NHTSA Complaint #10091268 — 2004 LEXUS RX330

MY LEXUS RX 330 HAS HAD REPEATED TRANSMISSION AND THROTTLE PROBLEMS. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HESITATES, HUNTS, SHIFTS INCONSISTENTLY, HANGS IN BETWEEN GEARS, DELAYS, ETC. THE THROTTLE DELAYS AT THE FIRST APPLICATION OF GAS AND THE RATE OF ACCELLERATION SURGES UP AND DOWN UNEVENLY. THE RESULT IS THAT THE CAR OFTEN CANNOT AVOID HAZARD SITUATIONS. IF ONE IS TRYING TO PULL INTO TRAFFIC THE DELAYS CREATE HAZARDS. IF ONE ANTICIPATES AND APPLIES THE THROTTLE EARLY TO COMPENSATE, ONE SOMETIMES LURCHES INTO TRAFFIC. WHEN YOU ATTEMPT A LANE CHANGE THE SAME PROBLEMS CAUSE THE SAME TROUBLES: DELAYS AND A HAZARD. THE DELAY ALSO HAS CAUSED ME TO BE ALMOST REAR ENDED AT STOP LIGHTS. I HAVE REPEATEDLY REPORTED THIS PROBLEM OR PACKAGE OF PROBLEMS TO MY LOCAL SERVICING DEALER AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT LEXUS KNOWS OF THE WIDESPREAD NATURE OF THE COMPLAINTS BUT THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT LEXUS WILL DO FOR IT (OTHER THAN ONE REFLASH THAT DID NOT WORK FOR THE ISSUES). AMAZINGLY, WHEN I RAISED THESE ISSUES IN WRITING, THE WRITTEN RESPONSE ON MY SERVICE RECORDS SHOWED "NO PROBLEMS". WHEN I PUSHED THE SERVICE PERSONNEL ON THIS, THEY ADMITTED THAT ALL OF MY COMPLAINTS WERE FOUND BUT THAT LEXUS CLAIMS THESE PROBLEMS ARE "NORMAL" TO THE DESIGN, THEREFORE, THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD BY LEXUS TO SIMPLY RESPOND THAT "THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION IS PERFORMING AS DESIGNED. A BAD DESIGN IS JUST THAT. LOCAL SERVICE PEOPLE SIMPLY THROW THEIR COLLECTIVE HANDS UP AND SAY THE THEY KNOW ABOUT THE GRAVITY OF THE PROBLEM BUT THAT LEXUS WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO EXPECT NO SOLUTION AND TO JUST LIVE WITH IT. SIGNIFICANTLY, THIS IS THE LARGEST SELLING LEXUS MODEL. THEREFORE, THESE PROBLEMS AND THE HAZARDS THAT THEY CREATE AFFECT THOUSANDS OF MOTORISTS.*AK