twister

Not just blazing the way, but empowering others with a knowledge they entitled to. It just terrible how many people in here reported about their dealership not being responsive, or denying the problem, or not providing a mandatory 100k free warranty upgrade after tranny replacement, or not giving an option of the buyback.

2thfixr

I don't mean to speak for him here but I didn't interpret that statement as every ES out there has a transmission problem. Maybe he meant to say that in 90% of the cases where transmission flare exists, people are unaware there is a problem. It may not be 90% but it's very possible because some people are not that sensitive to mechanical issues in their cars. My mother in law is a perfect example, one of her previous cars had a horrendous shake because of a tire problem and she just drove it around like that. She was surprised when I told her that I had her tires replaced because of the problem. This is the very same person that commented that the wind noise was driving her crazy BTW.

As far as a recall, you are talking about 70,000 (at least that's the number being thrown around) ES350s. Do you think that they are going to recall 70,000 transmissions without being forced to do so by the NHTSA? Especially if a solution to the problem doesn't exist? Add to that number all of the Camrys that are out there and you are talking about one HUGE recall. Recalls are done for safety issues. The original LS400 had a recall within months of it's release. Why? Because of a faulty 3rd brake light that had a tendency to melt. A safety issue. My wife's 2005 S500 just got recalled. Why? The speedometer cluster can fail and can go completely dark leaving the driver with no instrumentation. A safety issue. Etc etc. Tranny flare is hardly a safety issue and unless they are forced to do it, they will not. There was mention of a LS430 transmission problem that triggered a recall. I can guarantee you without a doubt that somewhere in the wording there is mention of the problem possibly leading to injury or the possibility of an accident.

sdbrandon

Given Lexus' engineering expertise and consistent quality control, I think it is most likely that every ES350 rolled off the lot with a bad tranny whether folks noticed or not. At least those built within the first 6-9 months. I am not sure if a new tranny is being put in the cars now. Highly unlikely as it takes time to design and test a new product to ensure you are not trading one set of issues for another.

lisilva

I purchased my 2007 ES350 last june. The transmission was repaired after 6000 miles. After 8000 miles my injector makes a clicking and rattling noise when cold. The service department told me that there is big problem going on with the transmissions for the 2007's. In regards to the injector they told me there is nothing they can do and basically to live with it. The dealership is not going to let on that there is anything wrong with these cars. They don't have to. Please wait until the 2008's if you can.

e-man

It seems as though the "handful" of "complainers" is growing.

sdbrandon

At this point I would opt for an IS or GS. Why even take a chance? It is just not worth it.

ES350Bob

Yes, like that Star Trek episode with the Tribles

LexBob2

Are there bad transmissions out there? Definitely! IMHO though, I don't think it's accurate to say they're all bad. I've had my 4/06 build car 7 1/2 months and haven't experienced any trans issues. It wouldn't make sense to go to my dealer and tell them I haven't experienced anything wrong with the trans, but since they're all bad, check it out. Plus I wouldn't want them to mess around with it needlessly. Let's hope a fix for those that are defective is found soon.

e-man

Of course they're not all bad. I think the major issue (at least in my opinion) is the fact that Lexus is putting some of those customers who do have bad transmissions through a lot of hassle to get the issue resolved.

sdbrandon

They only way the transmissions cannot all be bad is...

a. Lexus corrected the issue after the initial release
or
b. Lexus sourced the tranny from more than one supplier.
or
c. Quality control is so lose some tranny's have issues and some don't.

Which is it?

LexBob2

It could be, "D" = All of the above. Or "E" - None of the above. Who knows...

ES350Bob

If it trends as our poll as of today it could be nearing 18,000 plus out there with messed up transmissions, or more if TSIB is taken in the the context issued as it does not limit vehicles potentially affected.

1,000/123 X 32 X (number in thousands claimed sold 70 )= 18,211

e-Mel

Fuzzy math makes a return

2thfixr

Nobody has made the statement that all trannys are bad. Nobody mentioned going to get your tranny checked out because it might be faulty despite the absence of signs indicating a problem. I am like you, I don't have a problem with my ES350 transmission. It shifts smoothly and quietly with nothing remotely resembling shift flare. Does that mean it will stay that way? That remains to be seen, the car has 1300 miles on it and I have my fingers crossed. At the same time, I will be looking for problems periodically. If Lexus could resolve the problem that others are having, I'm sure they would but the problem is that they can't. Until there is a solution, a simple concession like an extended tranny warranty would go a long way towards giving current owners peace of mind. It might even give prospective owners the confidence to proceed with their purchases knowing that Lexus stands behind their product.

All cars have problems but the difference between a car with a lot of problems like my wife's S-Class and the current situation is that my problems are repaired without issue. It costs me time and effort but in the end, I drive away with an acceptable resolution to my problems. This is different.

LexBob2

Nobody mentioned that all tranmissions are bad? See the quote below:

"I think it is most likely that every ES350 rolled off the lot with a bad tranny whether folks noticed or not".