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Sedans Lexus ES Transmission problems with Lexus ES?
1381 messages, Last post on Nov 26, 2009 at 12:56 PM
You are in the Lexus ES Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
| 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. | |
| 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! | |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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| 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 | |
The problem is that there really is a problem with the transmission or the drive by wire throttle or both. Lexus refuses to accept that there is a defect in this car, and until consumers stop buying there won't be a fix. I own a 2004 ES330 and I have contacted a lemon law lawyer to attempt to get my money back. I am disgusted with the car and its poor driving ability. If you actually believe that the car will shift better with more mileage then you ought to get your heads examined. I will never purchase another Lexus again and anyone in the market for this car should look elsewhere. There are plenty of other cars available in the 30k-35k price range that drive and perform much better. The biggest issue is that Lexus refuses to own up to its mistake, they claim it is operating as designed. I honestly believe it is operating as designed, just very poorly designed. Anyone in the market that is thinking about an ES330, at least in my opinion should look elsewhere. Otherwise you will be making a $30K+ mistake like I did and regretting every minute that you are driving the car. Please do not purchase the ES330 or you will be very dissatisfied for the duration that you own the car!!!!!!!!
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Replying to: mrdlexus (May 19, 2004 2:46 pm)
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Before purchasing, you might want to read posts on this website over the past 2 years with complaints from owners about the transmission. To summarize, some have claimed that the car is "dangerous" and have sought legal remedy through lemon laws, complaints to DOT, etc. Others of us are occaisionally annoyed by the hard shifts and hesitation and "jerkiness" unbecoming of a luxury vehicle. Others don't seem to notice or care. The fact that you noticed the "lag in the throttle" early suggests that you are in one of the first two categories of drivers.(IMO). Lexus has obviously been very successful in sales of the ES, but Lexus' recent drop in quality ratings (number of complaints by new owners) was attributed to the ES transmission issues. They make up for it in quality of the interior, quiet ride, smooth ride, etc. |
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| Most of the problems on this forum seems to be with the ES300 and not 330. Remember, the 330 has a more powerful engine and a revised transmission. Also how you drive could be a big factor on whether you feel the problem or not. The fact that ES300/330 is still selling so well even with the transmission "problem" leads one to believe that the overwhelming majority of owners are probably not feeling the problem. | |
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