Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||||
| TC00403 | 08/04/2003 | TC00403 | 10003571 | Engine control module (ecm) calibration - shifting enhancement - revised. *tt 2nd revision. *tt | 10/24/2003 |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 08/27/2009 | 22000 | ||
| 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. kmj | |||
| 08/27/2009 | 22000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 lexus es330. the contact stated while driving 25 mph the transmission shifted extremely hard and lunged the passengers forward. the failure recurred numerous times and got worse with each incident. the failure was reported to the dealer and was told that there was a fix for the issue but the fix 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. dt | |||
| 05/11/2012 | 61203 | ||
| When i press the accelorator there is a hesitation in the car sppeding up and while driving there is sometimes that same hesitation | |||
| 12/01/2011 | 52000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2005 lexus es330. the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to accelerate from stops and while driving at various speeds. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and 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. sm. | |||
| 12/15/2009 | 23100 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 08/05/2005 | 1 | 08/01/2005 | |
| 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 | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 05/01/2006 | 1000 | ||
| Transmission shifts very rough, up-shift and down-shift since vehicle was new. documented/reported problem at every service check. was told software had been 'adjusted/reset' and that this is normal for the car. as the car is aging problem is becoming more pronounced and rough/hard shifting is escalating. | |||
| 09/20/2010 | 60000 | ||
| Lexus es330 transmission. surges | |||
| 01/01/2006 | 1 | ||
| My lexus es hesitates when i try to accelerate. started when i took ownership of the car | |||
| 04/01/2007 | 10000 | 1 | |
| 2005 lexus es330. hesitation & stumbling on acceleration. also transmission will not downshift. this is a well documented problem with the 2005 model year es330. there was one revision of transmission software/firmware provided but it did not fix this problem. after several complaints the lexus dealer stated there's nothing more we can do. several internet postings suggest that this delay or hesitation is designed in. also, if while entering a highway, for example, the gas pedal is depressed, released and depressed again there is a much longer 2-3 second delay until power is delivered and to get proper upshifts and downshifts i have to shift the automatic transmission manually. the lexus dealer was/is very familiar with this problem but has no fix beyond what was provided for back in 2005 by lexus. this should be further investigated along with the current crop of toyota/lexus throttle problems. thanks! *tr | |||
| 09/25/2004 | 1 | ||
| We purchased a 2005 330 lexus, sept, 2004. we had trouble with the auto de-accelerating during left turns. the dealership said it was a problem built into the system and couldn't be fixed. my husband thought it wasn't safe so less than 8 months later we traded it in for a 2005 430 lexus which has given us no problem. there was something definitely wrong with the system. it almost stopped making turns. *tr | |||
| 02/03/2010 | 68500 | 1 | |
| Acceleration problem with lexus es 330 (year 2005). having been experiencing this problem for some time (have taken my car to dealer ship numerous times and filed law suit through the lemon law) and lexus continually advising that car is working properly. i was almost in a very serious accident last night as a result of the acceleration hesitation problem. *tr | |||
| 07/01/2005 | 1000 | 1 | |
| I had purchased a brand new 2005 lexus es330 in 2005. the car started exhibiting transmission hesitation problems almost immediately. i brought it to the lexus dealer in cerritos, ca many times, and asked them about this behavior as something they should look at and fix. i was told it is how the computers are in the car and they refuse to acknowledge this problem. the car hesitates to pick up speed while you ar on stop sign or more importantly when changing lanes on freeway or at times you need to accelerate the car suddenly. you will get a jolt and lack of power for a second and then quick speed. now with all of the problems coming out of this company, i think it is important for me to bring this issue and i am sure there are many people who have complained about it. i use this car but try to use sparingly as much as possible. *cn | |||
| 02/25/2005 | 1000 | ||
| We purchased our lexus 2005 es330 brand new. we noticed the hesitation and jerking when accelerating immed after buying the car. it was taken back to the lexus dealership for the complaint two or more times. when we recieved normal services, i would ask about the acceleration and i was told that there were not any bulletins issued for the issue in which i spoke of. we were told that the car would adjust to the driver over a period of time. presently the car shifts improperly when driven at 20-35 mph, unexpected up shifts that occur to early and down shifts while slowing down causing the driver to have to modulate the braking to avoid either coming up to cars in traffic ahead to quickly or traffic coming from behind so as to avoid an accident from behind as you slow to quickly. constantly scares me when i drive it because of the non responsive and quick acceleration. *cw | |||
| 12/22/2009 | 66500 | 1 | |
| I purchased my 2005 lexus es330 as a certified pre-own in september 2007. after driving it for a month or two. i experience a consistent hesitation issue. i took it to the local dealership and they said they would reset something in the computer to adjust to my driving style. it did not appear to help. so i've taken it back 2 times since and they say it's the normal function of the drive by wire and nothing they can do. the problem is the transmission in my lexus es330 appears not to shift down normally unless the vehicle is brought to a full stop. when slowing down for traffic then accelerating and/or slowing down to make turns at intersections or corners results in gear hesitation and lurching forward. at intersections when making left hand turns it appears to slip [no power for a brief moment). i feel the car is now unsafe to make left turns because the car may not have acceleration when needed. i have already had the car repaired for this type of issue when the lexus es330 lost all power. and since the repairs i am still having the hesitation issues and brief loss of power. i have been told by the hendrix lexus service department that this hesitation issue is a normal function of the drive by wire system. i cannot agree with that conclusion. there is a definite problem with the es330 and a possible safety issue. if i was to bring my car in for this issue, it would be the 3rd or 4th time at that shop for the same issue. this is a daily occurrence for my lexus es300. please let me know what you recommend or if there is a solution at this time. again, let me stress, i feel that the car is unsafe in making left hand turns with oncoming traffic. thank you for helping with the safety issue. *tr | |||
| 06/26/2009 | 30057 | 1 | |
| My 2005 lexus es330 has had transmission problems since we bought it on 9/22/2008 with 30,057 miles on it. the transmission will at times hesitate and/or seem to be unable to find the correct gear to be in for the situation.it shows up most of the time in the 30-45mph range but it also hesitates from a standing start. at times it looks for a gear to be in and hesitates then hard shifts in to a gear. i also own a 2000 camry and a 2008 corolla and their transmissions work just fine. the lexus transmission just will not shift correctly for the speed and throttle input. i see this has been quite a problem with this year, make and model of lexus cars. the lexus dealer says it is normal. this can not be normal. since i get to drive two other toyota cars with auto transmissions and they work just fine i can tell quite easily there is a big problem with this transmission. it needs to be recognized by lexus before their is a fatality due to the extreme lag at start from stop conditions. i have had the gas pedal one quarter of the way depressed before the car even recognized i had applied the throttle. this could easily cause an accident either starting from a stop sign with traffic crossing your route or the vehicle jumping at a start because you have the pedal part way down before the engine/transmission gets the signal and you accelerate rapidly from a dead stop. corporate toyota needs to recognize this problem and come up with a fix. it may have to be a recall or perhaps just a service notice to all 2005 lexus es330's owners. whatever it takes it needs to be done soon. this is a safety related issue it can cause accidents. *tr | |||
| 07/17/2008 | 30000 | 1 | 06/01/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 lexus es330. the vehicle hesitates abnormally when the contact attempts to accelerate. prior to the failure, she did not notice any warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. she took the vehicle to the dealer, but they could not duplicate the failure and provide a remedy. the manufacturer did not assist. the failure mileage was 30,000 and current mileage was 57,000. updated 12/08/09. *lj updated 12/10/09.*jb | |||
| 01/20/2009 | 85000 | 1 | |
| Lexus es330 2005 car shifts improperly when driven at 20-35 mph, unexpected up shifts that occur to early and down shifts while slowing down causing the driver to have to modulate the braking to avoid either coming up to cars in traffic ahead to quickly or traffic coming from behind so as to avoid an accident from behind as you slow to quickly. happens only about 20% of the time but forces the driver to be vigilant constantly to avoid problems. *tr | |||
| 03/01/2005 | 1 | ||
| Re: lexus es330('05)delays in acceleration,lurching with stops and starts,unpredictable transmission shifts,when braking car feels like it is slipping forward. lexus first denied problem but i showed them internet blog and nhtsa complaints,then admitted to software problems. 3 or 4 attempts to change software helped temporarily. i was told i would get used to this. after 2 and half years of erratic shifting and several near misses on lane changes (car refused to accelerate) i threatened legal action. lexus reluctantly change the transmission. i could not believe the difference,thought they changed the car!it finally drove the way the demo car did. more consistent acceleration,albeit still had somewhat of a delay. i no longer felt every gear shift. stops and starts much smoother. the internet discussions are right. some of the lexus es330 models have a serious transmission defect,but it appears to be a mechanical,not a software problem. i read the nhtsa response to a complaint lodged against this same vehicle in 2005. the conclusion was that there were not enough complaints to launch an investigation. i would hope the nhtsa would rethink this position. there are alot of complaints registered on the internet (i.e. edmunds.com).i worried every time i got behind the wheel. when lexus finally changed the transmission, i felt it was finally safe to get rid of the car. i strongly believe that lexus does know about the transmission problem and how to fix it but will not voluntarily fix it unless forced to do so. they would not fix my car until i threatened legal action. many of these cars will be going off lease and the general public is not aware of this problem. it is unfair to these buyers,not to mention risky to their lives,not to have this situation rectified. i believe that only an organization such as the nhtsa can force lexus to remedy the situation. the only other way would be a class action law suit but i doubt enough people would come together for this. thank you for your attention. *tr | |||
| 06/05/2008 | 29000 | 1 | |
| Almost collision. while pulling into traffic, car hesitates, creating hazard. transmission does not shift properly. *tr | |||
| 08/18/2007 | 10 | 08/15/2007 | |
| 2005 lexus es330 transmission hunting for proper gear when slowing down then wanting to immediately speed up before coming to a complete stop. *tr | |||
| 04/08/2007 | 1 | 09/30/2005 | |
| Leased lexus 2005 model es330, there is a problem with the transmission where therewas a delay in shifting and the engine raced at 4000 rpm s before the transmission downshifted very hard. this acted like a major transmission slippage and a hard shift, the car hesitates as you are pulling into traffic and in a split second i have almost been hit from behind because the car did not respond normally. lexus admitted that they have this problem in the 2004, 2005 and 2006 models. dealer had a service rep look at it and state they cannot put anymore computer programs on the car and it's driving as it was designed. *ak | |||
| 07/19/2006 | 1 | 04/01/2005 | |
| 2005 lexus es330 hesitates when shifting gears. upon inspection mechanic determined that the code in the tcm needed to be updated. *kb since the tcm has been updated the hesitation has become much worse. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and told that the manufacture is aware of the problem. *nm | |||
| 06/01/2006 | 1 | 99 | 03/18/2005 |
| I leased a 2005 es330 from lexus a year and a half ago. immediately after leaving the dealership i noticed that the car had a transmission problem. at low speeds, under 30 mph, the car would not transition through the gears properly and would jerk suddenly upon acceleration. i also noticed that there were times when the car would hesitate for a few seconds upon acceleration from a stop or low speeds. this jerking motion and hesitation of the transmission is a common problem with my type of vehicle and has been known by lexus to be a problem for the past 5 years, since 2002. this vehicle is a safety hazard in high traffic situations as it does not respond appropriately to the drivers needs, or commands. *nm | |||
| 04/01/2005 | 1 | ||
| We purchased a 2005 lexus es330 in march of 2005. after about a month of driving it, we noticed the transmission lagged when stepping on the accelerator. the transmission jerks really bad when it's shifting gears. this causes your head to jerk back. it's also very dangerous because if you are in traffic and are slowing down to stop and then keep going, the car doesn't react and you almost get rear ended by cars following behind you because they are expecting you to go. we have brought the car back to lexus many times. we have talked to a lexus rep and they admit there is a problem but that there is nothing they can do about it. this car is not the car we signed up to buy. i think lexus needs to stand behind their faulty transmission, as it is dangerous to drive a car that does not respond the way it should. *jb | |||
| 11/01/2005 | 14000 | 1 | 12/31/2004 |
| Since nov 2005 i noticed a problem with the vehicle's transmission-a hesitation during acceleration that occurs over 50% of the time. the vehicle has been repaired 3 times for this problem and the lexus representative on the phone just told me it is not fixable. i believe this is a safety issue as it could cause an accident.*jb | |||
| 04/01/2006 | 2 | 12/01/2004 | |
| The automatic transmission in the consumer's 2005 lexus es330 would not respond at lower speeds. *nm the vehicle hesitated when accelerating which caused loss of control. the manufacturer acknowledged the problem and is trying to find a solution. *nm | |||
| 10/18/2004 | 1 | ||
| Since obtaining the vehicle in october of 2004, there has been a problem when the car is traveling around 20 mph after slowing down. when i step on the gas, the car does not immediately accelerate. therefore, i have to press harder on the gas so that i am not in a dangerous situation. i have taken the vehicle in three times and to two different dealers. i was initially told there was nothing wrong. the second time and new dealer said they fixed the problem. the third time i was told lexus is working on the problem and there is nothing they can do. if i must accelerate to get out of a critical and potentially dangerous situation, the car does not respond and an accident may occur. i don't want to wait for lexus to find the source of the problem. can you help? *jb | |||
| 12/20/2005 | 1 | 12/10/2004 | |
| Lexus es 330 auto transmission hesitates when needed the most. the problem causes a significant safety issue. the driver is not in control of the car during critical times of normal operation. the transmission will not respond to the driver commands properly. dealer (lexus) has told me to learn how to drive with it. *nm | |||
| 08/23/2005 | 8 | 12/31/2004 | |
| Dt: 2005 lexis es 330. the car was not shifting properly or accelerate upon pressing the gas pedal and when it did accelerate it lurched forward. when slowing down and then trying to speed up was told by the dealership that the computer could not read fast enough to know what to do. this didn't happen every time, in an hour of driving i happened at least 8 times. this was a safety issue. in stop and go traffic and changing lanes, nothing happened. it took 3 seconds for the vehicle to react to the acceleration. this has happened multiple times. *ak | |||
| 07/10/2005 | 12/04/2004 | ||
| Engine hesitation when accelerating from a complete stop or a rolling stop. this has been an ongoing issue with the lexus es's for 3-4 years. other lexus models do not perform like this. why does this model and why hasn't it been corrected after the numerous complaints around the country?? | |||
| 03/15/2005 | 1200 | 1 | 12/29/2004 |
| I bought a new 2005 lexus es330 in december 2004. i currently have about 3,900 miles on it. beginning at around 1,000 miles and continuing to today, i regularly experience a serious transmission problem. when i am in stop-and-go traffic and press the accelerator pedal down smoothly to accelerate, the car does nothing for about 1-2 seconds. then the car surges forward uncontrollably. i have nearly rear-ended other cars because i cannot predict or control this transmission hesitation/surge problem. i experience the same problem when i am merging onto a freeway and need to accelerate quickly. if i press down on the gas pedal, nothing happens for 1-2 seconds, then the car leaps forward uncontrollably. i have come close to crashing into other cars because my car jerks forward so unpredictably. two months ago, i took the car to the dealership where i purchased it (lexus kearny mesa in san diego) and was told by two different service staff that the car is performing as designed and you'll get used to it soon. this problem is neither normal nor safe. every second counts when it comes to traffic safety. two weeks ago, i called the lexus customer satisfaction dept. at 1-800-255-3987 and was told that they get complaints about this transmission hesitation/surge daily. i also went back to lexus kearny mesa and spoke with the service dept. manager. he admitted that some es owners are experiencing this problem and that he understands that it can be a safety hazard.*ak | |||
| 01/01/2005 | 1 | ||
| When driving at various speeds, vehicle jerked when transmission shifted gears. the cause of the problem was undetermined.*ak *bf *nm | |||
| 02/01/2005 | 1 | 02/01/2005 | |
| Lexus es330 2005 ecti transmission problem. *bf the consumer stated he noticed on the first day of purchasing the vehicle, there was a distinct hesitation upon accelerating, followed by a lurch. the dealer informed the consumer there was nothing they could do at the dealership, because it was a design problem related to the electronically controlled transmission with intelligence and the factory was working on a remedy. *jb | |||
| 02/08/2005 | 5000 | 100 | 10/31/2004 |
| After decelerating to a range of 5-15 mph and upon trying to accelerate the car exhibits a significant lag before it accelerates. dealer states per a test drive that this behavior is per design specifications, and recommended the use of premium fuel (per lexus owner's manual, regular unleaded fuel is recommended). the problem is 100% reproducible at any time within the speed ranges and scenario described.*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||
| 12/08/2004 | 200 | 1 | 10/30/2004 |
| There is a problem with hesitation with my 2005 lexus es 330. when the accelerator is depressed in certain situations there is a lag before the engine responds. this is a serious safety issue with this automobile. lexus said the vehicle checks out fine. i disagree and from what i read on the net this has been a problem in past years with lexus automobiles.*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - FLOOR SHIFT | |||
| 09/09/2004 | 100 | 1 | 09/01/2004 |
| (1) car was nearly new, only 100 miles, no abnormal behavior up to that point. (2) while shifting into park as part of the process of parking, and with no pressure on accellerator, car suddenly lurched forward, striking concrete stancheon of parking lot light pole. this resulted in damage to the front bumper, frame, right quarter-panel, right headlight assembly, causing over $4,000 in repair costs. (3) above problems were repaired by a dealer-approved auto body shop. *ak | |||