NHTSA Complaint #10313789 — 2004 LEXUS RX330

PURCHASED A NEW 2004 LEXUS RX 330 IN AUGUST OF 2003 AND REPEATEDLY BROUGHT THE CAR TO DEALERSHIPS COMPLAINING OF A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE ELECTRONIC ACCELERATOR AND THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE IN AN INTERSECTION OR ON A FREEWAY ENTRANCE RAMP, THE CAR WILL HESITATE FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN CATAPULT FORWARD. ALSO, WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION WILL ERRATICALLY JUMP BETWEEN DIFFERENT GEARS, AS IF LOOKING FOR THE OPTIMAL GEAR. I CAN BEST DESCRIBE THIS TRANSMISSION AS SCHIZOPHRENIC. I HAVE CONTACTED MULTIPLE LEXUS DEALERS OVER THE YEARS FROM MINNEAPOLIS, TO CHICAGO TO SALT LAKE CITY AND THEY ALL TOLD ME THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AS MANY CUSTOMERS HAVE COMPLAINED. HOWEVER, LEXUS HAS NEVER OFFERED SERVICE OR A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE REPROGRAMMED MY TRANSMISSION ON 2 OCCASIONS AND TOLD ME TO USE PREMIUM FUEL. NONE OF THESE ACTIONS CORRECTED THE SITUATION. I FEEL THAT IN A BUSY INTERSECTION, THE UNPREDICTABLE ACCELERATION OF MY VEHICLE PROVIDES NO ASSURANCE THAT MY CAR WILL MOVE FORWARD WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED. THIS CAN LEAD TO COLLISION AND INJURY. *TR