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Transmission problems with Lexus ES?

1381 messages,  Last post on Nov 26, 2009 at 12:56 PM

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What is this discussion about? Lexus ES 300, Lexus ES 330, Transmission, Sedan

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#427 of 1381 by sv7887 Apr 13, 2004 (8:14 pm)
Hi All,   I'm sure Lexus will do something about it..Their whole Brand Image is based on Reliability..I've driven a few ES cars and have noted their sluggish transmissions. The ES330 I had recently as a loaner was significantly better though. If anything I'm sure Lexus is working on a fix.   Don't let one bad experience deter you from buying another Lexus car. I've had 3 LS400/430's and plan on continuing to buy them. (I still have the 92..Absolutely Bulletproof reliability) Lexus still builds a car that is second to none in reliability.   SV
#428 of 1381 sv7887 - Hope you are right... by atoews Apr 14, 2004 (6:56 am)
...but I'll bet you won't see a "fix" until the new body style comes out. The only way I believe Lexus will fix the problem is if someone is killed because of it, and the situation draws media attention.   You might want to search for user "texas83" and a couple of others who have engaged in lawsuits against Lexus/Toyota over the issue. Currently, Lexus will not even acknowledge that there is a problem.
#429 of 1381 Stopped Waiting for Lexus to Fix the Transmission by carscars May 08, 2004 (6:33 am)
I have a 01 RX330 and a 98 ES300 which, except for some strut problems, has been largely troublefree over the years. I've been waiting over a year to replace the ES300 with a ES330 expecting Lexus to resolve this. Being something of a car nut (I also own a Corvette), I have come to the conclusion that this problem appears to be most apparent to drivers who are more attuned and demanding of their car's response (like me). Many other people (and my wife would probably fall into this category) would never notice or become aware of the problem as the rest of us. Anyway...with Lexus doing nothing to really address this, I'm about to buy an Acura TL. Frankly, even if they now came out and said that they have a "new" ES transmission for 2005, I would still not trust them based on their recent claims that their reprogramming has now fixed the problem.
#430 of 1381 Sluggish Transmission by denny May 13, 2004 (12:36 pm)
I have a new 2004 ES-330 that definitely has the sluggish transmission problem. There has been little or no improvement in the first 600 miles. Because of this driveability issue, the car has been a major disappointment and is frustrating to drive. I will be taking the car in for the 1000 mile service soon and will see what they say. If they tell me that it is normal or that nothing can be done I will be getting rid of a car with 1000 miles on it. I have'nt read all the posts here but it does not appear that anyone has gotten a satisfactory solution to this problem. Is this correct? It would seem that a transmission software patch would have solved the problem by now.
#431 of 1381 Denny: by vcheng May 13, 2004 (4:11 pm)
You won't be the only one. I got rid of an ES300 with 550 miles on it for the same reason a while ago. If you dislike the drivetrain as much as I did, you will have to get rid of it. No amount of "upgrades" or "design features" will make this unit drive like a modern car should.
#432 of 1381 Denny: Sluggish Transmission by mrrogers May 14, 2004 (2:34 am)
There was a post a few months ago where an owner said that the problem was not as bad if you drove in fourth gear around town, and then shifted to fifth for highway driving. Good luck!
#433 of 1381 My experience by davidz May 15, 2004 (10:18 am)
Just test drove the ES330 again with the hesitation issue in mind (due to various things I've read here and elsewhere).   I noticed that the hesitation is worse the harder you punch it. If you ease in on the throttle and push it when you feel the tranny engage, there's not much hesitation at all. Or at the very least, a lot less than when you just floor it quickly.   Any thoughts on this? I'm still debating whether or not to buy one. I'm going to test drive it again the weekend. There's no other car that interests me. If I don't buy it, I'll just keep my 1997 ES300 and wait to see what the 2005s are like.
#434 of 1381 davidz re: My experience by toydriver May 15, 2004 (2:32 pm)
I have owned an '03ES for a year now and have just under 10,000mi on it. I didn't notice the trans. hesitation until it had several hundred miles on it. It seemed to get worse until about 1,000 mi and since then hasn't changed much. Complained to my service mgr. (who has always been extremely helpful to us with my wife's RX) who "re-set" the transmission computer during my last scheduled service. It really hasn't helped.   Re: changing driving habits ("hesitation is worse the harder you punch it"). Unfortunately we can't always control our driving patterns and have to adjust depending on traffic flow, congestion, emergency stops, stop and go of rush hour, etc.   I'd say that if you are annoyed by the shifting on the new ES330, you might try a different ES, (some ES cars seem to be affected more than others - or at least their owner's are more vocal than others) but more than likely you will continue to be annoyed if you purchase it. You are probably very sensitive to the way a car responds and the current ES model may not be for you. The updated GS330 model is due out soon and promises to be "sporty" with close to 250hp.
#435 of 1381 My experience by davidz May 15, 2004 (3:00 pm)
Just test drove the ES330 again with the hesitation issue in mind (due to various things I've read here and elsewhere).   I noticed that the hesitation is worse the harder you punch it. If you ease in on the throttle and push it when you feel the tranny engage, there's not much hesitation at all. Or at the very least, a lot less than when you just floor it quickly.   Any thoughts on this? I'm still debating whether or not to buy one. I'm going to test drive it again the weekend. There's no other car that interests me. If I don't buy it, I'll just keep my 1997 ES300 and wait to see what the 2005s are like.
#436 of 1381 Davidz by andy71 May 15, 2004 (5:38 pm)
The problem you are describing is probably due to the drive by wire throttle system and not the transmission. I have felt that slight delay when taking off from a stop light. It doesn't bother me too much. Once the car does start to accelerate it is pretty quick. If you are waiting for the 05 model you probably will be dissapointed since there won't be any major changes

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