NHTSA Complaint #10423732 — 2000 LEXUS RX300

WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE (LEXUS RX300 4WD) ON 11/29/2002 WITH 27,080 MILES ON IT FROM LOCAL LEXUS DEALER. IT IS MY WIFE'S PRIMARY VEHICLE AND SHE DRIVES IT TO WORK DAILY (ABOUT 20 MILES PER DAY). AT 111,000 MILES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTING ERRATICALLY IE. DOWN SHIFTING SUDDENLY WHEN IT SHOULDN'T AND SLIPPING GEARS. IT ALSO MAKES A STRANGE CONSTANT NOISE. IT HAD BEEN MORE AND MORE SHIFTING THIS WAY OFF AND ON FOR 2 OR 3 MONTHS. I TOOK IT TO LEXUS DEALER ON 8/24/2011 BECAUSE OF CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE SERVICE CONSULTANT STATED IT NEEDS NEW TRANSMISSION (THIS WAS SAID IN THE SAME TONE OF "YOU NEED A NEW AIR FILTER") AND THEY WOULD REPLACE IT FOR $5,208.80. WHEN I ASKED SERVICE CONSULTANT IF THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM HE STATED THAT IT WAS NOT. HE SAID MY TRANSMISSION COULD TOTALLY FAIL ANT ANY TIME EVEN WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE. THE OPERATORS MANUAL STATES "IT IS NECESSARY TO CHANGE TRANSMISSION FLUID ONLY IF YOUR VEHICLE IS DRIVEN UNDER SPECIAL OPERATING CONDITIONS" WHICH WE DON'T. I CHECKED EDMUNDS AND BLOGS ON LINE AND THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS OVER THIS ISSUE AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED BECAUSE I DON'T WANT MY WIFE TO GET IN AN ACCIDENT ON THE INTERSTATE AND SO IT JUST SETS IN MY GARAGE.