Problems with 2004 Lexus RX 330 POWER TRAIN

As of 3/18/2016 i purchased an new radiator for a total of $945 at mcgrath lexus dealership in chicago on division st because the old radiator was leaking. as of 3/31/2017 the new radiator is now leaking and the car would not start because the car was over heating. as of 4/1/2017 the timing belt and water pump for the steering will needs to be replaced. today 4/1/2017 mcgrath lexus dealer stated i will cost at least $1200 with labor included for them to repair. after further research on recalls for my 2004 lexus rx330 i discovered these required repairs are lexus deaker recalls. why would mcgrath lexus charge me if these are recalls on my lexus.

This is our 2nd complaint regarding our 2004 rx 330. we have owned it for 8 months and have put 7k miles on it since purchase, and it only has 85k now. since purchase we noticed the transmission shifting and jerking problems at all rates of speed when starting/ driving/stopping. we contacted our local lexus dealership to ask if something could be done, and was advised they could check to see if the previous 1st owner of vehicle had ever "upgraded" the computer chip that controls the system. so, we took it in and they determined it had not been done so we paid the $100.00 for the upgrade. we hoped it had solved the issue, but now it is even worse. several days after getting the vehicle back, i was on a major highway going 70 mph with the cruise control on and accelerated to change lanes and pass another vehicle. during my attempt to pass with my foot on the accelerator, for 5 or 10 seconds the engine/ transmission froze and it was like you were in neutral gear, it did nothing, and finally with my foot all the way down on the accelerator it kicked back into gear and i was able to pass the vehicle to my side. if someone would have been behind me i'm sure there would have been an accident, as the truck was in motion but not accelerating. i called the dealership and the service department said they had complaints and were aware of the acceleration issue, but had no complaints about what happened with it "freezing" like that. he said the truck will just have to "learn my driving pattern", and unless toyota does a recall it will always have these issues. this is a safety issue that needs to be resolved, sooner than later and it is just not a "floor mat" clip fix. i am now afraid to drive this truck since it's a toss up as to when or where it could happen again. *tr

We purchased our 2004 lexus rx330 in january 2013 as the 2nd owner with 78k miles. we began to notice at lower speeds the truck will jerk forward with no warning when beginning to accelerate from a stop, or even when driving at higher speeds on the highway when making land changes or slowing down in traffic. we have a 2001 lexus rx 300, and it never has had this issue. we are very concerned and this is definitely a safety issue, and will be contacting our local lexus dealership to let them know, so it can be documented. since reading others complaints, it seems that lexus is not standing behind this issue, we may be looking to trade it in and go back to the honda crv, which had no problems at all, we just liked the luxury of the lexus, and wanted an upgrade, not a vehicle that can cause an accident with no warning. *tr

I bought my lexus in 2007. it is a 2004 rx lexus 330 it had 31,000 miles when bought. since i had the car my radiator was broken and the lexus dealership repaired it under warranty. before this i remember stopping to the dealership because felt the car was stalling and was told that nothing wrong its just i have to be consistent the way i drive with speed. now in 2010 i'm experiencing the same problem with the car stalling or lagging with the rpm and a little noise coming from the transmission. i really think they should recall this or do something about it because i read alot of reviews that this is happening and the car doesnt even have that many miles. i spent alot of money on this car and they should take this problems in consideration really. *tr

I was traveling south bound doing the speed of 70 on the expressway when all of a sudden my power was lost it dropped to zero, it could have been a very bad accident, but i thank god it was not, i had to coast and try to get off the freeway onto the side of the freeway.*tr

Transmission jerk, lags and hesitates, car looses power when shifting between 2nd and 3rd gear. on going problem, had dealer perform ecm reprogramming as per technical service bulletin, condition persists, get worse. safety issue when trying to accelerate out of traffic or avoid an object on the road. brought car back to dealer service, they stated condition is "normal". many many more similar complaints on several blogs and message boards on the internet. car not safe to drive. should have the transmission replaced. *tr

On several occasions, i get a lot of hesitation in the transmission during high speed driving on the freeway and also driving in the city. there has been times when i try to accelerate and the transmission struggles to increase in speed and chokes up but it doesn't cut off. i've noticed that when i drive on the freeway at speeds of 55 or 60 and try to increase the acceleration, the vehicle will not accelerate when you press on the gas pedal. it will take 5-10 seconds to think about increasing and then it revvs up in rpms and then just kicks in. you can hear the engine making all of hesitation noise and also seeing the hesitation on the rpm and speedometer reading. i've taken this issue into the dealership several times and they told me that is operating per the design specifications and that it is not out of specs. they then tell me that there is an update to the transmission software so they supposedly update it to operate better. i have never seen a difference after the update. *jb

I own a 2004 lexus rx330. since i have owned it, there has been a power "fade" when i make sudden speed changes usually from a slow down to quick acceleration--say a lane change to avoid slower traffic. there is approximately 2 or 3 seconds when there is no response from pressing the accelerator. it feels like all power falls away. i am left like a sitting duck until the vehicle decides what to do with my command. if i am crossing a median, i must allow for this delay. however, if i have to change lanes to avoid another vehicle making an unsignaled turn or sudden stop, i am putting myself and others in danger because i cannot count on having the power to avoid the vehicle in front of me by changing lanes and then i risk an incident in trying to match the speed of the vehicle that is now behind me. i have addressed this with lexus on several occasions including one trip where i demanded that the master mechanic ride with me. he explained that lexus is aware and that it is a computer problem for which there is no patch available. as of today, there is still no cure. the last update my vehicle received was in sept 2006. *nm

Hesitation, jerky when shifting. took to dealers 3 times and unable to resolve issue. they stated that vehicle is operating within parameters. now it is jerky when shifting most of the time. *nm

2004 lexus rx-330 awd. vehicle hesitates when attempting to accelerate. there is a delay, especially when going from a dead stop such as pulling out into traffic. also, if you attempt to quickly speed up as when merging or an evasive maneuver, the engine lags. will also happen when turning a corner, then accelerating. i have been told by lexus that this is a known problem with the "throttle by wire" and "intelligent transmission". i currently pull the ecu fuse monthly to reset the processors and that appears to help for a while. that is the "fix" suggested by the lexus rx-330 forums. now that 2006 models are coming, i know this is no longer on the lexus engineers' minds, but there are those of us that feel this is a safety issue as you never know if the car will respond reliably, especially when pulling into traffic, creating a real hazard. *jb

Engine/transmission hesitation; missed shift points; and stalls in traffic upon acceleration. using automatic climate control causes all windows to fog up to the extent that you can not see out of the windows. load engine noises and popping sounds.

Transmission is hesitant, switches up and down in rapid jumps, is very unpredictable!! almost caused several accidents. been doing it since i bought it 2 yrs. dealer claims known problem, and no fix yet!!!*jb

Toyota/lexus needs to address their power train problem on the 2004 rx 330 instead of seemingly ignoring it. the reprogramming does not work. i've had it done. seemed to be a band aid fix for a major problem. will it have to be a death before they recall these lousy transmissions. i have been in several near miss situations because of this awful transmission since purchasing this suv brand new april 15, 2003. and after paying cash ($45,000) for their supposed great product i want to sue for my money back. the lag between gears, the high revs before getting into a gear is utterly insane. can you say recallllllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*jb

Around 11,000 miles my 2004 rx330 started having a thumping sound that occurred intermittently while decelerating especially around 29 mph and then again around 19 mph. i took it to the dealer and they informed me that it was my trans cooler line assembly and oil cooler hose which were replaced and the problem was resolved for about one week that was back in oct. 2004. i have taken the vehicle back about 4 more times for the thumping noise that continues to occur intermittently and now they tell me the noise is normal and that the vehicle is operating as designed. i questioned how can it be considered abnormal back in october but now that the thumping noise can't be fixed they consider it a design flaw. they apparently upgraded it and that should have eliminated the noise but if it didn't there is nothing else to do because this is how the vehicle was designed... i fear everyday that this thumping noise is only the beginning of what is yet to follow as i read all the other transmission problems that have been occuring and some have exhibited the thump sound...lexus needs to fix the problems and not just put a band-aid on each one that occurs until the next major incident ... take this vehicles off the road if so many consumers are putting their life in jeopardy driving a vehicle that was apparently not manufactured properly and should not be considered safe to drive.

This has been a continuing problem since purchased new in dec 2003. as has been reported numerous times, my car acceleration hesitates from a stop or from low speeds. also my vehicle has extensive pause or lag between gears. this has created numerous dangerous situations where i was stuck while other vehicles had to take action to avoid hitting my rx330. often, while making left turns against oncoming traffic, this lag is so long as to be dangerous. in the past, i have accelerated harder than i feel necessary in order to compensate for this lag. this results in a sudden downshift and forward lurch that is very dangerous. i have reported this to my dealer on 3 or more occasions and their response is that this is normal for my model. they say there is nothing they can do to correct this problem. the dealer did document this complaint on my service record the last time i visited on 8/13/04.*ak

Transmission problems rendered the vehicle completely unsafe, prone to potential accidents. *bf the consumer described the problem as lag or hesitation when the transmission shifted from first to second and or second to third, sometimes the vehicle revved up to the redline with out the transmission engaging. the dealer reset a computer chip that was involved in regulating the power train system. the dealer informed the consumer there was else that could be done. the transmission was the result of the design of the vehicle. (lawyer ira newman on behalf of client, peter janczuk)*jb

Since i have bought my car the transmission has not been shifting properly. it hesitates in low gears when the car accelerates . the most bothersome is the lack of proper response when the driver needs to slow down and then accelerate (such as turning left or changing lanes to avoid obstacles or double parked cars). in these cases transmission seems to go into neutral, and after about a second goes into third or fourth gear with a rapid , jerky movement of the whole car, which i would compare to being rear ended by another car. it happened to me and my wife 4 times and resulted in neck pain and headache, and almost being hit by another car. lexus dealer and customer care state that the car was designed to work this way and there is nothing they can do.*ak

Since new the vehicle has both transmission hesitation shifting problems noted by many others. around 40 mph, asking for acceleration with about 3/4 throtle causes the trnasmission to come out of gear and hunt for about two seconds. this is very dangerous - don't plan on passing anyone. coasting around 10 mph, mild throtle causes the tranmission to shift hard and lurch the vehicle. lexus acknowledges the condition, but states it is not "a problem.*ak

Transmission has a serious delay in downshifting when trying to accelerate suddenly. this has caused more than one instance where a collision could have occurred due to inability to avoid faster traffic. *ak *tc

1.2004 rx 330 transmission slips when accelerating ,passing(most dangerous when going up an incline),and from a dead start(ie: light or stop sign).car seems to shift into neutral and hesatates while tachometer revs to 5-6000 rpm.*ak 2. dangerious when entering freeway on ramp and almost got rearended due to delay. 3. reported 3 times to dealer, they said it is within specs.had a loaner lexus rx 330 when mine was in for service and the transmission wes perfect. constant problem.

1. there were no events that led up to the problem that i have been having. . the transmission on my brand new lexus rx 330 doesn't shift properly. it kicks when steping on the the gas pedal, there is a hesitation when accelerating from a stop, & between 20 - 40 mph, as the transmission shifts, the transmission has trouble up shifting and engine revs up and down several times before shifting 3. the dealer has tried to reprogram the transmission computer, and has tried switching to high octane fuel. neither has worked. the dealer is trying to correct the problem, however, i know of several rx 330 owners who are all experienceing simmilar problems with their transmissions. it seems apparent that there is a manufacturing defect in some part of the transmissions used in the rx 330. *ak

My wife had pulled routinely out of our driveway on a clear morning with no obstructions on the road, she turned out of the driveway onto our private road and suv then suddenly and violently accelerated out of control, rocketing her into a tree and stone wall. the air/knee bags and active seat belt restraint were deployed, saving my wife's life. the investigation by the lexus front office in torrance revealed that vehicle was performing according to specs. i had noticed a revving noise on day one of purchase and mentioned it to the salesman who said he would look into it. with no further information the dealer suggested mentioning the problem at the 1000 mile check-up. nothing abnormal was detected, though my complaint was recorded (april '04). the revving noise continued intermittently but without incident until june 30, 2004, the date of the crash. upon hearing of a lexus suv incident in my town, i decided to check the ntsb database. i was astounded by the concensus of complaints involving the power-train. i have been a lexus owner since 1995 (sc 300 coupe) and have driven a number of rx 300's and one other rx 330 (as loaner vehicles). i believe in the product so much so, that i would entrust the safety of my wife and children in a lexus. how many fatalities will result before a recall is issued?? the malfunction apparently defies diagnostic detection. *ak

Re: supplement to consumer complaint #10091268 lexus rx 330 transmission/throttle problems. *bf automatic transmission hestiates, hunts, shifts inconsistently, hangs in between gears, delayes, etc. the throttle delays at the first application of gas and the rate of acceleration surges up and down unevenly. dealer could not find a problem. *tt

My rx 330 has a transmission lag at 20-25mph. the car just doesnt go and it is extremly dangerous in intersections. someone is going to get killed and i hope it is not me.*ak

Transmission shifting erratic at low speeds. "clunk or muted "clank" heard and felt under closed throttle dowshifts while slowing to a stop. most noticeable during the 5-4 downshift (37 mph) and the 4-3 downshift (25 mph). service manager claims it's a normal operating condition for lexus. technician who rode with me disagreed. vehicle only has 5100 miles. problem began at 2000 mile mark. *jb

My 2004 lexus rx330 awd has a problem with the transmission "hanging" on the 2-3 upshift. the car hesitates then roughly shifts into the next gear. it has never shifted as smoothly in any gear as other lexus and toyota products i driven. i went to the dealer and the dealer reprogrammed the engine management control. the net result has been that the engine shifts at a higher rpm than it did before, but is still not smooth. the hesitation between gears was less frequent for a week or two after the reprogram, but has now returned and there is an increasing lag or hesitation in shifting in the 2-3 and 3-4 upshift. last week as i was merging into expressway traffic, i pushed down the throttle and nothing happened. it almost seemed as though the engine died. i released the throttle, pushed again and the transmission engaged a lower gear and accelerated. the behavior of the transmission is unpredictable. sometimes, but not always, the engine feels like it stalls when turning a corner. the hesitation on downshift has occurred four times now since the reprogram. the car has less than 6000 miles on it. the dealer seemed to try to be helpful, but can only pass on what the manufacturer provides them, so i think the resolution lies with toyota and lexus in developing a fix for a potentially dangerous problem. *jb

When i drive my 2004 lexus rx330 manual on 4th, speed is around 40 mph, and left off the throttle, i can hear a whining noise from rear. once i push the gas paddle, the noise is gone. it can be duplicated on d when i slow down from 50 mph. this also happens to the other three rx330s (two loaner cars and one brand new car).*ak

Since i have owned this vehicle, i have had trouble with rough shifting and a lag associated with a delay in low speed acceleration. returned vehicle to the dealer and was told it was adjusted. problem persists. eventually, someone will be injured or killed by this problem due to unexpected hesitation in acceleration.*ak

Someone needs to listen! i have a 2004 lexus rx330. it's had trouble from day one, and i got nowhere! they have done 5 updates on the computer. now it only seems to have trouble at 20 mph, instead of 40-50 and 65-80, of lurching, hesitating, then taking off like a bat out of hell. it's had a "bulletin" on the front brakes, and shimmied all over the road. i have paper work on all of this and more. you, the ntsb, can take the car and go thru it, i'll give you the repair records. i've called the toyota headquarters in 04 or 05 begging them to help me. a woman said, the car was, "performing in the manner it was designed:" i saved a long time to buy my dream car when i retired, now i have a defective car, with only 48k miles because of fear of driving it. please please, listen to what people wrote back in 04 about this car. one man said a friend worked for lexus and told him that his boss said there will never be a recall on this car because of the amount of cars sold in the us and canada. we need help. my car is a lemon. i've mentioned numerous times of painting it yellow and putting lemon all over it. please try to pull up records back then, all these people were writing in with the same problems. no one listened then or now! please, i'm begging you. i've had 4 toyota's in the past, and all 4 totally, never had the trouble this 1 lexus has. they were actually toyotas. their complete stature has gone from years of loyalty by me and others, after all the built up trust, gone in an instant! one runaway car is enough! it's now killing people. i bought it for it's comfort, looks, but mostly for safety, and trustworthiness! gone. all gone! i have a 91 ford van i drive instead of the lexus. i call it a piece of junk, nothing but trouble, and lexus had it more than i did the first 4 yrs. please look into this all you can. all these people can't be wrong. ...

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) i have my dream car, 2004 lexus rx330. i have had same trouble. i am afraid of the car. i have an old ford rv, i drive instead of my beautiful lexus. people ask why, i tell them i'm afraid of it. it lurches forward, and also jumps back and forth between gears @ 20mph. this is after 5 updates in the computer of the car. i have put 200k miles on my other 5 toyotas, and all went beautifully! then the demon car as i refer to it. i reported it repeatedly, and was told by everyone, including long beach toyota headquarters, that it was working in the manner it was designed, it was learning how i drive. horse pucky. i am a retiree of att. i had defensive driving every year to drive their co. vehicles. i know how to drive and am very experienced. i also know when there is a bad problem. i have 48k miles on my runaway car. it's only tried to really run away twice, but somehow i got it stopped, i stuck it in neutral, for some unknown reason. back then no one heard of this "mess". i never complained to toyota about my cars, because they were wonderful. then, after saving for 10 yrs, bought my dream car. the killer. i hate it, i am beginning to hate toyota. it's very disheartening to me, to have the car company i thought so very highly of, is trying to save their [xxx] , by giving america these defective cars. when our hwy patrol officer and his family, was killed, i cried. all these years of saying they will get caught, they will see. who is they? toyota, and when they heard about it in 04, hushed it up. i know, if a hwy patrolman can't stop a runaway car, how the [xxx] can the normal guy driving it? someone please listen, someone, please help fix this mess. shame on you, toyota! shame on you! dealers, headquarters, employees that lied all these years to us. shame on you! man up, and tell the truth. ...

Purchased a new 2004 lexus rx 330 in august of 2003 and repeatedly brought the car to dealerships complaining of a disconnect between the electronic accelerator and the transmission. when attempting to accelerate in an intersection or on a freeway entrance ramp, the car will hesitate for a few seconds and then catapult forward. also, when driving at low speeds, the transmission will erratically jump between different gears, as if looking for the optimal gear. i can best describe this transmission as schizophrenic. i have contacted multiple lexus dealers over the years from minneapolis, to chicago to salt lake city and they all told me they are aware of the problem as many customers have complained. however, lexus has never offered service or a recall to fix the problem. they have reprogrammed my transmission on 2 occasions and told me to use premium fuel. none of these actions corrected the situation. i feel that in a busy intersection, the unpredictable acceleration of my vehicle provides no assurance that my car will move forward when the accelerator is pressed. this can lead to collision and injury. *tr

Lexus 2004 rx 330 - transmission. shifting hesitation, lexus has addressed the problem with a change in computer shifting points but it has not fixed the problem. they now refuse to help further saying only that it is within design standards. many complaints on this problem in lexus owners forum web site, but no help from lexus.*jb

I too have had ongoing problems with my 2004 lexus rx 330. i have had my car in the repair center three times already for hesitation and lagging between gears and vibrations noises throughout the car. i personally do not feel safe in this car because it drives inconsistently and on several occasions, i have almost been rear-ended or have stalled in an intersection because the car does not properly accelarate. i have written a letter to the dealership and have contacted lexus customer service numerous times. i am being told that this is normal. normal to who? it is obvious, by many comments i have reviewed by other owners of this same vehicle that there is a serious issue here that lexus is choosing to ignore because they do not have a solution. i wonder how long they will continue to turn their heads. i drove an rx 300 for several years and it was completely different. i bought another lexus for safety and reliability factors and i do not feel either in the new rx 330. please investigate this problem before someone gets seriously hurt.*ak