1999 Lexus Rx

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REV UP WITHOUT INPUT NOR INCREASE IN SPEED. TRANSMISSION FAILURE REQUIRED TOW TO SHOP FOR REPAIR. INSPECTION BY SHOP SHOWED COMPLETE FAILURE OF PLANETARY GEAR AND RESULTANT DAMAGE TO OTHER GEARS. REQUIRED COMPLETE REBUILD OF TRANSMISSION IN EXCESS OF $4600 WITH AN ADDITIONAL $1300 IN SUBSEQUENT REPAIRS DUE TO POOR REBUILD. *JB

1999 LEXUS RX300 AWD, TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEED LIMIT OF 75 MPH. TRANSMISSION WENT IN TO NEUTRAL, AND CREATED A SERIOUS DRIVING HAZARD THAT REQUIRED MANEUVERING THROUGH TRAFFIC WITH NO CONTROL TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY. THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT GO BACK IN TO GEAR AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO CONTROL THE SPEED OF THE CAR. *JB

I PURCHASED MY 99 RX 300 IN FEBRUARY OF 2006 AT 51,800 MILES WITH RECORDS OF ALL SERVICE DONE WHEN NEEDED WITH A LEXUS DEALER. I BELIEVED I HAD PURCHASED A BEAUTIFUL CAR WITH VERY LOW MILES FOR THE YEAR THAT WOULD LAST ME FOR A FEW YEARS. AT 60,800 MILES THE CAR SUDDENLY WENT IN TO NEUTRAL ON THE HIGHWAY. HAD TO BE TOWED TO MY MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT MY TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. THIS WAS A 3,600 JOB. ALSO HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ALL 4 STRUTS AT ANOTHER $1,000. I INFORMED LEXUS OF MY FRUSTRATION. HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY SUPPORT OR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. NOT HAPPY WITH THIS VEHICLE AND WILL PROBABLY NEVER BUY ANOTHER LEXUS AS I DON'T FEEL THEY ARE STANDING BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT.

AS I ENTERED THE INTERSTATE IN THE 1999 RX300, IT WOULDN'T CHANGE GEARS. I BARELY AVOIDED A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT AND WAS BARELY ABLE TO EXIT THE INTERSTATE. AS I TRIED TO FIND SOMEWHERE TO PULL OVER THE RPMS CLIMBED HIGHER AND HIGHER , AND I WASN'T ABLE TO TRAVEL OVER 20 MPH. ONCE I PULLED OVER AND TRIED TO PARK THE CAR I DISCOVERED THAT THE CAR WOULDN'T REVERSE. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC, HE SAID THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. I HAD TO PAY $3,000 FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CAR HAD 157,000 MILES. ONE SHOULD GET MORE MILES OUT OF A LEXUS, ESPECIALLY WHEN PAYING AS MUCH AS YOU DID FOR THE CAR. I WAS STILL NOT SURE WHY THIS ISN'T A RECALL. I NOTICED THERE WERE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THE TRANSMISSION. MANY OF THE TRANSMISSION FAILURES HAPPENED EXACTLY THE SAME WAY MINE DID. HAD LEXUS LOOKED AT THE FACT THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILURES CONTINUOUSLY HAPPEN TO PEOPLE WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING ON MAJOR HIGHWAYS AND INTERSTATE? THAT WAS A HUGE RISK FOR LEXUS TO TAKE. THIS SHOULD SERIOUSLY BRING ME A RECALL. *AK

TL*- WHILE DRIVING A 1999 LEXUS RX300 AT THE SPEED OF 70 MPH THE ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON, AND THE VEHICLE DECELERATED. THE ENGINE SEEMED AS THOUGH IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. SHE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, BUT IT WOULD NOT GO INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING A WHINING NOISE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A SMALL CRACK IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. SHE STATED THAT WHEN THE WEATHER WAS COLD THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO STAY IN FIRST GEAR A LITTLE LONGER THAN NORMAL BEFORE IT SHIFTED. SHE INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP OF THE FAILURE ON 01/2006. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED HER THAT THIS WAS A NORMAL REACTION OF THE VEHICLE WITH THIS TYPE OF TRANSMISSION. THEY SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, WHICH WAS THE FIRST INDICATION THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,972.*AK