Lexus ES 300/ES 330

hk2la · January 2004

Thanks, kreativ, I didn't see the psi setting in the owners manual, just who to contact for which tires. I guess I'll look thru that manual again, and get out a magnifying glass for that little car sticker.
Well, one of my tires blew out---completely. And on the freeway. and no, i did not run over anything that could possibly have caused that horrendous event.

hk2la · January 2004

You should have a full size spare, plus a full set of tools.

moejoe · January 2004

I am looking to buy either an Acura TL or Lexus es330. I am a person who becomes VERY!!! annoyed at little sounds in the cabin of the car. I like the style of the tl better than the es 330 but as I have read, the ES seems much more quiet which I ultimately favor over exterior styling. I need reassurance that the es is the car to get.

JM

stuener · January 2004

Has anyone had a remote car starter installed in a 04 ES330? Called the service dept. and they said they would bring in a outside vendor to do the install. I am a little nervous about hacking into the factory wiring. any comments would be welcome. BTW The car has 5000 mi. and no problems or complaints.

toydriver · January 2004

Like you I become annoyed at squeek, snaps, crackles and pops. I have had my '03 ES since last May and am very satisfied with the "quiet" inside the cabin. (Only minimal road noise at 70mph). Some have mentioned a few minor noises which may be related to outside cold temps - I haven't noticed).
However, you could also be annoyed by the shifting of the ES (see posts under ES Transmission complaints).
Bottom line, you need to drive both cars to see which is right for you.

subarujon · January 2004

I am trying to help my girlfriend with her 1998 ES300 4 door with just over 100,000 miles. An oil leak has recently occured (dripples on the driveway). A generic auto check shop said the front oil pan gasket had gone bad: $390 to fix. Any other owners with this issue? I am tempted to just let it dripple and add oil as needed.
Also, the front suspension makes clunking noises when going over bumps...especially when it is colder...she said it has always done that since new... Concerns me... Thanks for the input.

kreativ · January 2004

A friend went 15000 miles on a leaky oil pan gasket, without having to refill between 5000 mile oil changes, before getting it fixed. It's the labor that's expensive, as the gasket itself is inexpensive. Get price quotes from the Toyota service centers local to you.

Clunking/squeaking noise when going over bumps at low speeds in cold weather is a common complaint. It can be annoying, but was told it wasn't a safety issue. Replacing the bushings is supposed to do the trick, if you're willing to pay the $$$ to suppress a noise that will eventually return.

kreativ · January 2004

The ES keeps road noise out very well, partially due to the sound-absorbing insulation being used. Just hope your ES doesn't come with a miscallaneous squeak or rattle somewhere, or it may end up annoying you more (no more road noise to mask it). To some, a constant drone is less annoying than a quieter environment with a constant ticking, squeaking, or rattling noise.

kimcham · February 2004

I am experiencing cracking noise like old LP with my CD changer when I play burned CD. Is this problem universal? The dealer and Lexus Customer Services say nothing they can do. Any help or remedy is appreciated.

tmart · February 2004

Does the burned CD make the same noise when played inside? If so, I'd say you have a bad CD. If not, sounds like there could be a problem with the car's unit. Does the unit play regular(store bought)CD's OK?

kimcham · February 2004

I suspect there is something irregular with the unit. Nonetheless, the dealer says it is built that way, i.e., it can play store CDs but burned ones. This is quite remarkable!!!

jurytrial · February 2004

Does anyone have any experience swapping out the standard Lexus head unit for an aftermarket one? Specifically I was wondering how it came out since my understanding is that the original Lexus unit is an odd size and not easily swapped.

lenscap · February 2004

Has anybody else heard about an ES 330 SportDesign?

My dealer mentioned one will be available and will be shown at next week's Chicago Auto Show. Supposedly it will be offered in Graphite Gray, Thundercloud or Black with either a Light Charcoal or Black interior. The only other differences are a different wheel design (still 16") and Black Bird's Eye Maple wood trim.

igiban · February 2004

w/o remaking its ext. look. Mission impossible!

lenscap · February 2004

As I mentioned earlier, there will be an ES 330 SportDesign. It is up on the Lexus website.

rvmeush · February 2004

I have been considering a Lexus ES as an upgrade to my aging Camry, but the body style of the current ES is really too close to the Camry for my taste. Does anyone have any idea when the body style might be updated, and what it might look like?

lenscap · February 2004

It's interesting you find the ES style too close to the Camry. When the car came out most auto writers said Lexus finally distanced the car from the Camry and gave the ES its own distinctive look.

Anyway, the ES will get some cosmetic changes this fall for the 2005 model year. These will include a subtle restyling of the front and back ends, along with some minor equipment changes. To see past examples of similar changes, look at what Lexus did to the ES in 1995 (vs 1994) and in 2000 (vs 1999). Or, for a more recent look at mid-cycle changes, look at what Lexus did to the LS 430 for 2004 vs 2003. At this time nobody knows what the changes will be.

The car will be completely redone in fall 2006 as a 2007 model. At that point the car will be designed by the all-new, Lexus-exclusive team in Japan and will not share a platform or parts with Toyota as is the case now. The car will follow Lexus' new styling trend shown on the new GS (again, to separate Lexus from Toyota) currently at the Chicago Auto Show and going on sale in January 2005. Nobody knows what the next ES will look like, but you can almost be sure AWD will either be an option or standard (as it will for all future Lexus cars).

lexusaz · February 2004

Does anyone have a problem with the ventilation system on the ES 330?

When the driver and passenger temperatures are set the same, the driver vents blow much colder than the passenger side. Also, I need to have the temperature at 78 degrees to make the interior comfortable when it is 60 degrees outside. The system intended to be sophisticated is very uneven. Lexus said they are aware of the problem but have no plans for a fix.

sirgin · February 2004

lexusaz,

I have noticed exactly the same behaviour in the beginning (driver side cold air, passenger side warm) and needed to set the temperature somewhat high.

Did Lexus say why that is happening and why they don't want to fix it?

bartalk2 · February 2004

Is the ES330 sport edition just cosmetics, or are there suspension changes, etc? ES330 sport edition? Oxymoron.

tnisace86 · February 2004

Anyone notice how the ES is kinda like a rebadged Camry with leather and is nicer?

toydriver · February 2004

Yeh, really nice, aren't they?

tnisace86 · February 2004

Maybe I wasn't specific enough. I think the ES is simply a luxurious Camry

gekko2 · February 2004

>"I think the ES is simply a luxurious Camry"

Have you actually driven both 2002+ models?

igiban · February 2004

won't match ES' ride, among other luxy stuff of course. Drive it to believe it. Whether it justifies the $$ is subjective.

On SportDesign to come, which has only wheel rim and a logo diff., does seem gimmicky to me. Maybe Lexus finally realizes that every competitor of ES is more sporty. Won't surprise me the 2006/7 model goes with that trend. That said, current ES is more luxy than all the other near-luxiers.

aspesisteve · February 2004

my '98 ES300 with only 45k miles has 4 bad struts
they wore out a set of tires in less than 20k miles. Cost to replace is $1,000 plus tires.

is this a common replacement on a car driven very conservatively?

4ali · February 2004

I used to suffer from annoying rear door rattles only in cold weather in my 2002 ES300. I called up Lexus Canada when my patience with the rattles was exhausted. I had already had the dealer attempt one 'fix'. They advised I get the entire rear door liner which fits into the door removed.

I did and wow, what a difference. Silence.

massmax · February 2004

Has anyone else experienced squeaky brakes on their '01 ES300. We have had our car 3 mos and it has 46k. We have had them checked a few times and everyone said the pads were fine but they still squeak, is this common ??

sopecreek · February 2004

I have 01 ES300 and 46 k, too. There was no squeak from the brakes until we changed the rear pads last month. Now when the car comes to the stop, the squeal occurs. I had it checked by the lexus dealer that put the pads, and unfortunately the squeal disappeared while it was being checked out. (When the pads are hot, it tends to go away.) Of course, the squeal is back now. and more pronounced when the pads are cold. I think you should have it checked out just in case. I am going to live with it until next oil change.

massmax · February 2004

Had them checked, the pads are new but not the qlty of orig equipment. They may get quiter as they break in..

jchan2 · February 2004

I have been shopping for a new car lately (my five year old Civic is getting closer to the 100K mark fast) and I'm considering the ES330 along with the I35 and a few other smaller but sportier models. Should I buy the ES330 as it is now, or wait for the redesigned version someone mentioned? How much does the ES SportDesign model cost, since the upgrades are mostly cosmetic?

drifterman · March 2004

2003 ES300 owners! Listen to your car! Drive the car for 10 minutes to allow it to warm up. Find a quiet location where you can drive next to curbing, or a wall, a metal crash barrier, or almost anything that a sound coming from the car can echo off of. Now open all windows so you can hear the noise coming from outside. Accelerate from a stop slowly but firmly and continue accelerating up through 40mph. As soon as the car starts moving, you should hear a clicking/rattling sound coming from outside the vehicle. It will continue throughout the acceleration until the wind noise drowns it out. Let off the gas and it stops. Resume acceleration and it's there. Now that you've heard the noise, can anyone tell me what's causing it? Has anyone gotten a fix from Lexus yet? What was the fix? Oh yes, I also have the famous chronic tranny hesitation problem also! Anyone have a fix for that yet?

jim040558 · March 2004

I was at my dealer today with my ES 330 and asked about the tranny issue.

Two things I was told.

1. There is a computer programming fix to try that they will do. Just ask.

2. I was also told that the tranny will adjust itself when new, based on the driving style of the driver. They said that this was especially true during the first 200 miles.

Hope this helps.

My 2004 has no such noise like you describe.

drifterman · March 2004

If you send your email address to florida321@hotmail.com , I'll share with you what I have experienced on the tranny problem and anything else you'd care to share. Been through 2 computer program changes, no help. They gave me the song and dance about "adjusting to driving habits" but the same pronounced hesitation and engine racing is still there. I have 5,000+ miles and it's still as bad as it was when I first got the car.

pat · March 2004

Consumers' Most Wanted Vehicles for 2004 Survey is posted and ready for your input!

eeratm · March 2004

I was curious for some opinions on a car I am thinking about buying. The Lexus dealer is offering a 1994 ES 300 with 68000 miles for $12000. I have talked the dealer down to $10500 out the door. Is this an alright deal? Also, if I decide to buy this would it be wise to get a 2year/24000mile warranty for $2000. Thanks for the input.

darkguy · March 2004

According to Edmunds TMV the retail for this vehicle in my area is $7947 $10500 is way overpriced!!!!!

jchan2 · March 2004

I'm thinking of buying an ES330, I35, TL or a TSX. What are the advantages of paying extra to buy an ES330, compared to buying an I35, TL or TSX?

igiban · March 2004

In fact, you may have to pay more to get a TL now. So you might want to post your question to TL board and ask why pay extra over ES to get a TL.

atoews · March 2004

Checked the TL "Prices Paid" thread, and it seems that buyers are not saying what their prices were.

The few that do are reporting prices less than the ES330, although the discounts from dealers don't seem to be as high for the TL.

In summary, the TL is less expensive, but they are not going for discounts from MSRP as ES330s are.

fredvh · March 2004

This is just out and is from CNN:

http://money.cnn.com/2004/03/09/news/international/toyota_probe.r- eut/index.htm

Has anyone experienced this?

igiban · March 2004

ES MSRP is indeed a lot more than TL, but the street price is not. ES330 can be had around invoice now (or since 12/03), while TL is not quite, albeit dropped from the MSRP days. The TL with Nav is selling around $34K'ish, which is about the same as ES with Nav/ML/AVS/VSC. The non Nav TL is selling around $31K'ish, which might be even more expensive than the non Nav ES.

BTW, that Toyota probe must've vindicated some ES tranny problem crusaders used to be on the tranny board. I've not experineced the like behaviors on my 300 but I've seen many posting it in the past all the way to 330 actually.

jchan2 · March 2004

but the street price on an I35 is about invoice though. And the I35 is cheaper than the ES330 to begin with. It's narrowed down to the TSX, TL, ES330 and I35. It'll come down to which one has a good deal and which one I prefer.

igiban · March 2004

TSX is the least $$ but smallest too. I35 (cheaper than TL and ES) may give you the most bang for the buck if you like the car itself.

nfjnr · March 2004

I am surprised to hear the Es can be had at invoice. I would have thought this would happen when the 2005 Es was closer to introduction. Any thoughts why this is so? Is Lexus trying to hit sales targets, or is the Es hard to move at invoice plus due to the tranny issue?

igiban · March 2004

was firm the first two months when it came out (only $1-2K off msrp), but dropped like a rock at the end of 2003 (to be close to invoice). A few of us were wondering why, but who knows. It's really pure supply and demand. I had a theory that TL was/is making ES run for its money, tho they are very different kinda cars. Tranny stuff is old news so I doubt that played much role. Not the first time I see Honda and Toyota duke out each other. Really can't complain if you are a future buyer, and aren't we all one day still. BTW, 2005 ES was said to be of little change. 2006 one may be all new.

jchan2 · March 2004

The only part that concerns me is the resale. On all the other luxury cars (A4, ES300, previous gen TL) resale is quite strong, but for the I35, it's dropped like a rock.

kreativ · March 2004

With the TL and ES, there haven't been any surprising trends in pricing really. Their design cycles don't eclipse, so one model will have been out a few years when the other gets a complete redesign. The completely redesigned model has enjoyed stronger demand and higher pricing, while the other goes for close to invoice. Then it flip-flops a few years later. Changes in the same generation (upgraded engine/powertrain, minor design refreshining) will spark demand for some time, but it usually doesn't last long.

kreativ · March 2004

Re: the CNN article - sudden acceleration

HK2LA has experienced it. Not sure if she comes around often enough to see the link.

307web · March 2004

Isn't the 2005 supposed to be cosmetically "freshened" with new head and tail lights, rims, paint colors and other minor styling updates inside and out?
In that case, the 2005-2006 models would have the minor restyling and then the 2007 would the completely new design not shared with the Camry.

Lexus ES 300/ES 330

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