1999 Lexus RX300

OUR 1999 RX300 HAS ONLY 70,000 MILES AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON A VERY BUSY STREET. THE FAILURE WAS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE SHE WAS IN THE MIDST OF TRAFFIC WHEN SHE COULD NOT MANEUVER HER CAR SAFELY TO THE CURB. SHE WAS ABLE AFTER SITTING IN TRAFFIC FOR AWHILE TO RESTART THE CAR AND MOVE THE CAR OVER TO THE CURB. SHE CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK WHICH TOWED THE CAR TO OUR MECHANIC'S SHOP. THE COST FOR A REBUILT TRANSMISSION WILL COST US $5000. AFTER SEARCH THE INTERNET, WE HAVE FOUND THAT MANY MANY !999 RX300 OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND WITH MANY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS OF BEING WITHOUT POWER TO MOVE SAFELY OFF FREEWAYS AND HIGHWAYS. T THERE OUGHT TO BE A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL ON THIS CAR AND A CHARGE TO TOYOTA AMERICA TO DEVELOP A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. HAS THERE BEEN ANY MEDIA INVESTIGATIONS INTO THIS? LEXUS BEING THE FLAGSHIP FOR TOYOTA, YOU WOULD THINK THAT TOYOTA WOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT HAVING THEIR ARMS TWISTED. *JB

HAVE A LEXUS RX 300 1999 MODEL WITH 4X4 DRIVE. THE CAR RAN OK FOR 80,000 MILES OR SO. OUR CURRENT MILEAGE IS AROUND 81,000. THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN ON AN EXPRESSWAY WHEN IT GOT REALLY SLOW (15 MPH) AND THEN STOPPED ON ITS OWN. I BARELY AVOIDED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. ANYWAYS, I TOOK THE CAR TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY TELL ME THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND WILL COST ME 4800 TO DO SO. PLEASE HELP. APPARENTLY THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR RX 300 1999-2000 MODELS. THE GOOGLE SEARCH ONLINE BRINGS UP TONS OF BLOGS MENTIONING THE SAME PROBLEM. HERE IS A COPY OF ONE OF THE BLOGS POSTED ON HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/VIEWMORECOMMENTS_REVIEW_54694_2.HTML MANY LEXUS CARS ARE EQUIPPED WITH A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION THAT FAILS PREMATURELY. LEXUS ADMITS THIS, BUT WILL NOT BACK UP THEIR PRODUCT WHEN THE EVENT OCCURS OUT OF WARRANTY (7/70) - UNLESS THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AND SERVICED EXCLUSIVELY AT A LEXUS DEALERSHIP. SINCE THE MANUFACTURE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPLACEMENT COSTS (NOT THE DEALER), THE PRACTICE OF REPLACING ONLY DEALER-SERVICED CARS APPEARS ARROGANT AND DISCRIMINATORY. IF REPAIR RECORDS CAN BE PROVIDED SHOWING THAT TRANSMISSION SERVICE WAS DONE ACCORDING TO THE DEALER SERVICE INTERVALS - AND BY A CERTIFIED GARAGE - THEN THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BACK UP THEIR PRODUCT REGARDLESS. IN OUR PARTICULAR CASE, WE HAVE A BABIED 1999 RX300 THAT STARTED MAKING ODD NOISES WHILE IN THE WARRANTY PERIOD, AND THEN FAILED COMPLETELY (POST-WARRANTY). THE DEALER HAS DECLINED OUR REQUEST FOR A REDESIGNED REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION FREE OF CHARGE. WE HAVE SUBMITTED A CLAIM THROUGH THE LEXUS CUSTOMERCARE NUMBER (1.800.448.1505), BUT UNDERSTAND THAT THE MANUFACTURER SIMPLY FOLLOWS THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE DEALER IN QUESTION. IN OTHER WORDS, WE'RE AT THE MERCY OF THE DEALER AND THEIR DISCRIMINATORY POLICY. WE'RE STILL AWAITING THE MANUFACTURER JUDGMENT, BUT HOLD OUT VERY LITTLE HOPE. *NM

I OWN A 99 RX300 AWD. PURCHASED THE CAR FROM A DEALERSHIP CORPORATION THAT ALSO OWNED LEXUS OF SERRAMONTE IN SF BAY AREA AT 68K MILES. THE VEHICLE APPARENTLY HAD ALL SERVICES DONE ON TIME AS MY DEALER NOTED AND WAS SERVICED AT THEIR FACILITY SINCE THE VEHICLE LEFT THEIR DEALER LOT. SO THE CAR WAS LOCALLY OWNED AND REPAIRED. AT 74K MY TRANSMISSION STARTED TO ACT UP WHERE I FOUND THE CAR TO BE BELLOW 20% OF ITS TEMPERATURE THE CAR WILL EITHER NOT SHIFT INTO 4TH OR OVER DRIVE. MY DEALER TOLD ME TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID BUT THAT ONLY WORSENED THE PROBLEM WHERE IF THE ENGINE IS BELLOW THAT TEMPERATURE IT WILL START JUMPING WHEN GOING FROM 1ST TO 2ND, AND TAKES A WHILE TO SHIFT BETWEEN GEARS. THE DEALER TELLS ME THAT THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION OF ANY CAR AT 90K MILES. NOW MY BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THAT MY CAR STALLS IF IT''S AT IT NORMAL TEMPERATURE AFTER STARTING IT UP, IT WILL DIE, UNLESS I KEEP THE PEDAL DEPRESSED FOR FUEL TO FLOW INTO THE ENGINE AFTER THE STARTER DISABLES. I OWNED PLENTY OF CARS WELL OVER 20 AND NEVER HAD ANY OF MY VEHICLES EVER HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM EXCEPT ONE CAR THAT HAS BEEN TOTALED TWICE IN ITS ENTIRE LIFE. THIS IS NOT A NORMAL VEHICLE BEHAVIOR NOR APPROPRIATE DEALER RESPONSE WHEN TRYING TO KEEP A GREAT CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP. THIS CREATES A LOT OF DISTRUST AND FEELING THAT YOU'RE HAVING YOUR LEG PULLED. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER AND TURNED INTO A RECALL, AS I AM FINDING OUT THAT 90% OF 99-2000 LEXUS RX300'S OUT THERE HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. *NM

MY 1999 LEXUS RX 300 TRANSMISSION FAILED CAUSED BY A FAULTY DESIGN IN THE FRONT PLANETARY ASSEMBLY. I HAVE FOLLOWED UP ONLINE AND THERE ARE 1000'S OF POSTINGS OF THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENING TO THIS MODEL. THE COST IS $5000 TO REPAIR. WITH SUCH A HIGH FAILURE RATE (BASED UPON THE INFORMATION I HAVE GATHERED) I AM CONFUSED AS TO WHY A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 75 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO COAST TO A STOP WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER, ALLOWED TO COOL DOWN, THEN PROCEEDED 100 MILES. THIS CYCLE RECURRED UNTIL ARRIVING AT THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHICH DETERMINED THE PLANET PINION GEAR FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE TO TRANSMISSION REPLACED.

FIRST FAILURE HAPPENED DURING A LEFT TURN AT A BUSY MULTI-LANE INTERSECTION. TRANSMISSION DROPPED OUT OF GEAR INSTEAD OF SHIFTING LEAVING ME POWERLESS AT A VERY VULNERABLE TIME. THE VEHICLE HAD SUFFICIENT MOMENTUM THAT I MANAGED TO DRIFT UP AND OVER AN ADJACENT CURB. I WAS AT THE MERCY OF ALERT DRIVERS IN THE INTERSECTION AT THE TIME. A LEXUS REBUILT TRANSMISSION WAS INSTALLED BY A TOYOTA MECHANIC. AFTER 12 MONTHS AND MANY ATTEMPTS AT GETTING THE ENGINE LIGHT TO REMAIN EXTINGUISHED I WAS ADVISED TODAY BY LEXUS OF CALGARY THAT THE SECOND TRANSMISSION IS NOW FAILING. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION AND NOW THIS ONE ARE FAILING TO SHIFT WHEN REQUIRED MOST, RECENTLY WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE DURING A LANE CHANGE. IT IS DANGEROUS TO NOT HAVE POWER WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST. *NM

WHEN STARTING MY 1999 LEXUS RX 300 AFTER WORK, I NOTICED A "WHINING" SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. MY COMMUTE HOME IS ABOUT 15 MILES. I NOTICED WHEN DRIVING THAT IT WOULD "JERK" WHEN TRYING TO CHANGE GEARS. IT MADE ME THINK BACK TO A COUPLE OF MONTHS BACK WHEN I WAS IN A PARKING SPACE AND PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE AND STARTED TO EASE OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE WHEN IT FELT LIKE SOMEONE HAS HIT ME OR I HAD HIT SOMETHING. I GOT OUT, BUT NOTHING? I THEN GOT BACK INTO THE CAR AND STARTED TO LEAVE AND THE CAR WOULD GO INTO REVERSE, BUT WHEN APPLYING THE GAS THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. I TRIED AGAIN AND THE CAR FINALLY "CAUGHT" INTO GEAR AND MADE A TERRIBLE SOUND. I NOTICED IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE DAY OF FAILURE THAT THE CAR WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME CHANGING INTO SECOND GEAR. IT WOULD "WIND OUT" BEFORE CATCHING. NOW, THE DAY OF THE FAILURE, I WAS LEAVING WORK AND I NOTICED A "WHINING" SOUND IN THE ENGINE AND IN MY COMMUTE HOME IT GOT WORSE. THE CAR STARTED JUMPING BACK AND FORTH AND THE RPMS WERE RANDOMLY JUMPING. EVEN WHILE COASTING DOWN A HILL THE RMPS WOULD JUMP AND ACCELERATE AND SLOW DOWN THE CAR MAKING IT JERK. AT TIMES IT WOULD ACT AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL AND I WAS TRAVELING AT 45 MILES PER HOUR. WHEN THIS WOULD HAPPEN, THE RMPS WOULDN'T MOVE? MY CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 78K MILES ON IT. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD MY HUSBAND, WE CALLED LEXUS AND TOOK IT STRAIGHT TO THEM. I HAD TO GET A RENTAL CAR. I GOT A CALL THE NEXT DAY TO TELL ME THAT THE PUMP FAILED AND THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS BLACK AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS GONE. IT'S GOING TO COST $4,600.00 TO REPAIR. THERE ARE MANY OTHER CASES EXACTLY LIKE MINE. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL! *NM

THE CAR WAS WORKING PERFECTLY. ONE DAY WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT THE TRANSMISSION BLEW, AND I COULD NOT MOVE. HAD TO PAY $4000+ OUT OF POCKET, THE WARRANTY JUST EXPIRED 2 MONTHS BEFORE AND LEXUS WOULD NOT STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT. THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 80,000 MILES. AFTER DOING RESEARCH, IT TURNS OUT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE RX300 1999 AND 2000 AWD. HOW CAN LEXUS NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR A RECALL. THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY FAULT, BUT I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE WHEN SO MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB