1999 Lexus RX300

CAR BEGINS TO LURCH BOTH BACKING UP AND ACCELERATING IN THE LOW GEARS. THE COMPUTER ERRONEOUSLY TELLS THE CLUTCH TO ENGAGE, THUS BLOWING THE TRANSMISSION. I HAVE NECK PAIN FROM THE LURCHING; IT FEELS AS THOUGH YOU ARE GETTING HIT FROM BEHIND. BECAUSE OF THE JUMPING, IT COULD ALSO BE VERY EASY TO REAR END SOMEONE. MANY OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THIS ON VARIOUS BLOGS, INCLUDING 12 PAGES AT EDMUNDS.COM. THE COST TO REPLACE BOTH THE COMPUTER AND THE TRANSMISSION RANGES FROM $4000-8000 DEPENDING ON WHETHER OR NOT YOU USE THE DEALERSHIP. TOYOTA/LEXUS RECOGNIZES THIS AS A COMMON PROBLEM AND HAS CORRECTED IT IN NEWER MODELS, HOWEVER EVERY OLDER CAR HAS THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM. *TR

OWN A 1999 LEXUS RX 300. ENGINE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SLUGGISH SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN 2001. SINCE WE HAVE OWNED THE CAR WE COMPLAINED THE DEALER THAT WHEN YOU START TO RUN THE CAR IN THE MORNING IT WILL TAKE A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THE CAR WILL SHIFT FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. THE DEALER KEPT TELLING US THAT WAS NORMAL FOR THE MODEL CAR. THE TRANSMISSION GOT CONTINUALLY MORE SLUGGISH OVER THE YEARS MEANING THAT THERE WAS HESITATION OR JERKY NESS WHEN YOU WOULD PULL YOUR FOOT OFF OF THE GAS. LAST WEEK I STARTED TO HEAR A GRINDING NOISE WHEN THE CAR WAS SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. I JUST GOT BACK FROM THE REPAIR SHOP WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WHICH JUST TURNED 130,000 MILES WAS SHOT AND THAT THE ONLY FIX WAS TO PURCHASE A REBUILT ONE FROM LEXUS AT A COST OF $4,500 TO $5,000. THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE AWARE THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1999 - 2001 RX 300 TRANSMISSIONS BUT THAT THERE WAS NEVER A RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED. IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THEN I THINK SOMEONE SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION OF OUR 1999 LEXUS RX300 FAILED SUDDENLY AND COMPLETELY WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO BE IN NEUTRAL AND NO LONGER IN DRIVE. THIS WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AT OUR EXPENSE SINCE THE DRIVETRAIN WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. A CURSORY SEARCH OF THE INTERNET SHOWS THAT THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE IN THE 1999 RX300 AND IS WELL KNOWN TO LEXUS. THIS TYPE OF COMPLETE FAILURE IS NOT NORMAL. LEXUS SHOULD BE WARNING OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS FAILURE AND HELPING TO PREVENT/CORRECT IT. *TR

I AM THE OWNER OF A '99 LEXUS RX 300 WITH ONLY 60K MILES ON IT. I RECENTLY EXPERIENCED SERIOUS TRANSMISSIONS PROBLEMS. IT FIRST STARTED WHEN I TRIED TO GET OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE AND COULD NOT PUT MY CAR IN REVERSE. THE CAR WOULD NOT RESPOND FOR THE FIRST INITIAL ATTEMPTS AND THEN IT VIOLENTLY JERKED INTO REVERSE. I TOOK MY CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND HE DIAGNOSED A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I AM HAVING A REBUILT TRANSMISSION PUT IN THE CAR FOR $2000, WHICH APPEARS PRETTY COMPETITIVE COMPARED TO THE AVERAGE PRICE OF $4K THAT IS BEING QUOTED OVER THE INTERNET. LEXUS SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING FOR THIS OBVIOUS DEFECT IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE. *TR

THE WHEELS OF A 1999 RX300 LOCKED UP AT HIGHWAY SPEED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SPIN 220 DEGREES AND CRASH INTO A DRAINAGE DITCH. TRANSFER CASE WAS REPLACED BY DEALER/INSURANCE CO. ABS SENSORS ARE RUSTING AT THE WHEELS AND REQUIRE REPAIR AFTER ONLY 23 MONTHS/27K MILES SINCE THE LAST ABS SENSOR OVERHAUL. LEXUS HAS THE TRANSFER CASE. *TR