Problems with 2002 Lexus ES 300 POWER TRAIN

Dealer and finance company claim clean title but documents reflect otherwise. *tr

My 2002 lexus es300 has been jerking and shifting very hard on acceleration. it seems to have more of a problem when i accelerate slowly in the lower gears. it jerks very noticeably. i was told it was just the nature of the car, but it has been getting much worse over the course of the last year. it also hesitates when stepping on the gas after deceleration. *tr

2002 lexus es300, car lunges and jerks during acceleration and deceleration. car drove fine until lexus upgraded software, and then 100% noticeable difference in performance. car was brought to jm lexus approx 4-5 times for problem, and once to palm beach lexus. car jerked during test drive with mechanic. i was told it was a "characteristic" of the car, and there was nothing that can be done to fix it. mechanic stated he has seen the same problem on other cars. problem has been getting worse. *tr

I have a 2002 lexus es300. my car at slower speeds has been jerking/surging at lower speeds and lurches forward without notice. it is a nightmare to drive this car in traffic. i keep being told its normal, it seems hundreds of others have complained, but i'm not getting anywhere. the lexus dealership did a software upgrade recently, it only made the matter worse. i hate driving this car, everyone in my family avoids driving it, as we just don't feel comfortable in the way it accelerates and shifts gears. its a 2002 model, with 49k miles. i avg 25k miles a year driving, do the math, this car sucks, and i avoid using it out of fear/annoyance. *tr

Dangerous hesitation in the transmission when stepping on the gas after decelerating. nearly caused an accident. lexus has tried 2 times to fix and nothing has helped. *nm

My 2002 lexus es300 has had continual transmission and shifting problems. we took it in for the update but that did not fix the problem. when i asked again i was told i already had the update and there was nothing else that could be done. i believe lexus needs to take responsibility and fix this issue. often times i will press the gas pedal to quickly get out of the way and the delay is not only annoying, it's dangerous.*jb

I own a 2002 lexus es300, and the car is dangerous! i've taken it to the dealer many times to have the transmission checked out, because it hesitates in traffic when you press the gas.they just say some babble about the "transmission just needs to get used to the driver", im sorry but just because we can afford an expensive car doesnt mean that we're stupid. this is my wife's car, and i really don't think there needs to be any injuries or fatalities to have something done about this wide spread problem. *ak

While driving at any speed,transmission slipped while shifting from third to fourth gear. also, there wa s hesitation, and the rpms went way up. dealership replaced a chip and calibrated the transmission, and problem recurred. *ak

Dangerous condition exists with 2002 lexus es300, where a severe hesitation exists when accelerating at slow roll (< 5mph) at intersection turns, exiting driveways, and generally anywhere when trying to get into flow of traffic when nearly stopped - especially when a turn is involved along with the acceleration. very dangerous condition exists when trying to enter lane, or make a turn, in front of fast-moving traffic. it seems the car's electronics does not regognize the accelerator's request for fuel under those conditions. this is exactly what complaint /case #100375515 listed and i have the exact same problems. i have taken it back to the dealer twice and another one sheduled for 5/21/2004. *ak

2002 lexus es300 with about 18,000 miles has a problem with hesitation when accelerating after slowing down, especially after completing a turn. it is like the transmission doesn't adjust with the pressing of the gas pedal. almost had an accident because of the hesitation. also i have had problems with the car down shifting as i come down a hill. also a problem with the car trying to decide what gear to be in when going around 20 to 25 miles per hour. you can feel the car change gear. passengers even have asked what was that? complained to dealership, and was told it was the way i drive. i had the sb-tc004-03 performed after receiving the letter from lexus, but it didn't help. may have made it worse. *ak

Lack of response between the transmission and the engine.*mr the consume explained that there is a lag time between stepping on the gas an the transmission responding. this hesitation was most pronounced when braking and then needing to rapidly accelerate, such as when merging into traffic. the consumer feels the vehicle inability to respond in a timely manner is a hazard. the consumer contacted the manufacturer who indicated that he vehicle was performing with in their specifications. the problem is so bad that the consumer intends to get rid of the vehicle. *nm

Dangerous condition exists with 2002 lexus es300, where a severe hesitation exists when accelerating at slow roll (< 5mph) at intersection turns, exiting driveways, and generally anywhere when trying to get into flow of traffic when nearly stopped - especially when a turn is involved along with the acceleration. very dangerous condition exists when trying to enter lane, or make a turn, in front of fast-moving traffic. it seems the car's electronics does not regognize the accelerator's request for fuel under those conditions. a prior lexus tsb addressed transmission shifting at higher speeds, but seems to have created a new, and potentially more dangerous condition.*ak

Transmission is unreliable. since march 2003, when accelerating the transmission slips. *ak *ts updated 7/2/12 *cn

The transmission had a jerk in the transmission, the dealer told the consumer it was the design the of the vehicle. *ts *jb

The consumer states that he cannot view the instrument panel during the daytime. the mfr advised the consumer that the panel is designed that way. *mr the consumer states that the white numbers on the instruments were okay, but it is extremely difficult to see the red needle during the day light (unless your in the shade/or in the evening). the consumer states that he is unable to tell the speed of travel, whether the engine is overheating, and/or the amount of fuel left. also the multi-information displays and the odometer readings are barely visible during the daylight hours. the consumer states that he receives a standard answer that the instrument panel is working as designed. *scc

When the accelerator is pressed for the purpose of passing or for merging into traffic at varying speeds between 25-50 mph, the vehicle "lags" or encounters a dead spot before responding (by suddenly speeding off). the vehicle seems to be attempting to decide how to respond to the action of the accelerator being pressed (whether to remain in the current gear, or down-shift for quick acceleration). the 'rpms' will rise extremely high, before the transmission figures out what gear to shift into in order to comply with the request of the driver's action. this 'lag period' is an extremely dangerous time for the vehicle's occupants as the vehicle does not respond like normal vehicles confronted with a "wide-open-throttle" request do. if my wife, who is no "car buff" and generally does not pay attention to anything but starting the vehicle, has also brought this issue to my attention, then i know there is definitely a problem. as the problem presents itself as a serious safety issue for my family, i have contacted lexus customer service who have advised me that "lexus is attempting to develop a fix for the concern that many of our customers have brought to our attention". i have been waiting for this "fix" for over 7 months now, and the expected date keeps being pushed back! please take some action regarding this serious issue, as there are many other lexus owners who were in the "passionate pursuit of perfection" (lexus slogan), but have not taken the time to file a complaint!!*ak

While driving at 20mph and with no warning making a turn and vehicle will stall. it will be hard for consumer to control vehicle. dealer notified.*ak

In day light hours when sun is out consumer can't see dials on speedometer, unable to tell how fast vehicle was going. consumer felt this was very unsafe. *ak consumer also can not see the fuel gauge, engine speed and engine temperature. *tt

1. shuddering transmission in stop/go traffic. 2. when at a complete stop, car nudges forward even when brakes are fully depressed. notified dealer as well as lexus corp and was told no fix is available at this time. *jb

I have experienced significant delay in downshifting when attempting to merge with traffic in my 2002 lexus es300. following the delay, the transmission shifts to the top of the rpm range effectively resulting in no acceleration, then it up shifts to an appropriate gear. this is a dangerous condition. i have had several near misses from being rear ended as a result. the dealer has duplicated this problem on other 2002's and lexus in california admits there is a problem but has no fix. i have been told for almost a year now that a fix is coming but still no fix. i hope someone does not get killed from this defect before it gets fixed! please do something. *nlm

When the transmission shifts between first and second gears at a slow steady speed(approx 20mph) the car will frequently violently jerk. my car has 75000 miles and has done it since day one. *tr

1) stumble - this occurs when you quickly accelerate and the car hesitates for 1-2 seconds before it kicks in. 2) shudder - with no pattern, the car will suddenly shudder. this occurs with no/little acceleration. 3) surging - the car surges approx. 1/2 foot when the air conditioner is on. i have noticed that this problem is intensified when the car is slowly (e.g., in traffic) moving down hill. *jb