NHTSA Complaint #10068413 — 2004 LEXUS ES 330

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