2004 Lexus RX330: jerking or lurching

Filed Jul 27, 2013 · Transmission · 84,875 miles · IN

This is our 2nd complaint regarding our 2004 rx 330. We have owned it for 8 months and have put 7k miles on it since purchase, and it only has 85k now. Since purchase we noticed the transmission shifting and jerking problems at all rates of speed when starting/ driving/stopping. We contacted our local lexus dealership to ask if something could be done, and was advised they could check to see if the previous 1st owner of vehicle had ever "upgraded" the computer chip that controls the system. So, we took it in and they determined it had not been done so we paid the $100.00 for the upgrade. We hoped it had solved the issue, but now it is even worse. Several days after getting the vehicle back, I was on a major highway going 70 MPH with the cruise control on and accelerated to change lanes and pass another vehicle. During my attempt to pass with my foot on the accelerator, for 5 or 10 seconds the engine/ transmission froze and it was like you were in neutral gear, it did nothing, and finally with my foot all the way down on the accelerator it kicked back into gear and I was able to pass the vehicle to my side. If someone would have been behind me I'm sure there would have been an accident, as the truck was in motion but not accelerating. I called the dealership and the service department said they had complaints and were aware of the acceleration issue, but had no complaints about what happened with it "freezing" like that. He said the truck will just have to "learn my driving pattern", and unless toyota does a recall it will always have these issues. This is a safety issue that needs to be resolved, sooner than later and it is just not a "floor mat" clip fix. I am now afraid to drive this truck since it's a toss up as to when or where it could happen again.

Filed Jul 4, 2013 · Transmission · 78,000 miles · IN

We purchased our 2004 lexus rx330 in january 2013 as the 2nd owner with 78k miles. We began to notice at lower speeds the truck will jerk forward with no warning when beginning to accelerate from a stop, or even when driving at higher speeds on the highway when making land changes or slowing down in traffic. We have a 2001 lexus rx 300, and it never has had this issue. We are very concerned and this is definitely a safety issue, and will be contacting our local lexus dealership to let them know, so it can be documented. Since reading others complaints, it seems that lexus is not standing behind this issue, we may be looking to trade it in and go back to the honda crv, which had no problems at all, we just liked the luxury of the lexus, and wanted an upgrade, not a vehicle that can cause an accident with no warning.

Filed May 18, 2010 · Acceleration · 66,000 miles · MO · crash

I was pulling into a curbside parking place on a residential street with a slight uphill incline. The car slowed almost to a stop because of the incline. I put my foot very lightly on the gas pedal so as to move forward and make room for another car to park behind me. The pedal went all the way to the floor of its own accord and the car lurched forward into the parked car in front of me, causing considerable damage before I was able to stop the car, reverse and park. Police were called but declined to file a report as no one was injured and the damage was not severe. Because I was afraid to drive the car again, I had it towed to the dealer where it was purchased and has been serviced. It is currently being inspected. This is the first and only time of such an occurrence.

Filed Feb 24, 2010 · Acceleration, Transmission · 200 miles · CA · 1 injury

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) I have my dream car, 2004 lexus rx330. I have had same trouble. I am afraid of the car. I have an old ford rv, I drive instead of my beautiful lexus. People ask why, I tell them I'm afraid of it. It lurches forward, and also jumps back and forth between gears @ 20mph. This is after 5 updates in the computer of the car. I have put 200k miles on my other 5 toyotas, and all went beautifully! Then the demon car as I refer to it. I reported it repeatedly, and was told by everyone, including long beach toyota headquarters, that it was working in the manner it was designed, it was learning how I drive. Horse pucky. I am a retiree of att. I had defensive driving every year to drive their co. Vehicles. I know how to drive and am very experienced. I also know when there is a bad problem. I have 48k miles on my runaway car. It's only tried to really run away twice, but somehow I got it stopped, I stuck it in neutral, for some unknown reason. Back then no one heard of this "mess". I never complained to toyota about my cars, because they were wonderful. Then, after saving for 10 yrs, bought my dream car. The killer. I hate it, I am beginning to hate toyota. It's very disheartening to me, to have the car company I thought so very highly of, is trying to save their [xxx] , by giving america these defective cars. When our hwy patrol officer and his family, was killed, I cried. All these years of saying they will get caught, they will see. Who is they? Toyota, and when they heard about it in 04, hushed it up. I know, if a hwy patrolman can't stop a runaway car, how the [xxx] can the normal guy driving it? Someone please listen, someone, please help fix this mess. Shame on you, toyota! Shame on you! Dealers, headquarters, employees that lied all these years to us. Shame on you! Man up, and tell the truth.

Filed Feb 23, 2010 · Brakes, Transmission · 200 miles · CA · 1 injury

Someone needs to listen! I have a 2004 lexus rx330. It's had trouble from day one, and I got nowhere! They have done 5 updates on the computer. Now it only seems to have trouble at 20 MPH, instead of 40-50 and 65-80, of lurching, hesitating, then taking off like a bat out of hell. It's had a "bulletin" on the front brakes, and shimmied all over the road. I have paper work on all of this and more. You, the ntsb, can take the car and go thru it, I'll give you the repair records. I've called the toyota headquarters in 04 or 05 begging them to help me. A woman said, the car was, "performing in the manner it was designed:" I saved a long time to buy my dream car when I retired, now I have a defective car, with only 48k miles because of fear of driving it. Please please, listen to what people wrote back in 04 about this car. One man said a friend worked for lexus and told him that his boss said there will never be a recall on this car because of the amount of cars sold in the us and canada. We need help. My car is a lemon. I've mentioned numerous times of painting it yellow and putting lemon all over it. Please try to pull up records back then, all these people were writing in with the same problems. No one listened then or now! Please, I'm begging you. I've had 4 toyota's in the past, and all 4 totally, never had the trouble this 1 lexus has. They were actually toyotas. Their complete stature has gone from years of loyalty by me and others, after all the built up trust, gone in an instant! One runaway car is enough! It's now killing people. I bought it for it's comfort, looks, but mostly for safety, and trustworthiness! Gone. All gone! I have a 91 ford van I drive instead of the lexus. I call it a piece of junk, nothing but trouble, and lexus had it more than I did the first 4 yrs. Please look into this all you can. All these people can't be wrong. I can't even sell it now. Shame on you, toyota. Shame on you! Greed! That's what it is, greed.

Filed Feb 11, 2010 · Transmission · 47,000 miles · CA

Transmission initially fails to engage in gear causing driver to increase acceleration upon which gears suddenly (and sometimes dangerously) engage & jerk vehicle forward.

Filed Dec 14, 2009 · Acceleration · 40,000 miles · ID

No failure, just apparent stickiness in accelerator. Occasionally, while pulling out from signals, pedal feels as if it is sticking, then will pop loose and car lurches forward.

Filed Nov 5, 2009 · Acceleration · NJ

I own a rx 330 lexus and it has a problem with the accelerator. Sometimes it gets stuck at about 3 rpms and it wont come down from there until something lets go of it and then it jerks even though I would be going at a low speed such 25mph. The accelerator feels rigid and no matter how much you push on it the speed doesn't increase until it jerks and lets go. Other times it tends to go faster even though I am not pressing on it, when I brake it doesn't want to stop until I slam on the brakes hard. I can feel that it is like something is stuck and the car does what it wants until it is let go which is when it jerks. I have not had a crash yet, but I am concerned about it.

Filed May 29, 2009 · Transmission · 49,000 miles · CA

Transmission jerk, lags and hesitates, car looses power when shifting between 2nd and 3rd gear. On going problem, had dealer perform ECM reprogramming as per technical service bulletin, condition persists, get worse. Safety issue when trying to accelerate out of traffic or avoid an object on the road. Brought car back to dealer service, they stated condition is "normal". Many many more similar complaints on several blogs and message boards on the internet. Car not safe to drive. Should have the transmission replaced.

Filed Aug 12, 2006 · Transmission · 19,000 miles · FL

Hesitation, jerky when shifting. Took to dealers 3 times and unable to resolve issue. They stated that vehicle is operating within parameters. Now it is jerky when shifting most of the time.

Filed Jun 20, 2005 · Transmission · 24,977 miles · MI

Our lexus rx330 was purchased in august of 2003. For the last several months, the vehicle hesitates to shift gears with a lag causing the vehicle to jerk forward. We have trouble merging onto the highway as well as accelerating from a stop and while turning due to this dangerous condition. Dealer keeps performing the tsb tc005-03 "poor shift quality" and reprograms the computer with no improvement. We are told there is nothing more that can be done. After multiple attempts with lexus customer service, they deny a problem exists and states that the vehicle performs within specifications. Customer service even fails to document my complaints by not entering it in the ir computer systems in an attempt to hide the defect. Many owners report this problem on internet message boards. This is a dangerous and unacceptable design flaw that needs to be corrected with a recall.

Filed Sep 27, 2004 · Transmission · NY

Since I have bought my car the transmission has not been shifting properly. It hesitates in low gears when the car accelerates . The most bothersome is the lack of proper response when the driver needs to slow down and then accelerate (such as turning left or changing lanes to avoid obstacles or double parked cars). In these cases transmission seems to go into neutral, and after about a second goes into third or fourth gear with a rapid , jerky movement of the whole car, which I would compare to being rear ended by another car. It happened to me and my wife 4 times and resulted in neck pain and headache, and almost being hit by another car. Lexus dealer and customer care state that the car was designed to work this way and there is nothing they can do.