1999 Lexus RX300

WHILE DRIVING ON A 2 LANE MOUNTAIN ROAD THE ENGINE ON MY 1999 LEXUS RX 300 STARTED KNOCKING LOUDLY AND FAILED. I WAS ABLE TO SWING INTO A PULL OUT AND DID NOT GET HIT. THIS FAILURE IS DUE TO SLEDGE BUILD UP. I AM A SECOND OWNER OF THE VEHICLE AND DID NOT RECEIVE NOTICE FROM TOYOTA ABOUT REPLACING A DEFECTIVE ENGINE . I PURCHASED VEHICLE IN 03 HAD IT IN FOR REPAIRS IN 07 THE DEALERSHIP FAILED TO INFORM ME OF THE LAWSUIT AND CORRECT THE ENGINE AT THAT TIME. NOW THIS INCIDENT IN 2010. I COULD HAVE LOST MY LIFE IF I WERE TO HAVE BEEN HIT ON THIS MOUNTAIN ROAD THAT SITS ON THE CLIFF AT 5,500 FEET. *TR

MY 1999 -- LEXUS RX300 HAS ABOUT 140K MILES ON IT. THE CAR IS NOW PARKED SO I DON'T KILL MYSELF OR MY FAMILY WHILE DRIVING. A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, MY CAR JUST STARTED JERKING AS IF IT WAS GOING TO CUT OFF AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WORK OFF A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND I WAS REALLY SCARED. MY CAR SPEED WOULD BE 50-55MPH BUT THE RPMS WOULD BE AS HIGH AS 6. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE. I WENT TO THE CAR REPAIR SHOP - I HAD SOME MIS-FIRES AND THEY WERE FIXED FOR $150, NO PROBLEM. THE CAR REPAIR RECOMMENDED I GET MY FRONT BRAKES DONE BECAUSE MY MILES PER GALLON HAD SLIPPED TO 15 IN THE CITY. A COUPLE WEEKS LATER, I GOT MY FRONT BRAKES DONE, NO PROBLEMS UNTIL ONE EVENING, I WAS DRIVING HOME WHEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN...THIS TIME I WAS AT THE STOP LIGHT AND MY CAR STARTED IDLING/JERKING LIKE I NEEDED TO GIVE IT SOME GAS OR IT WAS GOING TO DIE. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS NOW BLINKING ON MY DASH BOARD. MY HUSBAND TOOK MY CAR TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP AND THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP THEY SAY 2-COIL IGNITIONS HAVE FAILED. AND THAT MY SPARK PLUGS NEED TO BE REPLACED. I ALSO HAVE SOME OTHER TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS BUT IN ORDER TO GET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO STOP BLINKING I HAVE TO FIX, THE COIL IGNITION PROBLEM WHICH COST BETWEEN $515 TO $775. THEN THEY CAN RUN MORE TEST TO SEE THERE IS ANY MORE PROBLEMS. MY CAR IS PARKED FOR NOW. THERE SHOULD BE SOME SORT OF RECALL SINCE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL '99 LEXUS RX300. THIS IS CRAZY. *TR

I WANT YOU TO KNOW DURING THIS TIME OF TOYOTA PROBLEMS AND COVERUP, THAT WE LEASED NEW A 1999 LEXUS RX300, IT WAS MAINTAINED AT MEADE LEXUS ACCORDING TO PLAN AND MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY AND THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SEIZED AND THE CAR QUIT WORKING. THE CAR HAD MY TWO INFANT CHILDREN IN IT AT THE TIME AND SHE WAS STUCK NEAR THE EXIT RAMP WITH VEHICLES/TRUCKS/SEMIS BEARING DOWN ON HER. SHE AND THE CHILDREN WERE SCARED AND NEARLY COLLIDED WITH AT ITS SUDDEN LOCATION TO STOP. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE LEXUS DEALER AND DISCOVERED SLUDGE HAD RUINED THE MOTOR. THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR IT AND TOWED THE VEHICLE TO OUR GARAGE WHERE IT SAT AS I MADE PAYMENTS ON IT. I TOOK LEXUS TO ARBITRATION WITH MY MAINTENANCE RECEIPTS AND LOST AS THE ARBITRATOR SAID I MAY HAVE ABUSED THE VEHICLE AFTER THE TOYOTA REP SHOWED A SAMPLE OF THE SLUDGE. THE VEHICLE STILL SAT IN THE GARAGE AND MONTHS LATER LEXUS ADMITTED FAULT WITH THE OIL PASSAGES ON THE MOTOR AND REPLACED THE ENGINE JUST IN TIME FOR ME TO RETURN IT OFF LEASE. I AGREE THEY FINALLY REPAIRED IT 5-6 MONTHS LATER, BUT THIS FAILURE NEARLY COST MY FAMILIES LIFE AND WAS IGNORED BY LEXUS. THE DATES STATED HERE ARE APPROX AND HERE IS AN INFORMATIONAL LINK I FOUND HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/NEWS04/2007/01/TOYOTA_SLUDGE_SETTLEMENT.HTML I WOULD LOVE TO TESTIFY ABOUT THE POOR TREATMENT AND IGNORING ATTITUDE ABOUT MY PROBLEM. *TR

I HAVE READ AS MANY OF THE OWNERS OF 1999 LEXUS RX300 SUV , I AM NOT SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT I AM NOW A PROUD OWNER OF A BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION THAT FAILED ON MY WIFE WHILE RETURNING FROM GREENVILLE TO COLUMBIA SC. THE TRANSMISSION WAS INDICATING PROBLEMS BY SHIFTING SLOW AS MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED . WHEN THESE TRANSMISSIONS START TO FAIL YOU EXPERIENCE SLOW SHIFTING WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING , EVEN IF YOU LET THE CAR WARM UP FIRST BEFORE MOVING INTO ANY GEAR DRIVE OR REVERSE. WHEN YOU TRY TO BACK UP IN REVERSE THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR, THEN JUMPS INTO GEAR HARD. I HAVE BEEN IN THE MECHANICAL FIELD FOR 35 YEARS WORKING FOR BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE IAS A MANAGING PARTNER OF RETAIL LOCATIONS AND KNOW THIS IS THE SIGNS OF TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED ONLY BY LEXUS ONLY. ALSO ARE SEVERE OIL SLUDGING PROBLEMS, HAVE SERVICED HUNDREDS OF THESE MODELS AND EVERY HORROR STORY IS THE SAME . OIL SLUDGING CAUSES SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE RESTRICTING OIL FLOW THROUGH OUT THE ENGINE. WHEN IS OUR RIGHTS AS CONSUMERS GOING TO BE UPHELD BY OUR GOVERNMENT . I DON`T THINK I WANT TO BUY OTHER NEW TRANSMISSION FROM TOYOTA CORPORATION OR ANOTHER TOYOTA PRODUCT . THE COST TO REPAIR WAS $4075.00 AND THE ONLY TRANSMISSIONS AVAILABLE ARE THRU TOYOTA WITH APPARENTLY WITH THE NEW DESIGN . THESE PROBLEMS WERE CORRECTED IN 2002 WITH THE NEW DESIGN, WHAT ABOUT US THE OWNERS OF THE DEFECTIVE ONES!!!! CHAPIN S.C. *TR

I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH MY 1999 LEXUS RX300. I HAVE NOTICE VIA THE INTERNET THAT THESE ARE WIDE SPREAD PROBLEMS BUT NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN OCCURRING. THESE ARE THE INCIDENCES THAT I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH: * DEBRIS CAN GET INTO THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE THAT ALLOWS AIR INTO THE ENGINE CAUSING THE ENGINE TO HAVE A LOW IDLE SPEED, OR STALL WHEN IT IS COLD. (THIS OCCURRED IN THE PAST, PERHAPS 2004. LEXUS EVENTUALLY REPLACED MY ENGINE IN 2005.) * SLUDGE CAN BUILD UP IN THE ENGINE. I ROUTINELY HAVE TO HAVE THE SLUDGE CLEANED OUT TO AVOID ENGINE PROBLEMS. * THE 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT COMES ON BECAUSE THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR SENDS INCORRECT INFORMATION TO THE ENGINE'S COMPUTER. THIS CAN CAUSE A LOSS OF POWER ON ACCELERATION. (THIS STARTED OCCURRING ON DECEMBER 11, 2008.) * THE 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT COMES ON BECAUSE A COMPONENT OF THE OXYGEN SENSOR STOPS WORKING, AND THE CAR IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROPER RATIO OF AIR TO FUEL FOR THE ENGINE. (THIS HAS OCCURRED IN THE PAST, PERHAPS 2005. WE HAD TO PAY FOR NEW AIR FLOW SENSORS.) * LIGHT BULBS FREQUENTLY BURN OUT IN THE TAILLIGHTS. * THE FRONT SUSPENSION MAKES VERY LOUD NOISES WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS OR ROUGH ROADS. THE SUPPORT BUSHING FOR THE SUSPENSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. (THIS BEGAN HAPPENING IN DECEMBER 2007. LEXUS TOLD US WE NEED NEW STRUTS.) * A THROBBING WIND NOISE FROM THE MOONROOF. ONE CANNOT HAVE THE MOONROOF OPEN AT THE SAME TIME AS THE WINDOWS OR ONES EAR DRUMS EXPERIENCE SEVERE PAIN. (THIS HAS EXISTED FROM PURCHASE.) I BELIEVE THE 1999 LEXUS RX 300 MIGHT VERY WELL BE A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR THE LEMON LAWS, YET WE'RE NOT SEEING PROBLEMS BEING ADDRESSED WITH RECALLS. *TR

I CHANGE MOTOR OIL EVERY 5,000 MILES, AS PER MANUFACTURER'S SCHEDULE. ALSO PERFORMED A 'LARGE' ($1,400) MAINTENANCE AT LEXUS DEALER. CAR ('99 RX300 AWD) HAD REAR ENGINE SEAL LEAK AT 68,000 MILES. IT SEEMS A LARGE NUMBER OF THE RX300S EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM, DUE TO HARDENING (DEFECTIVE) SEAL MATERIAL ABUTTING A HOT CRANKCASE. *TR

I HAVE A LEXUS RX300 AWD AND JUST FOUND OUT THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT 120,000 MILES. I WAS VERY SHOCKED WHEN I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT AND IT WOULD BE $5720 TO REPAIR IT. I AM VERY DISGUSTED WITH THIS BECAUSE I STARTED RESEARCHING THE ISSUE AND HAVE FOUND THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS "SO CALLED LUXURY VEHICLE" THAT IS SUPPOSE TO LAST YOU TO 250,000 MILES OR MORE. *NM

LEXUS 1999 RX 300 HAD OIL SLUDGE IN 2000 AND I WAS ORIGINALLY CHARGED BY LEXUS PEMBROKE PINES THEN ABOUT 1 YEAR LATER REIMBURSED AS A CUSTOMER CONVIENCE. MY LEXUS NOW HAS THROWN A ROD AT 88,000 WHICH I FEEL AND CAN GET EXPERT MECHANICS TO VERIFY THAT THIS IS THE AFTER EFFECT OF THE OIL GEL. THE ONLY THING THAT WAS DONE WAS A OIL CLEANING AND GASKET CHANGE. THE INTERNAL PARTS OIL PUMP, RODS,CRANKSHAFT WERE NOT DISMANTLED AND THOROUGHLY CLEANED REMOVING ANY LEFT OVER REMNANTS OF OIL GUNK WHICH AFTER TIME WOULD RESTRICT OIL FLOW TO THE WORKING PARTS. LEXUS DENIES ALL LIABILITY AND I FEEL THIS FALLS UNDER THE CLASS ACTION SUIT AND I NEED PROTECTION WHICH I CANNOT AFFORD. YOUR ASSISTANCE AND FURTHER HELP IN POINTING OUT CASES IN COMPLETE ENGINE BREAKDOWN WILL HELP ME GET LEXUS TO OPEN THERE EYES AND HOPEFULLY HELP OTHERS. *NM