NHTSA — Power Train: Automatic Transmission Problems

3.8

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
32,268 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2005 Lexus RX 330 transmission problems

transmission problem

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2005 Lexus RX 330 Owner Comments

problem #10

Nov 012009

RX 330

  • 80,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Transmission delay/slip during acceleration. Requires an ECU update. Lexus will charge for the update, up to $100. The update should be mandatory and free of charge.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #9

Jan 012009

RX 330

  • 85,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Lexus RX330. The contact was driving 20 mph when the transmission would not engage and caused the vehicle to sputter abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer at least three times for the failure and each time, the technician would adjust the ECU but the failure would persist. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not further repaired. The failure mileage was 85,000.

- Mountain View, CA, USA

problem #8

Feb 272010

RX 330

  • 48,000 miles
2005 Lexus RX330 was driven at 40mph under normal highway conditions when the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own. The vehicle was immediately put in neutral where the engine kept revving. The driver coasted to the side of the road and turned the engine off. The vehicle was restarted and brought to a dealership the following business day for diagnosis. The dealership said they did not find any error codes.

- Gurnee Il, IL, USA

problem #7

Nov 012007

RX 330

  • 43,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I own a 2005 Lexus RX330. I purchased it used in September 2007. Shortly after I purchased it, I had several instances where when I pushed on the gas pedal there was a feeling of a loss of power - a hesitation. I took the vehicle in for work under work in February 2008, and the dealer said it was an improper shift in the transmission and it was recalibrated by a technician. Since that time I have again had several instances where there was a hesitation in supply power. I want to know if others have had this similar complaint and if my vehicle is under a recall for this issue. Tw*

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #6

Dec 122009

RX 330

  • miles
I have a 2005 Lexus RX330 which was a re-certified vehicle with 27,000 miles. The response to the accelerator pedal is erratic and causes unexpected surges. This happens less than 5 % of the time but I cannot tie it to any specific conditions (ie cold temperature, down-shift or up-shift, cornering, or road conditions. It occurs randomly but could be very dangerous depending on when it happens.

- Saginaw, MI, USA

problem #5

Nov 172009

RX 330

  • 28,675 miles
Transmission shift points are occasionally not smooth and exhibit inconsistent engine RPM shift points. Initially noticed when driving uphill and the transmission downshifted lower than it should have. No error codes have been found by the dealer on several occasions. A firmware update on the transmission has been tried two times with limited success about eight months ago. There was improvement but the problem has not been eliminated. Occasional hard upshifts are felt under low load and throttle. Feels like the next gear up or overdrive is confused about when shifting is needed. Contrary to the above smooth shifting during light acceleration may feel slow and a bit uncertain. Down shift points can happen with minor accelerator pedal movement causing higher RPM of engine than needed. Feels like two gear down-shifts instead of the one that's needed. This was a Lexus certified vehicle with 28675 miles when purchased used May 2008. Gas mileage has been a bit low and I suspect the shifting behavior is part of the problem. When transmission is cold and shifted into drive (from neutral or reverse) a rapid but distinct two "bumps" are felt if the brake is not on. I am not convinced this is normal behavior and never had another automatic transmission do any of the above. Current mileage is about 36,000.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #4

Jan 012006

RX 330

  • 20,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My 2005 RX330 hesitates and I feel it's dangerous. There are times that after making a turn and stepping on the accelerator that the car behind me has almost rammed me.

- Fairport, NY, USA

problem #3

Aug 092006

RX 330 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 13,000 miles
: the contact stated the vehicle would not accelerate past 40 mph. When the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle did not engage gears automatically. The problem was accompanied by a vibration in the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to a service dealer, where several unsuccessful attempts were made to duplicate the problem. The manufacturer was contacted, and refused further service to the vehicle.

- Fairfield, CT, USA

problem #2

Feb 012006

RX 330 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 5,000 miles
Transmission problems (hunting for gears, jerking and hesitation) on a 2005 Lexus RX330 - AWD. Have experienced near accidents due to vehicle hesitation when merging into traffic, crossing intersections, or making turns. When depressing accelerator, vehicles hesitates for 3-5 seconds. Have had "flash" service done to ECU. Same issues still exist.

- Waldorf, MD, USA

problem #1

Jun 032005

RX 330 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
2004 Lexus rx 330: Basically, the transmission will not gear down satisfactorily, until it comes to a complete stop. A slow turn and then acceleration will 'always' result in 'lagging' of gear changes, then it will finally gear down and lurch into the lower gear. It's aggravating and can be downright dangerous in tight crowded freeway driving conditions where it's not unusual to have to slow down and then speed up without getting rear-ended. The transmission also has a very loud "whining" as soon as you let off on the gas pedal. The car has been doing these things since I purchased the car in Feb 2004. At the 5000, 10,000 servicings, I complained to the service manager about the transmission and each time was told that nothing was wrong with the car.

- Naples, FL, USA

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