Automatic Transmission Problems of Lexus ES300 - part 1

Lexus (2002 ES) has dramatic transmission stutter at low or high speeds, jerking occupants and making quick starts (turning across lanes) very dangerous.

See all problems of the 2002 Lexus ES300 🔎.

I have a 2002 Lexus Es300. My car at slower speeds has been jerking/surging at lower speeds and lurches forward without notice. It is a nightmare to drive this car in traffic. I keep being told its normal, it seems hundreds of others have complained, but I'm not getting anywhere. The Lexus dealership did a software upgrade recently, it only made the matter worse. I hate driving this car, everyone in my family avoids driving it, as we just don't feel comfortable in the way it accelerates and shifts gears. Its a 2002 model, with 49k miles. I avg 25k miles a year driving, do the math, this car sucks, and I avoid using it out of fear/annoyance.

Transmission skipping at 92,00 miles and failed, made repair $560. Now at 104,000 transmission has totally failed.

See all problems of the 2001 Lexus ES300 🔎.

Lexus 2002 ES 300 82,000 miles transmission went completely out with no warning and was serviced on 02/28/2007 with 58995 miles as an oil change attendant notified my that my transmission fluid looked completely worn out. My starter was replaced by Lexus of tulsa on 01/29/2008 the service manager said he had never seen one completely worn out as this with so few miles. I wonder if I have a lemon. Lexus of tulsa has quoted a transmission replacement of 4200-4600 dollars this is unacceptable. My wife and I have a new baby at home and this is our only car that the baby's car seat can travel in. We need help.

The Lexus Es300 has had a serious hesitation problem since delivery in March 2003. I have had it in for service several times before the accident complaining about this problem. On may 8th,2006, my wife was trying to make a left turn at an intersection and upon accelerating through the turn the car hesitated/lagged and was struck by an oncoming auto. After contacting Lexus direct, they came out to test drive the auto. I was contacted several days later and was told that my Lexus has no problem. Since this problem still exists, I took the car back in for service on may 26th, 2006 and again was told that my car had already received a transmission computer update and their final words were "vehicle is operating as designed at this time". This car still has the problem.

See all problems of the 2003 Lexus ES300 🔎.

Dangerous hesitation in the transmission when stepping on the gas after decelerating. Nearly caused an accident. Lexus has tried 2 times to fix and nothing has helped.

My 2002 Lexus 300 has a dangerous and significant hesitation and shifting problem. Acceleration is sluggish and then surges forward suddenly causing the vehicle to move forward unexpectedly. In addition, there is a repeated shifting problem at low speeds wherein the vehicle continuously shifts in and out of overdrive, again with unexpected and uncontrollable results. The dealer indicated this was the way these cars were engineered and did an firmware upgrade. However, the problem persists in much the same way.

While shifting the transmission had a ten minute delay before responding, and the transmission jerked uncontrollably. Driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle, and drove it to the dealer. Mechanic determined that the vehicle was operating as designed.

The transmission on the Lexus Es300 which I drove failed suddenly and unexpectedly. Had it happened a twenty minutes earlier while I was on the baltimore beltway (I-695) I would probably have been killed . In the spirit of full disclosure, the car is eight years old, is well maintained and has been driven 113,000 miles.

See all problems of the 1997 Lexus ES300 🔎.

My 2002 Lexus Es300 has had continual transmission and shifting problems. We took it in for the update but that did not fix the problem. When I asked again I was told I already had the update and there was nothing else that could be done. I believe Lexus needs to take responsibility and fix this issue. Often times I will press the gas pedal to quickly get out of the way and the delay is not only annoying, it's dangerous.

When accelerating or decelerating vehicle shifted violently. Dealer stated they knew about the problem, but could not find a solution at this time.

I have now sent my car in for service twice to Lexus of orlando about unexpected surging of the vehicle and vehicle hesitation when the accelerator is pressed. This is an intermittent and dangerous problem, as I do not know when it will occur. When it does occur the upshift is harsh, the downshift delayed as if the transmission is confused about the driver's intention, and there is pronounced hesitation when the accelerator is pressed. This lack of responsiveness leaves both the vehicle and passengers exposed to accident and injury. On my first visit, I was told the vehicle computer would be reset, as the vehicle learns your driving style in the first 30 or so miles, and I must have driven the vehicle harshly. This so called reset did nothing to fix the problem; less than a week later, I narrowly escaped a crash after my car hesitated while crossing an intersection. I promptly returned the vehicle to the dealer for service. Upon completion of the second service, which included a drive with the technician, Lexus service now says these problems are inherent to the model and they can't fix them. In addition, I am aware that numerous owners frequently complain of hesitation and surging in 2002, 2003, and 2004 models and many complaints (over 100) of the same nature have been filed with the NHTSA. This statement is to issue notice that I am not satisfied, and the problem has not been fixed.

I own a 2002 Lexus Es300, and the car is dangerous! I've taken it to the dealer many times to have the transmission checked out, because it hesitates in traffic when you press the gas. They just say some babble about the "transmission just needs to get used to the driver", im sorry but just because we can afford an expensive car doesnt mean that we're stupid. This is my wife's car, and I really don't think there needs to be any injuries or fatalities to have something done about this wide spread problem.

On two separate occasions, I have taken my 2003 Lexus Es300 in for service to repair a defective transmission. I have 23,511 miles on my vehicle and the transmission is shifting erratically and hesitating. It is causing unsafe driving conditions. Lexus denies any responsibility to fix the problem.

Ongoing and worsening lack of accelleration predictability. Car will hesitate especially when power is required (such as merging traffic, left turns, etc. ) automatic ransmission sounds like it delays engaging when necessary.

When accelerating in my 2002 Lexus Es300, I experience hesitation of a few seconds before the vehicle begins to increase in speed. This did not seem to be a problem when I first got the vehicle, but over time has become extremely noticeable and dangerous since I drive on the major highways in the washington, DC area. When it was reported to my dealer a few months ago they explained it away and took no action.

Car will not accelerate from stop at times. Engines revs but transmission will not catch. Several near accidents at stop signs and traffic lights. Transmission shifts very rough and makes car steer erratically. Car will be parked until repaired. Lexus dealer states this is normal.

While driving and without warning, the transmission jerked, which caused the driver to pull off the highway. The driver had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The vehicle jerked at acceleration, especially when going at slower speeds. The problem occurred with no warning and was intermittent which also displayed a sluggish delay.

Dangerous condition exists with 2002 Lexus Es300, where a severe hesitation exists when accelerating at slow roll (< 5mph) at intersection turns, exiting driveways, and generally anywhere when trying to get into flow of traffic when nearly stopped - especially when a turn is involved along with the acceleration. Very dangerous condition exists when trying to enter lane, or make a turn, in front of fast-moving traffic. It seems the car's electronics does not regognize the accelerator's request for fuel under those conditions. This is exactly what complaint /case #100375515 listed and I have the exact same problems. I have taken it back to the dealer twice and another one sheduled for 5/21/2004.

2002 Lexus Es300 with about 18,000 miles has a problem with hesitation when accelerating after slowing down, especially after completing a turn. It is like the transmission doesn't adjust with the pressing of the gas pedal. Almost had an accident because of the hesitation. Also I have had problems with the car down shifting as I come down a hill. Also a problem with the car trying to decide what gear to be in when going around 20 to 25 miles per hour. You can feel the car change gear. Passengers even have asked what was that? complained to dealership, and was told it was the way I drive. I had the sb-tc004-03 performed after receiving the letter from Lexus, but it didn't help. May have made it worse.

Lack of response between the transmission and the engine. The consume explained that there is a lag time between stepping on the gas an the transmission responding. This hesitation was most pronounced when braking and then needing to rapidly accelerate, such as when merging into traffic. The consumer feels the vehicle inability to respond in a timely manner is a hazard. The consumer contacted the manufacturer who indicated that he vehicle was performing with in their specifications. The problem is so bad that the consumer intends to get rid of the vehicle.

Lexus Es300 2003 - extremely dangerous situation when accelerating from 5-10 mph to full acceleration (passing/merging onto highway for example). Transmission hesitates a very long time (1-2 seconds) before kicking in. Dealer claims this is a known problem but nothing is being done about it. Researching Lexus forums indicates this is a wide spread problem for 2002, 2003 years at least. The hesitation is extremely unnerving in a high stress merging environment at least and potentially dangerous accident potential at worse.

There is a dangerous and unpredictable tendency for the vehicle engine/transmission combination to accelerate suddenly and unexpectedly. This is an intermittent problem which makes it especially unnerving. It is most noticeable at speeds below 40 mph, when first slowing, followed by acceleration. It appears to be exacerbate by uncertain transmission "hunting" for proper gear/engine speed combinations. The sudden acceleration causes a rapid and jerky throttle response to mild accelerator pedal input. I have taken the car to the dealer on at least two occasions for this issue. The first time, the dealer reprogrammed the transmission. The second time, the technician tested the vehicle and note "no problem found". At current mileage of 32,000, the problem seems to be worsening. This is a dangerous condition that, if left undressed, is likely to be the cause of an accident, serious injury or much worse.

Transmission is unpredictable. Sometimes it hesitates, sometimes it lurches. It shudders at times when shifting. I've had the car in to the dealer for 2 computer download fixes. The first lasted a day making the car seem like the demo I test drove. The car was returned and another fix by computer was done with no change to the querky, unsafe condition of this transmission. My wife was nearly broadsided in cross traffic pattern as the car hesitated as she attemped to turn onto a side street. I have had 4 similar situations. These problems are at speeds up to 40 mph. These problems do not seem to occur if you stomp on the accelerator from a stoped position. The genearal manager at the agency has driven the car "around the block" and experianced none of these problems. Yet the servive dept. Admits its not the way this car should operate and no further manufacturer update/correction is available. They say they are working on it. The manager says per Toyota this is the normal way this car drives and they won't do anything to satisfy my complaint. These two statements are a contradiction. I've been advised by one of the technicians to use premium fuel because it would help the engine/transmission work better. I've done this since that conversation and the performance is still sub standard and in stop and go traffic still unpredictable and dangerous.

There is a delay after sitting at a stop light and then at take off. The dealer could duplicate the problem and the manufacturer and dealer states that it is the new design. The problem would also occur when making a left turn, merging into traffic, entrance ramps, intersections and parking spots.

Hesitation upon acceleration. I notice the vehicle lacks the ability to pick up speed from a slow down or dead stop. I feel this in 1st-3rd gears when accelerating from a deceleration speed or stop. This is very serious and is cause for safety concerns. I just bought this vehicle and I have another problem with a clicking, whining noise when turning into a parking spot or making slow turns.

The transmission of the Lexus 2003 Es300 is subject to major hesitation, particularly in crowded intersections and with lack of acceleration. Very noticeable when traveling about 27 mph, and then needing to move, there is major delay in the signal telling the engine, and transmission to work together, and move the car. This vehicle is new with about 1000 miles. It cannot make up its mind to upshift or downshift and this delay will mean a major crash someday. Around 40 mph it wants to upshift to the 5th gear, and just below that hunts to go back to 4th. The mfg. Says, as he did for the 2002 models, that a software fix is being prepared. They stated the problem from the 2002 was fixed. Evidently that is not the case. They now tell me that a fix is coming year end. How many accidents will occur by then? dealer says that the car will learn from the driver, but that is not working, and hesitation from 0-5, from 27-45, etc. Is very pronounced. If you "floorboard" it from slow speeds, its hesitation is great, and car almost dies. Lexus says "don't do that", but from car creation to now, car movement meant add more gas, not the reverse. My safety depends on it.

The new 5 speed transmission on my '03 Lexus seems a little strange. If I drive about 35 mph and then slow down to about 5 mph and than try to accelerate there is a hesitation. It's as if the transmission can not decide on what gear to go into. When it finally does there's a slight lurch forward. This situation is very dangerous when trying to pass another vehicle.

When accelerating out of a slow turn(usually a u-turn) the car will delay approx 1 second before transmission engages. When slowing to stop but not completely stopping the transmission feels like it is slipping when accelerating.

Just bought a 1999 Lexus ES 300, took it to be checked out because the engine sounded rough in the reverse gear. Found out the transmission is leaking badly and has to be replaced, the Lexus specialist says he has seen similar problems with transmissions in the ES 300 models as well as some of the rl models but have not heard of any recalls. Information is found regarding this problem in the TSB database.

See all problems of the 1999 Lexus ES300 🔎.

The transmission had a jerk in the transmission, the dealer told the consumer it was the design the of the vehicle.

From the day I got the car the automatic transmission has been in trouble. The problem is the shift from 1st to 2nd. Under light throttle there is free wheeling and engine run-up and it bumps into second. I know it will eventually fail. Lexus has played with the computer control but can't correct this. They tell me this normal, but I know it is not normal for any non- Lexus transmission.

Transmission gets confused when shifting into and out of the lower gears, then spends too long trying to figure out what gear to be in. This causes dangerous delays in acceleration, the effect is the same as a momentary engine stall. We have had this happen on several occasions, freeway ramp entrances are certainly the most dangerous place that this has occurred. Dealer acknowledges that there have been complaints about the shifting delays but they say no fix is available. This is our third Es300, the previous models used a cable between the gas pedal and the throttle, this new one uses what is called "fly by wire", a position sensor on the accelarator that a computer is supposed to use to figure out what to tell the engine and transmission. It isn't working very well. If not rectified this problem will certainly lead to a crash someday, then we'll get to see how good the safety equipment is.

The 2002 Lexus Es300 has a significant flaw in the new electronically controlled transmission system. This flaw has been recognized by multiple dealerships and by Lexus customer service. I have been waiting for a resolution to this problem since December 2002 which is shortly after I purchased the vehicle. There are three very obvious symptoms that have been occurring ever since I purchased the vehicle. Depending upon fuel and driving conditions, the car will develop a neck jerking shutter as it violently shifts between gears. This usually occurs anywhere between 40 and 50 mph, but most often when you are trying to maintain a constant speed. The second condition occurs when you go from a slowing situation into an acceleration situation. During this time, the car often goes into a neutral condition and takes a couple seconds before power is returned to the wheels. This condition is very dangerous when moving into traffic or turning a corner. When turning, you will nearly coast around the corner until the power is returned to the wheels. When the power is returned, it is very abrupt and lunges the car forward. The third condition occurs during full throttle acceleration. This is most evident when accelerating onto a highway. The car seems to shift into a very low gear where rpm is nearly red-line and power is almost non-existent. The car then jerks into a different gear where you may get more power, but it doesn't usually stay in that gear either. It then shifts back to the low gear, red-lines again and repeats the process. This will often occur 2 or 3 times before a good gear is found and you can then proceed with normal driving. At this point, Lexus did make a couple lease payments for me in exchange for waiting a few more months for the fix. Unfortunately, that was nearly a year ago and I'm still waiting. We need to get this fixed before someone gets injured, not after!.

When the accelerator is pressed for the purpose of passing or for merging into traffic at varying speeds between 25-50 mph, the vehicle "lags" or encounters a dead spot before responding (by suddenly speeding off). The vehicle seems to be attempting to decide how to respond to the action of the accelerator being pressed (whether to remain in the current gear, or down-shift for quick acceleration). The 'rpms' will rise extremely high, before the transmission figures out what gear to shift into in order to comply with the request of the driver's action. This 'lag period' is an extremely dangerous time for the vehicle's occupants as the vehicle does not respond like normal vehicles confronted with a "wide-open-throttle" request do. If my wife, who is no "car buff" and generally does not pay attention to anything but starting the vehicle, has also brought this issue to my attention, then I know there is definitely a problem. As the problem presents itself as a serious safety issue for my family, I have contacted Lexus customer service who have advised me that "Lexus is attempting to develop a fix for the concern that many of our customers have brought to our attention". I have been waiting for this "fix" for over 7 months now, and the expected date keeps being pushed back! please take some action regarding this serious issue, as there are many other Lexus owners who were in the "passionate pursuit of perfection" (Lexus slogan), but have not taken the time to file a complaint!!.