Automatic Transmission problems of the 2005 Lexus RX330

2005 Lexus Rx330 was driven at 40mph under normal highway conditions when the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own. The vehicle was immediately put in neutral where the engine kept revving. The driver coasted to the side of the road and turned the engine off. The vehicle was restarted and brought to a dealership the following business day for diagnosis. The dealership said they did not find any error codes.

I have a 2005 Lexus Rx330 which was a re-certified vehicle with 27,000 miles. The response to the accelerator pedal is erratic and causes unexpected surges. This happens less than 5 % of the time but I cannot tie it to any specific conditions (ie cold temperature, down-shift or up-shift, cornering, or road conditions. It occurs randomly but could be very dangerous depending on when it happens.

Transmission shift points are occasionally not smooth and exhibit inconsistent engine rpm shift points. Initially noticed when driving uphill and the transmission downshifted lower than it should have. No error codes have been found by the dealer on several occasions. A firmware update on the transmission has been tried two times with limited success about eight months ago. There was improvement but the problem has not been eliminated. Occasional hard upshifts are felt under low load and throttle. Feels like the next gear up or overdrive is confused about when shifting is needed. Contrary to the above smooth shifting during light acceleration may feel slow and a bit uncertain. Down shift points can happen with minor accelerator pedal movement causing higher rpm of engine than needed. Feels like two gear down-shifts instead of the one that's needed. This was a Lexus certified vehicle with 28675 miles when purchased used may 2008. Gas mileage has been a bit low and I suspect the shifting behavior is part of the problem. When transmission is cold and shifted into drive (from neutral or reverse) a rapid but distinct two "bumps" are felt if the brake is not on. I am not convinced this is normal behavior and never had another automatic transmission do any of the above. Current mileage is about 36,000.

Transmission delay/slip during acceleration. Requires an ecu update. Lexus will charge for the update, up to $100. The update should be mandatory and free of charge.

I own a 2005 Lexus Rx330. I purchased it used in September 2007. Shortly after I purchased it, I had several instances where when I pushed on the gas pedal there was a feeling of a loss of power - a hesitation. I took the vehicle in for work under work in February 2008, and the dealer said it was an improper shift in the transmission and it was recalibrated by a technician. Since that time I have again had several instances where there was a hesitation in supply power. I want to know if others have had this similar complaint and if my vehicle is under a recall for this issue.

My 2005 Rx330 hesitates and I feel it's dangerous. There are times that after making a turn and stepping on the accelerator that the car behind me has almost rammed me.