Transmission problems with Lexus ES?

unclecheeb · November 2003

It seems to me that the Lexus 5 speed is a bogus idea. Certainly, acceleration and mileage were not that much improved over the 4 speed. The differences in the 4th & 5th gears in the 300/330 are not that substantial. I think Lexus just wanted to receive a higher EPA clean air certification and perhaps a tad better mileage. Most late model V6 Camry's are 4 speed automatics with the addition of a button that actually down shifts to a constant lower gear - I think it's called ECT or ETC. When engaged (generally for city driving), the tach jumps up about 300 to 400 revs - about the same difference as between 4th & 5th on the 300. When not engaged it is able to drive on the highway in an "overdrive" capacity. The point is - those transmissions were excellent and the mileage was OK. The 300 trans seems to be constantly hunting, pecking, and clunking during city driving while ignoring "more juice now" commands on the highway. The fuzzy logic programming suggests that the unit would "learn" the drivers habits. It would know that the driver is not a lead foot in the city, but when on the highway and the signal to "MOVE IT NOW! - WE NEED TO PASS OR MERGE" is given, it would respond instantly. I have decided to move the shift lever to 4 and leave it there while driving in the city. If the traffic is real heavy and slowly moving, I leave it in 3. That's the equivalent of eliminating the ability of the transmission to "think" for itself. It is not a quick thinking/reacting unit, as is required in most major urban cities.

The other issue is "drive by wire". I am not at all impressed with this electronic method. Yes, jets use this technology, but they do not "shift" gears. They simply increase air and fuel intake. I am not an engineer, but it seems to me that the car is maxed out in terms of weight to horsepower/torque. The small increase in HP and torque for the 330 was not at all substantial. This car should definitely be in the 250 - 275 range. That would not make it a BMW, nor do I want a BMW. It would simply mean there is ample power on tap to respond to today's driving demands in a safe and efficient manner.

motownusa · November 2003

But you need to accept the fact that you are a small minority who have this problem. Most ES300/330 owners are very satisfied with their purchase as indicated by both JD Power and Consumer Reports.

wrd · November 2003

I don't know where you got the idea that only "a small minority" are complaining, but you are wrong. My dealer saw fit to "upgrade" ALL the cars in their loaner fleet and those being driven by their salesmen. The techs tell me that a large percentage of customers have expressed disatisfaction with the cars performance and they routinely do the upgrade. Lexus admits to customer complaints averaging 12% of sales of 300s. And that is just from people bright enough to recognize a problem. I have talked to techs at three other area Lexus dealers and they tell me that the "upgrade" is being requested by approximatly one half of all owners. SMALL MINORITY? BS At 61 years old I have driving legally for 45 years plus a few illegal years. I have owned dozens of automatic transmission cars, the oldest being a 1950 Oldsmobile. All of them shifted better and more dependably, even the ones on the way to a junkyard. That said, the 300 is second only to my 400 as a near perfect automobile. The transmission being a major drawback. I doubt that I would buy another. Lexus's refusal to deal with the problem also casts icewater on my plans to buy a new 430. What if the 430 has a problem?

vcheng · November 2003

WRD: While this is not the main thrust of conversation here, I too was sick of the ES transmission, and decided to move up to an LS430. It does NOT have any drivetrain issues. Good Luck with what you decide.

motownusa · November 2003

I get the idea from Consumer Report JD Powers and other websites and from my own experience. My father owns a 02 Lexus ES300 and I own a 03 Camry V6 which has the same engine and transmission. A handful of people ranting and raving on internet forums can greatly exaggerate the true number of people having problems.

lexusrock · November 2003

when they have experienced problems. So it can 'sound' worse than it really is, overall. I've 'test-hard-pressed' my pedal under several merging or out of parking into mainroad scenes and never sensed any hesitation on my 03 ES. It shifted up smoothly and effortlessly. Maybe my standard is lower but I'd think it's something, if there, very easy to tell.

Also what I don't get is that this'd be something easy to catch for those that do when test driving the car, b4 buying it. Why did they still buy it?

wrd · November 2003

Having owned Lexus LS400s since 1997, I would never have believed that Lexus would market a defective automobile and not stand behind it. I did not notice the "shudder" during a test drive.When I purchased the ES300 it became noticable with daily driving.. It didn't always do it and when it did do it, it was not that bad at first. If I had noticed it before purchase I probably would not have bought it.After the "upgrade", a whole new problem appeared. The "shudder" is gone. Slow, inconsistant shifts have taken it's place. Also, at highway speed, when you try to accelerate even slightly, it always downshifts and this takes a timed 3-4 seconds before it gets moving. I hope I never have to get out of the way of something.

wrd · November 2003

Vcheng. I looked at a black ultralux today. As nice as it is, and with no chronic problems reported yet, I would be very nervous spending that much on a Lexus now. It would appear that Lexus' answer to a problem with a product line is to deny that the problem exists.

atoews · November 2003

But you have to do the right thing. Specifically, the problem does not appear when accelerating at a time that gas is flowing from the accelerator. The shudder happens when you pull back off the gas and then accelerate.

To repeat the problem, get going to about 40 mph, then pull back on the gas so the gas flow drops off. Then reapply the gas. The reapplication of gas after dropping off is when the shuddering tends to occur on an unmodified transmission.

The problem is not as evident during highway driving as it is in stop and go traffic.

A person test driving the vehicle may not know what to do to repeat the problem and therefore might not feel it during a test drive.

vcheng · November 2003

I too will reconsider my options for my next car, with this experience with Lexus leaving an overall bad taste. In the meantime I will enjoy my black ultralux, and wish you good luck in your decisions.

lexusrock · November 2003

following your 'instruction' still came to no avail for discovering the shuddering on local. When you said "pull back on the gas so the gas flow drops off", do you mean to use brake to slow down or just let the car slow down by itself, and at what mph do you reapply gas, and also how hard do you have to apply it?

If it's this tricky for me to find it I guess even it's really there it's no big deal. I'd hardly feel 'it' anyhow. Of course I'd never understand why some people are so 'frustrated' with it as I am just as frustrated finding it.

One more thing tho, is this shuddering really what the tranny problem is. It does not seem to be the abrupt downshift or upshift hesitation issues also mentioned for it. Anyway, a few K miles already in the bag for me on both local and hwy. I am just about content with whatever tranny it's under the hood of my 300, unless it can occur only after certain mileage.

kreativ · November 2003

As far as the specific shuddering described by atoews, this can be reproduced in other Lexus models back to 1990. I've experienced this in an LS and GS, but not yet in the 5spd ES (I don't doubt the same characteristic is there). I don't think this is the main complaint of those who dislike the new ES' transmission.

motownusa · November 2003

If there is a "problem" whether it is the transmission, or shuddering it should show up regardless of how I drive. It is strange that people claim you have to drive a certain way to feel the "problem." I mean why would I abruptly take my foot off the pedal after accelerating to 40 mph anyway?

atoews · November 2003

Just let your foot off the gas momentarily (say two seconds) and then try and feed it the gas; accelerate like you want to pass someone who is going 60 mph or like you need to get to 60 from 40 as quickly as possible. The car will have a delay and then surge ahead kind of jerkily as you are accelerating.

I had a Camry for several years before I bought my ES300 and the Camry did not do anything like that. I suspect that Lexuses with 4 speeds do not do it. Also, for the other Lexuses, I believe fixes were issued by Lexus. I have test driven several ES300s (only 2002s, however) and they all do it.

And yes, I think this is what people are complaining about. It can be scary when there is that delay when pulling out in traffic.

atoews · November 2003

I suspect that some folks pull off the accelerator before speeding up more than do others. If you typically accelerate smoothly, you probably will not feel it as often as those whose motor skills are not as good.

I am convinced that an individual's motor skills or lack of them contribute to the problem, not only the frequency of the problem but the severity as well.

Have you ever been a passenger in a vehicle where the driver could not keep up a constant gas flow? Where they kept speeding up and slowing slightly? I have, and it drives me crazy. The ES300 would perform very poorly for a person like that and I suspect that those few people who cannot stand the transmission tend to be that type of driver.

lexusrock · November 2003

I've to say that's not a very common sequence but I'll try that out, maybe this time not on local road -- don't want to explain that to a cop. The only place I think I can drive like that w/o risking being ticketed or fingered is on entrace to highway, and there's actually a ligit scenario to that too. Will see. I very rarely have to drive like that for any car though.

That said, I recalled my friend mentioned his 92 Camry having hesitation problem in merging but that's after quite a few years' miles on it. And also for most cars when you hit gas fast all the way from a stop line (like racing) you'd feel a sudden delay-and-burst. That seems normal but I am assuming that's not the one we're talking about for ES here.

amf1932 · November 2003

After complaining months ago about my new '03 ES's transmission problem, and having the dealer upgrade the software, I find this fix didn't do anything to help the hesitation in certain instances. What i'd like to know is this: Are the '04 ES330 plagued with the same problem?

vcheng · November 2003

atoews · November 2003

If your car is perfect for you, you are so LUCKY. Don't go chasing a problem you are not currenly having. Why would you want to make yourself less happy?

You are among the owners who are not experiencing the symptom. Just thank your lucky stars and enjoy your car.

wrd · November 2003

i cannot understand why anyone would blame performance quirks on another persons "motor skills" or driving skills. This is a $35,000, 21st century automobile. It should perform on a par with other automobiles. IT DOESN'T!!!!!!!

wrd · November 2003

My 02 typically "shuddered" when driving about 40mph and accelerating lightly on a highway entrance ramp. Annoying, not dangerous. Problems after the "upgrade" are annoying AND dangerous.

es300trans · November 2003

Well, its been a while since I have addressed the transmission issue. I had the SW upgraded yesterday. This is available to anyone who has been experiencing the hesitation issues. It is clear that Lexus is trying to do something about the transmission issues in the es300.

I only drove it for about 10 miles last night. I found the car to be much more responsive and definitely an improvement from the way it was. However, there are still issues. Instead of hesitating, it may surge a bit after a quick start. It stills shudders a bit as well.

Since my wife is now driving the car, I will ask her if there are any ongoing issues and will post them if serious enough to warrant it.

atoews · November 2003

why some folks CAN'T feel the problem. Do you have a better reason? Here are the only alternatives that I can come up with:

1) Those who don't feel it drive differently.
2) Those who don't feel it have a different perception of the same problem. For example, they think it's normal and acceptable.
3) Everyone who feels it differently than you do(or I do) is lying, exaggerating, or in denial. Those like kreativ and lenscap, who say they don't feel the problem are lying. Those like texas83, who says it is dangerous, is lying. The Lexus dealers who say there is no problem are lying. Lexus is lying.

It is human nature to believe 3. However, I don't think that helps anything. Deep down, I know that the people who perceive things differently than I do are not lying, not in denial, and not exaggerating. So, it has got to be 1) or 2) or something I haven't thought of.

How do YOU explain it?

vcheng · November 2003

I had an ES. I hated the transmission "quirks". I traded it in with just 550 miles on the clock. I took a huge loss. I moved on to another car. Life is too short to prove to others whether I, or they, are right. For those who are happy with thier ESs, good for you. For those who aren't, seek a solution whether it be upgarded software, or a new car. Enjoy life.

atoews · November 2003

Is because we are hoping there are enough dissatisfied owners that Lexus will be motivated to fix the problem. I think we are hoping that boards like these will help us assimilate a reasonable case. The reason that the issues cited in my last email are important is because so long as respective owners do not have a consistent experience, it impedes Lexus' motivation to fix the problem. I am sure it will be VERY expensive for Lexus to do so.

If we were all convinced that Lexus will never under any circumstance, fix the problem, I'm sure you'd hear the conversation cease.

If we were certain that Lexus would not fix the problem, then I agree with you. Live with the car, or trade it in.

But until it is very obvious that Lexus will not fix the problem, life IS short - too short to throw lots of money away trading in nearly new vehicles when there is a possibility the problem may be fixed.

vcheng · November 2003

However, I did come to the conclusion that Lexus will not fix the transmission issues because it would be too costly for them. Hence the life is too short comment. I am an automotive enthusiast, and I do feel the frustration that you are feeling right now, since I went through it myself.

I think the biggest benefit of boards such as these is to enable a wiser choice for those considering a new ES. We who have prior experience need to inform possible new owners so that they may take this into consideration when deciding.

As long as Lexus can sell every ES they make at the price close to MSRP, they will not be moved to fix the transmission.

My previous posts document two procedures to check out the characteristics of the ES drivetrain on a test drive. If you can't feel what I and others have described here, chances are you will be happy with the car. If you do feel the symptoms, please be forewarned that Lexus will not be able to help you out.

simmomi · November 2003

Which ES did you own?

vcheng · November 2003

....2003 ES300 since it is the only FWD Lexus sedan on the market and we have a lot of snow here in the winter. I was surprised by how sub-par the drivetrain was due to shudders and delays. I also have had the opportunity to drive several other 2002-2003 ES300, and 2004 ES330.

The new ES330 continues to have the same problems unfortunately.

For those of you considering the new ES330, or even a older ES300, I would suggest he following two tests:

First, accelerate lightly on a plain road to about 38-39 mph. As the torque converter locks at about that speed, you will notive a distinct drivetrain shudder accompanied by a low frequency rumble. This will happen in the range of 40-45 mph.

Secondly, at any speed between 35-50 mph or so, after travelling at a steady spped for a few hundred yards, floor the throttle as if needed for a traffic maneuver. The engine will bog down, jerking the car very distinctly almost always, and occasionally for as long as one-half to one second, before taking off as it should do in the first place.

Like I said before, if you do these two things, and are either unable to feel these symptoms, or are not bothered by them, then you will be happy with the ES. Otherwise, you will be miserable, perhaps not as much as I was, but will be disappointed by Lexus.

I give this advice as my experience only, without any overt emotion or ulterior motive. I am quite happy with my ultralux LS430. I just don't want people to be unhappy with the ES because they did not have complete information, and that is what my intent is posting on this forum. Please feel free to ignore my post as the drivel of a raving lunatic.

mrrogers · November 2003

My wife currently drives a 98 Buick Regal with a four speed automatic. She is sensitive to the constant upshifting and downshifting that the transmission does in the 38 mph to 45 mph range, so she starts out in third gear and does not shift into fourth gear until she is on the highway. She is considering an ES as her next car. Has anyone tried this driving style in an ES with the transmission problem? Does it make the car any smoother from a drivability standpoint? I realize she should not have to do this, but no car is perfect, and if avoiding fifth gear or even fourth gear around town eliminates the problem, it may be a reasonable compromise for her.

alcan · November 2003

Actually, the ``shift`` felt at the speeds you describe is probably the torque converter clutch locking, not a 3-4 shift. Here are shift points, from the GM 1998 Regal repair manual:

3-4 Upshift Minimum Throttle = 45 mph

3-4 Upshift Wide Open Throttle (WOT) = N/A

Minimum TCC Apply -- Third Gear = 28 mph

Minimum TCC Apply -- Fourth Gear = 45 mph

mrrogers · November 2003

My wife is probably feeling the torque converter lock and unlock when she drives in fourth gear around town. Concerning a Lexus ES, I still wonder if the car will perform smoother if third or fourth gear is used for city driving rather than fifth?

atoews · November 2003

vcheng - Your recent posts are all well said.

mrogers - Driving in 4th gear definitely improves the situation.

And then some of us just accept the problem. As I have said before, if I had it to do over, I'd purchase my 2002 ES300, transmission problem and all, again. It is annoying to me, but not a huge, huge deal.

My only regret is that I did not find a deal where I could have bought a "used" one whose owner traded with low miles because they did not like the transmission!!

lexusrock · November 2003

after some more tests based on atoews and vcheng's 'instructions'. No shuddering and no hesitation. If anything I found it actually provides quite an ample and responsive power when merging, passing a yellow light, or just jerking around on local. I do find it cost the MPG big time. Either my 03 really does not have it, or I am just one insensitive fellow (don't tell my wife). Anyway, like atoews suggested to me, why bother when it's just 'not there for me'. I guess I was lucky as I did not test drive the car that way (few do I gather). For for upcoming buyers they might want to jerk around the car a bit when test driving the car, and don't buy it if whatever is really bothering.

wrd · November 2003

With the exception of Lexus USA and its service departments, I do not think anyone is lying. The service managers say what the company tells them to say. I do think that a large majority of owners will accept what they are told by Lexus. An even larger number don't know the difference,e.g. Have you ever seen someone blissfully driving along at highway speed on a almost flat tire? And there may be some cars that perform properly. I have yet to drive one. I was told initially by Lexus Customer Service and by my local service department that Lexus was aware of and acknowledging a problem with the performance of my 02 and a repair would be released by July 03. When I called in July to inquire about their progress, I was told that the car was performing as designed and no fix was in the works. I called Lexus Customer Service and got the same story. A month later,in this board, I learned of the "upgrade". I called Customer Service and they confirmed the news after previously denying it. I printed it out from this board and took it to my service manager. The "upgrade had been in their computer for 4 days and they were unaware of it. Very apologetic. "I was only repeating what the area rep told us". They did the "upgrade". The tech has driven the car since then and says it is performing as designed. He says it with a smile on his face that leads me to believe that he is only repeating company policy. Also told me that he would not recommend trading it in on a 03 or 04. Nough said?

texas83 · November 2003

A little over two weeks ago my car suddenly started shifting just fine. No more slip and surge, it shifted well from first to second, and it tested just fine for sudden acceleration. I have no idea why it started working okay. Basically, I thought it was some delay in the software upgrade. Now... just as suddenly it's back to the same slip and surge in stop and go traffic. I hit the gas like I needed to get out of trouble and the car went no where as the RPM's hit redline. It's very frustrating. You know.... if the transmission worked this, would be a great car.

greggba · November 2003

I have never posted on this board but have been following along for several months. I sought out this board because I was having a problem with the transmission on my 2002 ES300. I would never have done so if the car didn't have a problem. I am very skeptical of those on this board that don't have a problem with this car, why are you here? I had the upgrade about 2 months ago and for 2-3 weeks the car was greatly improved but after that it went back to the same problems. I have also noticed that the problems are not consistent from week to week. With multiple passengers and a full tank of premium gas it behaves better. Anyone else notice that the weight of the car changes things a bit?

texas83 · November 2003

Ditto.... ditto... ditto. The problems I have vary from day to day and week to week. I actually thought for a couple of weeks that the problem was gone. We seem to share the same frustration. In addition, I believe some of the posters are Lexus plants doing damage control. Others are probably just extremely insecure, feeling they bought a Lexus and are bragging about it and can't bear the thought that someone else is dissing their car. At any rate, anyone claiming there isn't a problem with a good number of these cars is nuts. When I kicked Lexus butt in the Lemon Law hearing, Lexus admitted that 1 in 12 is dissatisfied with the transmission. I'm sure it's probably higher than that. Lexus is counting on their previous quality reputation to get them through this problem until they can find a fix. Until then they will give us the same "Denial Talking Point Lines" that everyone is hearing.

mmccloskey · November 2003

Greetings:

I have a 2K2 ES300 w/11.4K miles which I bought new in July of 2002. It has a manufacture date of 6/02. I read vcheng's description of the transmission issue and attempted to recreate the symtoms as described. I drove on a straight, flat road, accelerated moderately up to the indicated speed, then 'booted' the gas pedal. The engine revved up and within .5 seconds the car was underway and approaching 60mph w/o any drama at all. The shifting (such as it was) was extremely smooth and I could not detect any unusual sounds. I tried this several times and the results were the same. The transmission was very smooth in each situation and the car got up to speed promptly. I am quite perceptive and aware with excellent hearing (hence buying a such a quiet car) but could not duplicate the issue that seems so prevelant with some owners.

I must add that I have used premium fuel since taking ownership and I usually drive in a sedate/composed manner which may affect the overall behavior of the car. On rare occassions I have driven the car 'hard' - taking off in a brisk manner and 'booting' it at 60mph which quickly climbs to 80mph and find the car has plenty of power and performs as expected.

I have not had the tranny 'upgrade' due to others voicing their displeasure with the results and see no need to as I'm quite pleased with the car.

Regards -

M. J. McCloskey

vcheng · November 2003

But that is only one of the two "tests" that I described. What about the light throttle drivetrain shudder at torque converter lockup speed?

mmccloskey · November 2003

Vcheng: Sorry I didn't relay the results of other 'test' of the transmission but it appeared the full-throttle passing issue is what concerned most so I elaborated on that.

During the initial test I did drive for a time at 40mph and didn't notice anything unusual although there was a 'lugging' sensation that I attribute to the RPM's being in the 1,200 range while in top gear/lockup. I didn't detect any low freqency rumble as you noted but there was a distant mechanical noise that I suspect was the drivetrain attempting to keep the vehicle moving with very little throttle input.

During my efforts to emulate the transmission issues noted in your post, the audio and climate control systems were off to fully detect any apparent audible abnormalities. The road surface was smooth asphalt and no tire/road/wind noise intruded.

I am driving my other vehicle today and will give the ES another workout this coming weekend to see if it will 'slip up' and disappoint me. Results to follow.

BTW - contrats on your Ultralux LS430 - a very stately car indeed.

Regards -

M. J. McCloskey

vcheng · November 2003

....don't test it anymore! Just enjoy the car.

jimbow · November 2003

About six weeks ago I had the engine/transmission computer re-programed, and it has worked well for me. I have a 2002 ES300 purchased in Oct 2001 and have used nothing but super gas. I am not an aggressive driver.

Early on I experienced the torque converter lockup shudder but it soon went away (probably I adjusted my driving habits at that crossover speed). I also had problems in that the transmission would not downshift unless I pressed the accelerator down very far (it should go from 5th to 4th with little pedal travel). When the transmission finally downshifted it seemed to go from 5th to 3rd and took off like a bat out of hell since the pedal was pressed down so far. It also hesitated before downshifting and the revs went up (but no where near redline).

The "fix" made downshifting much more responsive. It downshifts from 5th to 4th with very little pedal travel and shifts to 3rd with additional pedal travel. The only down side I have experienced is that it now has a slight hesitation between all gears when accelerating. Previously it shifted VERY smoothly through the gears from 1st through 5th. I am satisfied with the trade off. The car now feels like it has 210HP.

wrd · November 2003

Therein lies the problem. mmccloskey feels the shudder but apparently doesn't feel this is a problem in a $35k automobile. Jimbow is very happy even though his $35k automobile hesitates between shifts. I guess we all have different standards. I would like my top of the line, midsize luxury car to shift and drive at least as well as a Geo Metro or the mid-60s Amc Gremlin I had the misfortune to drive recently. Too much to ask? My car also drives great for a long enough time that I begin to think it is cured. Then it falls apart. Yesterday, Nov 15, I was close behind another car and wanted to pass, but another car was hanging right on my left rear quarter. When the car behind me dropped back a little, I floored it to pass. The motor revved up, the car slowed down and by the time it sorted itself out, found a gear and got moving, I was again trapped by the car behind me. All this at about 40mph. This does not happen on my 400, why does it happen on my 300? Why Does Lexus refuse to acknowlege the problem?

atoews · November 2003

I have made your point numerous times before.

But here is the key: if owners do not feel or view the problem consistently, how can we ban together to demand that Lexus do something about the problem?

This has been the root of my frustration. Until all owners or most owners express dissatisfaction, Lexus will not be motivated to spend a lot of money fixing the problem. And I am convinced that it would be a very costly problem for Lexus to fix.

driftracer · November 2003

Lexus didn't design the car to be driven "Fast and the Furious" style or the style that initiates road rage incidents.

You state that you had a car right on your rear quarter, then tried to "thread the needle" by cutting between that car and the car in front of you (a little too close there, too, perhaps?).

Then, you had to "floor it" to do the deed - these aren't normal driving issues - get a Viper or a Porsche, or a stickered-up Honda Civic with a big rear spoiler of you want to drive like you're racing at Lime Rock Park.

Sorry for the judgement call, but I'm sure Lexus didn't dseign the transmission management system to respond to autocross-style stab and steer driving.

atoews · November 2003

I don't know where wrd lives, but in order to move from lane to lane in southern california freeway traffic at least, it would not be unusual to execute moves as wrd describes.

driftracer · November 2003

aside, I'm referring to driving style - the ES 300 isn't a race car and its transmission is adaptive to a point - I'd think it would be easy to "surprise" the TCM, as noted in wrd's post when he floored the throttle.

dardson1 · November 2003

My '01 ES 300 shifts perfectly. In fact, I can't think of thing about the car I dislike. As my lease end approaches I've watched this thread religiously. I had an '03 overnight. I did a reasonably thorough test drive. Compared to my '01 it was even quieter (remarkable considering), noticably larger (inside) and more luxo. I quickly noticed the "slow" downshift although I didn't experience the high rev situation. I also noticed the stereo sounded sorry (they took out the beefy 195 watt standard unit and replaced it with an 86 watt unit.) It felt heavy (not necessaryly a bad thing), rock solid, powerful enough (drove the 300), but slowish to respond. I'd describe it as a leisurely driving experience closer to what I'd expect from an American Luxomobile designed for the Lincoln Town Car crowd. I was delighted to get my '01 back and knew for sure the new ES would not be my next vehicle. I hate that!

kreativ · November 2003

"they took out the beefy 195 watt standard unit and replaced it with an 86 watt unit"

The 195W stereo spec they listed on the previous generation model was PMPO (maximum output). They switched to listing the more meaningful RMS (average output) with the new generation ES. Doesn't sound as impressive, but at least it's not corrupted in the name of marketing. It's a common tactic to market crappy stereo equipment will high PMPO ratings to lure in unsuspecting customers. This is, of course, not the case with the ES stereo of any year. But may explain why they ditched using this rating system in their advertising.

toydriver · November 2003

I Drive a '03 ES with about 6000mi.
After reviewing some of the recent posts from mrrogers and atoews, I decided to try driving in 4th gear while commuting on side streets under 45mph. This has decreased my perception of the transmission "shudder". I had noticed it most while coasting between 45-38mph, when it would downshift from 5th to 4th. Taking 5th gear out of the picture at these speeds seems to improve things.
When I accelerate to over 45, I move the gear lever into D for highway speed driving.

When in gear D, I haven't noticed the down-shift hesitation while rapidly accelerating that others have complained of. I just feel a quick response and surge in power as it shifts down to 4.

(btw, I haven't yet had the upgrade)

Transmission problems with Lexus ES?

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