Transmission complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Transmission has a hard time selecting a gear between 2nd and 3rd. It starts to go into 3rd gear then jumps out for a second and then slams back into 3rd. Usually when lightly accelerating. Very noticeable. I have taken it into the dealer 4 times and was told I May just need a new transmission!! It only has 108,000 miles on it. I have never heard of this problem with a Lexus! That and the rear differential was diagnosed as bad as well! It's like the entire drive train is garbage!! Very very disappointed with Lexus and I hope they will make this right with me. I don't want to be on a trip with my family and it break down on us when I payed for reliability.
We have a 2006 Lexus RX330 SUV. It has a very significant hesitation when trying to accelerate to change lanes or enter highway etc. We have a 3 year old and we are very scared most of the time driving on the highway with this kind of hesitation of the transmission. I have taken the SUV to the Lexus dealer and they have told me that this is a normal operation of these SUV's. We have no where to go except NHTSA to take action against Lexus like recalling these cars before this situation causes the loss of lives. Thank you. Raif caglar
My wife (who is not the primary driver of this vehicle) was entering a perpendicular parking space in front of a business located just off the street. The business was once a house and has now put 3 parking spaces in front of the building just over the sidewalk.the entrance is up a driveway and just beyond the sidewalk and into the parking spaces. As she was going up the driveway and turn slightly to the right to enter a parking space, the car hesitated and then accelerated, she applied the brakes and left a 5 foot skid mark before crashing into the front of the business. The car has done this before especially when turning and applying a little gas, it will hesitate and then suddenly accelerate, but never continuing after applying the brake. …
Tl contact owns a 2005 Lexus RX330. After parking the vehicle in the driveway, the contact left the gear in drive and removed the key from the ignition. She exited the vehicle and it began rolling backwards. As a result, the vehicle struck a parked vehicle. The vehicle was able to be driven away; however, the contact believes that the key should not have been able to be removed from the ignition while the gear was not in park. A report was filed with the manufacturer and sent to their insurance division, but they have not yet stated whether or not they would be responsible for the repair cost. The VIN was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 42,000.
My wife had pulled routinely out of our driveway on a clear morning with no obstructions on the road, she turned out of the driveway onto our private road and SUV then suddenly and violently accelerated out of control, rocketing her into a tree and stone wall. The air/knee bags and active seat belt restraint were deployed, saving my wife's life. The investigation by the Lexus front office in torrance revealed that vehicle was performing according to specs. I had noticed a revving noise on day one of purchase and mentioned it to the salesman who said he would look into it. With no further information the dealer suggested mentioning the problem at the 1000 mile check-up. Nothing abnormal was detected, though my complaint was recorded (April '04). The revving noise continued intermittently but without incident until June 30, 2004, the date of the crash. …
My 2004 Lexus RX330 AWD has a problem with the transmission "hanging" on the 2-3 upshift. The car hesitates then roughly shifts into the next gear. It has never shifted as smoothly in any gear as other Lexus and Toyota products I driven. I went to the dealer and the dealer reprogrammed the engine management control. The net result has been that the engine shifts at a higher RPM than it did before, but is still not smooth. The hesitation between gears was less frequent for a week or two after the reprogram, but has now returned and there is an increasing lag or hesitation in shifting in the 2-3 and 3-4 upshift. Last week as I was merging into expressway traffic, I pushed down the throttle and nothing happened. It almost seemed as though the engine died. I released the throttle, pushed again and the transmission engaged a lower gear and accelerated. …
Frequently asked questions
Which Lexus RX330 years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2004 (69) and 2005 (18) model years. Transmission complaints make up 24% of all complaints for the 2004.
Is there a recall for Lexus RX330 transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for any Lexus RX330 model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Lexus RX330 transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 27,000 miles; 63% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (64 mentions), followed by the automatic transmission › control module (tcm/pcm/tecm) (6).
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.