IllustrationWHILE DRIVING, THE GEAR SHIFT WILL GO INTO NEUTRAL, IF BUMPED. ALSO I'VE NOTICED THE CAR JERKING WHILE DRIVING. I'VE TAKEN IT TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP, BUT THEY NEVER OBSERVED THE PROBLEM AND THUS WAS NEVER ABLE TO FIX IT.*AK
1999 Lexus RX300
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most RX300 years
Owner complaints for the 1999 Lexus RX300 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 88.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all RX300 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
70–25K
225–50K
2050–75K
3775–100K
60100–150K
23150K+
149 reports with mileage · 72 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 129 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
18 crash reports10 fire reports11 injury reports
What owners actually said
221 reportsINJURIES TO CHEST, ABDOMEN, KNEES, WRIST DUE TO AIR BAGS NON DEPLOYMENT IN COLLISION. OBVIOUS FRONT IMPACT DAMAGE TO VEHICLE IMPACT ESTIMATED @ 40 MPH. NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. OTHER VEHICLE INVOLVED PULLED INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC WITH NO CHANCE OF AVOIDANCE. MY SEAT BELT LOCKED AND CAUSED SEVERE BRUISING TO MY STERNUM, ABDOMEN, KN…
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INJURIES TO CHEST, ABDOMEN, KNEES, WRIST DUE TO AIR BAGS NON DEPLOYMENT IN COLLISION. OBVIOUS FRONT IMPACT DAMAGE TO VEHICLE IMPACT ESTIMATED @ 40 MPH. NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. OTHER VEHICLE INVOLVED PULLED INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC WITH NO CHANCE OF AVOIDANCE. MY SEAT BELT LOCKED AND CAUSED SEVERE BRUISING TO MY STERNUM, ABDOMEN, KNEES. I BOUGHT THIS PREMIUM PRICED VEHICLE BASED IN PART ON THE SAFETY FEATURES THAT DID NOT PERFORM. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. VEHICLE I WAS DRIVING AS OWNER IS 1999 LEXUS RX 300 EQUIPPED WITH FRONT AND SIDE SRS. *JB
I OWN A 1999 LEXUS RX300 AND HAVE HAD AN ENGINE SLUDGE PROBLEM WHICH WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER WITH THE VALVE SEAL REPLACEMENT BEING PERFORMED. ALSO HAD FRONT EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND FRONT DOWN PIPE FAILURE(CRACK) OCCURRING AT ABOUT 71,000 MILES. UNSURE AS TO ANY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO.*JB
I OWN 1999 LEXUS RX300, SINCE FEBRUARY OF THE LAST YEAR, I HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR'S ENGINE (IT HAS SLUDGE), TRANSMISSION, EMISSION SYSTEM, AND OVER USE OF GAS PER MILE. FIRST PROBLEM STARTED DURING THE FIRST MONTH OF MY OWNERSHIP AND SINCE THAT TIME THE VEHICLE HAS SPENT WEEKS IN AUTO REPAIR SHOPS. LEXUS DEALER AND …
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I OWN 1999 LEXUS RX300, SINCE FEBRUARY OF THE LAST YEAR, I HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR'S ENGINE (IT HAS SLUDGE), TRANSMISSION, EMISSION SYSTEM, AND OVER USE OF GAS PER MILE. FIRST PROBLEM STARTED DURING THE FIRST MONTH OF MY OWNERSHIP AND SINCE THAT TIME THE VEHICLE HAS SPENT WEEKS IN AUTO REPAIR SHOPS. LEXUS DEALER AND OTHERS CHARGED ME LAVISH FEES BUT NEVER FIXED THE PROBLEMS AND LEXUS DEALERS EVEN NEVER ADMITTED THAT SERIOUS PROBLEMS EXISTED. *JB
EXHAUST MANIFOLD ON RIGHT SIDE OF ENGINE CRACKED, WHICH RESULATED IN REPLACEMENT OF THE MANIFOLD AND 2 SENSOR AT OWNERS EXPENSE. THE PART CRACKED AT 71,000 MILES AND LEXUS WOULD NOT REIMBURSE REPAIR BECAUSE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. EXHAUST MANIFOLDS SHOULD NOT CRACK AT 71,000 MILES, IF EVER. DT
THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION IN WHICH THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE HIT THE SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE, THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE SUSTAINED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DAMAGE, HOWEVER THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *JB *SCC
VEHICLE DID NOT START FOUR TIMES IN SIX WEEK PERIOD. BATTERY REPLACED TWICE. PROBLEM STILL EXIST. *TT
ENGINE FAILED DUE TO SLUDGE. TOOK TO ARBITRATION DID NOT WIN. VEHICLE OUT OF SERVICE FOR LAST 10 MONTHS. LEXUS DEALER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE CONTACTED OVER 50 TIMES. EVEN WITH NEW POLICY ENGINE STILL HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. LEXUS AND DEALER HAVE TREATED ME LIKE A VILLIAN. PIAD FOR VEHICLE THAT IS UNUSEABLE. *AK
ENGINE DESIGN IS FAULTY. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE OIL BECOMES VERY HOT AND TURNS INTO SLUDGE. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATES ON DASH CONTINUOUSLY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
ENGINE SLUDGE, RESULTING IN ENGINE REPLACEMENT. *AK
Official recalls
299V011000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights:switch
Jan 20, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS MAY NOT AUTOMATICALLY ILLUMINATE IN LOW AMBIENT LIGHT WHEN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS PLACED IN THE "AUTO" POSITION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: VEHICLES FOLLOWING BEHIND MAY NOT SEE THE VEHICLE SINCE NO HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS WOULD BE ILLUMINATED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A MODIFIED BODY ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT.
99V012000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:differential Proportional Valve
Jan 20, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE OPTIONAL TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. DUE TO IMPROPER DESIGN OF THE REAR BRAKE TUBE DISTRIBUTION, IF ONE OF THE DUAL BRAKE LINES FAILS WHEN THE DRIVER APPLIES THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE WILL FEEL UNSTABLE COMPARED TO VEHICLES WITH PROPER REAR BRAKE TUBE DISTRIBUTION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL MODIFIED BRAKE TUBES.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP02004 · Engine Seizure
Opened Apr 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 20, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
No summary supplied.