1999 Lexus RX300

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

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

AUTOMOBILE WAS A PERFECTLY FUNCTIONING 1999 CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED LEXUS RX300 UNDER A BUMPER TO BUMPER 'NEW CAR WARRANTY'. AUTO WAS CONSISTENTLY SERVICED BY LEXUS OF PALM BEACH. THE AUTOMOBILE WAS CONSUMED BY 20 FT. FLAMES IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES WHILE PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE GARAGE WAS ABOUT 6 FT. AWAY AND CAUGHT FIRE. FORTUNATELY A NEIGHBORS DOG AWOKE THEM AND THE FIREMEN ARRIVED TO PUT THE FINAL CAR FLAMES OUT AND STOP THE FIRE ON THE GARAGE. WE SLEPT THROUGH THE ENTIRE INCIDENT AND WERE AWOKEN BY A FIREMAN. THE EXACT CAUSE IS STILL A MYSTERY. THE ARSON INVESTIGATOR RULED OUT ARSON, THE RESPONDING FIRE CHIEF RULED OUT WEATHER RELATED CAUSES. BOTH THE ARSON AND THE INSURANCE INVESTIGATORS DETERMINED THE IGNITION POINT AT THE REAR LEFT TIRE. BOTH CONCLUDED THAT POSSIBLY AN OVER HEATED BRAKE WAS TO BLAME. I AND THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AT TOYOTA MOTOR SALES AGREE THAT THIS EXPLANATION IS IMPOSSIBLE SINCE THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN IN TWO DAYS AND IT RAINED HEAVILY DURING THOSE TWO DAYS. I HAVE ENCOURAGED THEM TO DO THEIR OWN INVESTIGATION. TO DATE NO RESPONSE. THREE MONTHS HAVE ELAPSED AND LEXUS HAS SHOWN NO INTEREST IN THIS MATTER. I AM ESPECIALLY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF SMALL CHILDREN WHEN FLAMES CAN ERUPT SO UNEXPECTEDLY AND CONSUME A CAR SO QUICKLY. ON OUR STREET OF 34 HOUSES THERE ARE AT LEAST 10 OTHER LEXUS OWNERS. ONE HAS CONFIDED THAT HE PARKS HIS CAR FURTHER FROM THE GARAGE NOW AS A RESULT OF WHAT HE WITNESSED. HE ALSO IS THE FATHER OF AN 18 MONTH OLD SON WHO WOULD BE BUCKLED INTO A CAR SEAT JUST ABOVE THAT IGNITION POINT. *JB

1999 LEXUS RX300. FIVE DAYS AFTER DISCS, CALIPERS, PADS REPLACED, THE RIGHT FRONT CALIPER FELL OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 80 AT 65 MPH. THE CAR BEGAN TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE AND VEER TO THE RIGHT. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. THE LEXUS DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE CALIPER FELL OFF AND WAS WEDGED BETWEEN THE RIM OF THE WHEEL AND THE DISC. THE BOLTS WERE MISSING. THE SERVICE MANAGER DID NOT KNOW IF THE BOLTS BROKE FROM A MANUFACTURING DEFECT OR A SERVICE DEFECT. *AK