PsychDoc

So this so called "transmission flair"....is this that short burst of rpm's from like 2nd to 3rd or 3rd to 4th gears on acceleration from a cold start?

My car's been doing that from the first day I got it.

Who cares?

It doesn't affect driveability one iota and goes away after about five minutes.

Is that what you guys have been all in a lather about?

You really should get a hobby (or a life). Let's get real here for a moment. This car is essentially an appliance...albeit a very nice appliance, but an appliance nonetheless.

If you want real driving excitement get a BMW or a Mazdaspeed 3.

For the record, my car now has over 11,000 miles on it, is an April build and has had zero problems. Everything works as it should. Sure, there are many things about the car that could be improved but as a daily driver it's pretty damn good. I've been averaging ~22mpg mostly NYC driving.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

I think it's all about expectation.

The ES (and Lexus in general) is expected to be smooth and luxurious. However, such an annoyance isn't smooth nor luxurious.

There may be tranny issues; it's being addressed. There may also be a driver issue; people you drive the ES350 like it's an IS/GS350 will encounter the flare more so than the generalized ES population. Although the ES350 has a lot more power, its function doesn't call for enthusiastic driving.

I will give some of the guys on this forum a break: Yes, the car should not have a tranny flare.

However, judging from how many people have driven the car, I think this is a "characteristic" of the car. There is a difference between a "design flaw" and "defective"...

PsychDoc

Very well stated.

My point exactly.

I think it falls under the general category of: "no big deal....move on here folks, nothing to see."

mmrfr

FOLKS, MOST OF US JUST WANT WHAT WE PAID FOR- A SMOOTH PROBLEM FREE CAR FOR THE 40K+ WE PAID. A TRANSIMISSION THAT SKIPS ALBIT ONLY ON START UP IS A TRANSMISSION THAT IS WORKING ITS WAY TO FAILURE AND LESS THAN A NORMAL LIFE. THATS WHY WE ARE DISAPPOINTED IN THE RESPONSE FROM LEXUS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. YOU CAN BET YOUR LAST DIME THAT IF LEXUS DOESNT ADDRESS THIS ISSUE ON THE 2008 MODEL SALES WILL DROP LIKE A ROCK!

PsychDoc

Not a prayer.

Not until reliability levels get to average or below in Consumer Reports or resale value diminishes.

This so-called transmission "problem" has been well known since the car's introduction in May '07. It's sold like hotcakes and continues to outpace Toyota's estimate of 70,000 units a year.

The car offers a lot of 'bang for the buck' in a world of $55-60k BMW 5 series and M-B E class'. For ~$42k you get 272hp, pretty much every bell and whistle a car can have (touch scren nav, Mark Levinson audio, xenon headlights, backup camera, etc, etc.) and great gas mileage.

It's a non-issue dude.

Get over it.

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

ES350Bob

It does affect driveablity, you are going nowhere when trying to go somewhere having pulled into or across traffic, never mind other experien ces that can be associated with this depending on degree of slipping. This is similar to your gripe about adding gas and lengthy hesitation.

It isn't flairing, it is slipping. There is no mechanical problem or term on a car where flare or flaring makes sense to state as a diagnosis unless it is a pack of emergency flares you keep in the trunk, those flare when used properly, transmission, no.

Lastly it does damage both the engine and the transmission over time, it is the same, as one example depending on degree of slip, as if you came to a stop, put the car in neutral, got the RPM up to 1700 and then threw it into drive nearly every single day you operated the car, and for some, several times a day.

twister

Wow, hang on a second Doc. Let me put on my "psych" hat and think out loud. You have been a member of this forum for over a year, and I still remember your hilarious posts about Moon Shell Mica color Although you haven't visited often or posted as much as you have in the past, you were also not under the rock from day one and hopefully read enough posts about tranny flare problems. You also stated that you had this cold start flare from day one of your car. SO, why making a post ONLY now? What pushed your buttons to pick this nice day to tell all of us *whiners* to get a live? I hope its not an outburst of your denial you been living with for the last year

Everything would be OK and I would expect this as a "normal" thing if I would know it happens with every ES350. But, when we have so many people reporting they don't have it, or some who only experience it with a loaner, than doesn't it make us with a flare (in a past or the present) feel like crap for paying so much money and getting a brand new Lexus with a problem? If this would have been a normal feature of every car, why would Corporate Lexus flew in 3 of their design engineers to NJ and kept my car (along with a couple of others from my dealership with a similar flaring behavior) for a week to study WTF is going on?

Again, I completely understand your point and where you are coming from. And, it would be OK to make a statement like this IF this behavior would be in every ES350. I'm glad you are aware that your car experiencing this flare, and you have to realize that out of those 70,000 unit a year, maybe less than a half (or even lesser) will experience this problem while you going to enjoy your flares and hope they will not get worse or will not happen in the middle of intersection when light going to turn red.

BTW, knowing that you enjoy Howard Stern , this Tyra Banks "SO WHAT" comment was a good one

meadoel

I have to agree with Twister.

First, it's not a non issue. It damages the engine over time and can put you in a bad spot. Last week when mine slipped it thudded into gear like I just shifted from 4th to 1st going 40 MPG. There was an audible thud and the car jolted. Methinks that can't be good for the engine.

Second, Lexus would NEVER be buying back cars at full value + expenses if this was a non-issue. I think people are often in a tizzy because their dealerships treat them like garbage and act like it's not a problem.

For me, the minute I told my SM about the slipping and described it he ordered a new tranny. He recognizes it's a real issue and has been working with corporate all along. That keeps me calm because he admits its an issue and is trying to do something about it. If my dealer said "it's working as designed" I'd be flipping mad.

And it's NOT about driving habit. In fact, mine flares less when I gun the engine. When I do a slow and steady acceleration is when it slips the most.

PsychDoc

LOL

Man, was that ever funny on the Stern show. The broad makes her living off of being gorgeous and then blimps up to a fat whale. All of a sudden she "discovers" that appearance means nothinng to the inner soul of a person and she starts the "so what" campaign.

Has there ever been anything more disingenuous?

I don't think so.

Funny stuff.

As to why I chose now to post about this I'm not really sure. It just kind of got under my skin to see all these people going on and on about a really minor thing that really doesn't affect the drivability of this car one tiny bit.

Anyway, hope all is well Twister.

LexBob2

I agree. Nothing is slowing sales of the ES350 down so far. It's a good value in its class.

Jan-March '07 = 24,594 units sold, +59.8%.

dunnojack

so what?

if you're ok with it, then just leave it at that. But don't expect others to have your attitude.

btw, i didn't have the slip on my car, but i've seen it first hand. I wouldn't like it if i had it.
I guess it kinda sounds cool though. VRROOOOOOM!


Unfortunately, sales for the ES will always be high. It can have 10 defects and just 190hp, and it will still sell 70000+

jkaram7

I do not own an ES, however, I believe eventually this flare will get sorted out. One example,It took 3 years for lexus to come up with a real fix for the famous GX clunk.

My 2 cents.

LexBob2

jk, what was the GX clunk?

jkaram7

A clunk made it feel like someone hit you from behind everytime you came to a complete stop. Annoying. Its one of the most popular threads on the GX forum.