Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 00504 | 08/26/2004 | 10009396 | Proper identification of the 5 solenoids used in the u140e/u140f transmissions. *tt | 09/29/2004 | |
| TC00100 | 10/20/2000 | 618462 | Information on automatic transmission fluid leak. *tt | 04/13/2001 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 04/30/2012 | 138000 | ||
| Transmission will not shift into the last gear. | |||
| 12/19/2011 | 101000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 10/05/2011 | 143730 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 08/24/2011 | 111000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 10/05/2011 | 143730 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 08/24/2011 | 111000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 10/05/2011 | 143730 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 08/24/2011 | 111000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 10/05/2011 | 143730 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 07/14/2008 | 100000 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 08/24/2011 | 111012 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 04/13/2011 | 126000 | ||
| 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 been told that the repair cost could be between $3500-$5000. this is not the quality that i expected with the purchase of this car. we have had to replace the oxygen sensors, the mass air flow sensors the vvt valves and oil pan, and now we are faced with the great expense of replacing a very expensive transmission that should still work. i am very disappointed, and while i have promoted the purchase of lexus cars to my friends and family members, and vowed to purchase again, i am not certain that i want to spend very hard earned money on the dream of quality that doesn't exist. | |||
| 01/20/2011 | 159120 | ||
| 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 the truck because i felt the problem was getting worst and it may be the transmission, they decided to take a look at the car. the manager called me to tell me that the transmission was bad, it would cost $1500.00 to repair. he wanted me to bring in $500.00 that same day, and i had not even had the car for 30 days. i asked if they could put me into another car because i really did not have the money. i gave them $4000.00 cash, when i initiated this deal, i did not have $500.00. they refused to work with me at all, i had my first car payment due january 29, 2011, and had no guarantees that the truck would be alright. the only choice that i had was to voluntarily give the car back, which i did, the same day january 20, 2011. i asked for something with the company letter head stating that i had returned the truck, and they refused. all i got was a small receipt with their logo, my info, date and it does say voluntary return 01/20/2011. i keep getting bills saying that my car pyt. is late, even though they have the truck. now they are going to report to the credit as a repo, and that is not fair to me. i gave the car back 1/20/11 | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 06/11/2011 | 103500 | ||
| Full transmission failure without any advance symptoms at 103,500 miles. vehicle regularily serviced, including 90k complete service at dealer. | |||
| 03/18/2011 | 98000 | ||
| This letter is a follow up to a claim i made regarding my 2000 lexus rx300 and its impending transmission issues. i had requested from lexus some good faith compensation for the replacement of my transmission due to the extenuating nature of the issues surround transmission in rx300 in the model year 1999, 2000 and 2001. soon after i purchased the car i found interesting posting at edumnds.com on the more than average failure of the transmissions. at that time i purchased an extended warranty, since i figured that it was not if the transmission failed but when. true to form and right on schedule the transmission failed at 98,000 miles. i was denied any compensation on my issue and was told that lexus had no knowledge of the problem. background. over 109 complaints have been filed with the national highway safety administration for 1999 rx300s, 108 for model year 2000 (mine) and over 100 for 2001. over 56 pages on edumnds.com contain complaints on this issue. yet i was told by the customer service representative at lexus of america that he in fact knew of no issues regarding transmissions in these vehicles. either he was very na | |||
| 02/09/2009 | 56825 | ||
| Own a lexus 2000 rx300, transmission failed while driving at highway speed, would not move in any gear. the vehicle only had 56,825 miles. contacted a lexus dealer and no help was offered, said it would cost $6000 for the repairs.i made a formal request from lexus usa for help but they declined any responsibility. i was 1600 miles from home so i had an independent transmission shop make the repairs.lexus is in fact aware of the problems with the rx 300 transmissions, but refuses to take responsibility for their defective design transmission. i would like to know of any class action suit for this problem. i know they have redesigned the transmission on later models to correct the problem! | |||
| 05/06/2009 | 130000 | ||
| Bought 2000 lexus rx300 in january 2008. by may 2009 replacing transmission around130,000miles . 1st it stared like it was hesitating.by mid day on the interstate during 65/hr, the transmission went out . had to pullover to the side of the road 30mile/hr at 4000 rpm. transmission was replaced .drove it home 1 week later same thing.took back to mr transmission said it was nothing wrong with transmission. sensors oxygen replaced stop for a little bit. noticed on and off transmission would slip. transmission out again along with car idling high and making a popping noise.i guess nothing (recall) will not happen because no one died that seems to be how it works or if it something minor like ummm a light | |||
| 02/01/2011 | 159015 | 1 | 10/11/1999 |
| 2000 rx300 lexus. consumer writes in regards to transmission problems *tgw the consumer stated the vehicle would not shift into gear. the repair shop found metal in the transmission fluid. the consumer was advised the transmission was beyond repair and a rebuilt transmission was installed. *jb | |||
| 12/03/2010 | 129631 | ||
| Erratic shifting, transmission slippage, jerking vehicle, just missed a vehicle crash. this occurred one time without any notice or check engine light indication. complete transmission failure, unable to move the vehicle. transmission is being rebuilt by an independent transmission specialist. planetary gears, solenoid, clutches, and other numerous parts | |||
| 09/30/2010 | 109715 | ||
| Lexus rx300 4-w-drive [jt6hf10u2y0124915] with 109,715 miles experienced a transaxle failure. transaxle had been flushed at 30,000, 60,000 and 90,000 miles. repair bill was $5233.16 and the reman part was 3552.23 of the total price. this premature failure is accompanied by many premature failures as revealed in the internet talk forums and appears to be a design problem. lexus offered $750 compensation. i question the aluminum gears and revolutions allowed during shift as possible design flaws. | |||
| 09/07/2010 | 125000 | ||
| Transmission had to be replaced @ 125,000 miles & still does not shift correctly... aamco santa cruz california will not warranty it stating the problem is not the transmission it is the computer which has to be replaced even though toyota of sc did diagnostic and stated nothing wrong w/ computer in vehicle - aamco has had vehicle aprox 2 months | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| 2000 lexus rx300. consumer states problem with transmission *tgw the consumer stated the wheels seized. *jb | |||
| 09/16/2010 | 127000 | ||
| I have 2 lexus rx 300. one of the lexus which has 127000 miles suddenly it wont go in reverse and then after few tries and pumping gas it went in reverse. it is right now with lexus dealer and they said they couldnt find anything, but are investigating. reading thru the web lots of people have similar problem. i hope transmission problem does not happen while driving the car and wont cause serious accidents. my wife and kids ride these vehicles. i would like to find out any steps have been taken by nhtsa so far in this matter. | |||
| 09/02/2010 | 96600 | ||
| 2000 lexus rx300 with 96,600k miles. transmission failed and locked car up in busy intersection. new incident, and a repair will cost $5, 000 or more | |||
| 08/19/2010 | 84831 | ||
| Automatic transmission failure at 84,000 miles. lexus was purchased new and has received all dealer's recommended service at same dealership except the last few, which were performed at another lexus dealership. dealer wants $4,700 to replace transmission with rebuilt transmission. | |||
| 06/04/2010 | 82000 | ||
| 2000 lexus rx 300 with 82k miles has broken transmission. the car has been well maintained and driven by my wife and the trans went out last fri when she was leaving the parking lot. | |||
| 06/03/2010 | 121000 | ||
| 2000 rx300 transmission failure at approximately 121,000 miles ... dealer does not do rebuilds, so quoted for $4100 a new one without any detailed information on what exactly was wrong with it. had it towed to reputable specialist, and was told a rebuild would cost more than a re-manufacture ... $3600 + tax for 12 month warrenty. got it done, brought it home the 1st day and is leaking transmission fluid so need to bring back for a possible fix or swap. not happy. no other mechanical issues with the car for the 7 years we've owned it. | |||
| 04/02/2010 | 93000 | 1 | |
| Lexus rx 300: automatic transmission complaint. my 2000 lexus rx 300 is having transmission issues. sometimes it will not shift into overdrive. i'm a mother of three and use the car primarily to transport children and the family dog to various places--i.e. to school, sporting events, carpooling as well as running various household errands and other family related activities. i have maintained the automobile regularly, do not drive abusively, and have not wrecked the automobile. i understand that many other 1999 & 2000 rx300 owners have experienced similar (or worse) automatic transmission problems. please investigate the lexus rx300 1999 and 2000 models to determine if this is a widespread flaw and worthy of a recall. thank you. *tr | |||
| 05/05/2007 | 9600 | ||
| Rx300 transmission went out at 96,00 miles. then 6 months later, the motor needed work. this is not a quality car as i was led to believe. it has cost too much out of pocket money when the warranty was not honored by houston northside lexus. | |||
| 02/24/2010 | 92000 | ||
| Automatic transmission failure at 92k miles. while driving at 35mph hearding a clunk noise and then chattering from the engine area. was able to get safely to the side of the road. vehicle lost forward and reverse and was towed to the repair shop. new transmission cost $3500. | |||
| 03/15/2010 | 110000 | ||
| While driving on highway, lost all forward motion. sudden, unexpected transmission failure resulting in car becomming road hazard. replaced transmission. yet another of the hundreds of sudden transmission failures of the lexus rx300. | |||
| 03/18/2010 | 220000 | ||
| Transmission failure | |||
| 03/04/2010 | 104347 | 1 | |
| I purchased a 2000 lexus rx 300 7 years ago from the original owner. last week the transmission died with only 104,000 miles. it is disturbing to me that when i took it to the transmission repair facility they 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. they also said that the transmission ate itself up. there were massive amounts of metal shavings and the transmission literally imploded. why i think this is worthy of complaint is that we have always owned toyota vehicles...many and we take meticulous care of our cars. the transmission was serviced on a regular basis and the fluid was pristine. after researching online i found that there are hundreds of complaints about the same year vehicle and transmissions crashing even at much lower mileage. it cost us almost $3800 to have the transmission rebuilt and i would like to know if this is something that has been addressed previously by nhtsa? *tr | |||
| 02/01/2010 | 100000 | 1 | |
| Transmission gone at 100k *cn | |||
| 01/20/2010 | 120000 | 1 | |
| 2000 rx 300 transmission failure at 120k mile *cn | |||
| 12/18/2009 | 182000 | 1 | |
| 9/2009 - engine failed. vehicle initially performed normally, but engine seized during interstate driving. professional inspection determined cause of failure was sludge build up. vehicle out of initial warranty. extension based upon consumer complaints expired 4/2009. new engine installed at my expense. 12/2009 - transmission failed. vehicle initially performed normally, but suddenly began to lurch when placed into gear after gasoline fill up. professional inspection determined transmission failure. new transmission installed at my expense. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2009 | 92211 | 1 | |
| Bought my 2002 lexus rx300 brand new with regular maintenance done on scheduled. after a few weeks of slow/slippage shifting the transmission failed and had it service/rebuilt by my local mechanic. i found out on an internet lexus club forum that the transmission is a common problem on the early generation lexus rx300 (year 1999-2001) and i am unfortunately over the power train warranty so i took it to my local mechanic to be serviced. i paid $3800+ to have to repaired - what recourse do i have for buying a supposed to be reliable car? thankfully it was not on a highway when the transmission failed but rather on the off ramp of the highway. *tr | |||
| 11/02/2009 | 156000 | 1 | |
| My 2000 lexus rx300 transmission failed and the lexus dealer cost $4,500 fix it. my car was there couple month ago for regular maintenance, they said every thing ok, it had the oil change last week. they said this is the transmission part problem even it had the transmission oil change regularly. *tr | |||
| 10/29/2009 | 92731 | 1 | |
| Lexus 2000 rx300 transmission failure. *tr | |||
| 08/21/2009 | 124000 | 1 | |
| Dear sir: i am one of those rx300 2000 lexus owners. i have been faithfully taken my lexus to the lexus dealer for every oil change and problem. i recently took my 2000 lexus with 124,000 miles to lexus for my regular oil change.. charging me but failure to tell me that my transmission is having problems. i paid for my service but.... i am out the money plus lexus would like me to pay $4,600 for a new transmission. omg... i think looking at all the problems with transmission lexus should help defray the costs............... thanks *tr | |||
| 08/13/2009 | 1 | ||
| Ignition stuck in acc position. turned off car normally when i tried to start it i was unable to because the ignition was in the acc position instead of the off position. to correct the problem i had to tow my car home and order a new ignition tumbler, and then have it replaced. *tr | |||
| 08/13/2009 | 75360 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 lexus rx300. the contact stated that the transmission was replaced in 2008. he recently heard a noise coming from the engine and the rpms displayed inaccurate readings. while idling at a traffic light, the vehicle failed to accelerate. the contact was able to shift into a low gear and moved the vehicle to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 75,360. | |||
| 05/12/2009 | 120000 | 1 | |
| 2000 awd lexus rx 300.....i love my car , bought it used at 44,000k, 2002 and it has been good except for the transmission, now at 120,000 and everyone ,dealer and local independents want $4200-$4500, says it is the 'planetary gears' it wasn't throwing a checking engine light,nor a code just ever so often it wouldn't go in reverse. one day going down the road it just quits going. i had taken it in to a local toyota/lexus repair shop many times saying it was changing gears right, and dealer, and they had put the tester on it several times, replaced 02sensors , but all along said it wasn't the transmission, it was! this car has been driven but it has been taken care of as well. i feel if it is a lexus' a toyota gets 300-500,000 on a transmission shouldn't a lexus do even better? *tr | |||
| 06/05/2009 | 97500 | 1 | |
| Transmission failure in lexus rx300. *tr | |||
| 05/20/2009 | 101000 | 1 | |
| Transmission completely failed at 101,000. complete maintenance records available. *tr | |||
| 03/20/2009 | 120000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 lexus rx300. the contact stated that the gear set in the front pump shuts down the transmission of her vehicle. the failure renders the vehicle immobile and does not lubricate the transmission properly. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic, who will replace the transmission. the manufacturer and dealer were not notified because the repair cost would be too expensive. the failure mileage was 120,000. | |||
| 11/09/2008 | 1 | ||
| Transmission has completely failed at approx 121,000 miles. *tr | |||
| 04/29/2009 | 86700 | 1 | |
| After leaving highway transmission failed and front wheels locked. will not move in any gear. *tr | |||
| 04/27/2009 | 103000 | 1 | |
| After owning and properly maintaining my 2000 lexus rx300 for many years it the transmission totally locked up on me and my 2 toddlers in the middle of rush hour traffic. it was then flat bedded to a mechanic and i am currently being quoted several thousands of dollars to have the transmission rebuilt. *tr | |||
| 03/03/2009 | 95243 | 1 | |
| Transmission would not shift, would shift when it shouldn't have, when put in gear would do nothing then unexpectedly lurch forward or backward depending on gear selection. lexus dealer replaced transaxle assembly. *tr | |||
| 04/07/2009 | 89000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2000 model lexus rx 300 which was been having all services on time at lexus dealer and at 89k mile my transmission has been broken. i have learned that this a common encountered problem by may rx 300 owner and seems possible related to faulty manufacturing. i have contacted lexus for replacement, however there seems to be a need for a recall on this matter. *tr | |||
| 02/11/2009 | 75000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 lexus rx300. the contact heard a screeching sound that occurred intermittently when the vehicle was started. the sound would cease several minutes later. the contact believed that the transmission was the cause for the noise. she also noticed that the outer casing for the headlights turned a milky white color, which hinders effective lighting. the vehicle had not been diagnosed and the manufacturer was not notified. the current mileage was approximately 76,900 and failure mileage was approximately 75,000. | |||
| 03/27/2009 | 75628 | 1 | |
| 2000 rx 300 started having a whining noise when first started to go up hills when cold. transmission then started to slip on way over mountains. i was able to drive to town at slow speed before transmission failed. *tr | |||
| 03/28/2009 | 135600 | 1 | |
| My 2000 lexus rx300 started having gear slipping problems 3 days ago. today, the transmission won't go into any gear reverse or forward. after doing research online, it appears that hundred of people have experienced sudden transmission failure on lexus rx models. obviously, both your organization and lexus know of this problem and yet nothing is done about recalling this model with the problem. *tr | |||
| 03/19/2009 | 77000 | 1 | |
| My transmission just went out on my 2000 rx 300 with 77k. i have felt it slip several times in the last two yrs as i tried to put it in reverse. now it just left me stranded on the road, fortunately close to my home. i have not had the repair fixed yet as i am not sure if i should go to an independent shop or to the lexus dealership. *tr | |||
| 03/13/2009 | 100000 | 1 | |
| Failed transmission under 100,000 miles. have spoken to many others with the same vehicle, year, etc with the same problem. *tr | |||
| 02/14/2007 | 70430 | 1 | |
| Transmission started slipping on my 200 lexus rx 300 at 70k miles transmission failure replaced with a rebuilt transmission. *tr | |||
| 02/22/2009 | 140000 | 1 | |
| Transmission gone on my 2000 lexus vehicle, rx300 model. there seems to be a need for a recall as many other owners have experienced this same problem. there was never any indication of problems with transmission and car has been kept up properly. *tr | |||
| 02/14/2000 | 136000 | 1 | |
| Lexus rx 300 driving 65 mph when transmission suddenly popped into 1st gear and would not up shift. limped the car home and have not had a chance to contact dealer. it appears many owners are having this similar problem. i am surprised there has not been a recall on this transmission. *tr | |||
| 02/06/2009 | 100000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 lexus rx300. while driving 47 mph, the contact heard a noise and then felt a jolt in the transmission. the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road. the engine was still running, but the vehicle would not move. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop. the dealer stated that the repair would cost $4,000. the failure mileage was 100,000. | |||
| 02/01/2009 | 95000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2000 rx300 that broke down as i was accelerating to enter the freeway coming back from a trip 2 hours north of home. was eventually able to go about 25mph back to family's house. aaa towed it then to a mechanic. he took the pan off and said there was a lot of metal. in researching this there are several forums with similar complaints on the rx300. nothing has been done at this point. we're not sure if we can spend $5000 to repair this car that we thought had such great reliability. *tr | |||
| 02/02/2009 | 114283 | 1 | |
| The transmission failed in my 2000 lexus rs-300. *tr | |||
| 01/04/2009 | 120789 | 1 | |
| Was driving down the interstate with my son in the seat. the car stopped going. almost got smashed by an 18 wheeler. got it towed home and found out i need a new transmission! *tr | |||
| 12/23/2008 | 120000 | 1 | |
| The transsmision on my luxus rx 300 failed with 120,000 miles. luxus wanted to pay 25 % of the bill.($4300). i told them tha t a luxus car should not fail with that low mileage. *tr | |||
| 12/23/2008 | 174000 | 1 | |
| I have a well kept 2000 rx300 - transmission went completely out. it was on the interstate heading out of town for christmas. it is a one owner car. what recourse do i have. i paid $4000+ to get it replaced. not including towing 150 miles and rental car. *tr | |||
| 01/14/2009 | 124000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2000 lexus rx300 with 124,000 miles on it. the transmission has failed in the car after normal driving conditions. the maintenance manual does not indicate to change the transmission oil in the car, only to check it. i have been on numerous lexus internet sites which have stated the same problem has occurred to them with the same model and year lexus. *tr | |||
| 01/04/2008 | 1 | ||
| Well taken care of lexus rx 300 transmission failure twice. used transmission installed in 2004 after first failure. special attention was given such as never shifting gears quickly when backing up and to put into drive. transmission will be replaced... again. the used transmission helps to prove transmission failure is inevitable. *tr | |||
| 11/08/2008 | 100000 | 1 | |
| Well taken care of 2000 lexus rx300 has failed transmission. could have caused accident as went out on busy road with no notice. 100k predominantly highway miles. very well cared for, one owner vehicle. new transmission cost equals $4000 per dealer call. a transmission should not go out on a well cared for, highway driven vehicle. would love to have shared a picture of my gmc yukon pulling my wife's lexus to the toyota dealership this morning. awful reliability for what the price of this car originally cost. the lexus was purchased for perceived reliability. i guess perception is not reality. buyer beware on lexus high priced garbage! *tr | |||
| 06/01/2008 | 110000 | 1 | |
| Transmission failed at approximately 110,000 miles on 2000 rx-200. ran fine until it started making a grinding noise. the transmission had to be completely replaced (including the case). cost $4500.00. *tr | |||
| 12/02/2008 | 93000 | 1 | |
| My 2000 lexus rx300 transmission failed on the highway. the car has only 93,000 miles the transmission had to be replaced yesterday. this is the 2nd transmission replacement on this vehicle. the first transmission failed at approx. 55,000 miles and was replaced under the warranty. this transmission replacement i paid $1,700 for the labor and dealer gave me the part. *tr | |||
| 11/25/2008 | 106000 | 1 | |
| The transmission failed on my 2000 lexus rx 300 after less than 9 years and 106,000 miles. looking online i see that this is a serious problem with this make and model year. lexus is replacing the transmission at a cost of $4000. *tr | |||
| 11/12/2008 | 78000 | 1 | |
| Bought this 2000 rx 300 5 months ago transmission is burned out approximate cost is $5,000.00. *tr | |||
| 10/15/2008 | 98000 | 1 | |
| Luxury 2000 lexus rx300 transmission failed at 100k miles, cost $4k-$5k for the repairs. *tr | |||
| 09/17/2008 | 115000 | 1 | |
| Bad lexus rx300 transmission. *tr | |||
| 09/09/2008 | 165000 | 1 | |
| Bought the car used at 145,000 mi. noticed the car was not shifting into overdrive at about 160,000 mis. took car the toyota dealer for repair. after $200 of diagnostics and 3 days they determined the transmission was bad. the car will sometimes go into overdrive and sometime it will not causing the engine to rev to 4000 to 5000 rpm at highway speeds. this is unacceptable performance. i have read how transmission problems on these cars can cause unsafe driving conditions and now i don't know whether i can trust the safety of drivers and passengers in this car on the highway. *tr | |||
| 08/20/2008 | 104000 | 1 | |
| 2000 lexus rx300 transmission failed at 104,000 miles. cost to replace, including labor is $3,976.00. *tr | |||
| 01/15/2006 | 135000 | 1 | |
| The transmission on my 2000 lexus rx300 went out around 135,000 miles; the transmission was rebuilt in april 2006 and recently went out again around february of 2008. i was recently informed that i needed to replace this transmission again. this is a real sad situation that a luxury car does not last longer than 10 years. i writing because i need some help and or direction in getting this problem solved. i cannot continue to replace a transmission every year. thanks in advance. *tr | |||
| 05/12/2008 | 85600 | 1 | |
| I was driving my vehicle to work and suddenly the transmission will not move the vehicle. i tried shifting to other gear positions but the vehicle still won't move. first time that this happened on me, i don not know if it occurred before to the previous owner. bought the 2000 lexus rx 300 in 2004 and has 85k miles when transmission problem happened. has to pay the dealer $4,000 to repair. some owners of the same model vehicle has experienced the same problem. *tr | |||
| 07/07/2008 | 110000 | 1 | |
| Transmission on 2000 lexus rx300 is ruined at 110,000 miles and needs replacement, according to the lexus dealer. the owner's manual said no transmission fluid changes are necessary, yet with the failure the dealer wrote on the receipt that the transmission fluid had not been changed in a timely manner. clearly they are at fault. *tr | |||
| 09/28/2007 | 100000 | ||
| There is a forum on edmunds.com with postings of a lot of people who are having transmission problems with their lexus rx300's. i asked for help back in september/october of 2007 and have since had my problem fixed for n/c by lexus. apparently others are not as lucky. | |||
| 07/06/2008 | 109000 | 1 | |
| 2000 rx 300 failing transmission. started having trouble shifting in low gears when cold, now shifts inconsistently and sputters while idling. mechanic says we need a new transmission, but i'm afraid fixing the transmission is just treating the symptoms of a design flaw. *tr | |||
| 04/10/2008 | 115000 | 1 | |
| 2000 lexus rx300 with awd transmission had very hard shifts,and wouldn't even shift into reverse. took it to aamco and they opened it up and told me i need complete planetary set gears,and charged me $1300 to put it back together. still problem continued,took it to world wide transmission and they rebuilt for $3,400. now it shifts better,but often with a kick on the downshifts between 2nd to 1st. *tr | |||
| 06/16/2008 | 110000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 lexus rx300. while driving 55 mph, the transmission began losing power and slipping out of gear. eventually, the vehicle would not move at all and had to be towed. the diagnosis was transmission failure. the failure mileage was 110,000. | |||
| 06/16/2008 | 73000 | 1 | |
| Transmission failure lexus rx300 2000 with only 73k miles on car. all scheduled maintenance completed by dealer up to this point. rebuilt transmission currently being installed at a cost of 3,800 to 4,000 dollars by valley transmission. planetary gears completely broken in transmission. there are hundreds of these complaints on lexusclub forum, and i would like to add my name to the list. *tr | |||
| 06/03/2008 | 108000 | 1 | |
| Loss of power, check engine light, ran extremely rough lexus rx300 2000. *tr | |||
| 05/08/2008 | 106000 | 1 | |
| Lexus 2000 rx300 oil gel problem that is requiring a rebuilt engine and at the same time my transmission is failing and i am being told it will cost $5,000. this vehicle has 106,000 miles but two catastrophic failures. *tr | |||
| 05/01/2008 | 110000 | 1 | |
| Lexus rx 300 transmission failing. making noise. have had two mechanics look at it. appears to be a faulty design. *tr | |||
| 12/15/2007 | 67000 | 1 | |
| Transmission constantly slips out of gear or fails to engage reverse gear from park. car slows suddenly or fails to accelerate because of transmission problem. transmission may need to be replaced. *tr | |||
| 04/25/2008 | 118000 | 1 | |
| There were no incidents that lead up to the transmission failure it just happened out of the blue. i was driving home from work one day and it would not go in to over drive. *tr | |||
| 04/22/2008 | 148000 | 1 | 05/11/2000 |
| Transmission failure at 148k, transmission jumped from gears and failed to move. no warning signs. i have kept up with maintenance on this vehicle and still owe and have been reading about this particular model and it appear as though there is a class action suit in process. *tr | |||
| 04/16/2008 | 66610 | 1 | 06/01/2001 |
| Lexus rx300 transmission failure at 68,000 miles and 7.5 years old. *tr | |||
| 04/11/2008 | 110000 | 1 | 12/01/2003 |
| Transmission failure in 2000 lexus rx-300 awd with 110,000 miles. while driving to work on a very busy 3-lane highway, i stopped to make a left hand turn with a number of cars behind me. after coming to a stop at the intersection, waiting for cars to clear, when i tried to accelerate through, the car went into neutral although it was still in drive. i tried reverse (risking hitting the car behind me) and it stayed in neutral. after turning the car on and off a couple of times, it finally went into drive and i was able to drive two blocks to the toyota dealer. their service shop checked it out and simply said the transmission needed to replaced at a cost of $5200. the lexus owner's manual supplement with maintenance schedules says only to inspect transmission fluid at 30k, 60k, 90k, 120k, and 150k miles. see pages 77 - 97 of the maintenance log book. only for special operating conditions is it recommended to change the transmission fluid and then only at 60k and 120k miles. i have not operated the vehicle under any of the special operating conditions. yet, both the lexus and toyota dealers i use recommend replacing the oil every 15k miles, which i have done. based on my limited research, this appears to be a common problem with early model lexus rx300's and unacceptable that it should fail, especially given the added service / maintenance that lexus recommends, which is at odds with what is written in their own manual. had this transmission failure happened while driving in 50 -60 mph rush hour traffic , it would have put me in a potentially deadly situation. i strongly suspect lexus is well aware of the problems with this transmission, given their dealer service recommendations and should be held accountable for the cost of repair. *tr | |||
| 04/09/2008 | 66610 | 6 | 12/15/2001 |
| Rx300 failed to go into reverse from park in october 2007. took to toyota dealer insofar as no local lexus dealer in bend, oregon. flushed the transmission fluid. problem returned 4 months later at 2,000 miles into the new atf, with occasional failure in drive gear. 4/9/08 vehicle was moving in drive from home garage when transmission went bump/thump twice. 50 yards further forward, the transmission began a grinding noise. pulled to side of road and vehicle would not go into reverse, but drive forward was okay. returned to vehicle in 2 hrs and restarted the engine. no reverse gear when shifter was in reverse. neutral would allow freewheel. tried to turn 180 and return to home garage. vehicle was now perpendicular to both lanes of traffic. tried to engage neutral to freewheel in reverse. vehicle seemed to be in gear or park when in neutral on the shifter. drove forward one foot and tried neutral, got a sound like something coming unstuck and becoming synchronized. neutral now allowed freewheel. reverse gear now worked and i drove the vehicle the 50 yards home and backed it using reverse gear into the garage. 68,745 total miles on 2000 rx300.lexus says vehicle out of the 6 year/70,000 drive train warranty. lexus says transmission has failed. *tr | |||
| 03/28/2008 | 140000 | 1 | |
| The transmission in the 2000 lexus rx 300 has failed completely and requires replacement. *tr | |||
| 03/05/2008 | 129000 | 1 | 09/05/2000 |
| Premature failure of transmission on lexus rx 300. dealers refusal to step up to pay for an originally defective product, and request to pay $4500 for a remanufactured transmission. lexus' refusal to address multiple complaints of a widespread issue on an obviously defective product. lexus denial of a clearly manufacturing problem. *tr | |||
| 01/20/2008 | 97000 | 1 | 07/14/2007 |
| Drove my lexus rx300 to lake tahoe. it was 28 degrees as i entered the tahoe area. the transmission begain to slip, not maintaining engagement. i was able to get to the hotel but about an hour after registering i tried to drive and the transmission would not engage. it was now 24 degrees. i tried again in the morning but it still would not engage and now there was a whirling sound. i had it towed to the lexus dealership one hundred miles away. the transmission failed due to the front-side transmission pump. lexus/toyota will not replace the part. since it is an internal transmission problem they will only replace the whole transmission. lexus policy. it is a 15 hour repair. even if it were possible to replace the pump it would have taken more hours to repair. the contact was advised by the dealer prior to purchasing it that it was in impeccable condition. an inspecting authorized mechanic also stated that its rare to see a vehicle in as excellent of a condition. an suv should not have a problem in slight extremely cold conditions. the service technician stated that the transmission failure isnt uncommon if they are in extremely hot or cold climates. the contact stated that there is a design flaw. he has never had to change the transmission fluid as frequent in his previous vehicles. the contact is aware of the safety risk involved. it cost $4700.00 | |||
| 01/27/2008 | 137000 | 1 | 03/02/2006 |
| While driving my rx300 the vehicle rpm started going higher than normal. i could only dry the vehicle locally since does not want to shift. when i drive it a 40mph the rpms are at 3 rpm. i search to see if has been a recall or if the lexus corporation is aware of this problem with the tranny in this model.. *tr | |||
| 01/09/2008 | 74000 | 1 | |
| Transmission failure. *tr | |||
| 12/05/2007 | 104000 | 1 | |
| My 2000 lexus rx 300 started shifting funny on december 4th. we took it to the mechanic on december 5th and it was determined that the transmission was failing. i have since learned that this is a very, very common problem for these vehicles and am now out thousands of dollars due to this problem. *tr | |||
| 11/21/2007 | 88000 | 1 | 09/01/2006 |
| The day before thanksgiving on a 300 mile trip to see family, our lexus rx 300 lost the transmission at 86,000 miles and ruined our entire holiday weekend. after going back and forth with corporate lexus they have decided even though they have put our a tsb and are well aware of the transaxle failure in this model, they will not contribute any financial monies to help justify our $6,000.00 bill. i will never own another lexus nor anyone within my family. very dissatisfied customer *tr | |||
| 10/07/2007 | 120000 | 1 | 06/06/2000 |
| Transmission failed while in heavy traffic. no prior indication of a problem. car could not be placed in gear, had to be towed. lexus said that 120k miles was the life span of the transmission and wanted to charge $5,400 for repair. car had only been service by lexus since purchase, last service was 6 months prior and no indication was given of any expected transmission problem. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2007 | 1 | ||
| Failed transmission. *tr | |||
| 10/19/2007 | 107055 | 1 | 04/15/2000 |
| Transmission failure. *tr | |||
| 12/29/2006 | 71813 | 1 | 04/20/2000 |
| My 2000 lexus rx300 with less than 72,000 original owner miles on it had sudden transmission failure. after exiting my driveway gate and stopping, i tried to accelerate but the car rolled backwards towards the gate (the end of the drive is sloped uphill) as if the transmission selector was in neutral. i applied brakes, stopped, reselected drive and was able to continue to my destination. the automatic shifting between first and second seemed to be delayed and to be slipping, so i took it to the lexus dealer. they had to replace the transmission. *tr | |||
| 06/22/2007 | 79780 | 2 | 01/08/2000 |
| 2000 lexus rx300 transmission failure failed at 79,780 miles and the replacement failed after 140 miles! the consumer stated engine revs okay but no power to wheels. the consumer stated had vehicle repaired at dealer and the dealer stated the transmission solenoid failed. | |||
| 08/22/2007 | 126000 | 1 | 11/01/2005 |
| Lexus rx-300 yr2000 (transmission problems). *tr | |||
| 08/14/2007 | 94500 | 1 | 08/15/2004 |
| Car has 94,000 miles and has received all scheduled maintenance, including comprehensive 90k service two months ago. no impending problems were reported by dealer. car made clinging/hesitation when leaving stop sign 2-3 times. parked car and stopped engine. car would not move in reverse. shifted to drive - car moved fwd as much as possible (limited space). tried rev again - car moved 12-18 inches and made very abrupt stop. could not shift to neutral. took car to dealer who recommend complete transmission replacement. did search for rx300 transmission failure on internet - found dozens of reports of similar problem - complete transmission failure, with absolutely no warning, on this make/model of car with similar mileage. i believe this is a manufacturing defect that should be investigated.*jb | |||
| 05/31/2007 | 85350 | 1 | 02/15/2007 |
| Bought 2000 lexus rx300. 85,000 miles. transmission is shot! *tr | |||
| 01/28/2007 | 92000 | 1 | |
| Transmission failure. *jb | |||
| 01/12/2007 | 1 | ||
| My 2000 lexus rx300 transmission has required replacement @ 90,000 miles. i have spent $3000.+ for repairs. i believe that recall would restore faith in the name of quality for lexus. be honest. *nm | |||
| 01/11/2007 | 76500 | 1 | 06/01/2006 |
| Tl*- while driving on the road the transmission failed on a 2000 lexus rx300. the vehicle would not go into neutral the vehicle would accelerate at low speeds at 15 mph. the contact took the vehicle to dealer, and the dealer stated that they tried to see if the manufacturer would cover the vehicle under goodwill, but the manufacturer insisted that they couldn't cover the repair due to the fact that vehicle was not under warranty. | |||
| 01/22/2007 | 1 | ||
| Sitting in traffic and started to move when i noticed a feeling like i was on ice. a slight slip, then i moved. not even a half mile down the road and my car would not move. the engine revved but no movement at all! my transmission went out at 85,000 miles!!! *jb | |||
| 01/10/2007 | 76000 | 1 | 06/01/2006 |
| Tl*- the contact stated that the transmission on a 2000 lexus rx 300 failed. while driving through an intersection the vehicle suddenly started to lose power and stalled. the contact was able to get the vehicle to the side of the road. while trying to accelerate the vehicle would not accelerate or go into reverse. the contact had the vehicle towed to the dealership. at the dealership, they replaced the transmission on the vehicle. the contact stated that the vehicle had received regularly scheduled servicing.*ak | |||
| 01/07/2007 | 90000 | 1 | |
| Failed transmission after 90,000 miles on a $50,000 lexus rx 300.*jb | |||
| 12/22/2006 | 95000 | 1 | 09/01/2000 |
| Tl* - on 12-22-06 while driving on the highway at 70 mph transmission dropped to first gear and would not move out of first gear. the contact stated that the vehicle has been serviced at the dealership on schedule. the contact currently has vehicle at the repair facility. *ak updated 2/27/2007 - *nm | |||
| 12/09/2006 | 138000 | 1 | 07/02/2004 |
| Purchased 2000 lexus rx300. serviced by dealer at all recommended times. one previous owner prior to me. at approximately 125,000 miles. engine light came on, diagnostic done. need new transmission. apparently this is a well known problem with this model. how can they be allowed to sell defective product to consumers? isn't that fraud? *jb | |||
| 12/01/2006 | 120000 | 1 | 05/31/2004 |
| Transmission failure. *jb | |||
| 07/31/2006 | 118000 | 1 | |
| After a few weeks of feeling occasional slippage in the drive train of my 2000 rx300 (118k miles), i had my local mechanic check it out. he drove tested it, checked all fluid levels, visually inspected the transmission, transfer case, u-joints etc and couldn't find a problem. today with no further notice, the transmission fully broke - lurching, clunking, and after pulling over total slippage. i had it towed to a transmission shop where i'm waiting for an evaluation of the situation. if this had happened on a busy highway, i could have caused a severe accident, as there was no acceleration causing a very unsafe and dangerous situation. *nm | |||
| 07/10/2006 | 86000 | 1 | 02/15/2006 |
| Early failure of planetary gear set in lexus rx300 transmission failing in morning traffic in busy street. *jb | |||
| 09/07/2005 | 75000 | 1 | 09/07/2000 |
| Mileage 75000 awd rx300 complete failure of transmission pump. loss of vehicle control and manuverability => dangerous car was 100% maintained by a lexus dealer web revealed many similar failures first time toyota tried to use a lifetime transmission fluid, it did not work!!!!*jb | |||
| 03/19/2005 | 120215 | ||
| While traveling on central expressway in dallas us75 going about 65 my lexus rx300 lost forward acceleration as cars zoomed past me, the engine was still on as i managed to safely exit onto the access road and into a parking lot. i turned the vehicle off and checked for leaks or a broken belt, but found no problem. i restarted the vehicle and kept going. i talked to the lexus dealer in plano but service dept. was closed and they reffered me to take it into my austin dealer. i was told that without a check engine light nothing would be found. i continued to drive my vehicle and while on another trip it lost forward acceleration again, only to find out it was the transmission. i had to replace it , rent a car and then fly back to a toyota dealer to pick it up. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 04/07/2007 | 85000 | 1 | |
| 2000 lexus rx 300 awd: the tone ring on the right rear drive axle cracked causing a false reading to the anti-lock brake system, the cracked ring would not turn in conjunction with the axle causing the abs system to think that the affected axle was no longer tuning therefore activating the abs system and jeopardizing braking distance, after repairing i was wondering how this could have happened and did some inquiries, i found that this is a common problem on these vehicles (right rear axles awd models) water gets into the axle tone ring area, freezes causing the ring to crack and creating a dangerous condition, unnecessary activation of the abs system for the unsuspecting driver lexus dealerships throughout the northeast keep these a supply of these very expensive axles in stock due to their familiarity if this problem. *tr | |||