IllustrationTRANSMISSION WHINNING NOISE AT START, AND SLIPPING ONCE WARMED UP. DEALER SAYS THE TRANSMISSION FRONT PUMP NEEDS REPLACED, QUOTED $4247 FOR LEXUS REMAMUFACTURED TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. *AK
2001 Lexus Rx
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Rx years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 16 of 19 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
19 reportsTRANSMISSION FAILED, SYMPTOMS WERE THAT IT WOULD NOT BACK UP. TRANSMISSION LOCKED AND THE CAR HAD TO BE DRAGGED, WHEELS NOT TURNING ONTO A TOW TRUCK FLAT BED. CAR HAD 90,000 SERVICE INCLUDING CHANGE OF TRANSMISSION FLUID AND CHECK LESS THAN 6,000 MILES AGO. IT HAD ALSO HAD ITS 60,000 SERVICE AND ALL IMPORTANT SERVICES AS WELL. …
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TRANSMISSION FAILED, SYMPTOMS WERE THAT IT WOULD NOT BACK UP. TRANSMISSION LOCKED AND THE CAR HAD TO BE DRAGGED, WHEELS NOT TURNING ONTO A TOW TRUCK FLAT BED. CAR HAD 90,000 SERVICE INCLUDING CHANGE OF TRANSMISSION FLUID AND CHECK LESS THAN 6,000 MILES AGO. IT HAD ALSO HAD ITS 60,000 SERVICE AND ALL IMPORTANT SERVICES AS WELL. *TR
PARKED THE CAR AT A PARKING LOT FOR 5 MINUTES, CAME BACK AND THE CAR WON'T GO IN REVERSE, CHECKED FLUID LEVEL, IT WAS FINE.. CAR WOULD GO FORWARD, BUT NOT BACKWARDS.. TRIED PUSHING THE CAR WHILE IN NEUTRAL SO I CAN DRIVE HOME, ALL 4 WHEELS WERE LOCKED, I THOUGHT I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STRENGTH TO PUSH SO I HAD 2 MORE PEOPLE PUSH W…
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PARKED THE CAR AT A PARKING LOT FOR 5 MINUTES, CAME BACK AND THE CAR WON'T GO IN REVERSE, CHECKED FLUID LEVEL, IT WAS FINE.. CAR WOULD GO FORWARD, BUT NOT BACKWARDS.. TRIED PUSHING THE CAR WHILE IN NEUTRAL SO I CAN DRIVE HOME, ALL 4 WHEELS WERE LOCKED, I THOUGHT I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STRENGTH TO PUSH SO I HAD 2 MORE PEOPLE PUSH WITH ME, BUT THE CAR WON'T BUDGE. EVEN TRIED PUSHING THE CAR WHILE RUNNING AND IN NEUTRAL AS WELL AS NOT RUNNING AND IN NEUTRAL AND ALL OTHER GEAR SELECTIONS, BUT TO NO AVAIL. EVEN THE TOW TRUCK GUY HAD TO USE SOAPY WATER TO SLIDE THE CAR UP THE FLAT BED. VEHICLE HAS ONLY 68000 MILES APPROXIMATELY. *AK
LEXUS RX 300 TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO FAIL. *JB
I HAD A TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON MY 2001 LEXUS RX 300 VIN [XXX] WHILE DRIVING. THE CAR SUDDENLY WENT INTO NUETRAL AND SLOWED TO A STOP ON THE ROAD PUTTING MYSELF AND MY FAMILY IN DANGER. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THAT COMPLAINTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN FILED. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FR…
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I HAD A TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON MY 2001 LEXUS RX 300 VIN [XXX] WHILE DRIVING. THE CAR SUDDENLY WENT INTO NUETRAL AND SLOWED TO A STOP ON THE ROAD PUTTING MYSELF AND MY FAMILY IN DANGER. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THAT COMPLAINTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN FILED. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS DRIVING ON I-495 @ A SPEED OF 60 MPH ON A SUNNY DAY. HER TIRES BLEW OUT ON HER THIS WAS ON THE RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE. THE ENTIRE TIRE CAME OFF THE RIM. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE A NEW TIRE WAS PURCHASE. THE OLD TIRE WAS LEFT AT THE DEALER. SHE NEED TO KNOW WHY HER TIRES JUST BLEW OUT …
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CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS DRIVING ON I-495 @ A SPEED OF 60 MPH ON A SUNNY DAY. HER TIRES BLEW OUT ON HER THIS WAS ON THE RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE. THE ENTIRE TIRE CAME OFF THE RIM. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE A NEW TIRE WAS PURCHASE. THE OLD TIRE WAS LEFT AT THE DEALER. SHE NEED TO KNOW WHY HER TIRES JUST BLEW OUT HER. WILL SOMEONE CALL HER TO FIND OUT WHAT CAN PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.
2001 LEXUS RX-300 TRANSMISSION FAILED JUST BEFORE 84,000 MILES, DISABLING VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY. WARRANTY DID NOT COVER REPAIR. *JB
PREMATURE TRANSMISSION FAILURE> REPLACED TRANSMISSION FEB 06 STILL NOT SHIFTING AFTER 3 TRIES SERVICED THE TRANS - MIRACLE FIX? MAY 06 DIRTY FLUID REPORTED BY ANOTHER SHOP. LEXUS SOLUTION SERVICE AGAIN WITHIN 4,500 MILES OF THE TRANS REPLACEMENT. NO FURTHER ACTION TAKEN. *JB
WHILE DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED THE LEXUS LURCHED FORWARD, AND THEN BECAME INOPERABLE. TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 86,000 MILES. THE CAR WAS RECENTLY SERVICED FOR THE TRANSMISSION MAINTENANCE AT 80,000 MILES. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON EARLY FAILURE, AND IT SHOULD BE RECALLED. *JB
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.