RoadVitals

2005 Lexus ES 330 Powertrain (other) Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Powertrain (other) reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
10
Latest Jun 23, 2016
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
7%
of 141 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 Lexus ES 330 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming powertrain

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistanceEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Jun 23, 2016

THE AUTOMOBILE SEEMS ACCELLERATE JUST A LITTLE BIT.WHEN YOU ARE STEPPING ON THE GAS IT, KIND OF JUMPS FORWARD SOME, WITHOUT PUTTING MORE PRESSURE TO THE PEDAL.IN MOTION AT ANY SPEED.

NHTSA ID
10876227
Incident
May 1, 2014
Powertrain (other)
Filed May 11, 2015

DID NOT HAVE A CAR ACCIDENT, OR EXPERIENCE ANY INJURIES OR CAR DAMAGE, BUT THIS CAR, LIKE NUMEROUS OTHER CARS OF THE SAME MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR HAS SOME SERIOUS TRANSMISSION/COMPUTER SOFTWARE ISSUES AT TIMES. IT HESITATES AND LURCHES OFTEN. I DROVE ON THE HIGHWAY YESTERDAY AND THE CAR ACTED UP IN THE WORST WAY EVER.BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WITH INFORMATION ON THESE SAME TRANSMISSION ISSUES PLASTERED ALL OVER THE INTERNET, YOUR ORGANIZATION WOULD MAKE TOYOTA ENGINEER A PERMANENT FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND RECALL AND FIX THESE CARS.

NHTSA ID
10715805
Incident
Nov 1, 2013
Mileage
125,000 mi
Exterior lightingPowertrain (other)
Filed Sep 16, 2014

1. HEADLIGHTS: BEFORE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, I NOTICED THE BLINKING CAUTION LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD. SERVICE MANAGER SAID THE AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHT ADJUSTMENT WAS WORKING FINE AND TO IGNORE THE BLINKING CAUTION LIGHT. NOTHING COULD BE DONE. I LATER RESEARCHED AND FOUND THERE ARE LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS. 2. TRANSMISSION LAGS AT LOW SPEEDS. THIS IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING THROUGH TRAFFIC CIRCLES AND GOING THROUGH BUSY INTERSECTIONS. SERVICE MANAGER SAID THIS IS NORMAL OPERATING AND TO USE A HIGHER OCTANE GAS. I AM RETURNING VEHICLE TO LEXUS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10633795
Incident
Aug 25, 2014
Mileage
132,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jun 15, 2013

I DID NOT HAVE A CAR ACCIDENT, OR EXPERIENCE ANY INJURIES OR CAR DAMAGE, BUT THIS CAR, LIKE NUMEROUS OTHER CARS OF THE SAME MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR HAS SOME SERIOUS TRANSMISSION/COMPUTER SOFTWARE ISSUES AT TIMES. IT HESITATES AND LURCHES OFTEN, ESPECIALLY IN D4. I DROVE ON THE HIGHWAY YESTERDAY IN D4, AND THE CAR ACTED UP IN THE WORST WAY EVER. I LATER TRIED DRIVING IN D, AND THE CAR DID BETTER IN TOWN AND ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WITH INFORMATION ON THESE SAME TRANSMISSION ISSUES PLASTERED ALL OVER THE INTERNET, YOUR ORGANIZATION WOULD MAKE TOYOTA ENGINEER A PERMANENT FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND RECALL AND FIX THESE CARS. BY THE WAY, THIS CAR HAD THE LEXUS SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR ITS TRANSMISSION ISSUES LAST SUMMER, AND I ONLY USE THE HIGHEST OCTANE GASOLINE. THE CAR ACTUALLY BELONGS TO MY ELDERLY MOTHER, WHICH MAKES ME VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF HER HAVING AN ACCIDENT, OR COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE LEAVING HER STRANDED SOMEWHERE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10519916
Incident
Jun 14, 2013
Mileage
98,083 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Aug 29, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LEXUS ES330. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 25 MPH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED EXTREMELY HARD, CAUSING THE PASSENGERS TO BE THROWN FORWARD. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES AND BECAME WORSE WITH EACH INCIDENT. THE FAILURE WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A REMEDY FOR THE ISSUE BUT THE REMEDY WOULD DESTROY THE COMPUTER IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000. UPDATED 10/11/12*LJ

NHTSA ID
10472888
Incident
Aug 27, 2009
Mileage
22,000 mi
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed May 14, 2012

WHEN I PRESS THE ACCELORATOR THERE IS A HESITATION IN THE CAR SPEEDING UP AND WHILE DRIVING THERE IS SOMETIMES THAT SAME HESITATION. *JS

NHTSA ID
10458307
Incident
May 11, 2012
Mileage
61,203 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Mar 23, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LEXUS ES330. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE TO ACCELERATE FROM A COMPLETE STOP AND ALSO WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID
10452766
Incident
Dec 1, 2011
Mileage
52,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Feb 9, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LEXUS ES330. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT THE SPEEDS OF 30 MPH APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE VEHICLE WOULD SHIFT GEARS , BUT THE SPEED WOULD NOT INCREASE. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,500 THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

NHTSA ID
10447314
Incident
Apr 20, 2011
Mileage
61,500 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Feb 5, 2010

TRANSMISSION HESITATES FROM A STOPPED POSITION ON MY 2005 LEXUS ES330 CAUSING A FEELING THAT THE CAR MAY STALL OR LUNGE FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. I PURCHASED THE CAR A FEW MONTHS AGO WITH 22,500 MILES. I BROUGHT THIS PROBLEM TO THE DEALER'S ATTENTION AND READ ABOUT IT ONLINE. APPARENTLY, LEXUS PROVIDES A "FLASH" FIX TO THE SOFTWARE. BUT, MY LOCAL LEXUS SERVICE MANAGER SUGGESTED NOT USING THE FIX BECAUSE, ACCORDING TO HIS PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, THE FIX CAN CAUSE DAMAGE SOMEHOW TO THE CAR'S COMPUTER THAT IS IRREPARABLE. APPARENTLY, THE FIX IS NOT ALWAYS A GOOD FIX. I WAS TOLD THE FIX CANNOT BE SET BACK ONCE IT IS BEEN ADDRESSED. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THOUSANDS OF LEXUS DEALERS HAVE BEEN EFFECTED. ALSO, OCCASIONALLY I FEEL LIKE MY CAR LUNGES FORWARD SUDDENLY AND BRIEFLY FOR NO APPARENT REASON. ANY GUIDANCE YOU CAN PROVIDE ABOUT THESE MATTERS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10306244
Incident
Dec 15, 2009
Mileage
23,100 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Nov 2, 2005

CONSUMER 2005 LEXUS ES 330 TRANSMISSION HESITATES WHEN COMING TO A STOP AT 3-4 MPH. * TS THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT WHEN SLOWING TO 3-4 MPH OR DOING A ROLL STOP, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HESITATE ON ACCELERATION THEN LURCH FORWARD WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO JERK THE OCCUPANT HEADS. THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. *NM

NHTSA ID
10142157
Incident
Aug 5, 2005

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .