marvg

stevie- Thought I'd let you know that you are absolutely correct. You have to step on the brake pedal in order to shift out of park. Thank you for your imput. -Marv

Almost Every A/T, from every manufacture hides a shift-release button (to over-ride the ignition, brake, and shifter moutned button). It's there when you need it. Like steviej told you. It's very hard to duplicate such problems. When you try, and go through the system, more often than not, it's user error. Like forgetting to push the brake, or forgetting to have the ignition turned to the ON position. ← To those who have replied, thank you. First, the car was not parked on an incline and yes, the parking brake was on. To the rest of you, if and when it happens again, I will step on the brake and try to shift.

We have a 2004 Lexus ES330. Twice now, after starting the engine, the shifter would not release from the "Park" position. It did, however, release after the engine was turned off (for a slight period of time) and restarted. We called Lexus and were told that there is a little rectangular cover in the upper left corner of the shifter plate (mounted on the console) that housed a little white button. When this button is depressed, the shifter is released. So far, we haven't had to perform this procedure. We were told to bring the car in (to Lexus) as soon as possible, so that they could check it out. After four days, the tech told us that he couldn't duplicate the malfunction and there didn't seem to be anything wrong. He also informed us that it wasn't a computer problem and he hadn't heard of this occuring before. I find this hard to believe, since there seems to be a need for a release button. Has anyone else had this problem?

SWO- I have no idea if it was a dealer add on. When we were shown the car, the device was already there along with all the other goodies. Believe me, it's a good feature judging by the way I drive! -Marv

Congratulations Jim- I just purchased my ES330 March 27th and am loving it. It came with all the bells and whistles, such as: Navigation System, Rear Sensor, Chrome Wheels, Mark Levinson Sound, etc. If you are going to get the extended warranty and belong to a credit union, I'd suggest starting there. The Lexus dealership wanted to sell me the 7yr - 100,000 mile warranty for $2,700+. A friend told me to go to the credit union and see what kind of a deal I can get. I did so and was able to come up with a 6yr - 100,000 mi. ext. warranty for $704.00! Big savings there! Being paranoid, I also purchased a Lojack and Early Warning System. We are planning to take a trip up to the bay area in a couple weeks. Can't wait. Enjoy your new Lexus, I know we will. -Marv