NHTSA Complaint #10226067 — 2001 LEXUS RX300

COMPLETE FAILURE OF 2001 LEXUS RX300 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AT ONLY 62,000 MILES. WE PURCHASED THIS CPO RX300 (APPROX 20K MILES ON IT) IN EARLY 2004 AND SERVICED IT REGULARLY, PER THE LEXUS MANUAL, AT A LOCAL LEXUS DEALERSHIP. AT 60K MILES ON TWO OCCASIONS (A FEW DAYS APART) IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE. WE HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUSHED AND THE FLUID REPLACED BY A 3RD PARTY SHOP. AT 62,000 MILES, WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME ON A LOCAL HIGHWAY THE TRANSMISSION FAILED COMPLETELY. LUCKILY SHE WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER IT OFF THE ROAD SAFELY. WE TOWED IT TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP WHO EVEN BEFORE OPENING IT UP TOLD US THEY HAD SEEN MANY RX300'S OF THIS YEAR FOR PREMATURE TRANSMISSION FAILURES. I AM CURRENTLY DEALING WITH LEXUS COOPERATION TO SEEK SOME FORM OF REIMBURSEMENT (IT COST US $4,300 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION) BUT AS EXPECTED AM BEING STONEWALLED WITH ENDLESS REQUESTS FOR SERVICE RECEIPTS, PAPERWORK, ETC. MARKETING STUDIES SHOW IT COSTS 5 TIMES MORE TO FIND A NEW CUSTOMER THAN IT DOES TO KEEP AN EXISTING ONE. BUT I GUESS LEXUS DOES NOT CARE. *TR