Arnold Green

As of this posting, my 04 LS 430 (with 12,000 miles) is in for the transmission and fuel pump recalls. From day 1, I have been complaining about the hesitation when I try to accellerate from 10 MPH. I've been to 2 dealers (in MA and FL) who tell me there's nothing wrong. The last explanation: This is a built-in hesitation to prevent accidental acceleration at low speeds. Can you believe that? My previous 3 cars were LS 400's and there had never been a problem like this. The service writer indicated that the new transmission would not cure this problem. The $200 compensation for the inconvenience was never mentioned. Could this be something the local dealer implemented?

There is another problem that bugs me. (Also never had this with the LS 400's.) The bolsters on the seat bottom are hard and unyielding and make driving painful. (Again, Lexus says there's nothing wrong.) I am not considered to be "broad of beam" but the seat exerts unusual pressure on my thighs and after a half hour of driving, I'm in pain. I have fashioned a seat cusion which raises me up about 1 inch and this helps. But I don't think this is appropriate for such an expensive car. I drove a Kia Optima rental car for 2 weeks and didn't have this problem. My wife's Passat has a comfortable seat, too.

Is there anyone else out there with these problems? Have they been fixex? Any suggestions?

Arnold

1. I just received my recall notice for transmission & fuel pump. It's a major hassle for me, plus makes me lose confidence in the reliability of my car: the main reason I bought it for!.

2. When driving at about 10mph, often the car (transmission?) hesitates for a while. I read (on 'alt.cars.lexus') that this is a common complaint from owners. If other owners are aware of this behavior, do you know if it can it be 'fixed'? Of course, I would like to learn that this is not a safety concern as I keep driving the car!

3. Reading postings here regarding the 2004 recall, it seems that there is some confusion weather Lexus will give people some $200 'for their trouble'? Any clear answer?

4. No car is perfect and, for what it's worth, I do love may car, the way it drives and the way it feels, etc., but now I'm concerned of more problems to come. I wonder if this will not become a trend for this model year? Do other owners share my concerns? Do you think it is likely that Lexus will extend the warranty?

5. One more thing: I expect that someone Lexus will eleborate on the logo 'Passionate Pursuit of Perfection' in the context of my above comments.

All readers, please have my regards,

Adrian

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