1999 LEXUS RX300 Complaints

WHEN STARTING MY 1999 LEXUS RX 300 AFTER WORK, I NOTICED A "WHINING" SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. MY COMMUTE HOME IS ABOUT 15 MILES. I NOTICED WHEN DRIVING THAT IT WOULD "JERK" WHEN TRYING TO CHANGE GEARS. IT MADE ME THINK BACK TO A COUPLE OF MONTHS BACK WHEN I WAS IN A PARKING SPACE AND PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE AND STARTED TO EASE OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE WHEN IT FELT LIKE SOMEONE HAS HIT ME OR I HAD HIT SOMETHING. I GOT OUT, BUT NOTHING? I THEN GOT BACK INTO THE CAR AND STARTED TO LEAVE AND THE CAR WOULD GO INTO REVERSE, BUT WHEN APPLYING THE GAS THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. I TRIED AGAIN AND THE CAR FINALLY "CAUGHT" INTO GEAR AND MADE A TERRIBLE SOUND. I NOTICED IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE DAY OF FAILURE THAT THE CAR WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME CHANGING INTO SECOND GEAR. IT WOULD "WIND OUT" BEFORE CATCHING. NOW, THE DAY OF THE FAILURE, I WAS LEAVING WORK AND I NOTICED A "WHINING" SOUND IN THE ENGINE AND IN MY COMMUTE HOME IT GOT WORSE. THE CAR STARTED JUMPING BACK AND FORTH AND THE RPMS WERE RANDOMLY JUMPING. EVEN WHILE COASTING DOWN A HILL THE RMPS WOULD JUMP AND ACCELERATE AND SLOW DOWN THE CAR MAKING IT JERK. AT TIMES IT WOULD ACT AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL AND I WAS TRAVELING AT 45 MILES PER HOUR. WHEN THIS WOULD HAPPEN, THE RMPS WOULDN'T MOVE? MY CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 78K MILES ON IT. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD MY HUSBAND, WE CALLED LEXUS AND TOOK IT STRAIGHT TO THEM. I HAD TO GET A RENTAL CAR. I GOT A CALL THE NEXT DAY TO TELL ME THAT THE PUMP FAILED AND THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS BLACK AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS GONE. IT'S GOING TO COST $4,600.00 TO REPAIR. THERE ARE MANY OTHER CASES EXACTLY LIKE MINE. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL! *NM

THE CAR WAS WORKING PERFECTLY. ONE DAY WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT THE TRANSMISSION BLEW, AND I COULD NOT MOVE. HAD TO PAY $4000+ OUT OF POCKET, THE WARRANTY JUST EXPIRED 2 MONTHS BEFORE AND LEXUS WOULD NOT STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT. THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 80,000 MILES. AFTER DOING RESEARCH, IT TURNS OUT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE RX300 1999 AND 2000 AWD. HOW CAN LEXUS NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR A RECALL. THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY FAULT, BUT I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE WHEN SO MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB

LEXUS 1999 RX 300 AWD TRANSMISSION FAILED - MARKED DROP OF ACCELERATION POWER ON FREEWAY. SINCE ORIGINAL PURCHASE OF NEW VEHICLE, IT HAS RECEIVED REGULAR SERVICE MAINTENANCE THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP. LAST SERVICE INCLUDED A FLUSH OF THE TRANSMISSION. PROBLEM EXPERIENCED AT 74,000 MILES. DEALERSHIP ADVISED THAT LEXUS NO LONGER OFFERS A TRANSMISSION REBUILD AND THAT I NEEDED TO TAKE IT TO A TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP (FOUND OUT LATER THAT'S NOT ENTIRELY TRUE). TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REBUILT INCLUDING SOLENOIDS, PLANETARIES, TORQUE CONVERTER, SUN GEAR) AT COST OF OVER $4,200. I'VE SINCE DISCOVERED THAT SEVERAL '99 RX300 OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION FAILURE OR ISSUES AT RELATIVELY LOW ODOMETER MILEAGES, AND LEXUS CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS AS WELL. *NM

MY 99 LEXUS RX300 HAD A TRANSMISSION FAILURE @ 82000 MILES. AFTER BEING SERVICED PROPERLY ON A REGULAR BASIS BY AUTHORIZED REPAIR SPECIALISTS. *JB

MY 1999 LEXUS RX 300 TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE I WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THE DEALER AGREES MY SERVICE RECORD WAS IN "TIPTOP" SHAPE AND YET I LOST ALL GEARS WITH 66,000 MILES ON THE CAR. SEARCHING THE INTERNET REVEALS THAT THERE ARE MANY INSTANCES OF THIS SAME PROBLEM. OF COURSE, MY WARRANTY JUST EXPIRED 4 MONTHS AGO. LEXUS OFFERED TO SPLIT THE $5000 REPLACEMENT COST IN HALF. IT SEEMS TO ME THEY SHOULD COVER 100% OF THE COST. *NM

1999 LEXUS RX 300 DEVELOPED A PROBLEM WITH THE TAILGATE DOOR LATCH.*MR THE REAR HATCH HANDLE SEIZED AND IT DIDN'T OPERATE WITH THE REMOTE KEY ENTRY OR POWER LOCKS. THE CONSUMER HAD TO MANUALLY CLOSE THE HATCH TO PREVENT IT FROM ACCIDENTALLY OPENING WHILE DRIVING, WHICH DID HAPPEN TWICE. *JB

THE MANIFOLD SYSTEM ON MY 1999 LEXUS RX300 HAD TO BE REPLACED AT ONLY 68,320 MILES WHICH COST WELL OVER $1,000. USUALLY THE MANIFOLD SYSTEM ON A CAR IS NOT REPLACED. LEXUS SHOULD BE REPSONSIBLE FOR THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM FOR US. I ALSO HAD THE JELLYING PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. YES, I DO ALL THE REQUIRED ONLY CHANGES AND ETC.

THE HEATED SEAT IN MY LEXUS RX300 HAS BECOME SO HOT THAT IT HAS BURNT THE LEATHER AND IT HAS ALSO BURNT MY LEFT LEG. YOU CAN TURN THE HEATER OFF BUT IT TAKES A WHILE FOR IT TO COOL DOWN.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE BACKING INTO THE CAR PORT, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK ,CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH THROUGH A WALL.*AK

OUR VEHICLE'S OIL CONSUMPTION BEGAN TO INCREASE AT APPROXIMATELY 90K MILES. IT WOULD TAKE AT LEAST A QUART OF OIL EVERY 700 MILES OR SO. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED AROUND 100K MILES. FINALLY BROUGHT IT TO OUR LEXUS DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THAT WE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE BLOCK AND TOP END OVERHAUL. THE REASON GIVEN WAS "OIL SLUDGE" DUE TO LACK OF PROPER SERVICE. THE SERVICE DEPT QUOTED US 8,000 DOLLARS TO DO THE REPAIRS. UNFORTUNATELY WE DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY SO WE ARE GOING TO TRY AND FIND A NEW ENGINE ON OUR OWN.