330 Or Not 330

[ke4dc]

I like the 330 overall. I drove one at a dealer and noticed

the hesitation right off. I had no prior knowledge of the

issue at that time. I don't know if people are experiencing the problem on the 2005s or not. Should I buy a 330 or

an Accura TL. TL is nice but uses premium gas! I am in

a quandry over this transmission issue. Is it still a problem and has Lexus fixed it?? Any Advise????

[SW03ES]

I'd drive a 2005 and find out ;)

[ImranS]

Yes it is still there

but you learn to live with it. It's not as bad as some people may make you think (although it should be fixed). You just have to kinda learn how to use the gas pedal. On odd and few occasions has the car given me any sort of abruptness, it is still a very smooth and classy vehicle.

I did read that not all fo them have this problem and the ones that do can have something like a ECU reflash to eliminiate it. Anybody heard about this?

[Lexusfreak]

Yes it is still there

but you learn to live with it.  It's not as bad as some people may make you think (although it should be fixed).  You just have to kinda learn how to use the gas pedal.  On odd and few occasions has the car given me any sort of abruptness, it is still a very smooth and classy vehicle.

I did read that not all fo them have this problem and the ones that do can have something like a ECU reflash to eliminiate it. Anybody heard about this?

←

It mostly applies to 02+ ES that are for the U.S. market & usually not the Canadian ES market as out emissions laws & regulations are different than the U.S. which means a different shift pattern. This is one main reasons many owners are frustrated with their tranny shifting problems. :(

[jragosta]

Yes it is still there

but you learn to live with it.  It's not as bad as some people may make you think (although it should be fixed).  You just have to kinda learn how to use the gas pedal.  On odd and few occasions has the car given me any sort of abruptness, it is still a very smooth and classy vehicle.

I did read that not all fo them have this problem and the ones that do can have something like a ECU reflash to eliminiate it. Anybody heard about this?

←

No, there's no fix yet.

I am one of the people who'd suggest that you not buy it. As much as I love the rest of the ES-330, the transmission belongs in a Yugo. I'm CONSTANTLY cursing it under my breath. If I accelerate harder than it wants me to, it clunks. A huge percentage of the tme when I'm pulling onto a freeway, the hesitation hits me (the on-ramps in Tulsa are quite short and you really have to step on it). Even under day to day driving, it's constantly reminding me how badly the system is designed.

Even worse is Lexus' response. 'There's nothing wrong with your car. It's operating as designed". Since they're taking the position that they actualy DESIGNED the transmission to drive like crap, I'd stay away - at least until they admit the problem publicly and say that they're spending whatever it takes to fix it.

Having said that, some people aren't bothered by it. They seem to be mostly people who never need to drive the least bit aggressively. If that fits you, you might like it. INSIST on an exteneded test drive before buying, though (at least a couple of days).

[sonewsy]

Toyota has publicly admitted there is a hesitation problem. Search internet for the Pittsburgh newspaper articles in December.

I have a 2005. So far the problem is only when I drive 1-5 mph. I have about 1,100 miles. Still, there shouldn't be a problem at all.

I had a 2005 loaner yesterday with nearly 4,000 miles (had wheels swapped from Toyo to Michelins). It had a very slight hesitation while I was increasing speed after a toll on the highway. Not the 1-2 second delay, but a flash of a delay that I noticed. Hope it doesn't happen on my car.

Supposedly 8 to 10 percent of cars have the problem, according to various posts I read. Don't know if that's true.

On the other hand, more lexuses were sold in 2004, after the problem had been around for a while. So go figure.

Yes it is still there

but you learn to live with it.  It's not as bad as some people may make you think (although it should be fixed).  You just have to kinda learn how to use the gas pedal.  On odd and few occasions has the car given me any sort of abruptness, it is still a very smooth and classy vehicle.

I did read that not all fo them have this problem and the ones that do can have something like a ECU reflash to eliminiate it. Anybody heard about this?

←

No, there's no fix yet.

I am one of the people who'd suggest that you not buy it. As much as I love the rest of the ES-330, the transmission belongs in a Yugo. I'm CONSTANTLY cursing it under my breath. If I accelerate harder than it wants me to, it clunks. A huge percentage of the tme when I'm pulling onto a freeway, the hesitation hits me (the on-ramps in Tulsa are quite short and you really have to step on it). Even under day to day driving, it's constantly reminding me how badly the system is designed.

Even worse is Lexus' response. 'There's nothing wrong with your car. It's operating as designed". Since they're taking the position that they actualy DESIGNED the transmission to drive like crap, I'd stay away - at least until they admit the problem publicly and say that they're spending whatever it takes to fix it.

Having said that, some people aren't bothered by it. They seem to be mostly people who never need to drive the least bit aggressively. If that fits you, you might like it. INSIST on an exteneded test drive before buying, though (at least a couple of days).

←

[bgut1]

I had the same quandry but decided to go with the es330 anyway. I actually was at my Acura dealer ready to pick a TL and then decided to walk out due to how the dealership treated me. Drove down the street to my local Lexus dealer were I had previously purchased two cars. What a pleasurable buying experience. I have 800 miles on my ES but don't notice a hesitation as described in this forum. I do however note a bit of sluggishness as far as pickup is concerned between 15 and 40 mph. I also have noticed the quirkness of the gas pedal as noted above. If I try to gun the car while going really slow there will be a delay for a second and then the car will suddenly accelerate. While this does bother me a bit, it is an acceptable trade off for the following reasons at least to me:

1. No other car in the sub 40K price class compares to the luxury of this car.

2. Only other comporable cars in the price range are : TL (too bumpy/rough ride with cramped drivers cockpit), A4 (too small for me), 3 Series (too small, too expensive for what you get), CTS (too plasticky inside but probably my next choice if my babysitter and law partner didn't drive the same car).

3. Lexus cache and service.

For me there really wasn't anything else out there in this price category. I will live with this small quirk (as all cars have some sort of problem) and enjoy this beautiful car until I can save up enough to buy either the RL or a 535 (both of which offer the right amount of luxury and performance) (and maybe the 06 GS). Again, I would go for the ES. My 2 cents. Good luck.

[branshew]

I'm inclined to agree w/ jragosta. I don't have alot of experience w/ the '05 other than the loaner that I had a couple of weeks ago at the stealership, but I would imagine that it is the same as other years with respect to the transmission. Although I only had it for a day, it was noticable for me in the '05 so I imagine that it would be the same for you.

I wouldn't however buy a TL. The new ones are nice, but the interior quality just isn't up to par w/ Lexus (not as luxurious), and the exterior leaves something to be desired. I would take a hard look at the GS - even if it means that you have to go used or CPO. It is similar in size to the ES, but much better looking IMHO and more sporty.

I think the '05 ES requires premium as well, but so does my wife's VW Passat wagon.

[amf1932]

I think the '05 ES requires premium as well, but so does my wife's VW Passat wagon.

The '05 ES still uses regular fuel. :)