2000 LEXUS RX300 Complaints

OVER THE LAST 10-11 MONTHS VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING BRAKE PROBLEMS. VEHICLE TRAVELLING 25MPH, WHEN BRAKES ARE DEPRESSED, PEDAL WILL GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THEN RETURN TO NORMAL AFTER A FEW SECONDS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN CHECKED BY DEALER 3 TIMES, AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM. CONSUMER SCARED TO DRIVE VEHICLE FEARING LOSS OF BRAKES.*AK *JB

THE BRAKES HAVE FAILED AT LEAST 6 TIMES. THE VEHICLE IS USUALLY GOING ABOUT 25-30 MPH AND THE BRAKE IS ALREADY ENGAGED WHEN IT FAILS. THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR AND A FEW SECONDS LATER RE-ENGAGES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT GONE THROUGH ANY STANDING WATER, THE ROADS HAVE BEEN DRY AND THERE HAS NOT BEEN "PANIC" BRAKING. THE DEALERSHIP, KEYES LEXUS IN VAN NUYS, HAS BEEN UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND REFUSES TO ATTEMPT TO REPLACE ANY PARTS. WE DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE.*AK

ENGINE HAS A JELL LIKE BUILDUP AND VALVES KNOCK. THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURHTER INFORMATION.*AK

CAR'S ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER WHEN THE CAR WAS IN A GARAGE AFTER 5 DAYS OF NO USE. *AK

I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR A NORMAL SERVICE, AND WAS IMFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT I HAD A SLUDGE BUILDUP. THEY TRIED TO BLAME ME FOR IT BY SAYING THAT IT WAS DUE TO POOR MAINTENANCE ON THE CAR. I DISPUTED THIS SINCE I HAD RECEIPTS TO SHOW I HAD THE CAR SERVICED WITHIN THE NORMAL TIMEFRAME REQUIRED BY LEXUS. (HOWEVER NOT SERVICED AT THE DEALER) THEY TOLD ME THIS PROBLEM/REPAIR WOULD COST ME $6000. TO $12000 TO CLEAN OR REPLACE THE ENGINE. I FELT THIS WAS A DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE ENGINE AND SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I HAVE SINCE FOUND NUMEROUS PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, OR KNOW OF SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. 6 MOS LATER I SPOKE WITH AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND HIS VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER AT NO COST. THE DEALER STATES THIS IS A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS, EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AGAIN AND THEY ARE NOW WILLING TO COVER HALF OF THE REPAIR, THOUGH I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE LABOR OF APPROX. $2500. I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE COMPLETELY COVERED BY LEXUS AND NOT PUT BACK ONTO THE CONSUMER. ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED AS REQUIRED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. I BELIEVE THEY ARE TRYING TO COVER UP A DEFECT IN THIS VEHICLE, SINCE THIS WOULD BE A EXTREMELY COSTLY RECALL. I WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT YOU CAN NOT HAVE SLUDGE BUILD UP IF YOU ARE GETTING YOUR CAR SERVICED WITHIN THE REQUIRED TIMEFRAME, WHICH I DID. SO WHY DO I HAVE A SLUDGE BUILD UP? ANSWER: MUST BE A DEFECT IN THIS VEHICLE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE.*AK

WHEN BRAKING THERE WAS A POPPING NOISE, AND VEHICLE TOOK LONGER TO SLOW DOWN. CONSUMER HAD TO APPLY MORE PRESSURE. THIS PROGRESSED TO CLICKING AND SQUEALING ASSOCIATED WITH SMELL OF FIRE, LIKE ROTORS WERE GRINDING. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY LUBED THE BRAKES, AND PIVOTED POINTS. THIS STOPPED THE NOISE, BUT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER HAS CONTINUED TO HAVE THE PROBLEM EVERY 3000 MILES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

SHORTLY AFTER I PUCHASED MY VEHICLE I BEGAN HAVING FLAT TIRES AT 1200,1700 AND 2018 MILES. WHEN THE TIRES WENT FLAT, THEY WERE OFF THE RIM FLAT, DUE TO THE SOFT CONSTRUCTION FOR THE RUBBER FOR THE LUXURY RIDE. THE TIRE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE PROBLEM WAS REMEDIED WITH REPLACEMENTS. AT OR AROUND THE SAME TIME I NOTICED PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. IE, EXCESSIVE SQUEELING, POPPING AND DELAY IN STOPPING. I HAVE MADE 4 TRIPS TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR CONSISTING OF LUBRICATION, REAR PAD REPLACEMENT, FRONT PAD REPLACEMENT, REPLACEMENT OF BRAKE PAD HARDWARE WITH THE HARDWARE REPLACEMENT TAKING 2 WEEKS TO REPAIR AND THAT WAS AT 12000 MILES. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AGAIN REGARDING THE BRAKES AT 12913 MILES. I ALSO STATED CONCERN ABOUT THE THIN PAINT JOB ON THE AUTO AND HOW MANY CHIPS WHERE ON THE CAR AT WHICH POINT I WAS INFORMED THAT SEVERAL CUSTOMERS WHERE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE PAINT ON THEIR CARS. *AK

TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR A ROUTINE CHECK ,AND AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS CONSUMER NOTICE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING DIFFERENTLY. TOOK BACK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND, THEY STATED THAT ENGINE NEEDED REPLACING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR BRAKES. ON AUGUST 15, 2001 ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER. *AK

EVEN THOUGH THE OIL ON MY RX 300 WAS CHANGED 2,700 MILES AGO, THE ENGINE DEVELOPED ENGINE SLUDGE IN THE 3.0, 6 CYLINDER. LEXUS IS TRYING TO BLAME IT ON ME FOR NOT CHANGING THE OIL AT THEIR DEALERS. THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME $500.00 JUST TO LOOK TO SEE WHAT THE INTERNAL DAMAGE IS AND THEN ANYWHERE FROM A RE BUILD OF THE ENGINE FOR $6000 TO $8000 OR AN ENTIRE NEW ENGINE FOR $13,000.00 PLUS LABOR. I HAVE SINCE FOUND NUMEROUS INDIVIDUALS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM ALL CITING THE SAME ENGINE, SYMPTOMS ETC. ON TOP OF THIS, I WITNESSED THE LEXUS SERVICE MANAGER "RUSHING" TO TAKE DIGITAL PHOTOS OF THE INSIDE OF THE ENGINE AND THEY QUICKLY DOCUMENTED AN "OWNER NEGLECT" FILE IN THEIR MASTER LEXUS RECORDS. AFTER TALKING WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE AND MECHANICS, WE NOW BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A COVER UP ON THE PART OF LEXUS TO AVOID WHAT COULD BE ONE OF THE MOST COSTLY RECALLS IN HISTORY. ANY HELP PLEASE.....?*AK