAL FOR THIS VEHICLE", HOWEVER, THEY ARE STILL GOING TO REPORT IT TO THE MANUFACTURER. MY RESPONSE IS THAT THIS MAY BE "NORMAL" FOR THIS VEHICLE, BUT IT IS NOT NORMAL FOR "A" VEHICLE. THEY ALL AGREED BUT SAID THAT LEXUS DOES NOT HAVE A FIX. THIS IS CURRENTLY ELEVATED TO THE LEXUS COMPANY CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD GET BACK TO ME. UNTIL THEN I AM STUCK IN A DANGEROUS VEHICLE. *LA

WHEN I SLOW MY LEXUS LS-430 DOWN TO ABOUT 10 - 15 MPH THEN ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE LIGHTLY, THE CAR WILL OFTEN NOT RESPOND TO THE THROTTLE. I'LL DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR FURTHER AND EVENTUALLY THE CAR WILL RESPOND BY DOWN SHIFTING INTO A LOWER GEAR AND ACCELERATING VERY RAPIDLY. I HAVE CONTACTED LEXUS AND THEY HAVE STATED THAT THIS IS A RESULT OF THE "FLY-BY-WIRE" DESIGN OF THE THROTTLE AND THAT I'LL EVENTUALLY LEARN TO COMPENSATE. THEY STATED THAT THEY CANNOT REPROGRAM THE COMPUTER TO ELIMINATE THIS CONDITION SINCE THIS WOULD REQUIRE RECERTIFICATION FROM THE EPA AND THEREFORE IS OUT OF THE QUESTION. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION.*AK

HIGH-INTENSITY HEADLIGHTS ON 2004 LEXUS RX 330 DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE NIGHT VISION YET ARE SET ACCORDING TO FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER. ILLUMINATED DISTANCE IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AT "NORMAL" BEAM DOES NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE OBSTACLE RECOGNITION AND BRAKING TIME EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS OF 25-30 MPH ON DARK ROADS. *NLM

THIS CAR HAS A INTERMITTENT PROBLEM BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. THE ENGINE REVS UP IN BETWEEN GEARS AND FINALLY SHIFTS INTO GEAR. THE TRANSMISSION IS VERY SLUGGISH BETWEEN ALL GEARS. I HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE AND SERVICE MANAGER SAYS THAT THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT IS GOING TO BE. WHEN THE CAR IS BETWEEN 2 & 3 I SOMETIMES FEEL THAT IT WILL LET GO ENTIRELY AND MIGHT CAUSE A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *LA

SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, THE TRANSMISSION HAS ACTED STRANGE. THE VEHICLE DOES NOT SHIFT SMOOTHLY WHEN CHANGING FROM ONE GEAR TO THE NEXT. WE HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. WAS TOLD THE FIRST TIME THAT IS THE WAY THE VEHICLE SHIFTS. AFTER THE PROBLEM GOT WORSE, WE TOOK IT BACK AGAIN. DEALER CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE NOT THE ONLY OWNER THAT HAS COMPLAINED TO THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM. WAS TOLD TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN AND THEY WOULD RE CALIBRATE THE CHIP THAT CONTROLS THE SHIFTING. GOT THE VEHICLE BACK AFTER THEY WORKED ON IT AND IT DID IMPROVE, BUT STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS PROBLEM WILL ONLY GET WORSE AGAIN LIKE IT DID THE FIRST TIME. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING TO A 2004 VEHICLE. PLEASE REGISTER MY COMPLAINT AND I'M SURE BASED ON WHAT THE DEALER TOLD US THAT OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *LA