Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Lexus ES 330 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
04 Lexus es330 transmission hesitation is serious danger to driver. Engine hesitates when starting from a dead start. Car has to be floored to move and even then it hesitates even more. Also car has serious blind spots on left and right outer side mirrors (they are too small for the car). Also, cruise control light stays lit even when the brake is hit or you dis-engage it. The only time the cruise control light turns off is when you physically turn it off with the switch or shut the engine off completely. This gives the driver the impression that it is on all the time even when it is off or worse they think they have shut it off but it's really still on and you have a very good chance of rear ending someone. This is extremely bad engineering and extremely dangerous. How you guys let a car like this on the road is beyond me. Did you test it? …
We have a 2004 Lexus es330 with 22,000 miles. We have been having problems with hesitation, hard shifts and missed gears for the last 10,000 miles. The dealer replaced the computer module at 16,000 miles and the car is a little better but not much. I took it back in for the problem at 21,000 miles and the dealer acknowledged that there was a problem with the car, but they did not know how to fix it. The dealer told me that Lexus told them that they were having trouble with a number of the ES cars after the module was changed but they did not know how to tell the dealer to fix it. I have spoken with Lexus and their representative again acknowledged that there was a problem with the shifting in the ES. Although both the dealership and the manufacturer have both admitted that there is a problem I have been unable to get them to even attempt to do anything about it. …
I was in a grocery store parking lot when I started my car and as I put it in gear the car sped out of control. I was lucky to have avoided the other cars in the lot because the brakes did nothing but squeal. Upon hitting a curb on the far end of the parking lot, the car spun around and came to a stop. My car was now facing in the opposite direction with a lot of damage. I was treated at the hospital and released but had several months of therapy on my neck. A few months after being released from therapy, I had to return for a second round because of neck pain. Toyota tied up my car for a month to investigate the matter and sent me a letter stating that nothing was wrong with the car but it was the after manufacture mats. When I asked for a copy of the investigators report, I was told that it was not their policy to do so. …
Our 2004 Lexus e330 has exhibited many life threatening problems involving its automatic transmission performance. Of greatest concerns are life threatening instances over the two years. Hesitations occur when pressing the gas during critical entry attempts onto interstate hwys, etc. Where we have experienced near deadly transmission hesitations of needed power getting into oncoming traffic. My wife was almost killed by an 18 wheeler when she otherwise would have had adequate time to safely merge had the transmission not hesitated. She was fortunate to have survived. Just one of many close calls. Another ES 330 automatic transmission problem is the untenable, untimely, rough down and up shifting between the first and second gears that Lexus has advised has been corrected in the 2007 models which of course will not help with this vehicle I am stuck with. …
The 2004 Lexus model ES 330 has a safety defect in the its transmission that the company refuses to fix. When the driver takes his foot off the gas and slows down, then steps back on the gas, there is a hesitation and at times a jerking in the transmission. Numerous complaints to Lexus have only brought the response that this is a known defect, but Lexus will not correct the problem. After spending 35,000 dollars for a car, this is not the response one expects to hear! As one's level of frustration with the problem increases, the temptation is to slam your foot on the gas to try to correct the problem, which could obviously lead to more serious issues. The service manager at the local Lexus dealership states he has had numerous complaints about the issue, but Lexus refuses to address the issue. …
Lexus has had a problem with the transmission in their ES models since 2002. The transmission does not shift properly, and at low speeds when trying to accelerate into traffic, turn at intersections, etc., the transmission hesitates severely, not knowing which gear to go into. I've nearly been broadsided several times at intersections when my 2004 Lexus es330 with less than 8,000 miles on it wouldn''t downshift properly. I've sent 3 letters to Lexus headquarters, and they will not acknowledge a problem. Sight unseen, they state the car is "functioning as designed". However, Lexus service writers and salepeople have acknowledged there is a problem, as have scores of people on edmunds.com comment areas. Everyone concerned gets the same answer from Lexus, because they apparently have no fix available and don't want to admit there is such a large problem. …
I have a 2004 es330 which has a significant shifting problem in low gears. I have taken the car back to the dealership twice already and am ready for the third visit. The dealer "reset" the memory for the shifting pattern at 200 miles because of unpredictable driving patterns. The transmission does not always shift poorly, about 25% of the time there is a problem. There seems to be a hesitation during the shifting which causes a lack of power. I have noticed this while merging onto highway traffic, and it is very dangerous. I have contacted the Lexus customer service and they were of no help, only to tell me that other customers were experiencing the same problems with their transmissions. If I do not get satisfaction from the third visit I will get a "lemon law" hearing and hope for the best. I am very disappointed in the Lexus/Toyota response to this obvious engineering blunder. …
Standard complaint for this car. Engine or transmission delay when gas pedal was released then suddenly depressed. This occurs when merging onto freeways, 4 way stops, a traffic light changes, and when pulling out to pass or in certain emergency maneuvers. The delay is approximately 1 or 1.5 seconds and disrupts timing when you depend on throttle response the most! This has LED to several close calls. Dealer was made aware of the defect when car was 1 week old and I was told the adaptive system needs 1,000 miles to learn my driving habits. The dealer is well aware of the problem and says all the 2004 es330s suffer from the same problem. Lexus customer care claims that the "car is functioning as designed". There is and will be no attempt by Lexus co. To resolve this issue. The dealer's hands are tied at this point since the company needs to engineer a fix.
I not longer have confidence in driving my Lexus 2004 es330 with 12,500 miles due to 2 main reasons. (a) this car continue to pull to the left to the point that I must continually put pressure to the steering wheel so the car wont move to the left. This is happening even after the dealer has supposedly fixed issue. (b) the very well known transmission problem. This vehicle is unsafe to drive in many instances where you need to merge into traffic and the car does not responded to the gas pedal. The symptom is very noticeable when you are on stop and go traffic or in slow traffic. I urge your agency to investigate this matter before any casualty occurs. Lexus normal response is that the car is operating as designed. The dealer must have been told to express the same line as they always have the same answer for anything they do not have a solution for.
Very bad hesitation when accelerating. Took delivery 4/27/04 and found the problem immediately. Complained at 1000 mile checkup. Told to give it time. Complained again at 5000 checkup. They said they checked it out and it was operating as designed. Problem continued. Complained at 15000 checkup (9/28/05). Performed at this checkup per invoice: eg5017 26 99 .9 perform TSB tc004-03. Recalibrate ECM engine and transmission. The problem is better but still exists. Have noticed via internet research that this is a widespread problem with the Lexus ES. Spoke today (11/28/05) with a service representative at my dealership and he acknowledges that this is a big problem they are dealing with and there appears to be no one good fix for it.
Transmission complaints in other ES 330 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2004 Lexus ES 330?
NHTSA has 61 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2004 Lexus ES 330, 40% of the model year's 153 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (48 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Lexus ES 330 transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2004 Lexus ES 330, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Lexus ES 330 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 1,000 miles, and 77% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.