NHTSA Complaint #10324578 — 1999 LEXUS RX300

ABOUT ONE WEEK AGO, I NOTICED A TINNY/HUMMING NOISE COMING FROM SOMEWHERE UNDER THE HOOD OF MY RX300. I TOOK IT TO SEVERAL MECHANICS TO HAVE THEM TELL ME WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT, BUT BY THE TIME I GOT THERE THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING AT NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND THE NOISE WAS PRACTICALLY NON-EXISTENT. YESTERDAY MORNING, WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, IT WOULD SUDDENLY LOSE POWER AND THE TACHOMETER WOULD SHOW THE RPMS RAISING SUDDENLY, AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. IT WOULD DO THIS FOR SEVERAL SECONDS OR MORE BEFORE DECIDING TO APPLY POWER TO THE WHEELS AGAIN WHEN IT WANTED TO. THIS HAS CAUSED ME TO HAVE TO CREEP ALONG AT TIMES, UNSURE OF WHAT IT MIGHT DO NEXT. NOT BEING IN CONTROL OF WHEN (OR WHERE FOR THAT MATTER) MY VEHICLE WILL GO IS A SAFETY CONCERN. WILL IT POOP OUT ON ME WHEN I'M NEEDING TO PASS SOMEBODY OR TRYING TO TURN LEFT ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC? WILL IT LUNGE ME FORWARD ON ITS OWN AT AN UNPREDICTABLE MOMENT? YESTERDAY AFTERNOON MY "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON, MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THE CODE RANG UP AS "SHIFT SOLENOID." THIS CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF ACCORDING TO MANUAL SPECS. MY LAST TRANNY FLUID CHANGE WAS ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO. THE CAR ALSO APPEARS TO HAVE A REAR ENGINE LEAK AT THE GASKET BETWEEN THE ENGINE AND TRANNY. THIS "QUALITY" LEXUS CAR HAS LESS THAN 114K MILES ON IT! MY SISTER JUST HAD HER REAR ENGINE SEAL REPLACED AND HER TRANSMISSION REBUILT FOR $4400 AND HERS HAS JUST 125K MILES ON IT. WHAT A JOKE! I WILL NEVER BY A TOYOTA AGAIN. I'VE ALWAYS GOTTEN BETTER SAFETY AND LONGEVITY OUT OF FORDS. POO ON YOU LEXUS. I AM SCHEDULING A TIME TO HAVE MY MECHANIC REPAIR THIS; STILL WAITING ON A QUOTE THOUGH. I EXPECT A MIN OF $400, BUT ONCE HE OPENS THE TRANNY UP HE MAY ADVISE ME TO REBUILD THE THING (ANOTHER $4-$5K). LEXUS EITHER BELIEVES IN SAFETY, IN WHICH CASE THEY SHOULD FESS UP TO POOR ENGINEERING AND FIX THEIR MISTAKE, OR THEY DON'T! DEATHS/INJURIES:? = NOT YET. *TR