Automatic Transmission problems of the 2004 Lexus RX330 - part 1

2004 Lexus Rx330 transmission jumps and will accelerate when depressing brake pedal. Has almost caused a few accidents. Lexus will not honor any TSB's due to the age of the vehicle. There are thousands and thousands of complaints about this same issue.

Vehicle periodically (approx. Weekly) surges between 2nd and 3rd gear (automatic transmission). Has been doing this since purchase in oct. 2003, as a brand new vehicle, up through the present date. For years I complained verbally, and wrote letters and e-mails to Lexus. They first denied there was a problem, then changed tactics and blamed it on me, then said they didn't know what the problem was or if there was a problem, then Lexus finally admitted there was a problem--"off the record," but didn't know how to fix it. Every time I brought the car in for routine service, they would install computer updates to see if that would fix the problem--which it did not. Years ago, I researched through government records and found numerous complaints of the same kind with 2004 Lexus RX 330s. In light of recent recalls of Toyota vehicles, I am concerned that this may someday turn into the same unintended acceleration problem that is happening with other toyotas. I do not feel safe in my car!.

I was traveling south bound doing the speed of 70 on the expressway when all of a sudden my power was lost it dropped to zero, it could have been a very bad accident, but I thank god it was not, I had to coast and try to get off the freeway onto the side of the freeway.

Transmission jerk, lags and hesitates, car looses power when shifting between 2nd and 3rd gear. On going problem, had dealer perform ecm reprogramming as per technical service bulletin, condition persists, get worse. Safety issue when trying to accelerate out of traffic or avoid an object on the road. Brought car back to dealer service, they stated condition is "normal". Many many more similar complaints on several blogs and message boards on the internet. Car not safe to drive. Should have the transmission replaced.

Upon acelleration, this vehicle sometimes hesitates and at times almost causing an accident. I have taken this to the Lexus dealership and they are aware of it. They say there is no fix. I was told to use premium gas, and I havebeen told that the new software is in and that is all they could do.

Transmission hesitation on 2004 Lexus Rx330 nearly resulted in high speed accident on several occasions. On July 14, 2007 while merging from I-75 in tampa on ramp into rush hour traffic, the Lexus at first failed to slow (to match speeds) when gas pedal was released, then when the pedal was depressed to accelerate after the merge (traffic flow was erratic), it failed to accelerate for about 2 seconds, and we had to drive off the pavement to avoid a rear end collision. We have reported the transmission hesitation problem to Lexus 5 or more times so far, and they say it is operating as designed. This situation is hazardous under certain common traffic conditions. The July 14, 2007 incident was one of several where we nearly had a serious accident because of the transmission delay. Updated 01/09/08. The consumer stated in heavy rain defogger turned to keep windows clear. While driving if vehicle hits a large puddle a/c will turn off and no way to restart the a/c other than to turn the ignition off. Updated 12/12/07.

I own a 2004 Lexus Rx330. Since I have owned it, there has been a power "fade" when I make sudden speed changes usually from a slow down to quick acceleration--say a lane change to avoid slower traffic. There is approximately 2 or 3 seconds when there is no response from pressing the accelerator. It feels like all power falls away. I am left like a sitting duck until the vehicle decides what to do with my command. If I am crossing a median, I must allow for this delay. However, if I have to change lanes to avoid another vehicle making an unsignaled turn or sudden stop, I am putting myself and others in danger because I cannot count on having the power to avoid the vehicle in front of me by changing lanes and then I risk an incident in trying to match the speed of the vehicle that is now behind me. I have addressed this with Lexus on several occasions including one trip where I demanded that the master mechanic ride with me. He explained that Lexus is aware and that it is a computer problem for which there is no patch available. As of today, there is still no cure. The last update my vehicle received was in sept 2006.

2004 RX 330, still having trouble from day 1. I almost got slammed into by a truck 2 days ago. The have flashed the computer, for transmission hesitation, but insist it is performing the way it was intended. It is a design flaw, and Lexus won't do anything about it! someone is going to be killed! this is very serious, it happens at about 20 mph, when you need to accelerate to get on freeway, etc, it will hesitate, and act like it died, or revs up, and does nothing. Then you let off pedal and hit it again, and it hesitates a sec then goes. I already have been to the dealer 6 times for this, and called 80025lexus twice, and they are not doing a recall they say. It is performing to the specs of the transmission.

Hesitation, jerky when shifting. Took to dealers 3 times and unable to resolve issue. They stated that vehicle is operating within parameters. Now it is jerky when shifting most of the time.

The automatic transmission has a lag in it at low speeds. This is apparent when releasing the accelerator to slow down and then accelerating again. In this situation the transmission does on engage or it lags causing an unsafe condition by its unpredictable behavior. This situation happens on a frequent basis. I have seen many complaints about this transmission problem. Is NHTSA going to hold Lexus accountable for putting a defective transmission on the road? I have read that Lexus' repeated reply is to state this behavior is normal. Lexus can not win this argument on repetition, it is defective. If this lag is *normal* why didn't Lexus design this nice lag into all of their cars? I'm sure this would be a feature they would want to run an ad campaign on.

2004 Lexus Rx330 has problems with transmission shift. The transmission hesitates when pulling out into traffic. The consumer believes that simply upgrading the computer chip would correct the problem.

Transmission is hesitant, switches up and down in rapid jumps, is very unpredictable!! almost caused several accidents. Been doing it since I bought it 2 yrs. Dealer claims known problem, and no fix yet!!!.

Toyota/Lexus needs to address their power train problem on the 2004 RX 330 instead of seemingly ignoring it. The reprogramming does not work. I've had it done. Seemed to be a band aid fix for a major problem. Will it have to be a death before they recall these lousy transmissions. I have been in several near miss situations because of this awful transmission since purchasing this SUV brand new April 15, 2003. And after paying cash ($45,000) for their supposed great product I want to sue for my money back. The lag between gears, the high revs before getting into a gear is utterly insane. Can you say recallllllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

This has been a continuing problem since purchased new in Dec 2003. As has been reported numerous times, my car acceleration hesitates from a stop or from low speeds. Also my vehicle has extensive pause or lag between gears. This has created numerous dangerous situations where I was stuck while other vehicles had to take action to avoid hitting my Rx330. Often, while making left turns against oncoming traffic, this lag is so long as to be dangerous. In the past, I have accelerated harder than I feel necessary in order to compensate for this lag. This results in a sudden downshift and forward lurch that is very dangerous. I have reported this to my dealer on 3 or more occasions and their response is that this is normal for my model. They say there is nothing they can do to correct this problem. The dealer did document this complaint on my service record the last time I visited on 8/13/04.

Transmission problems rendered the vehicle completely unsafe, prone to potential accidents. The consumer described the problem as lag or hesitation when the transmission shifted from first to second and or second to third, sometimes the vehicle revved up to the redline with out the transmission engaging. The dealer reset a computer chip that was involved in regulating the power train system. The dealer informed the consumer there was else that could be done. The transmission was the result of the design of the vehicle. (lawyer ira newman on behalf of client, peter janczuk).

Since I have bought my car the transmission has not been shifting properly. It hesitates in low gears when the car accelerates . The most bothersome is the lack of proper response when the driver needs to slow down and then accelerate (such as turning left or changing lanes to avoid obstacles or double parked cars). In these cases transmission seems to go into neutral, and after about a second goes into third or fourth gear with a rapid , jerky movement of the whole car, which I would compare to being rear ended by another car. It happened to me and my wife 4 times and resulted in neck pain and headache, and almost being hit by another car. Lexus dealer and customer care state that the car was designed to work this way and there is nothing they can do.

Transmission has a serious delay in downshifting when trying to accelerate suddenly. This has caused more than one instance where a collision could have occurred due to inability to avoid faster traffic.

Our 2004 Lexus Rx330 (now about 15,000 miles) continues to have terrible shifting problems with the automatic transmission. In particular, two major issues -- (1) doesn't upshift correctly, usually between 2nd and 3rd gears, but the real concern is (2) when slowing down, coasting anything above 0 mph (even 1), then hitting the gas pedal, the car simply doesn't respond for 3-5 seconds, then slowly accelerates. We've almost been hit 5 times because of the 2nd problem. We've taken the car to the dealer four times to have it looked at. The first time the dealer denied the problem existed. The second time they recognized it (after a test drive with me) and reset the software/driving chip, telling me the car "learns" our driving habits after about 300 miles, so to get the car to respond [the way it should], I should floor the gas all the time for the first 300 miles or so, which I did from every stoplight for 350 miles. It didn't work. Now during my third and fourth visits Lexus has declined to reset the chip or do anything about it. The lead mechanic told me they simply don't have a fix, and he knows it's an issue. In fact, a month ago (service appt #4) they said I would have to pay about $300 to have them reset the chip again (which likely wouldn't work anyway, as described above). I've been told by the service advisor he's heard compaints from many new Rx330 owners about the same problem, but short of a recall from Lexus, "that's the way the transmission works on the Rx330 and we can't do anything about it". It's terribly frustrating that Lexus denies there's a problem, even though many have reported it, and we've almost been hit by another automobile because of the problem. I just hope it doesn't take a major accident or worse for Lexus or the NHTSA to do something about it.

Hesitation problems with my 2004 Lexus Rx330. At low speeds of 10-15 mph to up to around 40-50 mph. Let off of the gas pedal to slow down & press the gas pedal there is a hesitation. This has happen changing lanes on a highway or turning around a corner. This hesitation has happen many times since the I leased this Lexus from the dealership. I have taken this Rx330 back to the dealership 3 times for this problem. The Lexus dealership has called it a situation not a problem. But there is nothing they can do about it. I have voiced my complaint at the Lexus customer relations in California. I have repeatedly called. They tell me how sorry they are when I tell them someone is going to die or be seriously injured in this vechicle I have but there is nothing they can do. I have had at least 4 near accidents with this Lexus Rx330 since July of 2004.

1. There were no events that led up to the problem that I have been having. . The transmission on my brand new Lexus RX 330 doesn't shift properly. It kicks when steping on the the gas pedal, there is a hesitation when accelerating from a stop, & between 20 - 40 mph, as the transmission shifts, the transmission has trouble up shifting and engine revs up and down several times before shifting 3. The dealer has tried to reprogram the transmission computer, and has tried switching to high octane fuel. Neither has worked. The dealer is trying to correct the problem, however, I know of several RX 330 owners who are all experienceing simmilar problems with their transmissions. It seems apparent that there is a manufacturing defect in some part of the transmissions used in the RX 330.

Just left my Lexus dealer for my 20,000 service. Finally the service mgr acknowledged my transmission woes. See my previous post. He said Lexus is aware of the concern "nation wide". They changed? the tranny for 2005!!! they are also postponing the hybrid for 6 months due to the concerns of the 2004 RX transmission though we know that's a totally different application. The kicker is though it's still an open case, Lexus at this time does not have a fix. So 20,000 miles later I have a 40,0000 SUV that has a transmission of a yugo. No offense to the yugo. I was told how frustrated they are with this. I believe my frustration is greater, seeing how I make the payments and drive this car daily. Also not much they can do right now until Lexus makes a move. Aaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhh. Not happy in the twin cities.

Acceleration with this SUV is not positive and you never know if you are going to move when you depress the accelerator. This SUV uses "drive by wire" technology so there is no physical link between the gas pedal and the engine. When you depress the gas, there is a delay in the reponse which can cause you to end up in some other driver's path. This car is very unsafe to drive and needs to be recalled and fixed by the manufacturer before someone is killed. I took my SUV to the dealer and he "reset my on-board computer and the computer that communicates to the transmission . . . . . . . . . . This did nothing! I plan to take my SUV back to the dealer again and if he cannot repair the problem I am going to terminate my lease!.

Our 2004 Lexus 330 automatic transmission has never worked properly. The transmission hesitates and seems to "bounce" between 3rd and 4th gears. We have returned the vehicle twice to the dealership to no avail. This seems to be a design problem.

The automobile has a latent defect and is inherently dangerous. In November 2003, I attempted to back up in a crowded parking lot, and while in reverse, I pressed the accelerator - there was a lag and the vehicle then accelerated backward very rapidly, striking another vehicle. I assumed the fault was my own (since in moving my foot from the accelerator to the brake, my foot was caught under the brake because the pedals are close together, but that is another item) and after the vehicle was repaired (approximately $7,000 worth of damage) I resumed driving the vehicle. On June 29, 2004, again I was attempting to back up and again the vehicle was in reverse and again when I pressed on the accelerator, there was a lag and then again the vehicle accelerated rapidly backwards, striking a building. It is estimated that the damage to the vehicle is over $10,000, and I do not know what the cost of the damage to the building is. Interestingly, as well, in neither case did the airbags deploy. The second incident received some local press coverage, and on July 8, 2004 I received a call from a visitor to massachusetts from florida who had heard about the second incident and who reported that on July 1, 2004 that driver while in a parking lot had also had sudden rapid acceleration and had struck a building, damaging the driver's Lexus RX 330. That driver also stated that she had heard of a third incident in massachusetts of a Lexus RX 330 striking a building following sudden acceleration. The faulty transmission, coupled with the power and torque of the vehicle and the resulting sudden acceleration, is a serious defect; I will not drive the vehicle again. The response of the Lexus dealer when the incidents were reported to it was silence.

Supplement to consumer complaint #10091268 Lexus RX 330 transmission/throttle problems. Automatic transmission hestiates, hunts, shifts inconsistently, hangs in between gears, delayes, etc. The throttle delays at the first application of gas and the rate of acceleration surges up and down unevenly. Dealer could not find a problem.

My Lexus RX 330 has had repeated transmission and throttle problems. The automatic transmission hesitates, hunts, shifts inconsistently, hangs in between gears, delays, etc. The throttle delays at the first application of gas and the rate of accelleration surges up and down unevenly. The result is that the car often cannot avoid hazard situations. If one is trying to pull into traffic the delays create hazards. If one anticipates and applies the throttle early to compensate, one sometimes lurches into traffic. When you attempt a lane change the same problems cause the same troubles: delays and a hazard. The delay also has caused me to be almost rear ended at stop lights. I have repeatedly reported this problem or package of problems to my local servicing dealer and have been told that Lexus knows of the widespread nature of the complaints but that there is nothing that Lexus will do for it (other than one reflash that did not work for the issues). Amazingly, when I raised these issues in writing, the written response on my service records showed "no problems". When I pushed the service personnel on this, they admitted that all of my complaints were found but that Lexus claims these problems are "normal" to the design, therefore, they have been told by Lexus to simply respond that "there are no problems because the transmission is performing as designed. A bad design is just that. Local service people simply throw their collective hands up and say the they know about the gravity of the problem but that Lexus will do nothing about it. I have been told to expect no solution and to just live with it. Significantly, this is the largest selling Lexus model. Therefore, these problems and the hazards that they create affect thousands of motorists.

My RX 330 has a transmission lag at 20-25mph. The car just doesnt go and it is extremly dangerous in intersections. Someone is going to get killed and I hope it is not me.

Transmission shifting erratic at low speeds. "clunk or muted "clank" heard and felt under closed throttle dowshifts while slowing to a stop. Most noticeable during the 5-4 downshift (37 mph) and the 4-3 downshift (25 mph). Service manager claims it's a normal operating condition for Lexus. Technician who rode with me disagreed. Vehicle only has 5100 miles. Problem began at 2000 mile mark.

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.

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).

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?.

Since I have owned this vehicle, I have had trouble with rough shifting and a lag associated with a delay in low speed acceleration. Returned vehicle to the dealer and was told it was adjusted. Problem persists. Eventually, someone will be injured or killed by this problem due to unexpected hesitation in acceleration.

Someone needs to listen! I have a 2004 Lexus Rx330. It's had trouble from day one, and I got nowhere! they have done 5 updates on the computer. Now it only seems to have trouble at 20 mph, instead of 40-50 and 65-80, of lurching, hesitating, then taking off like a bat out of hell. It's had a "bulletin" on the front brakes, and shimmied all over the road. I have paper work on all of this and more. You, the ntsb, can take the car and go thru it, I'll give you the repair records. I've called the Toyota headquarters in 04 or 05 begging them to help me. A woman said, the car was, "performing in the manner it was designed:" I saved a long time to buy my dream car when I retired, now I have a defective car, with only 48k miles because of fear of driving it. Please please, listen to what people wrote back in 04 about this car. One man said a friend worked for Lexus and told him that his boss said there will never be a recall on this car because of the amount of cars sold in the us and canada. We need help. My car is a lemon. I've mentioned numerous times of painting it yellow and putting lemon all over it. Please try to pull up records back then, all these people were writing in with the same problems. No one listened then or now! please, I'm begging you. I've had 4 Toyota's in the past, and all 4 totally, never had the trouble this 1 Lexus has. They were actually toyotas. Their complete stature has gone from years of loyalty by me and others, after all the built up trust, gone in an instant! one runaway car is enough! it's now killing people. I bought it for it's comfort, looks, but mostly for safety, and trustworthiness! gone. All gone! I have a 91 Ford van I drive instead of the Lexus. I call it a piece of junk, nothing but trouble, and Lexus had it more than I did the first 4 yrs. Please look into this all you can. All these people can't be wrong. I can't even sell it now. Shame on you, Toyota. Shame on you! greed! that's what it is, greed.

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.

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.