2002 LEXUS RX Complaints

COMPLETE FAILURE/BREAKDOWN OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION POWERTRAIN. TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TT

TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LEXUS RX300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKING VEHICLE, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL INCREASE IN ENGINE RPMS AS THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE JUMPED THE CURB AND CRASHED INTO A FENCE BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE CONTACT SUFFERED INJURIES TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DESTROYED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THE MANUFACTURER SENT A TECHNICIAN TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE FAILURE. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT BECAUSE THERE WERE TWO FLAT TIRES ON THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION, THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE PROPERLY EXAMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000. KMJ UPDATED 01/13/12*LJ UPDATED 02/01/12 ....UPDATED 02/10/12 *BF ALSO, THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. UPDATED 05/03/12

THE TRANSMISSION TOTALLY FAILED. VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE IN ANY GEAR. RPMS PEGGED OUT AT 6K. HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO NORTHTOWN LEXUS IN AMHERST, NY. THEY AGREED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS TOTALLY SHOT AND WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $5,500 TO REPLACE, JUST FOR THE PART. I SUBSEQUENTLY HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO CONTINENTAL TRANSMISSION IN BUFFALO, NY, WHERE IT WAS REBUILT FOR $3,100. I UNDERSTAND FROM POSTS AT THE LEXUS OWNERS CLUB OF USA THAT RX300 TRANSMISSIONS ARE PRONE TO FAILURE AS THEY WERE NOT DESIGNED FOR THE ADDED STRESSES IMPOSED BY AND SUV. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH. FORTUNATELY, WAS CLOSE TO HOME AND ABLE TO MAKE IT BACK TO MY DRIVEWAY. HAD CAR TOWED INTO SHOP AND THEY ADVISED ME OF A TOTAL "TRANSMISSION FAILURE". ALL SERVICES PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE, NO UNUSUAL OR HARSH DRIVING CONDITION ON VEHICLE. *TR

WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN MY OFFICE PARKING LOT, I HAD AN UNATTENDED ACCELERATION WHILE MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR LUNGED OVER THE CURB, UP A SLIGHT INCLINE, HIT A SMALL TREE WHICH KNOCKED DOWN THE PERIMETER FENCE. I CALLED THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP AND THEY GAVE ME AN 800 NUMBER TO CALL. I REPORTED WHAT HAPPENED AND THEY SENT A TOW TRUCK TO BRING MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. AT THE DEALERSHIP THEY INDICATED TO ME THAT I WAS NOT SUPPOSE TO BRING IT TO THEM SO I HAD THE MANAGER DRIVE IT TO THEIR COLLISION PLACE WHERE I HAD THE BUMPER REPAIRED. MY INSURANCE COMPANY DID NOT PAY FOR A RENTAL REPLACEMENT. THE REPAIR COST ME $250 (MY DEDUCTIBLE) + THE RENTAL CAR COST OF APPROX. $210.00. MY INSURANCE PAID FOR THE TREE AND FENCE REPAIR OF ABOUT $2,000+. MY CAR WAS SUBSEQUENTLY INSPECTED BY TOYOTA'S INSPECTION COMPANY. IT TOOK ABOUT 3-4 HOURS AND THE END RESULT WAS THAT THE CAR DID NOT HAVE ANY DEFECTS. I CONTINUE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN AND MAINTAIN A LARGE DISTANCE BETWEEN VEHICLES. IN 2007 MY CAR HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WHEN IT ACCELERATED TO A HIGH SPEED BECAUSE THE THROTTLE GOT STUCK DUE TO A MECHANIC'S SERVICE ERROR WHEN WORKED ON THE DAY BEFORE. SINCE TOYOTA SAID MY VEHICLE IS OKAY, I HAD TO PAY THE ALMOST $500 FOR THE REPAIR AND RENTAL CAR AND MY INSURANCE WILL PROBABLY GO UP DUE TO THE PAYMENT MADE TO MY COMPANY FOR THE TREE AND FENCE REPAIR. I THINK THE THROTTLE HAS A FAULTY DESIGN AND I TOLD TOYOTA THAT THIS WAS MY OPINION. *TR

WHEN I WAS DRIVING THREE LIGHT TURNED ON AT THE SAME TIME. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, VSC AND TRAC OFF LIGHT. I WENT TO A MECHANIC AND HE STATED THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE SOLENOID. TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC TO CHECK THE OIL PAN AND THE STOLENOIS IS GETTING CLOGGED BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION IS SHOT. *TR

TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED. TRANSMISSION FAILED ON THE HIGHWAY WITH A MAX SPEED OF 70 MPH. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO INJURIES. I ENDED UP CALLING A TOW TRUCK TO TOW ME TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP WHERE IT SIT. I AM NOW READING ABOUT THE MANY WHO HAS SUFFERED AND IS SUFFERING TRANSMISSION FAILURE. WHY ISN'T THE GOVERNMENT ACTING ON FORCING LEXUS TO RECALL AND FIX THIS ISSUE? THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. FIRST AND LAST LEXUS. *TR

EARLY TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON EARLY MODEL LEXUS RX300 FROM 1997 TO 2003. I OWN A 2002 RX300 AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT ABOUT 100,000 MILES. IT HAPPENED WITH NO NOTICE CAUSING MY ENGINE TO SLOW ON THE ROAD AND THEN WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. I SEEM TO BE A LUCKY ONE AS I READ THOUSANDS OF LEXUS RX300 OWNERS TRANSMISSIONS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BETWEEN 70,000 AND 90,000 MILES. LEXUS/TOYOTA HAS DONE NOTHING TO ADMIT THEIR IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN THIS CAR AND IN FACT DENIED ANY PROBLEMS TO MYSELF. IT IS COSTING OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES TO OUTLAY BETWEEN $3,000 TO $6,000 FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO BE REPLACED. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS GO ON THE CLUB LEXUS FORUM FOR LEXUS OWNERS AND TYPE IN TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS FOR RX300 AND YOU WILL SEE THOUSANDS OF OWNERS COMPLAINING. PLEASE DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO MAKE LEXUS/TOYOTA ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND ISSUE A RECALL AND REIMBURSEMENT TO THOSE OWNERS OF THESE CARS. THANK YOU. *TR

2002 LEXUS RX300 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ISSUE. HAVE BEEN READING ON THE INTERNET AS WELL AS THIS SITE (16 TOTAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT TRANSMISSION/POWER TRAIN FOR THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE). JUST THIS MORNING, MY WIFE (PRINCIPAL DRIVER OF THIS VEHICLE) TRIED TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE (LOCATED INSIDE OUR HOME GARAGE). THE VEHICLE WILL NOT REVERSE. FROM READING OTHER COMPLAINTS, IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS NOW A MORE COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL OF LEXUS THAN EVER BEFORE? THE DANGER INVOLVED IN HAVING TO PLAY WITH A GEAR SHIFT; SHIFTING BACK AND FORTH FROM PARK TO REVERSE, OR REVERSE TO DRIVE, JUST TO MOVE INTO GEAR IS A HAZARD AND DANGER FOR A VEHICLE PARTICULARLY HOUSED IN A GARAGE. I'M ALSO LEARNING THAT OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS MODEL OF LEXUS SUV JUMPING OUT OF GEAR AND LOCKING UP THE AXLES WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. LEXUS IS NOT AN INEXPENSIVE VEHICLE, AND OWNERS SHOULD EXPECT MORE FROM A VEHICLE OF THIS PRICE RANGE AND OVERALL QUALITY OTHERWISE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LEXUS RX300. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE CHECK OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE OIL WAS CONTAMINATING THE ENGINE THROUGH A CRACKED PISTON RING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE WAS 94,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.