When I accelerate, the car hesitates and actually slows down before accelerating. This is extremely dangerous when needing to avoid other cars or changing lanes or making turns.
2005 Lexus ES: hesitation when accelerating
15 of the 60 complaints about the 2005 Lexus ES describe hesitation when accelerating.
- owner complaints
- 15
- of this car's complaints
- 25%
- typical mileage
- 100
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 3 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Hesitation when accelerating by model year
- 20192
- 20181
- 20134
- 20071
- 200515
- 20043
- 20033
- 20023
What owners say
Transmission hesitates and jerks at all times putting the driver in unsafe situations. There appears to be a endless list of complaints regarding this and lexus not taking any action to correct it on their own. I just received a recall notice for a pulley problem that may cause a belt to come off but their is no recall issued for a dangerous transmission issue, seriously?? I hope someone forces them to take action soon since they don't appear to be concerned with customer safety or loyalty.
I purchased the 2005 lexus es 330 in august of 2005. Since the time of purchase I have experience a noticeable hesitation and lurching of the transmission when accelerating from slow speeds. The hesitation and subsequent lurching is very noticeable when accelerating from 24 MPH. Since the purchase I have researched the problem through the internet and learned that there are literally thousands of complaints about the transmission in this model going back to 2002. Several web forums, such as edmonds.com and lexus owners club show over two thousand postings on the problem. Even the federal safety agency has complaints. Lexus refuses to acknowledge the problem. I have sent numerous e-mails and letters to both lexus and my local dealership. They have feigned surprise at the problem, and then have told me that there is no problem to be found. They have recommended premium fuel, rebooting the transmission computer and waiting for the transmission to "self adjust". Nothing has helped. Lexus will not, or cannot, fix this problem. The hesitation and lurching is noticeable when entering a highway or doing a "rolling stop". It is hazardous. Lexus has known about the problem since it first existed in 2002. This is not only an uncomfortable problem in this so-called luxury car, but it is a danger.
The car will hesitate and then lurch forward when you are going at a slow speed and then push the accelerator pedal. It is extremely annoying and could present a safety hazard under the right circumstances. It has been doing this since I purchased the car. I have been to two dealers and always get the same "company story". It's a new drive by wire and it has to learn how you drive. Well, I have had my software changed numerous times and it never is fixed. I have had 4 lexus autos, will never buy another. They know this is a problem and have corporate coverup program in place to hide it, just because no one died yet. They don't want to have to fix it and spend the money and negative publicity.
My 2005 lexus es330 has transmission hesitation when after slowing to about 5 MPH, I accelerate. It takes 1 to 2 seconds for the transmission to downshift and then the car lurches dangerously forward. The dealership installed a softward fix to the transmission, but this did not solve the problem.
My new 2005 lexus es330 has a major transmission problem. It hesitates when needing to accelerate. First it delays upon acceleration and then it jerks ahead quickly causing whiplash and I even crashed into my garage because it jerked ahead without me being able to control it. The dealer said to just use better gas and complain to customer service at lexus because there are a lot of complaints. Basically, I was told the computer controls the transmission and there is a problem with it but no recall as of yet. Well this is an outrage. I have a new lexus that drives worse than an old car and they will not do anything about it. I have read hundreds of similar complaints online.
Hesitation upon acceleration of 1-3 seconds. At crucial driving points (e.g., through intersections), the hesitation is dangerous for the driver and occupants. The problem now occurs regularly.
Depressing the accelerator pedal causes the vehicle to hesitate for one-half to one full second and then lurch forward, suddenly. This is a safety risk when changing lanes or accelerating to avoid a collision. The dealer's mechanic indicated (twice) that they have had problems with this model's "electronic accelerator," and that an internal computer is supposed to "learn from the drivers' habits and adjust the acceleration accordingly." an accident can easily occur when expected power is denied upon depressing the accelerator.
I purchased a 2005 lexus es330 and have had consistent problems with the vehicle's acceleration and deceleration. The vehicle hesitates during acceleration and suddenly lurches forward. Also, during deceleration the vehicle suddenly slows down upon releasing the gas pedal. This has become a serious issue in heavy traffic and I''m concerned it may lead to an accident. I have reported the issue to the dealer on two occasions but have received a standard response that there is nothing wrong with the car. I''m hoping the dot will initiate a recall and have the manufacturer fix the problem. I'm deeply concerned and shocked at the number of similar reports filed with the dot.
The car hesitates when accelerating in traffic and then all of a sudden it lunges forward. Very dangerous and unpredictable.
2005 lexus es 330, sever hesitation in the tranmission when entering freeway. Fear of rear end collision or stall when trying to attain highway speed. Lag of 2-3 seconds after stepping on the gas.
There are no specific incidents to report, but I think it is a safety concern. The car hesitates at low speeds. This frequently causes harrowing moments when merging into oncoming traffic, such as at a street corner on freeway on-ramp.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2005 Lexus ES hesitation
Is hesitation when accelerating a common problem on the 2005 Lexus ES?
15 of 60 owner complaints about the 2005 Lexus ES (25%) mention hesitation when accelerating. The model year with the most reports is 2005.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2005 Lexus ES?
There are 0 recalls and 3 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2005 Lexus ES
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