1999 ESC upgrade?
06-25-09, 05:29 PM
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1999 ESC upgrade?
I have tried searching this forum and google and couldn't find anything about this..
I was on edmunds.com reviewing 1998/1999/2000 yr model GS300's. On the 1999, I found a review that said
Vehicle
1999 Lexus GS 300 4 Dr GS300 Sedan
Review
Bought it new and have had a love hate relationship since. Overall quality is very good, but performance stinks. Sporadic shifting pattern, especially after slowing and making 90 degree turn, then accelerating again will drive you nuts. Also, shifting pattern in stop and go urban traffic will drive you even nuttier. computer and ESC don't have a clue how to respond. Recall/upgrade of ESC was done in 1999, but really didn't fix the problem. Dealer acknowledges this as an engineering problem typical to the car - big, unforgivable mistake for a car in this price range
Can anyone shed any light on this? My mother has a 99 GS400 that doesn't seem to have any problems. The only thing I can think of is that you have to be easy on the gas when you first accelerate??? I'm about to purhcase as GS and it's between a 98 with 56k and a 99 with 77k for a similar price. I'd rather go with the lower mileage, so I'm making sure there are no differences between the 1999 and 98. Thanks for any help guys =\
I was on edmunds.com reviewing 1998/1999/2000 yr model GS300's. On the 1999, I found a review that said
Vehicle
1999 Lexus GS 300 4 Dr GS300 Sedan
Review
Bought it new and have had a love hate relationship since. Overall quality is very good, but performance stinks. Sporadic shifting pattern, especially after slowing and making 90 degree turn, then accelerating again will drive you nuts. Also, shifting pattern in stop and go urban traffic will drive you even nuttier. computer and ESC don't have a clue how to respond. Recall/upgrade of ESC was done in 1999, but really didn't fix the problem. Dealer acknowledges this as an engineering problem typical to the car - big, unforgivable mistake for a car in this price range
Can anyone shed any light on this? My mother has a 99 GS400 that doesn't seem to have any problems. The only thing I can think of is that you have to be easy on the gas when you first accelerate??? I'm about to purhcase as GS and it's between a 98 with 56k and a 99 with 77k for a similar price. I'd rather go with the lower mileage, so I'm making sure there are no differences between the 1999 and 98. Thanks for any help guys =\
06-25-09, 07:13 PM
#2
I have tried searching this forum and google and couldn't find anything about this..
I was on edmunds.com reviewing 1998/1999/2000 yr model GS300's. On the 1999, I found a review that said
Vehicle
1999 Lexus GS 300 4 Dr GS300 Sedan
Review
Bought it new and have had a love hate relationship since. Overall quality is very good, but performance stinks. Sporadic shifting pattern, especially after slowing and making 90 degree turn, then accelerating again will drive you nuts. Also, shifting pattern in stop and go urban traffic will drive you even nuttier. computer and ESC don't have a clue how to respond. Recall/upgrade of ESC was done in 1999, but really didn't fix the problem. Dealer acknowledges this as an engineering problem typical to the car - big, unforgivable mistake for a car in this price range
Can anyone shed any light on this? My mother has a 99 GS400 that doesn't seem to have any problems. The only thing I can think of is that you have to be easy on the gas when you first accelerate??? I'm about to purhcase as GS and it's between a 98 with 56k and a 99 with 77k for a similar price. I'd rather go with the lower mileage, so I'm making sure there are no differences between the 1999 and 98. Thanks for any help guys =\
I was on edmunds.com reviewing 1998/1999/2000 yr model GS300's. On the 1999, I found a review that said
Vehicle
1999 Lexus GS 300 4 Dr GS300 Sedan
Review
Bought it new and have had a love hate relationship since. Overall quality is very good, but performance stinks. Sporadic shifting pattern, especially after slowing and making 90 degree turn, then accelerating again will drive you nuts. Also, shifting pattern in stop and go urban traffic will drive you even nuttier. computer and ESC don't have a clue how to respond. Recall/upgrade of ESC was done in 1999, but really didn't fix the problem. Dealer acknowledges this as an engineering problem typical to the car - big, unforgivable mistake for a car in this price range
Can anyone shed any light on this? My mother has a 99 GS400 that doesn't seem to have any problems. The only thing I can think of is that you have to be easy on the gas when you first accelerate??? I'm about to purhcase as GS and it's between a 98 with 56k and a 99 with 77k for a similar price. I'd rather go with the lower mileage, so I'm making sure there are no differences between the 1999 and 98. Thanks for any help guys =\
yet you want to buy a GS4 and know from first hand experience it doesn't do the stated issue.
then you ask which one is better and not even tell us if you want a GS4 or a GS3.
btw, it's not how many miles the car has. it's how it's driven through it.
06-26-09, 03:23 PM
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I never said I had any interest in a GS400...I simply stated that I only had this one review from edmunds identifying an issue I have otherwise not heard of(on ANY GS, no matter the model or yr) and my only experience with GS's is my mother's 400 from that year. Thanks for the help though...Since no one seems to have heard of the issue maybe the review is a fluke which I originally thought it was.
06-26-09, 05:41 PM
#6
Lexus Champion
Well, I've got a GS400, as far as I can tell, yes the tranny is slow and power mode doesn't really do anything unlike my brother's newer BMW which on D Sport mode, it keeps rpm up high and downshifts for you... but hey, sometimes our tranny just have something else to do. 
In stop and go, just leave it in snow mode, it might help.
Also, ESC (VSC in Lexus) would respond well imo.... power out, throttle lift into corner, snow drifts, power slide, yeah, it works... and annoying when you're having fun, thankfully it's just one button to turn it on or off unlike most other cars of today...
The GS300's power is as expected in a full weight sedan in late 90s, so that's why you have to 400 it or go turbo/crazy...
In stop and go, just leave it in snow mode, it might help.
Also, ESC (VSC in Lexus) would respond well imo.... power out, throttle lift into corner, snow drifts, power slide, yeah, it works... and annoying when you're having fun, thankfully it's just one button to turn it on or off unlike most other cars of today...
The GS300's power is as expected in a full weight sedan in late 90s, so that's why you have to 400 it or go turbo/crazy...
Last edited by Solo_D33A; 06-26-09 at 05:45 PM.
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