NHTSA Complaint #10062320 — 2003 LEXUS ES300

THERE IS A DANGEROUS AND UNPREDICTABLE TENDENCY FOR THE VEHICLE ENGINE/TRANSMISSION COMBINATION TO ACCELERATE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WHICH MAKES IT ESPECIALLY UNNERVING. IT IS MOST NOTICEABLE AT SPEEDS BELOW 40 MPH, WHEN FIRST SLOWING, FOLLOWED BY ACCELERATION. IT APPEARS TO BE EXACERBATE BY UNCERTAIN TRANSMISSION "HUNTING" FOR PROPER GEAR/ENGINE SPEED COMBINATIONS. THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION CAUSES A RAPID AND JERKY THROTTLE RESPONSE TO MILD ACCELERATOR PEDAL INPUT. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER ON AT LEAST TWO OCCASIONS FOR THIS ISSUE. THE FIRST TIME, THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE TRANSMISSION. THE SECOND TIME, THE TECHNICIAN TESTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTE "NO PROBLEM FOUND". AT CURRENT MILEAGE OF 32,000, THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE WORSENING. THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT, IF LEFT UNDRESSED, IS LIKELY TO BE THE CAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT, SERIOUS INJURY OR MUCH WORSE. *JB