Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Lexus RX330 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 60 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.
The 25 most recent of 60, in the owner's own words
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. *TR
I BOUGHT MY LEXUS IN 2007. IT IS A 2004 RX LEXUS 330 IT HAD 31,000 MILES WHEN BOUGHT. SINCE I HAD THE CAR MY RADIATOR WAS BROKEN AND THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP REPAIRED IT UNDER WARRANTY. BEFORE THIS I REMEMBER STOPPING TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE FELT THE CAR WAS STALLING AND WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING WRONG ITS JUST I HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT THE WAY I DRIVE WITH SPEED. NOW IN 2010 I'M EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE CAR STALLING OR LAGGING WITH THE RPM AND A LITTLE NOISE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. I REALLY THINK THEY SHOULD RECALL THIS OR DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE I READ ALOT OF REVIEWS THAT THIS IS HAPPENING AND THE CAR DOESNT EVEN HAVE THAT MANY MILES. I SPENT ALOT OF MONEY ON THIS CAR AND THEY SHOULD TAKE THIS PROBLEMS IN CONSIDERATION REALLY. *TR
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! *TR
INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) I HAVE MY DREAM CAR, 2004 LEXUS RX330. I HAVE HAD SAME TROUBLE. I AM AFRAID OF THE CAR. I HAVE AN OLD FORD RV, I DRIVE INSTEAD OF MY BEAUTIFUL LEXUS. PEOPLE ASK WHY, I TELL THEM I'M AFRAID OF IT. IT LURCHES FORWARD, AND ALSO JUMPS BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN GEARS @ 20MPH. THIS IS AFTER 5 UPDATES IN THE COMPUTER OF THE CAR. I HAVE PUT 200K MILES ON MY OTHER 5 TOYOTAS, AND ALL WENT BEAUTIFULLY! THEN THE DEMON CAR AS I REFER TO IT. I REPORTED IT REPEATEDLY, AND WAS TOLD BY EVERYONE, INCLUDING LONG BEACH TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS, THAT IT WAS WORKING IN THE MANNER IT WAS DESIGNED, IT WAS LEARNING HOW I DRIVE. HORSE PUCKY. I AM A RETIREE OF ATT. I HAD DEFENSIVE DRIVING EVERY YEAR TO DRIVE THEIR CO. VEHICLES. I KNOW HOW TO DRIVE AND AM VERY EXPERIENCED. I ALSO KNOW WHEN THERE IS A BAD PROBLEM. I HAVE 48K MILES ON MY RUNAWAY CAR. IT'S ONLY TRIED TO REALLY RUN AWAY TWICE, BUT SOMEHOW I GOT IT STOPPED, I STUCK IT IN NEUTRAL, FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON. BACK THEN NO ONE HEARD OF THIS "MESS". I NEVER COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA ABOUT MY CARS, BECAUSE THEY WERE WONDERFUL. THEN, AFTER SAVING FOR 10 YRS, BOUGHT MY DREAM CAR. THE KILLER. I HATE IT, I AM BEGINNING TO HATE TOYOTA. IT'S VERY DISHEARTENING TO ME, TO HAVE THE CAR COMPANY I THOUGHT SO VERY HIGHLY OF, IS TRYING TO SAVE THEIR [XXX] , BY GIVING AMERICA THESE DEFECTIVE CARS. WHEN OUR HWY PATROL OFFICER AND HIS FAMILY, WAS KILLED, I CRIED. ALL THESE YEARS OF SAYING THEY WILL GET CAUGHT, THEY WILL SEE. WHO IS THEY? TOYOTA, AND WHEN THEY HEARD ABOUT IT IN 04, HUSHED IT UP. I KNOW, IF A HWY PATROLMAN CAN'T STOP A RUNAWAY CAR, HOW THE [XXX] CAN THE NORMAL GUY DRIVING IT? SOMEONE PLEASE LISTEN, SOMEONE, PLEASE HELP FIX THIS MESS. SHAME ON YOU, TOYOTA! SHAME ON YOU! DEALERS, HEADQUARTERS, EMPLOYEES THAT LIED ALL THESE YEARS TO US. SHAME ON YOU! MAN UP, AND TELL THE TRUTH. *TR
PURCHASED A NEW 2004 LEXUS RX 330 IN AUGUST OF 2003 AND REPEATEDLY BROUGHT THE CAR TO DEALERSHIPS COMPLAINING OF A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE ELECTRONIC ACCELERATOR AND THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE IN AN INTERSECTION OR ON A FREEWAY ENTRANCE RAMP, THE CAR WILL HESITATE FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN CATAPULT FORWARD. ALSO, WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION WILL ERRATICALLY JUMP BETWEEN DIFFERENT GEARS, AS IF LOOKING FOR THE OPTIMAL GEAR. I CAN BEST DESCRIBE THIS TRANSMISSION AS SCHIZOPHRENIC. I HAVE CONTACTED MULTIPLE LEXUS DEALERS OVER THE YEARS FROM MINNEAPOLIS, TO CHICAGO TO SALT LAKE CITY AND THEY ALL TOLD ME THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AS MANY CUSTOMERS HAVE COMPLAINED. HOWEVER, LEXUS HAS NEVER OFFERED SERVICE OR A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE REPROGRAMMED MY TRANSMISSION ON 2 OCCASIONS AND TOLD ME TO USE PREMIUM FUEL. NONE OF THESE ACTIONS CORRECTED THE SITUATION. I FEEL THAT IN A BUSY INTERSECTION, THE UNPREDICTABLE ACCELERATION OF MY VEHICLE PROVIDES NO ASSURANCE THAT MY CAR WILL MOVE FORWARD WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED. THIS CAN LEAD TO COLLISION AND INJURY. *TR
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. *TR
TRANSMISSION INITIALLY FAILS TO ENGAGE IN GEAR CAUSING DRIVER TO INCREASE ACCELERATION UPON WHICH GEARS SUDDENLY (AND SOMETIMES DANGEROUSLY) ENGAGE & JERK VEHICLE FORWARD. *TR
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.*TR
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. *TR
VEHICLE KEEPS MAKING NOISES AT AROUND 30 MPH. ROOT CAUSE IS THAT A TRANSMISSION COOLING LINE ON MY 2004 WHEN UNDER PRESSURE BANGS AGAINST THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. LEXUS WAS WELL AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, SO THEY RE-DESIGNED THE LINE ON NEWER VEHICLE. LEXUS IS WILLING TO REPLACE THE PART BUT AT OWNER COST. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DEFECT AND LEXUS NEED TO REPLACE THE PART UNDER THEIR OWN COST. *TR
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.
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, I GET A LOT OF HESITATION IN THE TRANSMISSION DURING HIGH SPEED DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND ALSO DRIVING IN THE CITY. THERE HAS BEEN TIMES WHEN I TRY TO ACCELERATE AND THE TRANSMISSION STRUGGLES TO INCREASE IN SPEED AND CHOKES UP BUT IT DOESN'T CUT OFF. I'VE NOTICED THAT WHEN I DRIVE ON THE FREEWAY AT SPEEDS OF 55 OR 60 AND TRY TO INCREASE THE ACCELERATION, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATE WHEN YOU PRESS ON THE GAS PEDAL. IT WILL TAKE 5-10 SECONDS TO THINK ABOUT INCREASING AND THEN IT REVVS UP IN RPMS AND THEN JUST KICKS IN. YOU CAN HEAR THE ENGINE MAKING ALL OF HESITATION NOISE AND ALSO SEEING THE HESITATION ON THE RPM AND SPEEDOMETER READING. I'VE TAKEN THIS ISSUE INTO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IS OPERATING PER THE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS AND THAT IT IS NOT OUT OF SPECS. THEY THEN TELL ME THAT THERE IS AN UPDATE TO THE TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE SO THEY SUPPOSEDLY UPDATE IT TO OPERATE BETTER. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A DIFFERENCE AFTER THE UPDATE. *JB
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. *TR UPDATED 01/09/08. *LJ 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 *TR
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. *NM
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. *NM
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. *NM
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!!!*JB
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. *JB
2004 LEXUS RX-330 AWD. VEHICLE HESITATES WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. THERE IS A DELAY, ESPECIALLY WHEN GOING FROM A DEAD STOP SUCH AS PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. ALSO, IF YOU ATTEMPT TO QUICKLY SPEED UP AS WHEN MERGING OR AN EVASIVE MANEUVER, THE ENGINE LAGS. WILL ALSO HAPPEN WHEN TURNING A CORNER, THEN ACCELERATING. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY LEXUS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE "THROTTLE BY WIRE" AND "INTELLIGENT TRANSMISSION". I CURRENTLY PULL THE ECU FUSE MONTHLY TO RESET THE PROCESSORS AND THAT APPEARS TO HELP FOR A WHILE. THAT IS THE "FIX" SUGGESTED BY THE LEXUS RX-330 FORUMS. NOW THAT 2006 MODELS ARE COMING, I KNOW THIS IS NO LONGER ON THE LEXUS ENGINEERS' MINDS, BUT THERE ARE THOSE OF US THAT FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS YOU NEVER KNOW IF THE CAR WILL RESPOND RELIABLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC, CREATING A REAL HAZARD. *JB
OUR LEXUS RX330 WAS PURCHASED IN AUGUST OF 2003. FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THE VEHICLE HESITATES TO SHIFT GEARS WITH A LAG CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO JERK FORWARD. WE HAVE TROUBLE MERGING ONTO THE HIGHWAY AS WELL AS ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AND WHILE TURNING DUE TO THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION. DEALER KEEPS PERFORMING THE TSB TC005-03 "POOR SHIFT QUALITY" AND REPROGRAMS THE COMPUTER WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. WE ARE TOLD THERE IS NOTHING MORE THAT CAN BE DONE. AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS WITH LEXUS CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY DENY A PROBLEM EXISTS AND STATES THAT THE VEHICLE PERFORMS WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS. CUSTOMER SERVICE EVEN FAILS TO DOCUMENT MY COMPLAINTS BY NOT ENTERING IT IN THE IR COMPUTER SYSTEMS IN AN ATTEMPT TO HIDE THE DEFECT. MANY OWNERS REPORT THIS PROBLEM ON INTERNET MESSAGE BOARDS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS AND UNACCEPTABLE DESIGN FLAW THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED WITH A RECALL.
AROUND 11,000 MILES MY 2004 RX330 STARTED HAVING A THUMPING SOUND THAT OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DECELERATING ESPECIALLY AROUND 29 MPH AND THEN AGAIN AROUND 19 MPH. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS MY TRANS COOLER LINE ASSEMBLY AND OIL COOLER HOSE WHICH WERE REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED FOR ABOUT ONE WEEK THAT WAS BACK IN OCT. 2004. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE BACK ABOUT 4 MORE TIMES FOR THE THUMPING NOISE THAT CONTINUES TO OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY AND NOW THEY TELL ME THE NOISE IS NORMAL AND THAT THE VEHICLE IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. I QUESTIONED HOW CAN IT BE CONSIDERED ABNORMAL BACK IN OCTOBER BUT NOW THAT THE THUMPING NOISE CAN'T BE FIXED THEY CONSIDER IT A DESIGN FLAW. THEY APPARENTLY UPGRADED IT AND THAT SHOULD HAVE ELIMINATED THE NOISE BUT IF IT DIDN'T THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO DO BECAUSE THIS IS HOW THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED... I FEAR EVERYDAY THAT THIS THUMPING NOISE IS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF WHAT IS YET TO FOLLOW AS I READ ALL THE OTHER TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN OCCURING AND SOME HAVE EXHIBITED THE THUMP SOUND...LEXUS NEEDS TO FIX THE PROBLEMS AND NOT JUST PUT A BAND-AID ON EACH ONE THAT OCCURS UNTIL THE NEXT MAJOR INCIDENT ... TAKE THIS VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD IF SO MANY CONSUMERS ARE PUTTING THEIR LIFE IN JEOPARDY DRIVING A VEHICLE THAT WAS APPARENTLY NOT MANUFACTURED PROPERLY AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED SAFE TO DRIVE.
ENGINE/TRANSMISSION HESITATION; MISSED SHIFT POINTS; AND STALLS IN TRAFFIC UPON ACCELERATION. USING AUTOMATIC CLIMATE CONTROL CAUSES ALL WINDOWS TO FOG UP TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN NOT SEE OUT OF THE WINDOWS. LOAD ENGINE NOISES AND POPPING SOUNDS.
2004 LEXUS RX330 HAS PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION SHIFT.*MR THE TRANSMISSION HESITATES WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT SIMPLY UPGRADING THE COMPUTER CHIP WOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *NM
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. *AK *TC
I HAVE A 2004 RX330. THE TRANSMISSION HESITATES TERRIBLY, TO THE POINT THIS CAR IS UNSAFE. I HAVE HAD IT IN 3 TIMES, AND THEY TELL ME THAT'S THE WAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO OPERATE. THEY SAID, "I'TS TRYING TO LEARN HOW YOU DRIVE" GIVE IT TIME, THEY SAY, NOW I HAVE 10K MILES, STILL SAME PROBLEM. I WAITED MY WHOLE LIFE TO GET A LEXUS, AND NOT THEY ARE PROVING TO BE LEMONS, AND LEXUS OF ALL THE COMPANIES, SHOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. THEY ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING. IT'S GOING TO GET SOMEONE KILLED. WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO HELP ME AND THE OTHERS THAT ARE HAVING TROUBLE? IT SEEMS TO BE WHEN YOU START FROM A STOP, IN THE LOWER GEARS. LEXUS SAID THIS CAR DOESN'T NEED THE "UPDATE".*JB
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.
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