1999 Lexus RX300

OUR VEHICLE'S OIL CONSUMPTION BEGAN TO INCREASE AT APPROXIMATELY 90K MILES. IT WOULD TAKE AT LEAST A QUART OF OIL EVERY 700 MILES OR SO. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED AROUND 100K MILES. FINALLY BROUGHT IT TO OUR LEXUS DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THAT WE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE BLOCK AND TOP END OVERHAUL. THE REASON GIVEN WAS "OIL SLUDGE" DUE TO LACK OF PROPER SERVICE. THE SERVICE DEPT QUOTED US 8,000 DOLLARS TO DO THE REPAIRS. UNFORTUNATELY WE DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY SO WE ARE GOING TO TRY AND FIND A NEW ENGINE ON OUR OWN.

TOOK 1999 LEXUS RX 300 IN FOR REGULAR SERVICE AT 39,000 MILES, AND ASKED DEALER TO CHECK ENGINE NOISE. DEALER FOUND CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND SPLIT EXHAUST PIPE COMING OFF MANIFOLD. MAIFOLD REPLACED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY PLAN BUT SPLIT EXHAUST NOT COVERED BECAUSE CAR WAS OUT OF ORIGINAL WARRANTY. DEALER CARRIED EXHAUST MANIFOLDS IN STOCK DUE TO FREQUENCY OF PROBLEM. THIS WAS A DESIGN/MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED BY MANUFACTURER.*AK

AT 68K MILES, I TOOK TO INDEPENDENT GARAGE IN JANUARY & MARCH 2004 WITH PROBLEM OF VEHICLE HESITATING TO SHIFT FROM 2ND TO 3RD. GARAGE COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM AND CHANGED TRANSMISSION FLUID. I LET VEHICLE WARM UP 2 MINUTES TO AVOID THE SHIFTING PROBLEM. IN SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER WITH 72K MILES, I TOOK TO DEALER WITH ADDITIONAL PROBLEM OF FAILING TO ENGAGE THE REVERSE GEAR AND SHUDDERING IN FORWARD GEAR. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE AND CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. IN NOVEMBER 2004, THE TRANSMISSION DROPPED COMPLETELY OUT OF GEAR WHILE DRIVING ON THE STREET. THIS TIME DEALER FOUND METAL SHAVINGS IN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND SAID I NEEDED $4250 TO REPLACE WITH A REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION WARRANTED FOR ONLY 12 MONTHS. LEXUS SHOULD HAVE PAID TO REPLACE THEIR DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION INSTEAD OF HIDING THEIR HEAD IN THE SAND. *JB

JAN 2004-VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF GEAR FAILURE BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD. FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. MAR 2004-VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN AGAIN TO INDEPENDENT GARAGE TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF GEAR FAILURE BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD. FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. SEPTEMBE R 2004-VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER AFTER GEAR FAILURE IN REVERSE AND SHUDDER IN FORWARD. FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.*AK NOV2004--VEHICLE WAS AGAIN TOWED TO DEALER AFTER SHUDDER WHILE IN DRIVE AND THEN GEAR FAILURE IN REVERSE AND FORWARD. DIAGNOSIS NEED COMPLETE TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY.

LEXUS RX300-HAVE OWNED CAR SINCE BEGINNING 1999-NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH CAR EXCEPT NORMAL TUNE UPS AND NEW BRAKES-HOWEVER, THAT ALL CHANGED SEPTEMBER 2004. YES, I'VE HAD THE CAR 6 SIX YEARS BUT WITH ONLY 68,000 MILES ON THE CAR WHICH IS CONSIDERED LOW MILEAGE USE. WHILE TRAVELING TO SAN DIEGO TO TAKE MY GRANDDAUGHTER BACK HOME FROM MY CURRENT HOME AT THE TIME IN ALISO VIEJO, CALIFORNIA MY AUTO WHILE ON THE I-5 JUST COMPLETELY DROPPED OUT OF GEAR-I HAD ENOUGH SPEED GOING THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY AND CAME TO A STOP AT THE CAMP PENDLETON MARINE BASE FRONT GATES. THE SOLDIERS WERE ABLE TO PUSH MY CAR BEHIND THEIR STATION GATE UNTIL AAA COULD SEND A TRUCK TO TOW ME AND FOR MY SON TO PICK UP MY GRANDDAUGHTER THERE. MY TRANSMISSION WAS COMPLETELY GONE AND COST ME OVER $4,000.00 TO GET IT FIXED. I WAS TOLD BY THE REPAIRMAN THAT THE PLANETARY GEAR IS WHAT BROKE BUT THAT LEXUS HAS HAD TO UPDATE THE PLANETARY GEAR FOR MY MODEL AND YEAR 4 (FOUR) TIMES. IT SOUNDS TO ME THAT LEXUS KNOWS THAT THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS MAIN GEAR AND I WANT TO KNOW WHY THERE WAS NEVER A RECALL TO HAVE IT FIXED. LEXUS IS RATED TOPS SO WHY WOULD MY TRANSMISSION GO OUT AT ONLY 68,000 MILES? I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO HAVE IT REPAIRED IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE I WAS MOVING TO FLORIDA IN TWO WEEKS AND DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME OR WHEELS TO TAKE MY COMPLAINT TO THE DEALER. IS THERE ANY RECOURSE SINCE THE PLANETARY GEAR WAS CLEARLY DEFECTIVE?*AK

HAD MY 60,000 MILE SERVICE DONE ON MY 1999 RX300. THE WIFE DROVE IT WHEN I GOT HOME AND TOLD ME THE CAR WAS RUNNING SLUGGISH, DIDN'T ACCELERATE LIKE IT DID BEFORE I BROUGHT IT IN. I TOOK THE CAR OUT TO DRIVE IT AND FEEL WHAT SHE WAS TELLING ME AND NOTICED THAT WHEN I WOULD LET OFF THE GAS AND COAST THEM GIVE IT GAS THERE WAS A CLUNKING NOISE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THE MECHANIC HEARD THE NOISE AND SAID HE WASN'T SURE WHAT IT WAS. THE SERVICE PERSON SAID THAT I SHOULD JUST DRIVE IT NORMAL AND NOT TRY TO MAKE IT CLUNK AND IT SHOULD BE OK. IF IT KEPT DOING IT TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO BRING IT BACK. CAR WILL BE OUT OF WARRANTY! IN 4 MONTHS. *LA