2007 Lexus ES Powertrain & Transmission Problems

THE TRANSMISSION WON'T SHIFT PASSED 3RD GEAR. I TRIED DRIVING ONE DAY AND THAT'S WHAT IT BEGIN DOING. THE OIL WAS AT THE CORRECT LEVELS AND IT STILL BEHAVED THAT WAY. IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS EVER SINCE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 LEXUS ES350. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND DECELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE FAILURE CODES WERE FOUND FOR THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM AND TRANSMISSION DRIVE TRAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 220,000.

THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS BETWEEN GEARS. WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE OR DECELERATE FOR ABOUT 20 SECONDS. IT'S EXTREMELY DANGEROUS BECAUSE YOU LOSE YOUR ABILITY TO AVOID DANGEROUS SITUATION. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 LEXUS ES350. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED INTO THE PARK POSITION, IT INDEPENDENTLY REVERSED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS STRUCK BY THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STOP. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A FRACTURED RIGHT FOOT THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

THIS VEHICLE HAS A PROBLEM WITH RANDOM HARD DOWN SHIFTING WHEN IT IS ALMOST STOPPED. THE HARD DOWN SHIFT WILL HAPPEN AND THEN VEHICLE WILL LUNGE FORWARD. I DID SLIGHT RUN INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE WHEN THIS HAPPENED IN A PARKING LOT. THIS COULD BE POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS IF THE LUNGE WOULD HIT A PEDESTRIAN OR CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO ENTER HEAVY TRAFFIC. I HAVE REPORTED THIS MANY TIMES TO THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP, WHO IS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE RANDOM NATURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 LEXUS ES350. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. AFTER TRYING TO DECELERATE FOR A FEW MINUTES THE VEHICLE FINALLY SLOWED DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO ADVISED HER THAT THE SHE NEEDED A TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 74,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I PURCHASED THE CAR WITH A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED WARRANTY AS I DID WITH TWO OTHER LEXUS THAT I HAVE OWNED. SHORTLY AFTERWARD I NOTICED THAT WHEN I SLOWED DOWN TO STOP AT THE TOP A STEEP HILL THE CAR WOULD SUDDENLY LURCH FORWARD AND I HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND TOOK A RIDE WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER WITH A LAPTOP ATTACHED TO THE CAR. I DUPLICATED THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS A PROBLEM SHIFTING FROM 4TH TO FIRST GEAR .THE DEALER APPLIED SOME COMPUTER UPDATES. AFTERWARD, THE PROBLEM LURCHING WAS STILL THE SAME. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO LEXUS AND DUPLICATED THE PROBLEM WITH THEM AGAIN. THEY DID ANOTHER UPDATE BUT THE PROBLEM WAS STILL THE SAME. THE DEALER BROUGHT IN A TECH REP FROM LEXUS. THEY DECIDED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH FOR THEM TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION OR THE COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS THE TRANSMISSION. I STILL HAVE THE SAME IRRITATING PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH THE CAR IS STILL UNDER THE CERTIFICATION WARRANTY, IT WILL RUN OUT SOON.

2007 LEXUS ES350. CONSUMER STATES UNINTENDED ACCELERATION *TGW THE CONSUMER DID RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL REGARDING ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS, BUT WAS NOT CONCERNED, BECAUSE HE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS PRIOR. HOWEVER, ON APRIL 6, 2010, AS THE CONSUMER WAS ABOUT TO MAKE A TURN, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD AND A RED WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS WELL AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE CONSUMER ABORTED THE TURN AND WENT STRAIGHT AHEAD AND TURNED INTO A GAS STATION. THE CONSUMER THEN TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND AFTER A MINUTE OR TWO HE RE-STARTED IT; BOTH THE WARNING LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AS WELL AS A LIGHT INDICATING LOSS OF TRACTION WERE ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY RESET THE COMPUTER AND THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED EVERYTHING WAS FINE. HOWEVER, 4 MILES INTO HIS TRIP, THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD AGAIN WHEN IT WAS MOVING AT ABOUT 20 MPH AFTER A STOP SIGN. THE CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY AND UPON INSPECTION, THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD THE CONSUMER THERE WAS A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH THE SECOND GEAR AND THAT THE LURCHING OF THE VEHICLE WAS RELATED TO THE COMPUTER BYPASSING THAT GEAR. *JB

ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:30 P.M., I DRIVING MY IN-LAWS 2007 LEXUS ES 350 NORTH ON MAIN ROAD, WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. THE GAS PEDAL MOVED AWAY FROM MY FOOT AND THE VEHICLE STARTED ACCELERATING AT FULL POWER. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO GAIN SPEED. I ATTEMPTED TO CUT THE CAR OFF BY HITTING THE START BUTTON(IT HAS NO KEY). AGAIN, NOTHING HAPPENED. I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 55 TO 60 MPH BEFORE THE ACCELERATION AND APPROXIMATELY 80-85 AFTER THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE. THE BREAKS DID LITTLE TO REDUCE THE OVERALL SPEED; HOWEVER, PUSHING THE BRAKE PEDAL SEEMED TO REDUCE THE RATE OF ACCELERATION. I TRIED PUTTING THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL BUT THAT DID NOT STOP THE ACCELERATION. I HAD BOTH FEET ON THE BREAK AND WAS PUSHING AS HARD AS I COULD, BUT IT STILL COULD NOT REDUCE THE SPEED. AT SOME POINT, I TURNED ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS. I KEPT TRYING TO GET THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND TO HIT THE ON/OFF BUTTON BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NONRESPONSIVE. I WAS QUICKLY APPROACHING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME AND HAD DECIDED TO HIT IT RATHER THAN RUN OFF THE ROAD. JUST AS SUDDENLY AS IT STARTED, THE CAR JUST CUT OFF AND I COASTED TO THE NEXT SIDE STREET WHICH WAS OLD POND ROAD. IT SEEMED LIKE I WAS WITHOUT BRAKES FOR APPROXIMATELY 2-3 MILES.

I HAD TWO RECALLS DONE ON MY AUTO ON MARCH 4, 2010. THESE RECALLS DEALT WITH THE ACCELERATION PEDAL AND AN OIL LINE. SINCE THE RECALL OF THE ACCELERATION PEDAL WAS DONE MY CAR ON OCCASION HAS STALLED WHEN THE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. IT WILL HESITATE WHILE I DEPRESS THE PEDAL UP TO AN INCH OR SO. FINALLY IT WILL START TO CREEP AND THEN FINALLY START MOVING. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE WHEN I WAS ENTERING AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND AGAIN AS I PULLED AWAY FROM THE CURB OF MY HOUSE. ADDITIONALLY, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTING IS VERY ERRATIC AT TIMES. ONCE AGAIN ALL OF THIS STARTED AFTER I HAD THE RECALL DONE. BEFORE THIS MY AUTO RAN PERFECTLY WITH NO ISSUES OTHER THAN AN OCCASIONAL HARD DOWN SHIFT WHEN COMING TO A STOP. I HAVE BEEN TO THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP IN FREDERICK, CO TWICE. THEY ARE UNABLE TO ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS IN A SATISFACTORY MANNER. THE ACCELERATION DELAY IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY TOYOTA. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 LEXUS ES350. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL (VSC) WARNING LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO FAILURES. THE IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DETECT AN ERROR CODE RELATED TO THE FAILURE; ALTHOUGH, THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL (VSC) WARNING INDICATOR CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT NO INVESTIGATION WOULD BE PERFORMED SINCE THE DEALER REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89,000.

OUT OF NOWHERE THE ES 350 LEXUS ACCELERATED IN REVERSE. I HAD TO PRACTICALLY STAND ON THE BRAKES BOTH FEET WITH ALL MY EFFORT TO STOP THE CAR WHILE THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. IT WOULD NOT GO INTO NEUTRAL OR DRIVE OR PARK OR TURN OFF DESPITE HOLDING THE IGNITION KEY. THE WHOLE INCIDENT LASTED ABOUT A MINUTE OR SO AND SUDDENLY, LIKE A SWITCH WAS HIT, THE ENGINE STOPPED RACING AND THE CAR BECAME IDOL AND NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO ME OR THE CAR OR THE HOUSE. *TR

VEHICLE: LEXUS ES350 - 2007 PROBLEM: WHEN BACKING UP OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY OR ONTO A BUSY STREET, THE CAR STALLS WHEN SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. THE COMPUTER RESETS ITSELF WHICH COULD BE 5 SECONDS AND THE CAR NEEDS TO BE RESTARTED OR ENOUGH TIME TO BE CRASHED INTO. I HAVE HAD THREE NEAR MISSES AS THE CAR STALLED WHEN BACKED UP ONTO A BUSY ROAD. THE PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED TO BOTH MYSELF AND WIFE, SO IT IS DRIVER INDEPENDENT. THE LEXUS DEALER SAID THERE IS NO FIX. THEY CLAIM THE SOFTWARE IS EITHER A YES OR NO FOR REVERSE OR FORWARD AND THE "ROLL" BETWEEN THE TWO CAN NOT BE INTERPRETED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THIS IS EXTREMELY CONCERNING DUE TO THE NEAR MISS ACCIDENTS. I UNDERSTAND IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE ES AND IS. THE PROBLEM IS VERY INTERMITTENT, BUT HAS OCCURRED 6 TIMES WITHIN MY 3 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 LEXUS ES 350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE FELT A THRUST/SURGING MOTION WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AS IF SOMEONE HIT HER FROM THE REAR. SHE NOTICED THE PROBLEM ABOUT 6 DIFFERENT TIMES. SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE WAS UPGRADED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT NOTICED THE PROBLEM SINCE THE UPGRADE. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 32,800.

THE FLOOR MATS ON MY LEXUS 350 CAUSED THE ACCELERATOR TO STICK IN A DEPRESSED POSITION RESULTING IN A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. FORTUNATELY FOR ME I WAS ABLE TO FIGURE IT OUT. FOR A MOMENT I HAD THE IMPRESSION THAT I DID NOT HAVE BREAKS. THIS MUST GET FIXED OR THERE WILL BE DEATHS. THE REASON FOR THIS IS DUE TO A NUMBER OF FACTORS. 1) THE FLOOR MAT WAS NOT FASTENED TO THE CAR USING THE CLIPS. I HAD JUST WASHED THE CAR AND I WAS UNABLE TO FASTEN THE FLOOR MATS INTO THE CLIPS. THE DESIGN OF THE CLIPS IS POOR. 2) THE FLOOR MAT SLID FORWARD. 3) WHEN THE FLOORMAT SLID FORWARD IT CAUSED A SITUATION THAT WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR GETS CAUGHT UNDER THE LEADING EDGE OF THE FLOOR MAT. YOU CANNOT LIFT THE ACCELERATOR UP BECAUSE THE FLOOR MAT IS PREVENTING IT FROM COMING UP. 3) THE FLOOR MAT HAS TO BE PULLED AWAY FROM THE ACCELERATOR IN ORDER THAT THE ACCELERATOR IS RELEASED. 4) THE DESIGN OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS TO CLOSE TO THE TOP OF THE FLOOR MAT. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL MUST BE REPLACED WITH A PEDAL THAT IS FURTHER AWAY FROM THE FLOOR MATS. THE CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED BY MAKING THE PEDAL SMALLER. MY WIFE IS CURRENTLY DRIVING THIS CAR IN TX. I AM IN MN. I'VE TOLD HER TO BE CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE THE FLOOR MATS ARE PROPERLY FASTENED. I AM 50 YEARS OLD AND DRIVEN NUMEROUS CARS. THIS LEXUS IS THE BEST CAR I HAVE EVER DRIVE BUT THIS DESIGN FLAW WILL KILL PEOPLE IF IT'S NOT FIXED. FEEL FREE TO CALL ME AT: THANK YOU, *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 LEXUS ES350. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REV, FOLLOWED BY UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THE BRAKE PEDAL REQUIRED GREATER FORCE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 25,200. UPDATED 05/26/09 *BF UPDATED 05/28/09.*JB

MY LEXUS ES 350 RECENTLY HAD FLARE PROBLEMS WITH MY TRANSMISSION. THERE IS A BULLETIN OUT BY LEXUS WHICH SUGGEST THE CAR'S TRANSMISSION WILL FLARE BETWEEN 3RD AND 4TH GEAR. HOWEVER, WHAT THEY DON'T TELL YOU IS THAT THE CAR'S TRANSMISSION WILL FLARE, BUT IN MY CASE, TAKE OFF ON ITS OWN. IN SHORT, EARLY MORNING I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND MY CAR'S TRANSMISSION FLARED AND SUDDENLY TOOK OFF WITH OUT ME DOING ANYTHING. BASICALLY, I HAD TO PUT BOTH FEET ON MY BREAKS AND STAND ON MY BREAKS TO KEEP THE CAR FROM CRASHING INTO ANOTHER CAR. LUCKILY, I REMEMBERED TO HIT THE OFF BUTTON ON MY CAR TO KEEP IT FROM RAMMING INTO ANOTHER CAR. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKES THIS BEFORE HAVING A CAR SUDDENLY SURGE FORWARD WITH ALL 8000 RPMS BLAZING. MY WIFE WOULD OF NEVER BEEN ABLE TO STOP THIS CAR IF SHE WAS DRIVING. I REPORTED THIS TO MY LEXUS DEALER IN LINDON BUT THEY REFUSED TO WRITE DOWN THE COMPLAINT AFTER FIXING THE TRANSMISSION. BASICALLY, THE LOCAL LEXUS DEALER SAID THEY WOULD NOT WRITE DOWN MY COMPLAINT AND SUGGESTED I CALL LEXUS CORPORATE....WHICH I DID ON FRIDAY. *TR

ENGINE SURGES, UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION. OCCURS AT LOW SPEEDS, APPEARS TO BE FAILURE OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. HAPPENS EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS. WAS TOLD IT WAS MY FAULT FOR NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW THE "INTELLIGENT" TRANSMISSION FUNCTIONS. *TR

I HAVE A 2007 LEXUS ES350. WHEN COMING TO A STOP THE VEHICLE SLOWS AND THEN THERE IS A BUMP AS THOUGH THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN HIT IT THE REAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 4 TIMES. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN ACCELERATING THE TRANS WILL SPEED UP CAUSING ME TO HIT THE BRAKES. LEXUS STATED THAT THIS IS NORMAL. I THINK ITS DANGEROUS. *TR

ES 350 2007 LEXUS, PASSING VEHICLE DOING APPROX. 40 MPH IN 55 MPH ZONE, ACCELERATOR STUCK, GAS PEDAL WAS GOING TO FLOOR ON ITS OWN, LOOKED AT SPEEDOMETER WAS AT 85 AND CLIMBING. APPLIED BRAKES AS HARD AS COULD, PULLED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD, PUT IN PARK AND TURNED CAR OFF. CONTINUED ON AFTER GETTING MYSELF SETTLED DOWN. CAR IS NOW IN SHOP AND THEY ARE TALKING FLOOR MATS, DID NOT HAVE THE ALL WEATHER FLOOR MATS IN, CHECKED GAS PEDAL AND SAW NO COMPROMISE FROM FLOOR MAT IN CAR THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS TO HAPPEN. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 3000 MILES. THANKFULLY THERE WERE NO INJURIES, IT WAS 6 AM AND TRAFFIC WAS MINIMAL. *TR