Lexus ES 350

fredvh

I am glad to hear your story too. I do not feel that you are "over the top" on this. Anytime one spends 30-40 Thousand Dollars one should expect an exceptional product. Most always Lexus delivers. I have a 2006 ES and it is a wonderful vehicle. I feel sorry for some of the owners that have the occasional transmission problem with their new ES350. Part of the problem is the EPA ever-tightening emission standards which forces manufacturers to come up with new ideas such as drive-by-wire and fancy electronic controls. New technology is NOT always better. Thank Lexus for their cooperation in your case. Would GM have done the same?

jaspalb

Has anybody tried changing lock/unlock configurations as detailed on page 20-21 of the manual. I tried but nothing seems to happen. I want to change how my car's doors unlock when open driver door after turning the ignition off.

phillipson

You say the Dash Rattle was fixed. After two visits and a few wasted hours of travel my dash noise is still as prevalent as ever. Can you tell me what the name of the Dealer you had your car serviced at so I can have them provide my dealer with the solution. I contacted Lexus USA and they were very disinterested in my dilemma.

rocketdan

phillipson,

I too have a dash noise problem that has not been fixed in two tries at my dealer. I am curious what yours sounds like and where it is. Mine is a creaking sound in the center stack, centered on the joint below the stereo/Nav system and above the ash tray. You can hear it as my knee presses against this area, or even if I just apply one finger to the side and push. And of course I can hear it going over bumps that flex the frame slightly.

My dealer - 75 miles away - was nice enough to pick up the car at my house, leaving me a loaner 07 RX. But, upon getting it back today, it is somewhat better but far from acceptable.

I wish you the best in getting yours fixed. This noise just adds to my frustration with the diesel like sounds in the morning and the occasional transmission flare.

jiamin

It might not be related, but I just want to share my 00 RX300 rattle: After I bought it new, when driving, I heard a light rattle somewhere from the dash. I poked around and found it was from the two air vents nearby the front windshield. I stuffed in some soft sponge along their gaps, until I don't see the sponge. Peoblem solved, never came back.

jaspalb

For Transmission and Fit & finish of ES350, Consumer Reports has given their top rating, Excellent, whereas in this board we mostly see negative sentiments of Transmission flare and sqweeks/rattling in dashboard.

Why this divergence? My personal experience is in line with that of the Consumer Reports.

jiamin

I would guess most people speak up when they found something negative, and less people would if things are normal.

I also trust CR's data (not only cars but all other items). If I am ready right now for a new car, I think it will be another Japanese car for 90% sure. 10% is Korean car.

tomfrom

ES350 dash noise should be a recall issue. Lexus dealers are not attempting repair I am told because they cannot fix the problem without extensive labor costs. It is a disgrace to the Lexus name that they should allow this problem with the dash noise to continue to damage the resale value of Lexus cars. The fax number for Lexus in Japan is 01181565 23-5800 I suggest every Lexus owner with the problem report it to this fax number. Lexus USA stonewalls any attempt to seek a resolution.

2002typestl

Hey. I just got an Es350 2 weeeks ago. Ever since i got it i find a new scratch daily. What the hell is gong on on? I saw you have some issue with the paint. What exactly happened to your car.

thanks
steve

ncdaydreamer

Automobile quality control in Japan is regulated by the government. Over the last few years, Toyota has been cited by numerous fines for lack of or poor response to customer complaints. If you really want action, start squawking to the government agency that regulates Toyota's quality control:

http://www.meti.go.jp/

If you really want to get their attention, send email to the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and tell Minister Akira Amari that Toyota USA will not acknowledge or fix the specific problems associated with Lexus ES350s exported to the U.S.

Send your emails to:

webmail@meti.go.jp

seiko

There were no scratches at all on my car. The ES350 that Lexus bought back from me recently(with less than 300 miles on the odometer)had a stain under the clearcoat and on top of the paint coat (silver). The stain was located on the roof near the rear window and was about the diameter of a baseball. In artifical or low light, the stain could not be seen, but in very strong sunlight, it popped out and looked like someone had spilled weak coffee under the clearcoat. The best guess by Lexus at the time of the buyback was that there was a problem in transporting the car from Japan and that some salt water had gotten trapped under a protective film called Rapguard that is placed on the horizontal surfaces of the vehicle for shipping purposes. It is a rare but documented issue for Toyota/Lexus. I have no idea how the salt water gets under the the clearcoat, but sometimes heating the surface will eliminate the stain and no repainting is needed.

Lexus did the right thing with the buyback. Fortunately, my replacement ES350 has a flawless paint job.

ronwyn

I have posted here lately about my experiences with the transmission on my ES350. To refresh everyone they put a valve body kit in December, in January they put a new transmission in, took the car to Florida in late Feb-early March and when I returned had to take it back to dealer. Dealer has been terrific. Got the car back today and the FTS checked it and says I need a new transmission. Needless to say I am now going for a buy back. To top it off, I had to go away for business on Monday and when I went to use car the battery was dead (purchased in August 06). Lexus road service came within an hour and brought a new battery with them. They said I got a bad one. I think I got a bad car.

lexusguy3

With the high price of gas I was driving the car mostly in the city with regular gas and getting about 20MPG. I talked to salesperson and he said that I should shift to premium and the better mileage would pay for the difference. On the open road I was getting 26MPG with premium gas but find that I am now driving mostly in the city and it is now down to about 20MPG again. Added performance is wonderful but is it worth the cost?

Lexus Guy 3

jiamin

I don't have/know about E350. However, on my cars (94 Altima, 96 Maxima, current 00 RX300 and 02 QX4) I tried comparing regular and premium, their MPG, idle smoothness, acceleration, etc. I couldn't tell any difference at all. Even if I can feel better performance with premium, I don't think it's worth the extra money.

dunde71

I am wondering where are you guys sticking your EZpass/SunPass/I-Pass on the windshield in your ES350. Infact I do not like the look of the big white tag on the windshield and want to stick it in the place where it looks the least ugly. Under the mirror makes it looks like its right in the dead center of the windshield. Is it OK to install under the tinted area. I checked EZPass web site and they do not recommend that. Behind the mirror there is this V shaped net which I guess is a sun-blocker. Not sure if I want to stick it there. Should in case I have to rip the ezpass then it might spoil the sun-blocker net. I have been noticing all ES350s that pass by me but I do not see anyone having an EZPass on their windshield. Last time I took the toll road I hand held the tag and kept it under the tinted section and V-shaped net behind the mirror and it seemed to work at the 5/15mph toll booths. However, I am not sure if its going to work when I go thru the 55mph toll booths. Any suggestions ?

amf1932

I mounted my EZ Pass tag to the right side of the rear view mirror, as high up on the windshield as possible.(As viewed from the drivers position). I have never had any problems at all. The windshield tint doesn't affect the operation of this tag, and you can go right thru the toll booths at their indicated speeds.

Alan

lexusguy3

No problem using it in the tinted area in low or high speed lanes. I have used it there for the last 6 months.

Lexus guy 3

dunde71

Thank you lexusguy3. I will do the same. And thank you amf1932 for your feedback. Appreciate that.

carrelman2

On the Toyota accessories page they show mud guards available for the 2007 Camry. I wonder if they would fit on the Es 350 ?. If you compare the Camry with the ES 350 it looks like they would fit. Has anyone tried to put them on the Lexus ?

amf1932

The mud guards for the Camry wont fit properly on the ES350.
There are small mud guards on your ES350 in front of the rear wheels.

carrelman2

MUd Guards are for the rear of a tire not the front.

amf1932

Than what would you call the little rubber things in front of the rear tires?

tdoh

Not mud guards in the practical/traditional sense; if you analyze it more carefully...if Lexus did put mud guards on their vehicles...wouldn't it make more sense to slap them on directly behind the rear tires rather than in front of them--not unless you happen to drive primarily in reverse?

jkoss

I know that the transmission issue has been discussed in this forum but I have a question as to what is considered normal and what is considered defective. I have a November built 2007 ES 350. The car has been running well and I am pleased with the purchase. Strangely, when I start the car in the morning, the RPM gauge revs to a bit under 2 and stays at this level for about 60 seconds. It thens backs down to a normal idle at around 1 on the RPM gauge. I am not experiencing any noticeable transmission flares or revs during my normal daily driving.

Is the transmission revving up to 2 at a cold start up normal? Is anyone else experiencing this? Should I speak with the dealer about this?

jaspalb

This is quite normal. Computer is programmed to bring engine temperature to warm level quickly by keeping higher RPMs.

jiamin

I am not sure if my RX300 is the same as ES350: Before the car is warmed up completely, transmision does not even shift into overdrive. It stays at 3rd gear (00 RX300 only has 4-speed) until the temperature neddle goes above the lowest division.

My QX4 does not do this.

sammys

I have a Sansa 1GB MP3 player I had intentions of using it in my ES350. I bought the appropriate cable and connected the player and cable inside the glove box but cannot get it to be recognized and/or played from the sound system (normal sound system radio). I tried the radio's AUX setting.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.
SammyS

meadoel

try turning your volume up higher. My ipod needs the volume cranked to high and the ES350 radio volume near 50.

cotterm

OK, new styling, so what does everyone think. Is this a "chick car", or a "man's ride", or somewhere between.. Give your opinion please.

tjazz321

With 5 days to go until I take delivery of my new black/black ES-350, it impressed me as a man's car that a lady wants to ride in. Pretty much ideal!

larrymit

My 2007 ES 350 has developed an intermittent vinegar-like smell. At first I thought something had gotten into the A/C system, but if that were the case, I think the smell would be constant.

It's only there very infrequently, but when it does occur, it is very obvious.

Has anyone had this problem? Does it have something to do with the exhaust/catalytic converter system?

creamy4life

So like I had to cross a busy intersention so I slammed on the gas. The car stopped accelerating after it hit 4000 rpm and then after half a sec, it picked up again until it changed gears at 6k rpm. Then I decided to rev it in neutral. This time it did the same thing but she jumped a little when it hit 4k rpm. I know it sounds wierd but yea it jumped foward while in neutral. Can't seem to duplicate it anymore. My car has about 600 miles on it. Oh and I had a transmission flare last night too going from 2nd to 3rd gear. I don't think it was due to a cold engine because she had been running for atleast 10 minutes before too. I love her so much, I don't want her to die. I'm scared

Going to drive her to class tommorow early morning. 54 miles roundtrip. Will update on condition.

If everything works out fine, looking forward on installing sport rims, Sidebodymolding and a wind deflector maybe some headrest monitors too :P

amf1932

You really sound like you're tearing the hell out of this new car!! THIS IS NOT A RACE CAR!!
My only suggestion to you is, when you go to class tomorrow see if they have a driving class, and if they do, SIGN UP!
You sound very immature. :mad:

creamy4life

Sorry if I sounded immature. That was the once and only time I've pushed the car so hard while still breaking in the engine. I'd say it was a good experience. Atleast now I know that there might be a problem with the car and what I can expect from the vehicle.

Well anyways, the car seems fine. Must've been a one time thing I guess. And no, I'm not signing up for driving classes.

Quote:"You can only be young once, but you can always be immature"

ronwyn

Good luck with your car. I posted message 2470 about my trans problems. Heard from Lexus that they are taking car back. It's a matter of time now. You should take the car to your dealer and report the flare so that you have documentation. Mine still flares and I turned down another transmission in favor of the buy back.

gkoff

I bought one of the first ES 350's. Very disappointed with problems. Getting new tranny next week due to transmission flare problem between gears. Windshield ticking, rear center speaker not working, rattly under rear window. Most reported as TSIB's. Hope to fix with tranny replacement appt. You'd think Lexus would want car back and replaced.

egm1

Would appreciate information on the location of the oil filter on the ES350.

Also, need to know the proper method for removing the fasteners on the engine covers under the hood. Are the fasteners reusable?

:shades:

carrelman2

The Oil filter on the ES350 is underneath the engine.By the way ,it is the same filter used on the 2007 Camry 6 cylinder.

amf1932

The fasteners for the engine covers are reusable. You push the center pin of the fastener down to release them, then you reset to center pin to an upper positon, put it back into the hole, and push the center pin down flush with the body of the fastener.

egm1

Thanks for the info on the fasteners.

egm1

Thanks carrelman2.

larrymit

Just an update on this. The smell seems to have finally gone away (I hope!). Perhaps something did crawl up into the A/C and die, and now it's dried up and ceased smelling.

es350owner

Transmssion problem On my 2007 ES 350 with 5000 miles, the RPM flares between 2nd gear and 3rd gear when cold. Dealer says there is a fix which involves re-programming the computer. Does anyone have experience with this "fix"? Other people have had their transmissions replaced or a complete car buy-back. Am I wasting my time or is it worth a try??

tedescm1

With 5000 miles i'd go for the buy back! They have been having this problem for about a year.

How long does it take to correct the problem?

egm1

I'm waiting for a replacement ES350 under a buy-back. Can someone provide information on how this works with respect to the original lease? Do you just swap cars and go or is it more complex? Thanks.

jfxbii1

Our 2007 ES350 is ~6 months old has ~5,000 miles and Lexus just replaced the transmission. Our ES350 was built in September of 06. Symptoms were the typical RPM flare and un-typical (from what I've read here) excessive RPM flare when coasting and reapplying the accelerator at ~30 -40 mph (this happened twice).

Our Lexus also has the following other issues: what I consider excessive cold start knock, the Lexus dealer indicates it's normal for this vehicle (this cold start knock besides being an unknown long reliability problem is an embarrassment to the Lexus brand); rattle near the front center speaker when outside temp. is below ~32F; the saved seat, mirror,and steering wheel settings were mysteriously lost; and the adaptive HID headlights seem misaligned and/or don't work properly.

I'm not sure if it's possible, but we're going to pursue a cash buy back and purchase a different brand car. Any and all help/advice from somebody here who has gone through the buy back process (preferable for cash and not another ES350) would be greatly appreciated. We're going to start today by calling Lexus USA.

It's too bad because we like the cars other attributes (comfort, style, ride, etc.).

pfrosen

I have a 2007 es 350 ultra which I special ordered and received October 2, 2006. When I fill up the gas tank and for the next 50-60 miles, whenever I start up, especially on a hill, there is a thud noise and feel coming from the gas tank. It sounds and feels like there is a bowling ball in the trunk. Lexus has heard it and says it's normal, but I have never heard this in a car before. So before I go to my states lemon law, I want to know if anyone has experienced this same thing. Additionally, the cold engine knock is not appropriate.

bobbass

This "full gas tank thud" has been discussed in other forums. At the risk of violating the rules and regs of this terrific forum, here is a link that DOES pertain directly to your question:

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=260572

pfrosen

Thanks for the help. I'm new to this.

bigpapaluke

My wife and I are about to pick up a brand new ES350 on Saturday; however, I've been briefly scanning some of your posts and am now concerned about the transmission problems others have spoken of. Is it a problem with a car that was manufactured in 2006 for 2007, or has it been a consistent problem for those vehciles that have been manufactured this year? Just want to make sure we're walking into a solid purchase. My wife is not going to drive this car like a sports car, but we want to make sure the issue is just isolated to early defects that have since been corrected.

Thanks,
Luke