2000 LEXUS RX300 Power Train Problems

TRANSMISSION FAILED DUE TO BAD DESIGN. MANY OTHERS HAVE SAME FAILURES. NEED RECALL.

TRANSMISSION BEGAN NOT SHIFTING SMOOTHLY AND MECHANIC PUT IN TRANSMISSION FLUID BUT COULD NOT LOCATE ANY ISSUES WITH IT. TRANMISSION SOON WENT COMPLETELY OUT AT 88,000 MILES WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. ONLY OWNED SUV FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. HAD INSPECTED BEFORE PURCHASE AND NO PROBLEMS NOTED. VERY DISAPPOINTED AND WILL NOT PAY SEVERAL GRAND TO BUY ANOTHER TRANSMISSION WHICH IS MORE THAN THE VALUE OF THE CAR. LEXUS SHOULD BE ASHAMED. JUST FOUND OUT HOW TO REPORT THIS HERE.

AT APPROXIMATELY 150,000 MY LEXUS RX 300 SEIZED AFTER PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT. I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT MOVE/TURNOVER. OBVIOUSLY, HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED AND THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I PURCHASED A REBUILT TRANSMISSION TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $4,000. THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS MODEL OF LEXUS REPEATEDLY HAVING THE TRANSMISSION FAIL. I'M WONDERING WHY THE NHTSA DOES NOT ISSUE A RECALL AT THIS POINT - AT LEAST INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE., SO THOSE WHO OWN THESE VEHICLES CAN RECOUP SOME OF THE COST FOR THE FAILURES OF THIS TRANSMISSION.

BAD TRANSMISSION

MY 2000 LEXUS RX300 HAD AN UNEXPLAINED SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHERE THE VEHICLE ALMOST KILLED ME AND MY SON. I WAS DRIVING RESIDENTIAL BACKROADS BY MY HOUSE, ACCELERATED SLIGHTLY TO GET UP A HILL AND THAT'S WHEN IT TOOK OFF. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS UNRESPONSIVE, THE EMERGENCY BREAK WAS UNRESPONSIVE, I PULLED THE FLOOR MAT OUT FOR GOOD MEASURE, NOTHING WORKED, IT KEPT ACCELERATING AT A HIGH RATE UNTIL I FINALLY SLAMMED IT THROUGH GEARS TO "PARK" TO GET IT TO A STOP. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP, WHERE THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER EVEN TOLD ME WHEN IT STARTED THE CAR TO GET IT UP ON THE TRUCK, AFTER BEING TURNED OFF FOR OVER 12 HOURS, IT WAS STILL RED LINING THE ENGINE, AND EVEN LURCHED FORWARD BUT BECAUSE THE CAR WAS IN PARK, IT DIDN'T CRASH INTO THE BACK OF THE TOW TRUCK. LEXUS INVESTIGATED THE...

THE TRANSMISSION ON MY RX300 JUST GAVE OUT. IT WAS REGULARLY MAINTAINED - THE FLUID LEVELS WERE CHECKED AND HAD A MAJOR OVERHAUL ON IT BEFORE I GAVE IT TO MY DAUGHTER WHO GOES TO SCHOOL IN HOUSTON, WHERE THE INCIDENT HAPPENED. SHE ONLY USES IT FOR LOCAL COMMUTE - NOT LONG DISTANCE DRIVING. THE INTENT WAS TO GIVE HER A DEPENDABLE VEHICLE! IT I HAVE ABOUT 149000 MILES ON IT. THE REPLACEMENT COST IS ENORMOUS - MORE THAN THE VEHICLE IS WORTH. I DEMAND BETTER QUALITY FOR A LUXURY VEHICLE. OBVIOUSLY IT IS A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. I NOW SEE NUMEROUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS REPORTED ON THIS VEHICLE. WHY ARE WE ALLOWING SUCH LEMONS ON OUR STREETS!

WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON THE HIGHWAY IT STARTED SLIPPING IT WAS GETTING OUT GEAR NOW IT MOVES ON LOW GEAR NO DRIVE REVERSE OR 2ND ONLY LOW GEAR

TOLD BEFORE PURCHASING THAT TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT. NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY. I WAS TOLD IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE POWER TRAIN. I ALSO AM NOT VISIBLE TO MOST DRIVERS IN THE WE MORNING DUSK DARK HOURS OF THE DAYS DUE TO LIGHTING. PULLED OVER BY LAW ENFORCEMENT A FEW TIMES IN REGARDS TO THE LIGHTS. ONE OWNER BEFORE ME AND DID NOT GET ANY RECALLS DONE. I CALLED LEXUS @ GRAPEVINE TX AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON MY TRUCK. THERE H E BEEN AND THEY NEED TO BE DONE ASAP. I HAVE A DISABLED CHILD AND CAN NOT JEOPARDIZE THE SAFETY OF MY CHILD. I NEED HELP GETTING THIS MATTER TAKEN CARE OF ASAP. THANK YOU!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 LEXUS RX300. WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE GEAR SHIFT FAILED TO REVERSE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE WAS PERSISTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 190,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

MY TRANSMISSION FAILED 5 YRS AGO WAS NOT TOLD WHY. THEY REPLACED IT BUT I HAD TO PAY FOR LABOR. THEY PUT IN NEW PARTS EXCEPT FOR REMANUFACTURED CASING. NOW DECEMBER 2015 WITH ONLY 24,000 MILES ON IT SINCE I AM RETIRED, FAILED TO GO IN REVERSE OR GO INTO SECOND GEAR. HAVE NOTICED ONLINE ALOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSIONS OF LEXUS VEHICLES. NOW I AM TOLD BY LEXUS SPEACIALIST (800-255-3987) THEY ONLY WANT TO PAY FOR HALF OF PARTS AND WAS TOLD IT JUST FAILED WE DON'T KNOW WHY AND THEY REFUSE TO INVESTIGATE AGAIN UNLESS I WANT TO PAY FOR LABOR. IT SEEMS FROM ONLINE COMPLAINTS THAT THEY ARE MAKING OWNERS PAY FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND OR REPLACEMENTS & LABOR. I HAVE NEVER FELT MORE UNSAFE IN A CAR WHEN MY VEHICLE WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO GEAR WHILE DRIVING ON A ROAD WITH 55MPH SPEED LIMIT WHILE...

SHIFTER LEVER MOVES FREELY (AND LOOSELY) BUT DOESN'T SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION INTO ANY GEAR. THIS HAPPENED IN A PUBLIX PARKING LOT AFTER BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AND ATTEMPTING TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE. AAA WAS CALLED AND THE RX300 HAD TO BE LOADED ONTO A FLAT BED AND BROUGHT TO A SERVICE CENTER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 LEXUS RX300. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING REGULAR MAINTENANCE, THE MECHANIC NOTICED METAL SHAVING IN THE TRANSMISSION PAN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.

TRANSMISSION STOP WORKING WHEN I WAS DRIVING AT 40 MILES FOR HOUR NO DRIVE OR REVERSE, I TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND ON AGAIN , WORK FOR FEW MILES AND HAD SAME PROBLEM . I CALL A TOW TRUCK. I TRY AGAIN AT HOME AND NOW TRANSMISSION DOESN'T WORK AND I SEE SMOKE FROM THE TRANSMISSION DIPSTICK COMING OUT. I CHECK ONLINE AND MANY PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE LEXUS RX 300. *TR

TRANSMISSION IS BAD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 LEXUS RX300. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED, BUT FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,369. UPDATED 10/22/2014*LJ UPDATED 05/19/2015 *JS

WITH LITTLE/NO WARNING, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (2WD) FAILED. ALL GEARS (P,R,N,D,2,1) WORKED LIKE NEUTRAL GEAR. IF THIS WOULD'VE OCCURRED A FEW MINUTES EARLIER, MY CHILDREN AND I (LOCATED AT A SHARP TURN OVER A STEEP HILL) COULD'VE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. APPARENTLY, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN LEXUS RX300'S FROM YEAR 1999-2002. HOW MANY EARLY TRANSMISSION FAILURES DOES IT TAKE TO HAVE A RECALL? *TR

AFTER FIRST HAVING TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION AT 75,000 MILES. IT SEEMS I WILL HAVE TO PAY TO DO IT AGAIN AT 186,000. THE PROBLEM STARTED OUT WITH THE VEHICLE HAVING TROUBLE CLIMBING A HILL. I CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION OIL AND TWO WEEKS LATER THE VEHICLE MOVE ABOUT THREE FEET FROM A PARKING STALL MADE A LOUD NOISE JERKED TO A STOP AND WOULD NOT MOVE. I WAS ABLE TO PUT IT INTO DRIVE AND REPARK THE CAR. IT WILL NOT REVERSE AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO A MECHANIC. *TR

ON 11/03/12 I PUT THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER INTO REVERSE AND BACKED OUT OF A DRIVEWAY INTO THE STREET. I THEN MOVED THE SHIFTER FROM "R", PAST "N" INTO "D" TO MOVE FORWARD, BUT THERE WAS NO ENGAGEMENT INTO ANY GEAR. THE SHIFTER JUST MOVED FORWARDS AND BACKWARDS WITH NO RESISTANCE. THERE WAS PREVIOUS NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEM. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. I DIDN'T WANT TO BE HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE, SO I GOT OUT OF THE LEXUS AND PUSHED IT BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. ON 11/5/13 I DISASSEMBLED THE DASH AND SHIFTING CONSOLE AND FOUND THAT THE SHIFT CABLE WAS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO THE SHIFTING LEVER. THERE WERE PIECES OF SOME KIND OF PLASTIC RETAINER BROKEN AROUND THE CABLE TERMINATION "LOOP" AND LYING ON THE FLOOR. I STILL HAVE THE BROKEN PARTS. ON 11/5/12 I CALLED LEXUS CORPORATE OFFICE AT 800-255-3987. I...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 LEXUS RX300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ONLY GEAR THAT WOULD ENGAGE WAS DRIVE. ALTHOUGH THE CONTACT COULD SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR, THE GEARS WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT APPROXIMATELY FOUR PISTONS MISFIRED AND THE 02 SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILD AND THE O2 SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 128,700. *TR

TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT INTO THE LAST GEAR. *JS

I SERVICED MY LEXUS THROUGHOUT IT'S LIFE. NOW THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY LOCKED UP. AFTER CHECKING TO SEE IF THIS WAS A DESIGN FLAW AND IF ANYONE ELSE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, I FOUND OUT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR FACILITY THEY TOO TOLD ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FLAWED IN ITS ENGINEERING DESIGN AND THAT NO OIL WAS ABLE TO REACH THE VITAL COMPONENTS AND THAT OVER TIME THEY DRIED OUT AND BECAME BRITTLE. I THINK THE NHTSA SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS AND MAKE LEXUS CORP. COMPENSATE PEOPLE WHO "GOT HAD" BY LEXUS....THIS $45K CAR SHOULDN'T HAVE THIS HAPPEN WITH THIS LOW MILEAGE. *TR

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...

PREMATURE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. PURCHASED USED WITH 85,000 MILES. TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED AT SUGGESTED INTERVALS. CAR WILL NOT MOVE IN ANY TRANSMISSION SELECTOR POSITION. AFTER RESEARCH, FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL LEXUS. *KB

2008 TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 100,600, REPLACED AND AGAIN FAILED IN 2011 AT 131,000, FAILED AT 134,000, NOW BEING TOLD THE ECM COMPUTER IS CAUSING THE HARD SHIFTING AT 2ND TO 3RD UPSHIFT. WAS TOLD THE SAME TRANNY IS IN THE RECALLED RAV4. *TR

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...

WITH NO WARNING SIGNS AT ALL THE TRANSMISSION ON MY LEXUS RX300 HAS FAILED. THE CAR NEVER PREVIOUSLY FAILED TO ENGAGE IN ANY GEAR, HOWEVER, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR DECREASED IN SPEED AND WOULD NOT SWITCH GEARS TO ACCELERATE. WE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, AND THE CAR WOULD NO LONGER MOVE. LUCKILY WE HAD MADE THE RARE CHOICE OF NOT DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY THAT PARTICULAR NIGHT. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID HAD BEEN CHECKED 3 WEEKS EARLIER, AND THE CAR HAS HAD REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND OIL CHANGES. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH I AM FINDING HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL OF LEXUS, AND EVIDENCE THAT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THIS TRANSMISSION SET UP. FOR THE PRICE OF THESE CARS I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL. THERE IS NO REASON WHY A TRANSMISSON SHOULD FAIL AT 126,000 MILES ON THIS CAR. WE HAVE...

I PURCHASED A VEHICLE AT BOND AUTO SALES ON 12/24/2010. AFTER A FEW DAYS, I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO LET THEM KNOW THAT TRUCK WAS NOT RUNNING CORRECTLY. IT WAS RUNNING IN 3RD GEAR IDLING HIGH. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO, I CALLED BACK A FEW DAYS LATER, THE CAR WOULD TURN OFF , IT WAS ALSO EATING UP OIL, I WAS TOLD TO BRING IN THE TRUCK SO THAT THEIR MECHANIC COULD LOOK AT IT, AND HE TEST DROVE THE TRUCK AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. THE SALESMAN SAID THAT HE WOULD SPEAK TO HIS MANAGER AND NOT TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC. THEY TOOK MY PHONE NUMBER AND MY HUSBANDS PHONE NUMBER, WE NEVER GOT A CALL BACK. MY HUSBAND AND I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SPOKE TO THE MANAGER DIRECTLY. I ASKED IF THEY COULD LOOK AT...