Automatic transmission is almost always in too high a gear for conditions. Shifts up too quickly and shifts down too slowly. Presents a severe danger in that emergency acceleration is very poor from low speed and/or while negotiating a turn. Dealer states this is normal for fuel mileage and environmental reasons.

- Murrieta, CA, USA

The 2004 Lexus ES330 transmission was hesitation or lack of response, I could sense the hesitation to sudden speed which I imagine could be a problem if there was a car tailgating me or changing lanes.

- San Francisco, CA, USA

Automatic transmission/vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal failed. The vehicle hesitates when the throttle is applied while drining at 30 to 40 mph due to poor transmission shifting. The dealer installed new software which improved (~50%) but did not eliminate the concern. The consumer says this is a common concern with these vehicles based on his internet research.

- San Marino, CA, USA

This car is extremely dangerous. It's either a defective transmission or bad drive-by-wire design.the car hesitates extremely badly on acceleration. For example, when you are entering a limited access highway, if you slow down and then step on the gas, there is a long lag before the car begins to pick up speed. This lag is often a second or more. I have nearly been hit numerous times while the car makes up its mind whether it wants to move or not.the dealer has refused to fix the problem.

- Broken Arrow, OK, USA

During the first weeks, the transmission acted erratically. Driving at slow speeds, when I release the accelerator to coast, and then accelerate, the transmission slips or takes time to engage, causing the vehicle to lurch forward. (this has been described as a "delay/hesitation in shifting, " or that the transmission is "searching for a gear.") the transmission did not shift up or down smoothly. I brought the vehicle in. The service tech acknowledged the problem. I was then asked to bring the vehicle in and leave it for a few days. Not hearing back from anyone, I called and was informed that they had been unable to fix the problem. A few days later, I was told to pick up the car. I spoke with [xxx]. he informed me that Lexus drove the vehicle and speculated the cause was the gas. I was told that I needed to "run through a few tanks of gas." When I went to pick up the vehicle, I was reading the service ticket and saw a statement on the ticket that: "no fault found." Despite this, the ticket was inaccurate. Work was done on the vehicle, including resetting the memory, replacement of a filter and new gas. I then spoke with [xxx], service manager. He conceded that the service ticket was inaccurate. He told me that he was looking into the issue. He called me back and said the Lexus engineers were aware of this problem and it was a software problem. The vehicle is defective. I have now driven 2-3 of these cars, and the symptoms are consistent. I contacted Lexus. They stated that the problem was a "characteristic" of the car, and that there "was nothing wrong with the car." Lexus knows the car's transmission is defective, but the fix is too costly. So, consumers are going to be stonewalled. The NHTSA should immediately recall all Lexus vehicles with the 330 engine mated to this new 5 speed transmission before someone is injured/killed. If you or anyone else has any questions, please feel free to call me at [xxx]. information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (foi

- Houston, TX, USA

Transmission failed to accelerate when stepping on gas. Transmission only whined and failed to get a gear for a couple of moments. (big hesitation) very dangerous when trying to pass at low speeds. The transmission only does this intermittently, dealer states its drive by wire and is normal. I guess until somebody dies they (Lexus) are not going to do anything about it. Help, this has been an ongoing problem and the car only has 1600 miles on it.

- Concord, NC, USA

Automatic transmission produces unpredictable and erratic behavior, including vehicle hesitation, transmission slipping, and lurching on acceleration. I feel this is a serious safety concern for which the public should be made aware. I have had the vehicle serviced on four occasions without successful remediation. The dealer claims awareness of the issues and insists that there is no immediate repair available.

- Katy, TX, USA

My wife and I purchased a new 2004 Lexus ES 330 on February 7th, 2004. We had read many good things about this car, and thought we were buying the best.he salesman reaffirmed our thoughts. We bought the car in sarasota and drove it home to bradenton. I noticeda difference from the demonstrator immediately. The transmission whined as it went through the gears; it slipped noticeably in the gear changes; and it failed to drop into lower gears immediately when I gave it throttle to pass. I thought they would fix it in the 1,000 mile checkup, but when I took it in on March 11, '04, the technician, S report said, "...all data normal. Transmission is is working as designed." I objected to no avail. What kind of manufacturer would design a transmission to slip, whine, and in the words of consumer guide of April, 2004, "...transmission tends to loiter in higher gears and hesitates to kick down for passing, creating delays in part-throttle response." I amfinding out that this has been a problem since at least '02 with no corrective measures being taken. We think this problem makes these cars unsafe in today's heavy traffic.

- Bradenton, FL, USA

I have a 2004 ES330 which has a significant shifting problem in low gears. I have taken the car back to the dealership twice already and am ready for the third visit. The dealer "reset" the memory for the shifting pattern at 200 miles because of unpredictable driving patterns. The transmission does not always shift poorly, about 25% of the time there is a problem. There seems to be a hesitation during the shifting which causes a lack of power. I have noticed this while merging onto highway traffic, and it is very dangerous. I have contacted the Lexus customer service and they were of no help, only to tell me that other customers were experiencing the same problems with their transmissions. If I do not get satisfaction from the third visit I will get a "lemon law" hearing and hope for the best. I am very disappointed in the Lexus/Toyota response to this obvious engineering blunder. Where is the quality that they are known for?

- Spencer, MA, USA

For the last 3 months since I purchased my Lexus RX330, I have experience excessive engine vibrations in the steering wheel and the transmission is shifting improperly. Though I have taken my car into Lexus many times they have not fix these problems and I believe they need to be addressed.

- Memphis, TN, USA