NHTSA Complaint #10224125 — 2000 LEXUS RX300

RX300 FAILED TO GO INTO REVERSE FROM PARK IN OCTOBER 2007. TOOK TO TOYOTA DEALER INSOFAR AS NO LOCAL LEXUS DEALER IN BEND, OREGON. FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. PROBLEM RETURNED 4 MONTHS LATER AT 2,000 MILES INTO THE NEW ATF, WITH OCCASIONAL FAILURE IN DRIVE GEAR. 4/9/08 VEHICLE WAS MOVING IN DRIVE FROM HOME GARAGE WHEN TRANSMISSION WENT BUMP/THUMP TWICE. 50 YARDS FURTHER FORWARD, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN A GRINDING NOISE. PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE, BUT DRIVE FORWARD WAS OKAY. RETURNED TO VEHICLE IN 2 HRS AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE. NO REVERSE GEAR WHEN SHIFTER WAS IN REVERSE. NEUTRAL WOULD ALLOW FREEWHEEL. TRIED TO TURN 180 AND RETURN TO HOME GARAGE. VEHICLE WAS NOW PERPENDICULAR TO BOTH LANES OF TRAFFIC. TRIED TO ENGAGE NEUTRAL TO FREEWHEEL IN REVERSE. VEHICLE SEEMED TO BE IN GEAR OR PARK WHEN IN NEUTRAL ON THE SHIFTER. DROVE FORWARD ONE FOOT AND TRIED NEUTRAL, GOT A SOUND LIKE SOMETHING COMING UNSTUCK AND BECOMING SYNCHRONIZED. NEUTRAL NOW ALLOWED FREEWHEEL. REVERSE GEAR NOW WORKED AND I DROVE THE VEHICLE THE 50 YARDS HOME AND BACKED IT USING REVERSE GEAR INTO THE GARAGE. 68,745 TOTAL MILES ON 2000 RX300.LEXUS SAYS VEHICLE OUT OF THE 6 YEAR/70,000 DRIVE TRAIN WARRANTY. LEXUS SAYS TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED. *TR