NHTSA Complaint #10350455 — 2001 LEXUS RX300

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2001 LEXUS RX300 FAILED WITH A LITTLE OVER 108K MILES. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I HAD TROUBLE GETTING IT IN REVERSE 2 DAYS BEFORE - THOUGHT IT WAS A FLUKE. THEN I HAD TROUBLE STARTING IT FOR 2 DAYS. ON 8/16 IT STARTED FINE, SO I DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. TWICE ON THE WAY THERE, IT JERKED & HESITATED WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP - I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED. I AM THE 2ND OWNER - I BOUGHT IT IN 2003 WITH 41,462 MILES ON IT. IT WAS LEXUS CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED. THE CAR FAX REPORT NOTED THE ORIGINAL OWNER REGISTERED IT AS PRIVATE/PERSONAL USE & NO ISSUES WERE NOTED. I HAVE HAD ALL SERVICE DONE BY THE DEALER, EXCEPT THE LAST OIL CHANGE. I'VE ONLY DRIVEN ABOUT 9K MILES PER YEAR, DRIVE IT RESPONSIBLY & HAVE NEVER TOWED WITH IT. VERY FRIGHTENING THAT I HAD FEW SYMPTOMS, AND NO WARNING LIGHT TO ALERT ME THERE WAS A PROBLEM. LEXUS DEALER WANTS $4,300 TO REPLACE IT WITH A LEXUS REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION. I HAVE NOT DECIDED WHAT TO DO. I'M SEEING LOTS OF INFORMATION ONLINE ABOUT HOW BAD THESE TRANSMISSIONS ARE, AND THEY OFTEN NEED REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES. SCARES ME TO KNOW I COULD REPLACE IT, HAVE IT FAIL & PERHAPS BE IN AN ACCIDENT. I AM A REALTOR & FRIGHTENING THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT WITH CLIENTS IN MY VEHICLE. MY EXPECTATIONS OF LEXUS QUALITY & SAFETY HAVE NOT BEEN MET. *TR