2001 Lexus RX300

DRIVING ALONG NORMALLY, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN MOVING IN AND OUT OF GEAR SPONTANEOUSLY. DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR RESULTED SOMETIMES IN REVVING THE ENGINE, OTHER TIMES IN ACCELERATION, AND OTHER TIMES SWITCHING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE TWO CAUSING THE CAR TO JERK. THANKFULLY, I WAS NOT FAR FROM HOME AND WAS ABLE TO GET BACK SAFELY. *TR

WHILE ENTERING A FREEWAY ONRAMP THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR. I TRIED TO ACCELERATE BUT THERE WAS NO POWER THE ENGINE JUST REVVED. THE TRANSMISSION REINGAGED AS I WAS PULLING TO THE SHOULDER SO I CONTINUED MY TRIP HOME. LATER ON THE SAME DRIVE HOME, AT AN INTERCHANGE BETWEEN FREEWAYS IT HAPPENED AGAIN BUT THIS TIME THE TRANSMISSION DIDN'T RE-ENGAGE AND THERE WAS ALMOST A DEADLY MULTIPLE CAR ACCIDENT. IT WAS TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST WHO HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. SOON AFTER REPLACEMENT I WAS ON ANOTHER TRIP AND I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE TO PASS A CAR, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND I BARELY AVOIDED BEING IN A DEADLY AUTO ACCIDENT ON THE FREEWAY WITH A BIG RIG. ON THIS SAME TRIP I ALMOST LOST MY LIFE THREE TIMES DUE TO THIS IDENTICAL OCCURRENCE. IT IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE AND UNFORGIVABLE THAT TOYOTA HASN'T TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS MANUFACTURING ERROR AND ANNOUNCED A COMPLETE RECALL AND REPLACEMENT OF ALL TRANSMISSIONS FOR THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE. IF, I KEEP THIS CAR AND I HAVE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THEIR MANUFACTURING NEGLIGENCE ACTION MAY BE TAKEN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LEXUS RX300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AS HE STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INSPECTED THE FAILURE FOR AN ENGINE OIL LEAK. THEY FOUND THE LEAKAGE IN THE NUMBER THREE AND NUMBER FOUR CYLINDER INTAKE VALVES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO STATED THEY WOULD ONLY COVER $2500 OF THE REPAIR COSTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000. ....UPDATED 10/11/12 *BF THE CONSUMER THE ENGINE OIL INDICATOR IS ALSO DEFECTIVE. IT DOES NOT WARN THE DRIVER WHEN THE HAS DEPLETED. UPDATED 10/15/2012 *JS

MY 2001 LEXUS RX300 WHICH ONLY HAS 115K MILES ON IT, COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. I COULD NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL AND I WAS ALMOST SIDE SWAPPED BY AN ONCOMING VEHICLE. NO SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON AND I HAD NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS INDICATING THIS. AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC, THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT MY TRANSMISSION HAD COMPLETELY FAILED, THE TRANS CLUTCHES BURNED OUT, ALONG WITH FLUID DEBRIS IN OIL PAN. I HAVE MY CAR REGULARLY SERVICED AND EVEN THE MECHANIC SAID THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS. MY MECHANIC SAID HE HAS WORKED ON SEVERAL RX300 WHOSE DIAGNOSIS WAS THE EXACT SAME-TRANSMISSION. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS FURTHER, IT APPEARS LEXUS HAS NOT TAKEN OWNERSHIP OF THIS PROBLEM AND EVEN THOUGH THIS IS AN OLDER MODEL, THIS SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. WHAT IF MY 2 CHILDREN IN THE CAR? IS IT GOING TO TAKE A FATALITY FOR LEXUS TO OWN UP TO THIS? *TR

THE TRANSMISSION OF MY 2001 LEXUS RX300 WITH ONLY 83,000 MILES, JUST FAILED. THIS CAR WAS FULLY AND TIMELY SERVICED BY LEXUS AND IS OTHERWISE IN PRISTINE DRIVING CONDITION. WE NOTICED THE PROBLEM MONTHS AGO WHEN WE EXPERIENCED ENGINE HESITATION AND TRANSMISSION RELATED SYMPTOMS, BUT OUR LEXUS DEALER CHECKED THE CAR AND ASSURED US IT WAS FINE. MY WIFE AND SON CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE CAR AND WERE EXPOSED TO DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATIONS DUE TO ENGINE HESITATION AND FAILURE TO ACCELERATE. DESPITE TRANSMISSION RELATED SYMPTOMS AND FULL KNOWLEDGE OF WIDESPREAD TRANSMISSION FAILURES THE LEXUS DEALER DID NOT RAISE ANY WARNINGS WITH US AND ASSURED US THE CAR WAS FINE AND SAFE TO DRIVE. WHEN LEXUS FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGED IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION ALL ALONG, I WAS SHOCKED TO LEARN HOW WIDESPREAD, PERVASIVE AND WELL DOCUMENTED THIS PROBLEM IS AND HOW UNSAFE THIS CAR IS TO DRIVE GIVEN THE DANGEROUS EFFECTS OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. AS AN ATTORNEY I WILL NOT LET THIS REST AND WANT TO KNOW WHY NHTSA IS NOT TAKING ACTION ON THIS, AND WHY LEXUS IS NOT RECALLING THIS VEHICLE. *KB