2000 Lexus RX300

I SERVICED MY LEXUS THROUGHOUT IT'S LIFE. NOW THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY LOCKED UP. AFTER CHECKING TO SEE IF THIS WAS A DESIGN FLAW AND IF ANYONE ELSE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, I FOUND OUT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR FACILITY THEY TOO TOLD ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FLAWED IN ITS ENGINEERING DESIGN AND THAT NO OIL WAS ABLE TO REACH THE VITAL COMPONENTS AND THAT OVER TIME THEY DRIED OUT AND BECAME BRITTLE. I THINK THE NHTSA SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS AND MAKE LEXUS CORP. COMPENSATE PEOPLE WHO "GOT HAD" BY LEXUS....THIS $45K CAR SHOULDN'T HAVE THIS HAPPEN WITH THIS LOW MILEAGE. *TR

WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE (LEXUS RX300 4WD) ON 11/29/2002 WITH 27,080 MILES ON IT FROM LOCAL LEXUS DEALER. IT IS MY WIFE'S PRIMARY VEHICLE AND SHE DRIVES IT TO WORK DAILY (ABOUT 20 MILES PER DAY). AT 111,000 MILES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTING ERRATICALLY IE. DOWN SHIFTING SUDDENLY WHEN IT SHOULDN'T AND SLIPPING GEARS. IT ALSO MAKES A STRANGE CONSTANT NOISE. IT HAD BEEN MORE AND MORE SHIFTING THIS WAY OFF AND ON FOR 2 OR 3 MONTHS. I TOOK IT TO LEXUS DEALER ON 8/24/2011 BECAUSE OF CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE SERVICE CONSULTANT STATED IT NEEDS NEW TRANSMISSION (THIS WAS SAID IN THE SAME TONE OF "YOU NEED A NEW AIR FILTER") AND THEY WOULD REPLACE IT FOR $5,208.80. WHEN I ASKED SERVICE CONSULTANT IF THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM HE STATED THAT IT WAS NOT. HE SAID MY TRANSMISSION COULD TOTALLY FAIL AT ANY TIME EVEN WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE. THE OPERATORS MANUAL STATES "IT IS NECESSARY TO CHANGE TRANSMISSION FLUID ONLY IF YOUR VEHICLE IS DRIVEN UNDER SPECIAL OPERATING CONDITIONS" WHICH WE DON'T. I CHECKED EDMUNDS AND BLOGS ON LINE AND THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS OVER THIS ISSUE AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED BECAUSE I DON'T WANT MY WIFE TO GET IN AN ACCIDENT ON THE INTERSTATE AND SO IT JUST SETS IN MY GARAGE. *KB

WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE (LEXUS RX300 4WD) ON 11/29/2002 WITH 27,080 MILES ON IT FROM LOCAL LEXUS DEALER. IT IS MY WIFE'S PRIMARY VEHICLE AND SHE DRIVES IT TO WORK DAILY (ABOUT 20 MILES PER DAY). AT 111,000 MILES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTING ERRATICALLY IE. DOWN SHIFTING SUDDENLY WHEN IT SHOULDN'T AND SLIPPING GEARS. IT ALSO MAKES A STRANGE CONSTANT NOISE. IT HAD BEEN MORE AND MORE SHIFTING THIS WAY OFF AND ON FOR 2 OR 3 MONTHS. I TOOK IT TO LEXUS DEALER ON 8/24/2011 BECAUSE OF CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE SERVICE CONSULTANT STATED IT NEEDS NEW TRANSMISSION (THIS WAS SAID IN THE SAME TONE OF "YOU NEED A NEW AIR FILTER") AND THEY WOULD REPLACE IT FOR $5,208.80. WHEN I ASKED SERVICE CONSULTANT IF THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM HE STATED THAT IT WAS NOT. HE SAID MY TRANSMISSION COULD TOTALLY FAIL ANT ANY TIME EVEN WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE. THE OPERATORS MANUAL STATES "IT IS NECESSARY TO CHANGE TRANSMISSION FLUID ONLY IF YOUR VEHICLE IS DRIVEN UNDER SPECIAL OPERATING CONDITIONS" WHICH WE DON'T. I CHECKED EDMUNDS AND BLOGS ON LINE AND THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS OVER THIS ISSUE AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED BECAUSE I DON'T WANT MY WIFE TO GET IN AN ACCIDENT ON THE INTERSTATE AND SO IT JUST SETS IN MY GARAGE.

WITH NO WARNING SIGNS AT ALL THE TRANSMISSION ON MY LEXUS RX300 HAS FAILED. THE CAR NEVER PREVIOUSLY FAILED TO ENGAGE IN ANY GEAR, HOWEVER, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR DECREASED IN SPEED AND WOULD NOT SWITCH GEARS TO ACCELERATE. WE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, AND THE CAR WOULD NO LONGER MOVE. LUCKILY WE HAD MADE THE RARE CHOICE OF NOT DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY THAT PARTICULAR NIGHT. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID HAD BEEN CHECKED 3 WEEKS EARLIER, AND THE CAR HAS HAD REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND OIL CHANGES. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH I AM FINDING HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL OF LEXUS, AND EVIDENCE THAT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THIS TRANSMISSION SET UP. FOR THE PRICE OF THESE CARS I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL. THERE IS NO REASON WHY A TRANSMISSON SHOULD FAIL AT 126,000 MILES ON THIS CAR. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE REPAIR COST COULD BE BETWEEN $3500-$5000. THIS IS NOT THE QUALITY THAT I EXPECTED WITH THE PURCHASE OF THIS CAR. WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE OXYGEN SENSORS, THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSORS THE VVT VALVES AND OIL PAN, AND NOW WE ARE FACED WITH THE GREAT EXPENSE OF REPLACING A VERY EXPENSIVE TRANSMISSION THAT SHOULD STILL WORK. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED, AND WHILE I HAVE PROMOTED THE PURCHASE OF LEXUS CARS TO MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS, AND VOWED TO PURCHASE AGAIN, I AM NOT CERTAIN THAT I WANT TO SPEND VERY HARD EARNED MONEY ON THE DREAM OF QUALITY THAT DOESN'T EXIST.

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

OWN A LEXUS 2000 RX300, TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, WOULD NOT MOVE IN ANY GEAR. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 56,825 MILES. CONTACTED A LEXUS DEALER AND NO HELP WAS OFFERED, SAID IT WOULD COST $6000 FOR THE REPAIRS.I MADE A FORMAL REQUEST FROM LEXUS USA FOR HELP BUT THEY DECLINED ANY RESPONSIBILITY. I WAS 1600 MILES FROM HOME SO I HAD AN INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION SHOP MAKE THE REPAIRS.LEXUS IS IN FACT AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE RX 300 TRANSMISSIONS, BUT REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE DESIGN TRANSMISSION. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW OF ANY CLASS ACTION SUIT FOR THIS PROBLEM. I KNOW THEY HAVE REDESIGNED THE TRANSMISSION ON LATER MODELS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM! *TR

BOUGHT 2000 LEXUS RX300 IN JANUARY 2008. BY MAY 2009 REPLACING TRANSMISSION AROUND130,000MILES . 1ST IT STARED LIKE IT WAS HESITATING. BY MID DAY ON THE INTERSTATE DURING 65/HR, THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT . HAD TO PULLOVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD 30MILE/HR AT 4000 RPM. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED .DROVE IT HOME 1 WEEK LATER SAME THING. TOOK BACK TO MR TRANSMISSION SAID IT WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH TRANSMISSION. SENSORS OXYGEN REPLACED STOP FOR A LITTLE BIT. NOTICED ON AND OFF TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP. TRANSMISSION OUT AGAIN ALONG WITH CAR IDLING HIGH AND MAKING A POPPING NOISE. I GUESS NOTHING (RECALL) WILL NOT HAPPEN BECAUSE NO ONE DIED THAT SEEMS TO BE HOW IT WORKS OR IF IT SOMETHING MINOR LIKE UMMM A LIGHT. *TR