1999 LEXUS RX Complaints

MY TRANSMISSION ON MY 1999 RX300 COMPLETELY GAVE OUT ON ME AFTER MY CAR HAD BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY. IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I HAD TO PAY FOR HALF OF THE REPAIRS. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I'VE FOUND TONS OF CUSTOMERS WHO EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE WITH THE RX300. IT IS CRIMINAL THAT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT THIS SOONER. CHECK OUT SOME OF THESE CUSTOMERS' EXPERIENCES: HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/VIEWMORECOMMENTS_REVIEW_54694_1.HTML. *NM

I JUST HAD MY 1999 LEXUS RX300 SERVICED 2 WEEKS AGO WITH THE 90,000 MILE SERVICE (TIMING BELT, ETC). INCLUDED IN THIS I GOT THE TRANNY FLUID FLUSH. TWO WEEKS LATER ON 12/30 MY LEXUS STARTED SLIPPING (THE TRANNY). I GOT IT INTO MY SHOP AND HAD IT DIAGNOSED. THE TRANNY IS SHOT. FOR A LUXURY CAR TO LOSE IT'S TRANNY @ 100,000 MILES IS UNACCEPTABLE. FURTHERMORE THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. THEY ARE COUNTLESS STORIES IN FORUMS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE 1999-2001 LEXUS RX300'S ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. THIS IS HORRIBLE. THIS IS A HUGE EXPENSE @ $3500 FOR A REPAIR. I HAVE CALLED LITERALLY ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TRYING TO FIND A TRANNY, MOST PLACES JUST DON'T HAVE THEM IN STOCK, CONFIRMING MY BELIEF THAT THE TRANNIES IN THE LEXUS RX300 ARE DEFECTIVE. THEY SHOULD RECALL THIS OR AT LEAST BE WILLING TO PONY UP A % OF THE COST FOR THIS HUGE EXPENSE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING MY 1999 RX300 ON THE HIGHWAY, THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON ME. I FELT I WAS LOSING POWER AND DECIDED TO PULL OVER ON THE SHOULDER. I THEN TRY TO TURN OFF MY ENGINE TO SEE IF RESTARTING IT BACK UP WILL RESOLVE THE ISSUE. WHEN I START THE CAR BACK UP AND PUT IT ON DRIVE, THE CAR WILL NOT MOVE. NEEDLESS TO SAY I HAD TO CALL A TOW TO TOW MY CAR BACK HOME. *NM

THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 1999 LEXUS RX 300 NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WITH ONLY 70,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE STRUTS, THE RADIO ANTENNA MOTOR AND HAVE A MAJOR OIL LEAK REPAIRED. *NM

IN AUGUST 2005 I PURCHASED A 1999 LEXUS AWD RX-300 WITH 60,000 MILES FROM NORTHSIDE LEXUS IN HOUSTON. ON 12/4/06 THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 73,882 MILES '' THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR. LEXUS DEALERS HAD REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AT 31,385 MILES AND 59,134 MILES. AN INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION SHOP REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION FOR $3896 WITH THE FOLLOWING PARTS: TORQUE CONVERTER, OVERHAUL KIT, ALL STEELS, FRONT PLANETARY, SUN GEAR, RING GEAR, REAR PLANETARY, BUSHING KIT, AND BEARING KIT. ACCORDING TO THE SHOP, THIS FAILURE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IMPROPER MAINTENANCE OR DRIVING, BUT IS RELATED TO A POOR TRANSMISSION DESIGN. HE REPORTED COMMON TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH LEXUS RX-300 VEHICLES. LEXUS HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL OR SERVICE NOTICE FOR THESE TRANSMISSIONS, NOR WOULD NORTHSIDE LEXUS AGREE TO REIMBURSE ANY PART OF MY REPAIR. THERE ARE CURRENTLY 19 PAGES OF TRANSMISSION ISSUES REPORTED AT HTTP://US.LEXUSOWNERSCLUB.COM/FORUMS. MANY REPORTS LINK THE PROBLEM TO LOW CAPACITY ON THE ATF OIL PRESSURE PUMP. THESE TRANSMISSIONS MUST BE RECALLED AND LEXUS MUST REIMBURSE CONSUMERS FOR THESE VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. *NM

EVEN THOUGH HAVING ALL MAJOR SERVICE PERFORMED BY THE LEXUS DEALER, PLUS HAVING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND FILTER CHANGED TWICE, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDS REPLACING AT A HIGH COST. I AM AWARE OF HUNDREDS OF OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE RX300 THERE IS ONLY 69,930 MILES ON THIS LEXUS AND HAS BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED THIS IS MY FIRST AND LAST LEXUS/TOYOTA AS LEXUS/TOYOTA DON'T TAKE CARE OF THERE CUSTOMERS THEY NO OF THIS VERY BIG PROBLEM AND THEY DO NOTHING I DON'T SEE WHY THERE IS NOT A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT LIKE THE MOTOR SLUDGE / OIL GEL CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT I WILL STICK TO AMERICAN MADE CARS NOT ONLY DOES IT COST LESS TO REPAIR THEM THEY LAST LONGER THEN 69,000 MILES LIKE THIS LEXUS PIECE OF '!@#$% I NOW HAVE TO PAY $6200.00 TO FIX AND THE EXTENDED WARRANTY I BOUGHT AT THE TIME IF SALE OF THE LEXUS DON'T COVER CRAP. *JB

MY 1999 RX300 AWD (U140F) TRANSMISSION GAVE 2 SHUDDERS WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH AND THEN QUIT PULLING EXCEPT FOR 1 BLK OR SO AFTER RESTARTING THE ENGINE. TOOK IT TO TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST. HE SAID PLANETARY GEARS WIPED OUT. OBTAINED NEW ONES AND REPAIRED OK. 1 MONTH LATER I PARKED AND WHEN RESTARTED, IT WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE OR NEUTRAL. HAD TO DRAG OUT OF SPACE. FWD OK. DROVE 200 MILES BACK TO TRANSMISSION SHOP. PLANETARIES AGAIN. REPLACED. OK 1 WK. REPLACED WHOLE TRANSMISSION WITH ONE FROM HIGHLANDER. STILL SHIFTS OCCASIONALLY POOR AT 10-30 MPH 2-3 SHIFT SHUDDER. SEEMS IT HAS A MAF SENSOR ERROR NOW THAT MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSING THE SHUDDER / HARD SHIFTS/FAILURE. CAR HAS 140 K MILES. I THINK TOYOTA IS HIDING THIS SIMPLE FAILURE CAUSING MAJOR ($8K) FAILURES. *NM

WHILE ON VACATION THIS PAST WEEKEND MY 7 1/2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS UNABLE TO FASTEN HER SEAT BEAT! I HAD TO MOVE HER BOOSTER SEAT TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE REAR OF THE CAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO LEXUS TO HAVE THEM REPAIR THIS SAFETY FEATURE. I WAS INFORMED IT WOULD COST ME $250 TO REPAIR. THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT BELT STOPPED WORKING IN 2003 AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT AND LEXUS CLAIMED IS WAS FINE. IT STILL DOESN'T WORK. *NM

SEAT BELTS WILL NOT RETRACT WITHOUT MANUALLY FEEDING THEM BACK INTO THE RETRACTOR. IF SEAT BELTS ARE NOT MANUALLY FED BACK INTO THE RETRACTOR THE BUCKLE AND SLACK SEAT BELT ARE CAUGHT WHEN THE DOOR CLOSES. *JB

EARLY FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION AFTER FOLLOWING MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE AND CHANGING FLUID EVERY 30K MILES. TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVE IN THE DESERT 75 MILES WEST OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT ROSEVILLE LEXUS, THE REPLACEMENT WOULD FAIL TO GO INTO DRIVE WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS PUSH AFTER STOPPING CAUSING MANY NEAR COLLISIONS FROM THE REAR DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC, SECOND TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED FINALLY, BUT THE STABILIZER BAR MOUNTS WERE LEFT DISCONNECTED AND RUBBING ON THE BRAKE LINES AND DRIVE SHAFT. INCIDENTALLY THE FIRST REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION WAS MISSING THREE BOLTS WHICH ATTACHED IT TO THE ENGINE. THE QUALITY OF WORK BY THIS DEALERSHIP WAS VERY POOR AND UNSAFE TO THE OWNER. THE SECOND TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT WAS POORLY DONE AND THE DRIVE SHAFT CAME OUT ON THE RIGHT SIDE TEARING THE SEAL AND LEAVING FLUID EVERYWHERE. THIS DEALERSHIP CAUSED MORE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AND LEFT IT IN UNSAFE CONDITION WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED INJURY TO THE OCCUPANTS. *NM