2000 LEXUS RX300 Complaints

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.

I PURCHASED A 2000 TOYOTA SUV. AND SUBSEQUENTLY HAD THE VEHICLE GO INTO SUDDEN COMPLETE IRREPERABLE ENGINE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING ON A BUSY ROAD. IT HAD BEEN A "RECALL", OR SERVICE BULLETIN THAT THE ITEM WAS A "GEL" PROBLEM (OR SLUDGE) WITH THE OIL IN THE MAKE AND MODEL OF THE CAR. ALTHOUGH THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM, LEXUS OF MONTEREY CLAIMED THAT THEY'D NEVER SEEN SUCH A THING AND THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED $400.00 WORTH OF DIAGNOSTICS TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. ON THE ADVICE OF MY USUAL AUTO MECHANIC, I CONTACTED LEXUS AND REPORTED A POSSIBLE "GEL" PROBLEM. LEXUS IMMEDIATELY SENT SOMEONE OUT TO CHECK THE VEHICLE AND PRONOUNCED IT THE MANUFACTURERS' PROBLEM THAT HAD BEEN SENT OUT AS A NOTICE TO OWNERS OF THE AUTOMOBILES. THEY PAID FOR A NEW ENGINE, AND ALSO ADVISED US THAT ALL INCEDINTAL WOULD BE COVERED. LEXUS OF MONTEREY PENINSULA DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED THE $400.00 FOR THE DIAGNOSTICS, AND WOULD NOT PAY ANY COSTS FOR A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE, AS PROMISED IN THE NOTICE LEXUS SENT US. LEXUS OF MONTEREY HAS MY VEHICLE, AND I AM REFUSING TO PAY THE DIAGNOSTIC COSTS. I AM ASKING FOR MY AUTO, FREE OF ENCUMBERANCES, AND WOULD LIKE COSTS OF RETREIVING A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE TO BE COVERED AT THEIR EXPENSE.*AK

WE PURCHASED A 2000 LEXUS RX300 WITH A V-6 IN APRIL 2003 WITH 36,000 MILES. WE HAVE RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT THE ENGINE HAD BEEN REBUILT DUE TO SLUDGE PROBLEMS AT 31,000. WE CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 5,000 - 7,500 MILES. I HAVE NEVER HAD AN OIL RELATED ENGINE PROBLEM IN 28 YEARS OF DRIVING AND HAVE NEVER WORRIED ABOUT KEEPING OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS. I ONLY HAVE RECEIPTS FROM 44,000 AND 60,000 MILES. THE PLACE THAT CHANGED IT DOES NOT HAVE RECORD OF THE TWO OTHER CHANGES AT ABOUT 39,000 AND 51,000. I HAVE COPIES OF THE SPECIAL ADJUSTMENT LETTER THAT YOU REFER TO IN YOUR TSB'S. LEXUS HOWEVER, IS TELLING ME SINCE WE ARE NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER THAT THIS LETTER AND OFFER DO NOT APPLY TO US. THEY HAVE OFFERED TO PAY HALF OF THE REPAIR WHICH WE HAVE WORKED DOWN TO OUR PORTION $4,200. THEY HAVE NOT PULLED THE HEADS OR THE OIL PAN AND YET THEY KNOW THAT THE WHOLE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS TELLS ME THAT THEY HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH THIS ISSUE BEFORE. OUR VEHICLE HAS NEEDED AN ENGINE EVERY 30,000 MILES. I HAVE KEPT ENGINES UP TO OVER 120,000 MILES WITHOUT FAILURE. IF WE HAVE THEM FIX THE ENGINE I AM TOLD THAT THEY WILL MACHINE THE HEADS AT THE LEXUS DEALER, NOT REPLACE THEM, YET THE BLOCK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. MY INVESTIGATING ON THE INTERNET LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEM IS IN THE HEADS. JUST MACHINING THEM AND PUTTING THEM BACK ON WILL ONLY ENSURE THAT I WILL BE DEALING WITH THEM IN ANOTHER 30,000 MILES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. IT SEEMS THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO STAND BEHIND BECAUSE WE ARE NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNERS OR AT LEAST THAT SEEMS TO BE THEIR EASIEST ROUTE TO TAKE. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN UNUSEABLE FOR A MONTH NOW AND THERE IS NO END IN SITE.

AFTER APPROXIMATELY 62,000 ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE OXYGEN SENSOR WAS REPLACED BY MY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. AFTER THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON, AND I REATTEMPTED TO USE MY LOCAL SHOP 3 TIMES I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER. THE PROBLEM IS THE MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR/METER. THIS SEEMS VERY PREMATURE FOR THIS TYPE OF PART TO FAIL. FOR A AUTO COMAPNY THAT PROFESSES QUALITY I WAS DISAPPOINTED FOR THIS PROBLEM TO ARISE. I AM PAST WARRANTY AND AM PETITIONING LEXUS TO PAY FOR SOME OF THE REPAIR. *AK

CONSUMER LOST CONSCIOUSNESS BRIEFLY WHICH RESULTED IN ACCIDENT.*MR AS A RESULT THE DRIVER HIT A ROAD SIGH WHICH CAUSED THE WINDSHIELD TO BREAK. THE TOP OF THE DRIVERS HEAD HIT THE MOON ROOF AND SHATTERED THE GLASS. AS A RESULT THOUSANDS OF GLASS SHARDS BECAME EMBEDDED INTO THE CONSUMER'S SCALP. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS WAS NOT SAFETY GLASS. THE DRIVER ALSO SUSTAIN EYE INJURY WHEN SHARDS OF GLASS RESULTED IN A HEMORRHAGE AND SCARRED EYEBALL. OPTHAMOLOGIST RECOMMENDED PLASTIC SURGERY. *NM

PROBLEMS WITH UNINTENDED ACCELERATION IN 2000 LEXUS 300.*MR WITHIN THREE MONTH OF THE CONSUMER TAKING DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THREE INCIDENTS OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER TRADED THE VEHICLE IN FOR A 2002 RX 300 AND HASN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS. *NM

REAR SUSPENSION BROKEN UPON IMPACT WITH ROAD DEBRIS.*MR THE VEHICLE TRAVELED AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND WOBBLED. THE REAR CONTROL ARMS WERE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER HAS THE OLD PART IN HIS POSSESSION. THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT THE CONTROL ARMS WERE MADE OF THIN TUBING, APPROXIMATELY .6 INCHES IN OUTSIDE DIAMETER AND WELDED TOGETHER. THE CONTROL ARM BROKE RIGHT NEXT TO THE WELDING SPOT. *NM

WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SLOT IN A PARKING GARAGE, MY CAR ACCELERATED SUDDENLY, CRASHING INTO THE CONCRETE WALL. BOTH AIR BAGS WERE DEPLOYED, FILLING CAR WITH SMOKE AND LEAVING DRIVER'S ARM WITH SOME KIND OF BURN AND SCABBING. DRIVER'S KNEES HIT DASHBOARD FORCEFULLY.*AK

WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SLOT IN A GARAGE, MY LEXUS RX300 SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND SLAMMED INTO A CONCRETE WALL. BOTH FRONT SEAT PASSENGER AIR BAGS WERE DEPLOYED.

RESOLVING OIL SLUDGE REPAIR PROBLEM ON USED RX 300 WITH THIRD PARTY LEXUS DEALER--CAR BROKE DOWN ON 1200 MILE ROAD TRIP. LEXUS PAID FOR RENTAL CAR FOR RETURN TRIP. REPAIR IS UNDER WARRANTY. MY PROBLEM IS THE DEALER WE PURCHASED THE CAR FROM MUST HAVE KNOWN THIS PROBLEM EXISTED WITH THESE VEHICLES AND HAD AMPLE EVIDENCE OF LACK OF OIL CHANGES IN THE REPAIR HISTORY, YET DID NOT PULL THE VALVE COVER OFF THIS VEHICLE TO DETERMINE IF OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM EXISTED. ISN'T THAT STANDARD PRACTICE FOR ALL USED CAR INSPECTIONS? AM TOLD BY THIRD PARTY LEXUS DEALER THERER IS A MAINTENANCE PROCEDURE THAT REQUIRES THIS SLUDGE INSPECTION ON ALL V-6 TOYOTA ENGINES, YET DEALER WE PURCHASED CAR FROM SAYS THIS IS NOT REQUIRED.