NHTSA Complaint #10086808 — 2004 LEXUS RX330

OUR 2004 LEXUS RX330 (NOW ABOUT 15,000 MILES) CONTINUES TO HAVE TERRIBLE SHIFTING PROBLEMS WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. IN PARTICULAR, TWO MAJOR ISSUES -- (1) DOESN'T UPSHIFT CORRECTLY, USUALLY BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEARS, BUT THE REAL CONCERN IS (2) WHEN SLOWING DOWN, COASTING ANYTHING ABOVE 0 MPH (EVEN 1), THEN HITTING THE GAS PEDAL, THE CAR SIMPLY DOESN'T RESPOND FOR 3-5 SECONDS, THEN SLOWLY ACCELERATES. WE'VE ALMOST BEEN HIT 5 TIMES BECAUSE OF THE 2ND PROBLEM. WE'VE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOUR TIMES TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. THE FIRST TIME THE DEALER DENIED THE PROBLEM EXISTED. THE SECOND TIME THEY RECOGNIZED IT (AFTER A TEST DRIVE WITH ME) AND RESET THE SOFTWARE/DRIVING CHIP, TELLING ME THE CAR "LEARNS" OUR DRIVING HABITS AFTER ABOUT 300 MILES, SO TO GET THE CAR TO RESPOND [THE WAY IT SHOULD], I SHOULD FLOOR THE GAS ALL THE TIME FOR THE FIRST 300 MILES OR SO, WHICH I DID FROM EVERY STOPLIGHT FOR 350 MILES. IT DIDN'T WORK. NOW DURING MY THIRD AND FOURTH VISITS LEXUS HAS DECLINED TO RESET THE CHIP OR DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE LEAD MECHANIC TOLD ME THEY SIMPLY DON'T HAVE A FIX, AND HE KNOWS IT'S AN ISSUE. IN FACT, A MONTH AGO (SERVICE APPT #4) THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY ABOUT $300 TO HAVE THEM RESET THE CHIP AGAIN (WHICH LIKELY WOULDN'T WORK ANYWAY, AS DESCRIBED ABOVE). I'VE BEEN TOLD BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR HE'S HEARD COMPAINTS FROM MANY NEW RX330 OWNERS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT SHORT OF A RECALL FROM LEXUS, "THAT'S THE WAY THE TRANSMISSION WORKS ON THE RX330 AND WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT". IT'S TERRIBLY FRUSTRATING THAT LEXUS DENIES THERE'S A PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH MANY HAVE REPORTED IT, AND WE'VE ALMOST BEEN HIT BY ANOTHER AUTOMOBILE BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. I JUST HOPE IT DOESN'T TAKE A MAJOR ACCIDENT OR WORSE FOR LEXUS OR THE NHTSA TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.*AK