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Comments
My car has 16000 miles on it and I purchased it in March of 2002.
I wonder if it has anything to do with how cold it is. When it happened the outside temperature read 38 degrees, a condition I rarely drive in.
My car is an '02 without the transmission patch.
As for the warped rotors, mine was warped at 1500 and was resurfaced. They just recently replaced it altogether, no charge, on my 19.5K service. My 02 now has 20.5K on it.
Don't know whether it involved front and back.
When I asked about this part #, I was told that they do not normally carry that part. The tech called up Lexus Corp and they approved a special order, without charge to me. They said they normally don't do that kind of thing but they're doing it as "an act of good faith."
After the chip installation, the driving experience somewhat improved but did not eliminate the problem altogether. If felt faster off the line (probably because it held on to the first gear longer than before) and the shudder did not occur as often. I sometimes go 3-4 days without noticing a shudder but after the tranny update, it seems to occur more often.
If you have this part #, you may want to think twice before applying the update. It can make it worse like it did mine.
"After the chip installation... It felt faster off the line...and the shudder DID NOT OCCUR AS OFTEN. I sometimes go 3-4 days without noticing a shudder but after the tranny update, it seems to OCCUR MORE OFTEN."
I'm considering the update on my '03 and have been soliciting advice and opinions on whether it does or does not improve the perception of the "shudder" when the car changes gears.
It's clear that you're not happy with your upgrade experience but you contradicted yourself.
(My biggest complaint about my car is the shudder when it downshifts as the car slows down).
I've traded stumble and shuddering problems for surging. I am not sure which one is worse. What I do know is that I will never by a Lexus again.
P.S. I had the front rotors replaced at 7K miles since they were defective.
any suggestions?
Lexus: WAKE UP AND SMELL THE ROSES!
My experience has been like that of many owners, however, I think I'll stick with what I've got instead of going for the "enhancement" which probably won't ensure perfection. This is what I suspected...........
My shifting problems only occur occasionally, and usually when I'm on a "hill" here in the L.A. area. When going downhill, just coasting and braking, THAT'S when the problem is the worst. Luckily, I don't have to do that too often.
On freeways (NOT commute times, LOL) the car is a dream, truly -- it accelerates beautifully, reaching cruising speed quickly and without glitch. It rolls along steadily and quietly with no problems and de-celerates nicely. It's just those darned "hills" on occasion, but on a steep grade such as the Conejo in Ventura County, again the car accelerates perfectly and without hesitation. I zoom from 25 to 75 in a couple of seconds, passing every vehicle on the road without so much as a hint of transmission change. That would NOT be true, of course, if someone got in my way and I had to brake or remove my foot from the gas pedal.
Even more rarely, on a city street, if I accelerate quickly away from a stop sign or light without having come to a complete stop first, the car will lurch forward but it doesn't seem dangerous to me as it doesn't move all that much. I see this as a good reminder to me to come to complete stops.
To sum up, it seems that quickie stops and starts are what cause the transmission jerkiness most often. This should NOT be happening, of course, but overall this is a great car and most of the time the "jerking" can be avoided.
I will tell the dealership about my decision NOT to put in the "enhancement" and WHY, and I will definitely tell them I am NOT 100% pleased with the transmission, as they need to know how we all feel.
Unless something else happens down the line, however, I will not be seeking legal counsel, etc., as some here have chosen to do. I agree with voicing displeasure and even if the majority of owners do not complain, the numbers are significant enough that Toyota/Lexus SHOULD make restitution to the really dissatisfied owners.
My last car was a '93 Nissan Altima, 4 cyl. engine. That little car could zoom around, too, but believe me, it was NO pleasure trying to reach higher speeds on freeways or accelerating up any hills whatsoever. Talk about feeling the gears shifting. WHOA!!!!
I have been told over and over that the ES300 is NOT a high performance car -- the salespersons at Lexus admitted the G35 Infiniti has taken quite a bite out of their sales for that very reason. I note there are a lot of young males driving that G35, probably due to its "performance." I had thought about the G35 for myself, and drove one, but for my needs, the ES300 was better, i.e, middle-aged female who is not the "high performance" type.
Good luck to all with your ES cars.
shopper652, why did you think it to do with VSC or not? Mine has no VSC and I've not experienced the said tranny problems yet. I think my 03 was made right b4 they stopped 03 production.
My ES' problem is very similar to that described by "encinowoman". It downshifts hard when it is going down hill or decelerating. Otherwise, it behaves well.
As for the VSC, I do not believe I have that feature, but many here say it makes no difference anyway. All in all, I am VERY happy with the car and have figured out how to drive it to avoid almost all of the transmission jerking people talk about.
I have also learned to drive my car to minimize the problem.
I think a key issue is that we both live in So Cal, where the weather is relatively warm (above freezing) most of the time we are driving. However I live in the desert, where it can get significantly colder in the winter than in LA. Below 32 degrees, my transmission exhibits worse behavior than in warmer temperatures.
Even though it is colder here than it is nearer the coast, it seldom is below 32 degrees out during times when I am driving. I do not have a lot of data for driving in cold weather. I just know that the two times I have had a significant "kick" from the transmission was in below 30 degree temps. I believe that if my transmission behaved often as badly as it did those two times, I might feel as texas83 and rtorecca and vcheng do about the issue.
of any Lexus or Toyota product I have ever owned or driven.
I haven't decided whether to do the upgrade or not. Can either of you convince me one way or the other??
I can live with the problem the way it is. It is an issue of not wanting to trade the known for the unknown.
I live in the upper midwest and have noticed more problems since late fall, but it seems to be intermittent (one time it's fine, the next trip - "surge").
Best of luck with your lawyer. Channel your energies through him/her. Lexus is the target.
After one year of ownership, I got a lemon lawyer and got my money back. If you have a mechanical problem that admittedly cannot be fixed by the dealerships, and your vehicle manufacturer does not work with you, then go get your four repair attempts and your money back. Simple.
Good luck to you all. I hope your future car experiences are much more enjoyable.
Houston Chronicle, 3-9-04
CAR'S SURGING PROBLEMS CAUSE INQUIRY.
WASHINGTON (AP)- The federal government is investigating reports that some Toyoyta Camry, Camry Solara and Lexus ES 300 vehicles have surged forward without apparent reason, injuring at least five people.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday it has received reports of 30 crashes due to the alleged defect. In one case, a pedestrian was seriously injured when a vehicle suddenly accelerated, NHSTA said.
Vehicles from the 2002 and 2003 model years are included in the investigations. An estimated 1,011,000 vehicles could be effected, NHTSA said.
Toyota Spokesman John Hanson said Monday the company has received similar complaints and is reviewing its records. Drivers reported sudden acceleration as they depress the brake pedal, shifted the transmission or drove at higher speeds using cruise control.
I drove an RX330 as a loaner and did not have the problem that I have experienced in all ES300s I have driven.
I still think the hesitation discussed here is a ES unique issue.
It has also been characterized as intermittant -
ok sometimes, bad other times. Some people are seriously annoyed by the problem and others don't seem to mind or care.
IMO, if the response that you felt the first time you drove the car would bother you, DON'T buy the car. There is no need to rush spending this kind of money if you're not completely satisfied.
And what he was pointing to on the engine is "VVT-i" - Variable Valve Timing with intelligence. I don't know why he referenced that instead of the ECT-i when explaining the learning behavior of the transmission.
I have not felt a sluggish startup, but more like a shudder, and mostly when accelerating after I have pulled back from the gas.
Also, if you are not trying to repeat the problem, it tends to be intermittant.
But I could repeat the shudder on all ES300s I have driven.
I have not driven an ES330, but some board members have reported that the problem was never fixed in the ES330.