NHTSA Complaint #10196185 — 1999 LEXUS RX300

COMPLETE TRANSAXLE FAILURE - AT 91000 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION ON THE 1999 AWT LEXUS RACKS FAILED AT 50 MPH WITHOUT WARNING. ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING NORMALLY, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER TO THE DRIVE WHEELS AND THE CAR COASTED TO A STOP. THIS HAPPENED ON A NARROW COUNTRY ROAD WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC AND IT WAS ONLY LUCK THAT AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT. THE CAR HAD BEEN ROUTINELY SERVICED AS REQUIRED BY LEXUS AND HAD BEEN IN FOR A ROUTINE SERVICE THE DAY PRIOR. REVIEW OF THE NHTSA COMPLAINT DATABASE SUGGESTS THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND, IF SO, IT REPRESENTED A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN FOR THIS MODEL AND YEAR OF CAR, IN GENERAL. IT WAS VERY TROUBLING THAT ANY VEHICLE WOULD HAVE THE TYPE OF DEFECT THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UNANNOUNCED SUDDEN MAJOR FAILURE AT LESS THAN 100000 MILES. THE REPAIR REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION. LEXUS WAS CONTACTED FOR MORE INFORMATION, BUT WAS OF NO HELP BEYOND NOTING THAT THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. LEXUS REQUIRED THAT THE REMOVED TRANSAXLE BE RETURNED TO THEM, UNOPENED.*AK