amf1932,

How does it drive today??? I hope more people chime in on their experiences with the update. Unfortunately we ALL have to get this done and then complain if the fix is not satisfactory. If people just decide not to do the upgrade and live with it ,then Lexus will believe they have a fix.

My .02


John
Getting update later this month

 

I think the fact that some Lexus service managers won't install it is a bad word back to corporate Lexus that they need to keep working. I have called several dealers aroung the Boston area and several have said they don't like it and are not recomending it. One dealer said they were not aware of the fix until a customer called demanding it.

It is a start. Do register your complaints if you have them with the 800 number.

steviej

 

This is amazing. Lexus builds cars...Expensive cars.... and they come up with a fix from their engineers and the SERVICE ADVISORS don't like it!? Well what the hell does that mean? Where are the facts? What makes them say they don't like it? What shift points have changed? I just don't buy the..."well we don't recommend it" TELL ME WHY! The proof is in the pudding. How did your car drive today AMF1932?


John

 

I didn't drive my beautiful Lexus today, but I drove my Toyota Corolla and enjoyed the straightforward way that this little car shifted gears. No hesitation, no problems when downshifting, etc,etc. It was beautiful!!

My next plan of action is to call Corporate Lexus and tell them that this newest update is unsatisfactory. I than will notify my dealer and ask to have the original ECM progamming restored.

I feel this update did not resolve the important problems satisfactorily.
So far this transmission is one of the worst I have encountered and if they don't come up with a fix soon I will take this to the next step, and that is to take legal action against the Lexus Corporation. I'm going to read the book (Lemon Law) that came in the beautiful leather folder that contains the "Owners Manual" and read my rights. As you can probably tell I'm getting pretty disgusted.

 

WARNING
I called Lexus Customer Service and I found out that the latest transmission upgrade for the '02-'03 ES is not reversible!!
Try to drive another car that has the upgrade and see if you like it before you have it done. My dealer never told me this and I was supposed to sign a release to have it upgraded. Lexus doesn't consider the poor shifting characteristics a defect, even thought there have been numerous complaints on this subject.

 

Alan, it may not be reversable in that they can't rewrite the old program over the latest version.

But, find out your options on total replacement of the ECU. They should be able to take an ECU from an ES that didn't have the upgrade and drop it in your ES. (kinda like replacing the processor in your computer).

If Lexus didn't make all caviats of the upgrade known to you, then they are neglegent and should offer you a replacement ECU.
I would talk to Lexus Customer Service again and push this point to them. You are not satisfied with the upgrade and they didn't tell you it was irreversable.

When in doubt, take them to small claims court.
**********

John,
Serivce managers aren't always involved with the TSBs that come out. They don't have to agree with the fixes either. My service manager said they reprogrammed several cars on the lot and that the collective opinion of that shop was that they would set themselves up for more complaints from customers that have high expectations from this fix. (that is us). They do read this forum and others to see what the skinny is in the public that cares enough to talk about it.
Yes Toyota doesmake expensive cars via Lexus. My service manager thinks they can do better.

Most of all, from what I am reading here and on other websites, I am grateful I listened to my service manager on this one rather that demanding the fix be put on my car.


steviej

 

Here is how my '03 1000 mile ES300 drives. If I give half throttle or greater at 40 as amf1932 suggested; the revs do jump up BUT the car has just downshifted and the speed IS increasing. Mine acts perfectly normal when trying that test. Here is my cars problem: First, it's much more noticable when cold. After braking at a lower speed say 5-20 MPH and then reapplying the accelerator the car JERKS hard and then accelerates normally. It jerks much harder than is acceptable to me and harder than my other cars.

Are you guys experiencing this also?

Driving update 8/13/03:
I drove the car this evening through town with lots of stop and go driving. What an absolute DISAPPOINTING experience! .....Hesitation/jerkiness/unresponsive. Sometime one of these, sometimes all three. Im seeing the service manager tomorrow to discuss his impressions of the software upgrade. What really bothers me the most about this is....Who signed off the driving characteristics of this car before selling it to the public. This is a LEXUS NOT A DAEWOO!!!!!!


John

 

Has anyone actually had their car perform worse AFTER the upgarde??????????
Like concord, I don't like the jerkiness after braking and applying the accelarator again, and jerky shifting in general. I am hoping the upgrade would fix this, am I wrong here? I do not expect for this upgarde to solve the lack of power when trying to pass a car on a hill for example.
Thanks for your input.

 

The upgrade doesn't make it worse, but it changed the shift points for normal driving. It did not address the main hesitaion problem though. It seems that ALL the Lexus car models that use the 5 speed transmission are afflicted with this problem. Recent articles in some of the auto magazines discuss this quirky transmission. (Motor Trend, Car & Driver).

 

Here's an ongoing discussion about this transmission problem:
http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums...=7&t=1276&st=0

 

When Lexus says it isn't.My dealer had previously admitted the problem (Hesitation when accelerator is floored) to me and said he was awaiting word from Lexus on how they were going to resolve the problem. Last Friday, after returning from a meeting with Lexus on the West Coast he stated that as far as Lexus was concerned, the car was performing as designed. I have filed a report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/, The Center for Auto Safety: http://www.autosafety.org/fileacomplaint.php and Consumer Reports: http://www.consumerreports.org/main/...1065148507227.
_The only way we are going to get relief from Lexus is to let them know that they cannot solve a problem by saying that there isn't one. If anyone else feels this way, contact the above entities.

 

welcome to the 02/03 tranny club. get in line.
most of us have been there already.

Lexus corporate is terming it a "concern" not a problem. I think that is their way to sidestep a recall.

steviej

 

Just had the software update done on my '03. They also had to order a new drivers seat track. The drivers seat would creak if you put your weight into the seat fore and aft.

Here's an update: Service manager said there is software update for the ES300 AND RX330. Think that's it???? Nope ..he also told me they have an update for the '04 models. So at least us '02/03 ES300 owners are not alone.

I'll let you know my observations after a few weeks.

JB

 

I have heard of the software update for the '04 Rx330 but have not for the '04 es330. Our es330 seems fine but time will tell.

 

Ok guys and girls,

It's been about 3 weeks since I had the ECU reprogram on the ES300. Unpopular to most others who have had it done, my wife(her car) and I are VERY satisfied. The first time she drove it after the update was done she said, " HEY my car doesn't do the pregnant pause anymore!"
I haven't heard a complaint since it was done. It made a big difference it our car.

YMMV,
Concord