Automatic Transmission problems of the 2004 Lexus ES330 - part 1

The contact owns a 2004 Lexus Es330. While driving at various speeds ranging from 0-10 miles per hour, the contact noticed that the transmission jerked, causing the vehicle to hesitate. The contact had not called the local dealer and the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 42,000.

My 2004 Lexus ES 330 sedan has a transmission shifting problem that I have described to the dealer as "slipping". When the transmission is under load (going up a hill) and you accelerate or decelerate you feel and hear a definite abrupt shift in the vehicle. I have had this car to two separate dealers over the past 12 months and have been told that this behavior is "typical".

Due to a Lexus admitted transmission defect, at times you press the gas and the car simply doesn't go. It almost caused me to get crunched when pulling out into traffic. There's no doubt this will eventually cost someone their life.

Transmission issues and hesitation in acceleration. Have been back to the dealer 4 times since oct 2006. Dealer "reprograms" the transmission but it does nothing.

My transmission feels confused in my 2004 Lexus ES 330. When slowing down to turn in the city or pull out of your driveway my car will hesitate and pause for about a second before accelerating. This seems to be very dangerous as I am afraid that someone will hit me in the back before I can get the car up to the desired speed. I find myself always double checking sometime triple checking beofre I pull out. I have looked online at many different websites and I have found about 1900+ people who have complained about this problem.

Transmission shifting lurch between 30 and 40 mph still re-occurring after two software program updates.

The 2004 Lexus model ES 330 has a safety defect in the its transmission that the company refuses to fix. When the driver takes his foot off the gas and slows down, then steps back on the gas, there is a hesitation and at times a jerking in the transmission. Numerous complaints to Lexus have only brought the response that this is a known defect, but Lexus will not correct the problem. After spending 35,000 dollars for a car, this is not the response one expects to hear! as one's level of frustration with the problem increases, the temptation is to slam your foot on the gas to try to correct the problem, which could obviously lead to more serious issues. The service manager at the local Lexus dealership states he has had numerous complaints about the issue, but Lexus refuses to address the issue. The date referenced below is only one of continuous dates the problem has occurred; again Lexus has been non responsive and blatantly callous to requests to address the problem.

Our 2004 Lexus e330 has exhibited many life threatening problems involving its automatic transmission performance. Of greatest concerns are life threatening instances over the two years. Hesitations occur when pressing the gas during critical entry attempts onto interstate hwys, etc. Where we have experienced near deadly transmission hesitations of needed power getting into oncoming traffic. My wife was almost killed by an 18 wheeler when she otherwise would have had adequate time to safely merge had the transmission not hesitated. She was fortunate to have survived. Just one of many close calls. Another ES 330 automatic transmission problem is the untenable, untimely, rough down and up shifting between the first and second gears that Lexus has advised has been corrected in the 2007 models which of course will not help with this vehicle I am stuck with. Such admittance support my argument that they are quite aware of this very un- Lexus type performance in the 2004. What a shame that Lexus would let the great Lexus name be so degraded by their failure to support their faithful customers in such justified complaints; this is our third Lexus!.

2004 Lexus 330 since the auto was purchased and driven off the lot, there has been a noticeable delay from stop or slow speed acceleration from the time the pedal is depressed until the engine actually starts to deliver the power. If you stomp the pedal for a jack-rabbit start, the delay is not as noticeable. The dealer j and m, has been giving me the run-around since purchase with the "normal" party line.

2004 ES 330 exhibiting transmission problems even after "dealer fix". There is sever gear hunting at every speed sometimes results in a lag of acceleration or acceleration lurches that result in close call accidents. Note that this problem did not start occurring until after 2,000 miles of driving after the car was purchased as brand new.

At low speed about 20-25 mph letting go of the gas pedal and press on again causes the transmission to hesitate for at least 1-2 second like it is searching for the right gear. This could cause an accident.

This complaint is about my 2004 Lexus ES 330 bought in August 2004. The problem is with the transmission which hesitates very often when it shifts down from 2nd gear to 1st gear and then back up. I have experienced the problem many times in the past few months. Even though it has not caused any accident, Lexus should admit it is a defect design and should fix the transmission as soon as possible.

1. Car hesitates, transmission doesn't shift smoothly. Returned car to dealer 3 times. Delaer "reset transmission". No help with problem.

The car rapidly decreases speed when one lets up on the accelerator. Cars following have no warning of this as the brake is not applied. I have had three very close calls of a rear end collision. The action does not take place all the time, so it is impossible to account for it by different driving.

On my 2004 Lexus ES 330, the transmission is sluggish in shifting and hestitates from a rolling or full stop situation such as traffic. This has on several occasions nearly resulted in an accident either by being rearended or broadsided. I have raised this question with my local dealer and was told that the car was performing as designed.

Vehicle surged when cruise control was engaged at 60 mph. It surged up to 80 mph. It felt like it was going down hill. Dealer could not duplicate the problem. Also, transmission hesitated at 0-20 mph, it also jerked. . . . . . . . Lexus has admitted the problem, but maintained that vehicle drove as designed. Hesitation problem experienced by many Lexus Es330 car vehicle hesitation, then will lurch forward when accelerating a tlow speeds. Lexus has admitted the problem, but insisted vehicle drove as designed.

2004 Lexus Es330. Transmission hesitates, sluggish, slow to respond, hiccupps, upshifts/downshifts frequently.

Upon acceleration there was a long pause before the transmission accelerated to the next gear. The consumer has taken the vehicle to the dealer and was told that this is the way it is suppose to operate. Provide further details. The consumer stated the vehicle feels like it is searching for a gear when he is trying to speed up.

Transmission problem: the car gets a delay when shifting to second gear.

04 Lexus ES 330. While driving at speeds under 10 mph (especially "rolling stops"), vehicle experiences at least 2-3 second lag between throttle actuation and engine/transmission response. This problem is particularly evident when pulling out into busy traffic. This is a serious safety concern that needs to be addressed by Lexus. We took the car to dealer. They said all systems normal.

The transmission is erratic shifting through second and third. It slips and hesitant when shifting up. When shifting down it is rough and inconsistent. This creates a in traffic safety situation. Lexus of sarasota service manager, first complaint, reset the computer. On the second complaint, simply stated that Lexus is fully aware of the problem. That they have had many complaints but since the transmission hasn't failed they will do nothing to correct the deficiency. This is totally unsatisfactory.

I own a Lexus ES 330 and have been very displeased with the transmission. There is a hesitation of a second or two when you accellerate and it also jerks the car when you try to accellerate when the car is slowing down. This can be very dangerous when attempting to pass another vehicle or merge onto a highway. Apparently the car is operating the way it was designed. Something should be done about this before someone loses their life! I've wanted a Lexus for years and now that I can afford one I wish I bought a BMW. This will be the last Lexus I will own!.

04 Lexus Es330 transmission hesitation is serious danger to driver. Engine hesitates when starting from a dead start. Car has to be floored to move and even then it hesitates even more. Also car has serious blind spots on left and right outer side mirrors (they are too small for the car). Also, cruise control light stays lit even when the brake is hit or you dis-engage it. The only time the cruise control light turns off is when you physically turn it off with the switch or shut the engine off completely. This gives the driver the impression that it is on all the time even when it is off or worse they think they have shut it off but it's really still on and you have a very good chance of rear ending someone. This is extremely bad engineering and extremely dangerous. How you guys let a car like this on the road is beyond me. Did you test it? if so, how did you let it pass thru to the USA? this car with it's hesitation, blind spots, and dangerous cruise control it's likely to get someone injured or killed in a hurry. Car doesn't get anything near the epa ratings under any condition. I've contacted Lexus customer care and they say this all normal. No help or suggestions. Please get Lexus to put out tsbs on these problems before someone gets injured or killed. I'm very concerned. I've been a driver for 34 years. I've never driven a car so dangerous in my life.

The 2004 Lexus Es330 transmission was hesitation or lack of response, I could sense the hesitation to sudden speed which I imagine could be a problem if there was a car tailgating me or changing lanes.

My 2004 Lexus Es330 has a transmission hesitation problem. When I accelerate as the car is coming to a stop, the transmission hesitates and takes about 2 seconds to react. Same thing happens when I go about 40 mph and accelerate. This has created many situations where I was almost involved in an accident. I can't pass cars, and when making left turns, I have to make sure there is no one withing 400 feet of me before attempting the turn. This problem is common, and I consider is extremely dangerous.

This car is extremely dangerous. It's either a defective transmission or bad drive-by-wire design. The car hesitates extremely badly on acceleration. For example, when you are entering a limited access highway, if you slow down and then step on the gas, there is a long lag before the car begins to pick up speed. This lag is often a second or more. I have nearly been hit numerous times while the car makes up its mind whether it wants to move or not. The dealer has refused to fix the problem.

Very bad hesitation when accelerating. Took delivery 4/27/04 and found the problem immediately. Complained at 1000 mile checkup. Told to give it time. Complained again at 5000 checkup. They said they checked it out and it was operating as designed. Problem continued. Complained at 15000 checkup (9/28/05). Performed at this checkup per invoice: eg5017 26 99 . 9 perform TSB tc004-03. Recalibrate ecm engine and transmission. The problem is better but still exists. Have noticed via internet research that this is a widespread problem with the Lexus ES. Spoke today (11/28/05) with a service representative at my dealership and he acknowledges that this is a big problem they are dealing with and there appears to be no one good fix for it.

The 2004 Lexus Es330 transmission has a number of operating characteristics which contribute to poor driveability, but two in particular are safety-related hazards:(1) a hesitation on acceleration which can be very dangerous when crossing intersections and(2) a forward lurch when decelerating to a stop which could be very dangerous, especially when roads are covered with snow or ice.

Automatic transmission is almost always in too high a gear for conditions. Shifts up too quickly and shifts down too slowly. Presents a severe danger in that emergency acceleration is very poor from low speed and/or while negotiating a turn. Dealer states this is normal for fuel mileage and environmental reasons.

I own a 2004 Lexus ES 330 and the transmission jerks and hesitates upon acceleration. This defect has put me at risk numerous times since the car was purchased; the risk being that the transmission hesitates and upon giving it more gas it decides to overcompensate, causing near collisions with the car ahead of me. The Lexus dealer has dismissed the problem and has not include it in the service reports, even though I have requested it be examined. They state that the car is learning my driving habits. This is a smokescreen and unacceptable; I am certain this complaint has been submitted to the nhsta before. Lexus refuses to acknowledge the problem, even though it has been recognized on numerous web sites. Thank you!.

Transmission shift delay. The shifting delay can go as long as 3 - 4 seconds and have caused several life threatening close calls accident. Lexus was aware of the shift delay problem but claims that this is normal and done by design.

When driving, the vehicle hesitated. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, where the computer settings were changed, but the vehicle continued to hesitate. There were several close calls on the highway. The consumer would accelerate the vehicle but the vehicle would hesitate. Lexus did not seem to have a concern about the problem.

I have a 2004 Es330 which has a significant shifting problem in low gears. I have taken the car back to the dealership twice already and am ready for the third visit. The dealer "reset" the memory for the shifting pattern at 200 miles because of unpredictable driving patterns. The transmission does not always shift poorly, about 25% of the time there is a problem. There seems to be a hesitation during the shifting which causes a lack of power. I have noticed this while merging onto highway traffic, and it is very dangerous. I have contacted the Lexus customer service and they were of no help, only to tell me that other customers were experiencing the same problems with their transmissions. If I do not get satisfaction from the third visit I will get a "lemon law" hearing and hope for the best. I am very disappointed in the Lexus/Toyota response to this obvious engineering blunder. Where is the quality that they are known for?.

My 2004 Lexus Es330 has a transmission that hesitates between gears that causes a hazard when accelerating into traffic. Lexus refuses to acknowledge the problem and therefore to fix it.

The car hesitates when the gas pedal is depressed and then it lurches into gear. It has also pulled to the left since we bought it despites numerous repair attempts. We are currently enaged in a lemon lawsuit regarding this issue.