adlx21

Hello all,
I am thinking of purchasing a 2004 or 2005 ES 330. Is there any problems I should be aware of about this car? Any common issues, major and minor? Any help would really be great, thanks!

-Alan
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ayonnebay

I believe some still complain of transmission problems - hesitation, rough shifting, that appeared on earlier ES300s (02 in particular). OTOH, some have never experienced these problems during ownership.

My 02 was terrible.

adlx21

since im looking at an 04 or 05 es 330, i should be fine, correct?

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

^^^^ Should be fine, transmission issue was there, but not terrible. and just get the 05, better looking then the 04 with more options and has the ventilated seats and projection headlights haha

LexGrl702

yeah, definitely get the 2005 over the 2004. Better looking and more options. Price is about the same if you find a good deal. I have the 05. I have no problems with it, I love the quiet smooth ride. My car did have the transmission update though. So check to make sure you have the upgraded software for the transmission. The dealer should be able to tell you yes or no by putting the VIN # and looking under the hood for a dealer sticker that says it's been updated. Test drive, test drive and test drive. Make sure you test drive the car in stop and go situations, that is when you can tell whether or not the shifting is rough. I test drove many before choosing the one I bought, including the 2003 and 2004 models. Good luck.

masboy

iTrader: (30)

yeah i agree w/ everyone else, get 05. i have 03 and the transmission driving me nuts.

how can I update mine through dealer ? how much do i have to pay for this ? care to give some tips LexGrl702 ? thx !

LexGrl702

Hey masboy, there is a sticky thread at the top of the ES forum dedicated to the 02-05 transmission problems. It is a long thread, but in a nutshell, almost everyone who bought the ES 02-05 models has some sort of complaint about the transmission, so Lexus issued an update for the software. If you have less than 70K on your car it is still covered under the transmission warranty and should be free. Lexus should not charge you a penny and if the dealer tries to charge you, go to another one. Now I don't know if the update is different for different years, I'm pretty sure it is, but you have to ask the dealer. I would search the thread to see if someone else who has an 03 did the update and if there was a difference. But I think the update is worth it if you ask me. Good luck.

JSM1284

My 05 has had the trans update, yet is still has slight gear hunting in stop and go traffic. Its not really a problem with the transmissions, just the way they are programed. However my 02 trans felt alot better than my 05.....

masboy

iTrader: (30)

yeah i read that 02-05 transmission long thread and then i gave up reading it somewhere. mine is close to 100K, so i guess it won't cover by transmission warranty. Do you feel the difference after do the update ? thanks LexGrl702!