NHTSA Complaint #10284687 — 1999 LEXUS RX300

I HAD SOME DIAGNOSTICS RUN ON THE TRANSMISSION, AND THE VERDICT WAS THAT THE PLANETARY GEAR WOULD LIKELY NEED TO BE REPLACED IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT. APPARENTLY THE ORIGINAL PLANETARY GEAR HAD FOUR GEARS MOUNTED IN AN ALUMINUM CARRIER... WHO KNOWS, HEAT, WEAR WHATEVER THE CARRIER FAILS AND ALLOWS THE GEARS TO TILT, AND THEN YOUR TRANNY IS TOAST.. THE NEW REPLACEMENT PLANETARY GEARS ARE MOUNTED IN A STEEL CARRIER, WITH 6 GEARS INSTEAD OF THE ORIGINAL 4....VERY INTERESTING.... AND MUCH STRONGER I SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MY LOCAL LEXUS DEALER (WHO HIMSELF HAD AN RX300 AND HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, IRONICALLY), AND HE WENT TO LEXUS CORPORATE AND GOT THEM TO PAY FOR HALF OF THE REPLACEMENT COST. THIS BROUGHT THE ESTIMATED COST TO ABOUT $2200 INCLUDING TAX. THE ESTIMATED COSTS ON THE OVERHAUL WERE BETWEEN $1500-$2000. THE LEXUS SERVICE MANAGER HAD SAID THAT WHEN HIS OWN TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, HE'D GRILLED THE LEXUS ENGINEERS ON THE REMANUFACTURED PART. HE SAID THAT THE ENGINEERS ADMITTED THAT THERE WERE SOME "IMPROVEMENTS" MADE IN THAT TRANSMISSION POST-2001 AND THAT THEY'D RATHER HAVE A REMANUFACTURED 2001+ TRANNY THAN A BRAND NEW 2000 TRANSMISSION. THEY NEVER ADMITTED TO AN ISSUE, ONLY THAT THE 2001+ PART WAS DEFINITELY BETTER. I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE PRETTY DARN GOOD AT KNOWING WHEN SOMEONE ISN'T TELLING THE FULL TRUTH, AND THIS GUY WAS, SO I BELIEVE HIM. *TR