2003 LEXUS RX Complaints

I CALLED MY LOCAL LEXUS THREE TIMES PRIOR TO JUNE, 2012 REGARDING LIGHTS SUDDENLY ILLUMINATING ON THE DASHBOARD. I HAD A RECURRING ISSUE WHERE THE CHECK ENGINE AND VSC WARNING LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE. EACH TIME THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT TOLD ME THAT THE LIGHTS WOULD GO OFF WHEN I REFUELED. THREE TIMES THE LIGHTS DID GO OFF (AFTER SEVERAL DAYS), BUT ONCE I HAD TO HAVE THE DEALER RESET THEM. THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE RESULTED IN THE DEALER TELLING ME I NEEDED THE AIR FUEL AND AIR FLOW SENSORS REPLACED, A REPAIR WHICH COST OVER $750.00. AS AN ASIDE, EVERY TIME I CALLED TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE LIGHTS BEING ILLUMINATED MY CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND NO REPAIRS WERE SUGGESTED. AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED I WAS THEN ADVISED THAT THE SENSORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

DURING NORMAL DRIVING, WITH NO SIGNS OF FAILURE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY WOULD LOSE POWER WHEN PRESSED ON GAS, IT ACTED AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL---ENGINE REVS UP, BUT CAR DOES NOT MOVE. THEN WHEN SWITCHED TO SECOND GEAR OR L, TRANSMISSION STILL WOULD NOT ENGAGE. HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP, IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE PLANETARY GEAR BROKE. SEARCHED ONLINE LEXUS FORUM, FOUND OUT VERY MANY PEOPLE REPORTED THE SAME FAILURE IN TRANSMISSION. *TR

THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST TRANSMISSION ON THE ROAD AND WAS ROLLING FREELY. THE GEARS DOES NOT WORK ANYMORE AND THE VEHICLE ROLLS AS IF ITS IN NEUTRAL. WHEN SEARCH THE INTERNET I LOOKED AT LOT OF THE CUSTOMERS COMPLAINING ABOUT EXACT SAME THING, ABOUT THIS VEHICLE HAVING TRANSMISSION ISSUES ESPECIALLY FOR RX300. NO WONDER TOYOTA HAS THIS MANY RECALLS AND SURPRISED THAT THEIR PREMIUM BRAND HAS THE SAME ISSUES WITH SAFETY. I AM GLAD THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN ON A HIGHWAY

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LEXUS RX300. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH OUT OF THE PARKING LOT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND HE LOST CONTROL. AS HE SWERVED THE VEHICLE HE HIT THREE SMALL TREES, A WOODEN FENCE, AND A BRICK WALL BEFORE THE VEHICLE STOPPED. THE AMBULANCE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT CAME BECAUSE HE WAS TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR INJURES TO HIS LOWER BACK. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THERE IS A POLICE REPORT IF NEEDED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS NOTIFIED. THE DEALER NOR MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN CALLED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,070. UPDATED 05/10/10 *BF THE VEHICLE WAS DECLARED A LOSS. UPDATED 05/17/10.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LEXUS RX300. WHILE DRIVING INTO A DRIVEWAY AT SPEEDS OF UNDER 8 MPH, SHE HEARD A LOUD REVVING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE DOOR AND PUSHED TWO OTHER VEHICLES IN THE DRIVEWAY THROUGH A CEMENT WALL AND THROUGH HER HOME. NEITHER THE MANUFACTURER NOR DEALER WERE CONTACTED. THE REPAIRS WERE COVERED THROUGH HER INSURANCE COMPANY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LEXUS RX300. WHILE DRIVING INTO A DRIVEWAY AT SPEEDS OF FEWER THAN 8 MPH, SHE HEARD A LOUD REVVING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT INTENT. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE DOOR AND PUSHED THE TWO VEHICLES INTO THE DRIVEWAY THROUGH A CEMENT WALL AND INTO HER HOME. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. NEITHER THE MANUFACTURER NOR DEALER WAS CONTACTED. THE REPAIRS WERE COVERED THROUGH HER INSURANCE COMPANY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

THE TRANSMISSIONS IN LEXUS RX300 MODELS ARE UNSAFE. THE TRANSMISSION IN MY RX300 HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 70,000 MILES AND AGAIN AT 120,000 MILES. LEXUS IS NOT STANDING BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION IN THE RX300 MODEL. LEXUS WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS DEFECT. ALSO, I WAS MISLED AT THE DEALERSHIP THE FIRST TIME THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. I WAS ASSURED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT "REFURBISHED", WHEN, INDEED, IT IS NOT A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE DEFINITION OF THE WORD "REFURBISHED" WAS IN QUESTION. THE TRANSMISSION GOING OUT REPEATEDLY AND SO EARLY IN THE RX300 MODEL IS A SAFETY HAZARD. LEXUS' FAILURE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND THEIR DECISION TO WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION IS A SAFETY ISSUE IN ITSELF. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 LEXUS RX300 WITH 134,000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED ON 2/20/09. AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS OF A SLIGHT WHINE, THREE LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASHBOARD. I TOOK IT IN TO MY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THEY RAN A COMPUTER DIAGNOSIS AND IT CAME BACK WITH TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY AT 48,000 MILES IN 2006. I HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION SERVICED TWICE AT THE RECOMMENDED INTERVALS. IT WAS DUE FOR A 3RD SERVICE. INTERNET BLOGS REPORT THAT TRANSMISSION FAILURE IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AFTER 70,000 MILES. IN ALMOST 40 YEARS OF DRIVING, I HAVE NEVER HAD A TRANSMISSION FAILURE BEFORE. I OWNED A LEXUS ES300 PREVIOUSLY AND VOLVOS BEFORE THAT. THE LEXUS DEALER SAYS IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. COST OF REPLACEMENT IS QUOTED AT $4200. *TR

MY WIFE DROVE THE VEHICLE TO WORK. SHE PARKED, TURNED THE ENGINE OFF, AND REMOVED THE KEY WHILE THE SHIFTER WAS IN THE NEUTRAL POSITION. THINKING THAT IT WAS IN "PARK", SHE EXITED THE VEHICLE AND BEGAN TO WALK AWAY. THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARD AND PINNED HER RIGHT LET IN BETWEEN ITS REAR BUMPER AND THE BUMPER OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LEXUS RX300. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE TRANSMISSION WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND WAS REPLACED AT THE COST OF $3,922.40. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CONTACT DID NOT ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DEALER; THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,926 AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS 79,000. UPDATED 3/9/09 *CN THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE. UPDATED 03/10/09. *JB