It occurred when accelerating from a complete stop, transmission surged for a couple of seconds then it was fine. It was an intermittent problem that happened every couple of days. I traded the 12 for the 13 and this issue was never even discussed so it had no reflection on the trade value. Like I said in my earlier post the SA told me this is a normal characteristic for the RX350. Usually I wouldn't accept this for an answer but the SA has been with Lexus for many years so I trust what she told me. Additionally my 13 exhibits the exact same behavior, maybe less frequently but it does the same thing. If the 13 didn't surge then I would seriously question what the SA told me. While many of us may disagree with the stance Lexus has taken I seriously doubt they will ever address the issue because in their minds it isn't a problem. I suspect every RX350 does the same thing with the exception of the Hybrid which I really can't speak for. Many people would never notice the issue or the ones that do aren't on this forum. I also believe the issue can be different based on driving habits. In my case the issue is identical on the 12 and 13 and my driving habits are identical as well. The bottom line is you have to either live with the behavior or don't drive an RX350.

 

what do you mean when you say transmission surging? I have not noticed any issues with our 8spd gearbox

 

When this forum started two years ago, I was sure that this transmission problem affects small number of RX350 and I was one of those unlucky individuals. The number of forum participants proves otherwise. It is very strange that LEXUS still does not admit the issue and did not come up with solution. Does anybody know how to handle situation with such a widespread defect?

 

"There's a little hesitation at launch and you wait for power to build fully."

(At the track)

"With that throttle that's a little slow to respond at times, the T5 feels much more powerful in passing situations than off the line."

I wish these friggin' engineers could remedy this DBW lag design flaw.

Look at all the different manufacturers mentioned in this simple search:

https://www.google.com/search?q=driv...&client=safari

 

What was the result of the above? I bought a 2012 RX350 in 04/02/2013. I got it with a new car warranty since it had less than 700 miles on the odometer. It was not long before I noticed the hesitation/acceleration problem and it happens all too frequently. A good example was going back on an Interstate from a rest stop. I entered the acceleration lane with enough of this lane ahead to accelerate and merge with the oncoming 70 mph traffic. I probably had a slight right turn on the wheel and the car was not responding to the gas pedal input. I would guess there was a good second or two before the response came. In a different situation making a full left turn out of my neighborhood onto a low to moderate traffic 2-lane city street I had ample distance between me and an oncoming city bus. When I had just about completed my left turn I gave it the gas to avoid the bus having to slow down. Again 1-2 seconds of stall! Also, I have had it to happen going straight as an arrow, e.g., at the changing of a traffic light. It usually can not be duplicated, although I have tried. But, it's not going away I am afraid.

 

First, I'm new to this Forum, and I bought a 2012 RX350 from the local Lexus dealer in April with only 600 miles on the odometer. Unfortunately, I have observed the problem of hesitation on acceleration several times -- a couple of times it was quite scary.

I noticed the last post in this category was 11/25/2012. Has the problem been resolved?

 

Um, people, have you heard of Traction Control? It has exact side effects described in this thread. Nothing to do with the transmission. Welcome to the 21st century.

 

Not convinced this is a traction control matter, vlad_a. I believe it more to be a nuance of the drive-by-wire system for the throttle and programming for the transmission. Not something new as 2nd Generation RX owners have been making the same complaints for nearly a decade now.

 

My first gen IS has the same issue... with a manual box! I just have to remember to hit the TRAC-OFF button every time I start the car. If you loose throttle for 2 seconds, it is not likely to be the transmission, especially if it happens during turning. That's when trac goes haywire and kills the car, as more wheel slip occurs. VDIM system is much better tuned at that than TRAC and VSC. F-SPORT (and hybrids) will have VDIM, so it should not suffer as much.

A simple test is to turn off the trac. No, it won't kill you in an RX. Provided you can turn it off, of course. My '13 450h re-engages it pretty fast.

 

That's an interesting assertion. Never ocurred to me that it might be tied to the traction control system. I wonder if people experiencing this throttle lag have tried turning it off and seeing if it still happens. Since it's an intermittent issue that can't be readily recreated, this would be worth trying.

BTW, can you even turn traction control off in a RX350? I don't think you can in an '08 400h. Too lazy to get up and check to be sure.

 

I know the 2012 and later are rated for regular, but has anybody tried premium in these cars and see if it makes a difference with the hesitation? I remember from the RAV4 forum that the RAV4 V6 has a similar issue, and people there recommend the use of premium to mitigate the problem.

 

after reading this thread, I have tried to check today if have this hesitation/acceleration problem with my new to me 2010 RX350 and did not observe any at all, I thought my pedal acceleration feels a lot more responsive compared to my GX470.

 

Well, I believe you can turn off Trac in 400h. It requires putting it into a service mode. There's a sequence of pressing the gas pedal 3 times and putting the engine into the on position, then 3 times again. I somewhat recall it, as I tried it on the Prius we owned.

 

There probably is a sequence to turn T/C off in all Toyotas but it's a convoluted procedure to say the least. I was wondering if there's a "hard switch" in the RX350 that does it.

 

Would like to hear from members not having this problem. Could be a real deal breaker for me on buying a new RX.