2001 Lexus RX300

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LEXUS RX300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO A BRICK WALL. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED FRONT END DAMAGE AND THE CONTACT SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES AS HER BREAST HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS NOT NOTIFIED. NEITHER THE DEALER, NOR THE MANUFACTURER, WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000.

I PURCHASED A 2001 LEXUS RX 300 FROM A PRIVATE PARTY IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR. WITHIN DAYS OF THE PURCHASE THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND THAT WAS REPLACED, BUT I HAD ALSO NOTICED SOME BLUE SMOKE WHEN I STARTED IT. I TOOK IT INTO MY AUTO MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THAT THE CAR WAS BURNING OIL, AND ACTUALLY THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SUIT FILED AGAINST TOYOTA RELATED TO THE PROBLEMS, I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT THIS CONDITION WILL LEAD TO ENGINE FAILURE IF THE ENGINE IS NOT REPLACED. I HAVE BEEN ADVISED TO FILE A COMPLAINT IN REGARDS TO THIS ISSUE TO SEE IF I QUALIFY TO BE PART OF THE LAWSUIT AND FILE A CLAIM. *KB

TRANSMISSION FAILURE-2001 LEXUS RX 300, 88,000 MILES, PURCHASED NEW, CAR WAS BABIED, SERVICES REGULARLY WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSHED AT 30,000 MILE INTERVALS. NEVER TOWED ANYTHING, DROVE ABOUT 9,000 MILES PER YEAR. YOU DON'T EXPECT A CAR YOU BUY FOR RELIABILITY TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FAIL AT 88,000 MILES WITH A $5,000 PRICE TAG TO REPAIR. RESEARCH SHOW THIS IS A GENETIC PROBLEM FOR AN UNDER ENGINEERED TRANSMISSION FOR A AWD AUTO. 100'S UPON 100'S HAVE THE COMPLAINT ON THIS MODEL FROM 1999-2002 WITH FAILURES AT 85,000- 95,000 MILES. DECEPTIVE ADVERTISING AS TO QUALITY, RELIABILITY AND PURSUIT OF PERFECTION WITH THE MANUFACTURER NOT WILLING TO ADMIT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM. JUST READ THE LEXUS AND EDMUND BOARDS ON RX 300 AWD TRANSMISSION FAILURE. MANUFACTURER CORRECTED THE PROBLEM IN 2003 OR 2004 TRANSMISSIONS BUT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT PURCHASED BEFORE WE HAVE TO PAY THE CONSEQUENCE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS ON TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. REPORTS ARE NUMEROUS. *KB

2001 LEXUS RX300 SHIFTED OUT OF DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL WHILE GOING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT 60MPH (REDLINING THE ENGINE) AND ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT FROM BEHIND. APPARENTLY THIS CAR HAS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO REVERSE WHILE IN THE DRIVE POSITION SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE TRANSMISSION IS NOW HAVING TO BE REBUILT FOR $3000 THAT WE DON'T HAVE. THE CAR SHIFTING INTO REVERSE WHILE IN THE DRIVE LOCATION SCARED THE HECK OUT OF US. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS BEHIND US!!! *TR

2001 LEXUS RX300 AT 113K MI. SUDDENLY THE GEARS ARE SLIPPING OR LOOSE IN REVERSE OR DRIVE WHEN STARTING FROM STOP - TAKES A SECOND TO CLICK INTO GEAR AND MOVE THE SUV- RANDOM IN NATURE AND OCCURRENCE. ABOUT A FEW MONTHS LATER THE DASH LIGHTS COME ON VSC AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS. LEXUS DEALER SAYS WARNING LIGHTS ARE FOR SOLENOID E. THEY RECOMMEND REPLACING FULL TRANSMISSION AS THEY CANNOT BE SURE REPLACING THE SOLENOID WILL NOT DAMAGE THE TRANSMISSION - $4,500 IS THE DAMAGE - OUCH! I AM READING THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR LEXUS RX300'S - WHY ISN'T LEXUS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THIS- LARGE HIT TO THE FAMILY BUDGET!!!! *TR

I DROVE THIS CAR FROM SCHOOL TO HOME AS USUAL. THE TRANSMISSION IS GONE SUDDENLY THAT I HAD NO TIME TO PREPARE, THE CAR WAS LOSING CONTROL AND DRIVING INTO AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THE CAR ALMOST HIT AN OLD LADY WITH A SMALL GIRL. FORTUNATELY, I FINALLY GOT CONTROL OF THIS CAR AND WE WERE ALL SAFE. THIS GENERATION OF LEXUS RX300 HAS SERIOUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, MANY CASES CAN BE FOUND ONLINE. I WOULD HIGHLY SUGGEST THE MANUFACTURER RECALL THOSE CARS AND CAREFULLY EXAMINE THE PROBLEM, IN ORDER TO AVOID SUCH INCIDENT HAPPEN AGAIN. THOSE CARS ARE BECOMING OLDER, MANY MORE PROBLEMS WILL BE MANIFEST.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LEXUS RX300. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE CONTACT APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE ENGINE WOULD EXHIBIT AN INCREASE IN RPMS BUT THE VEHICLE STILL WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.