u/Ok_Arm_7649

Here is the link to the set before anyone asks lol

https://overlayco.ca/product/k5-emblem-blackout-overlay-set-gloss-black-for-2023

I recently bought a 2014 GS350 AWD and have put about 1,200 km on it so far. The car currently has 197,000 km.

I’ve noticed a strange transmission-related behavior that only happens under very specific conditions. If the car sits for a few hours (for example while I’m at work or overnight), the very first time it shifts from 2nd to 3rd gear, I feel a brief vibration/shudder as if the transmission is struggling slightly during the shift.

A few things I’ve noticed:
● No metallic noises
● No grinding
● No hard clunk or bang
● No RPM flare
● No slipping
● No transmission warning lights
● The shift completes normally

The best way I can describe it is that the car briefly vibrates during that first 2→3 shift. It feels more like a shudder than a mechanical impact.

What’s interesting is that after that one shift, the transmission behaves perfectly. Every other shift for the rest of the drive is smooth. Even if I park the car again for 20-30 minutes and drive it later, it won’t do it. It only seems to happen after the car has sat long enough to fully cool down.

I don’t have records showing whether the transmission fluid has ever been serviced, so it’s possible the WS fluid is original or very old.

Has anyone experienced something similar on a GS350, especially around this mileage? Did a drain-and-fill with Toyota WS fluid help, or did it end up being something else (torque converter, mounts, etc.)?

Just trying to figure out whether this is a common high-mileage GS quirk or the early signs of something bigger.