Es330 2004 Transmission Hesitation

[dtaman]

I researched this vehicle on the internet before buying and it said the transmission hesitation had been fixed. I have 2600 miles on the car and the transmission shifting is not smooth at all. I have returned it to the dealer several times and they keep telling me it is operating normally.

I have emailed Lexus and so far have not got any results.

Anyone out there with this problem and if so any idea to get it fixed??

[monarch]

.

You will have to be patient and wait for a fix, if there is one. Quite a few owners aren't bothered by the hesitation. I barely notice it, but then I'm a relaxed, unhurried driver. If I was an enthusiast type driver I would have purchased an Infiniti.

Also, are you using a quality premium gasoline? The hesitation is worse when using regular or mid-grade gas.

[allexus]

I test drove the es330 2004. I did notices a hesitation from 0 to 5 mph, slow pickup only. Is this the hesitation you guys are talking about. And if not, please state the hesitation you guys are talking. I also didn't like the steeping< lack of road fell on low speed. But my wife like the ride and the smooth ride and the fill on the car. The car is for my wife. I drive a 2003 G35 coup and love the ride. (sport ride). I have a deposit on the es330 prem Pk, (no Nav). WHAT DO I DO. COMSUMER LIKE THE CAR, EXCEPT: No telescope steering wheel and lack lust steering and body row in corning.

[monarch]

I test drove the es330 2004. I did notices a hesitation from 0 to 5 mph, slow pickup only. Is this the hesitation you guys are talking about.

yep, just that bit of hesitation around 0-5 MPH. Kind of like a car with a carburetor than has a weak accelerator pump.

Since Canadian ES 330's don't have this hesitation, maybe the reason it's present on USA models has to do with emission controls. In the USA, the ES330 was designed to emit extremely low emissions - it's exhaust is twice as clean as the LS 430 & GS 430. So the hesistation may be a side effect of the engineering that produced these impressive low emissions numbers. And since any engineering changes Lexus might make to cure the hesitation might also increase emissions, perhaps Lexus is caught between a rock and a hard place and may never be able to do anything to fully cure the hesitation.

The biggest market for the ES330 is southern California and Florida and a majority of people driving them in these two States are middle aged people who place a priority on ride comfort and quietness rather than sporty handling. So Lexus is doing the right thing by making the ES330 ride and handle like a baby limo instead of a sports car. And Infiniti is doing the right thing by making the G35 sporty enough to appeal to a smaller segment of middle aged crowd who values driving excitment and enjoyment more than road isolation.

[iammikey]

I have 14,000 miles on my ES330 and only had one experience of transmission hesitation that went away after a few miles. It seems like the car was learning my driving habits. After reading your post, I decided to go for a 15 mile drive and put the pedal to the metal. Acceleration wasn't neck breaking, but I did notice a little hesitation around 25mph (for the first time) and not 0-5mph. I would figure that if I was going to drive my car hard like tonight, then I made a bad decision and should have bought a Porsche or Lotus Elise as my work car. Just remember that this is not a sports car, but a luxury sedan.

[SKperformance]

there is a huge thread with lots of detailed info of things tried and how long ,please use that post rather than making lots of other small ones which make it hard for other members to follow changes in the development of fixes.

I made it really easy to find ,it is pinned to the top of the ES section.

[SW03ES]

That hesitation is NOT the infamous transmission lag. Thats because of the electronic throttle and is present on ALL Lexus vehicles. There's no way to fix it.