I'm the original poster of this thread. I have found the comments and remarks interesting. It is amazing to me that the "True Believers" refuse to acknowledge that there is a widespread and serious problem with transmissions in the ES300/ES350 series of cars. The issues are well-known and widesread....it is NOT the product of a "few disgruntled owners" or of a half-dozen people who are posting this stuff on all of the various forums and newsgroups. If you will read the other forums and newsgroups you will see the problem has affected owners throughout the country...they are all experiencing the same problem and Lexus is, for the most part, ignorning the issue and hoping it will not be widely publicized. I wanted to buy an ES300 4 years ago and researched the car (and drove several) and decided not to take a chance when I read all the "stickies" on the various Lexus forums relating to the transmission hesitation problem. For me, it is a SAFETY issue...if I want to enter a freeway or change lanes and step on the accelerator, and nothing happens, then it is DANGEROUS. As a result, I bought a BMW and later an LS430, which has just been an outstanding and trouble-free car. Then recently I thought I would try the new ES350 (for a 2nd car) with the newly re-designed transmission...I thought they would have solved the problem by now. But after MUCH research, I found that it still exists too widely for me to take a chance on getting one of the "bad ones." I know there are those out there who love their ES350's but there are hundreds and perhaps thousands that still get a faulty transmission and have it replaced or have Lexus buy the car back. And there are thousands of older folks who drive their cars daily and aren't even aware of the problem. The way that Lexus has largely ignored this problem has made their Service Advisors and Customer Service people very defensive and they spend their time trying to convince their customers they don't have a problem instead of trying to fix the problems. I have asked Service Advisors about the ES350 problems when I have taken my car in for service and they look at you kind of funny and say they aren't aware of the problem. Two months ago I was in for an oil change and was told the ES350 problem was the result of the customer not using 91 octane gasoline in his car....and he said this with a straight face. They are STILL refusing to acknowledge they have a serious problem with their transmissions in the ES series. Hence, my orignal question: "Why can't a company that produces such fine cars as the LS430/460 produce an ES350 that reflects the same quality?"

 

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I just looked in on the GS forum and it's beginning to look a lot like the ES forum. I'm not in any way saying there aren't problems with either model, there are, but after reading posts on both, it makes you wonder how Lexus sells any cars at all! After more LS's are sold, with all of the electronics etc., I certainly hope that this forum doesn't start looking like the other two. I think not, but who knows?

I guess that's the nature of a forum though, the good, the bad and the ugly.

 

Your 18 is below in one of the polls, one of which you participated, did you foget that one? I am not using reversed mathamatics, I am saying that the data here is not complete, I know you wouldnt bet your money on this, or your job.

Voters 18:
http://sr1.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=247460

Voters 25:
http://sr1.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=250652

Voters 123:
http://sr1.clublexus.com/forums/poll...ts&pollid=2111

210 Posts, where are the 210 complaints?
http://sr1.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214896

I am done with club lexus, no one is willing to listen to reason and like I said if you have an opinion that doesnt agree with one of about 13 people on the ES forum you get blasted by BS and nonsense.

 

When I went to your link for 18 voters, you should be aware that this poll is CLOSED. Naturally, people cannot continue voting on this poll even if they have the transmission problem, hence only 18 voters.

Just the facts!

 

mlaw,

Sorry you took any kind of offense to my response above.

No, I did not participate at all in the 18 as it is a TSIB failure poll, to see just how many TSIB's were not working, not a tally of total transmission with problems. The 25 is just a poll of what build months are involved but it was started months after the owners poll of problems and only because people kept asking what build month is your car, the actual owners poll is currently with 123 responses, and the last is just a thread where you can announce you bought your ES350 it's color etc., not a place to list a difficulty you are having and the total is of all posts in that thread including back and forth among owners about colors and options, not a running tally of owners.

Hope that helps clarify for you and that you continue to participate and sorry for any misunderstanding arrived at.

 

i am moving this thread to car chat, honestly it has nothing to do with the new LS by now, probably better for general public

everyone please try to stay civil or this thread will be closed. everyone has the right to voice their opinions constructively.

thanks

 

I couldn't disagree with this more. We're not talking about a $11,000 Kia. Should a customer get a car with transmission problems when they pay $35-40,000? It doesn't matter. Corolla owners do not have this problem to my knowledge. Is it too much to ask for a properly working transmission??? You don't have to pay $65,000 for one last time I checked. We have two first year model Lexus and neither of them have had problems that manifested within the first few months... or honestly the first 5 years even of ownership. There's no excuse IMO, for brand new Lexus vehicles to be having transmission problems! This isn't a simple dash-rattle or anything minor like that. And this problem plagued the ES330s as well... you'd think over 5 years they'd be able to fix it before the launch of the 350... obviously not. My father was thinking of getting this new ES, but I'm not letting him until I see some sort of resolvement made.

 

It is is interesting to note the entry model IS and the high end model LS seem to be the most trouble free cars Lexus has ever made.

 

What do you base that on?

 

I would make this post a sticky in the ES forum if I could.

 

1Sick -- while you're at it, please make this post a sticky also.

e

 

The highest quality Lexus made per surveys is actually the SC 430, which is even more amazing given it is a complex hardtop convertible. I believe JD Power got 44 problems per vehicle, way below the industry average.

I am tired of beating this dead horse. Lexus is not perfect. Lexus has NEVER scored 0 problems per 100 vehicles. No one has. Lexus just has had the absolute BEST record for quality and reliablity for 17 years, which is unmatched.

We are sorry for those with ES 350 tranny issues, wind issues or even issues your mind has invented b/c your paranoid and dislike your purchase. This thread is exactly what I was talking about, the same 4 or 5 people complaininig and now spreading it to the LS forum and now Car Chat.

Lexus has ALWAYS done voluntary recalls. The stand behind their product. Do you honestly think Lexus wants to risk its FOUNDATION? THe Lexus foundation is quality, reliablity and customer service.

You just cannot please some people. The tranny could shift perfect and then you would say the car does not feel like it has 272 hp.

 

Again, not saying there ISN'T an issue. Clearly some people are not happy with the ES 350 build and tranny. However, there are tons MORE that are happy. Hopefully Lexus can figure out what the problem is and satisfy it's customers who spent serious coin on an ES.

 

Absolutely. No one is arguing this point. I see your point, and agree with you 100%. There are thousands of satisfied ES350 customers. No doubt about it. HOWEVER, it is more than just a "handful" of people that are having problems out there. There might be a "handful" of CL members who are more vociferous than others, but there are certainly more than a "handful" who have chimed in with the same, recurring issue. I'm not sure why you won't acknowledge that point, but insist on repeating the same rhetoric over and over again that "it's the same handful of people who are complaining." It's just not a true statement. If you'd like to take this conversation offline, I'd be happy to do so.

e

 

Never said a handful of ES 350s, just a handful of very vocal ES 350 owners

1% of 70k=700 cars and I doubt most even know about Clublexus.