2002 LEXUS RX300 Complaints

I'M WRITING TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE. IT STARTED AWHILE AGO, I HEARD A WHINING NOISE & HESITATION,HAD LEXUS CHECK IT OUT. THEY SAID & DOCUMENTED IN MY PROFILE IT WAS MY TIRE TREADS. I GOT THE BEST GOODYEAR TIRES FOR THAT VEHICLE AT THE TIME FORTERA'S. NOISE RATING I BELIEVE IS 8 OUT OF 10 (10 BEING QUIETEST). I LET IT GO & HAD MANY MORE OIL CHANGES SINCE THEN & NO MENTION OF ANY FLUIDS NEEDING TO BE CHANGED. MY CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN DEALER SERVICED WHEREVER I LIVED. PAST 4YRS BEEN @ THOMPSON LEXUS,50 SWAMP ROAD,DOYLESTOWN, PA 18902. VIN:[XXX]. I CHANGE MY OIL RELIGIOUSLY EVERY 8WKS OR SO (MY OIL IS EXCEPTIONALLY CLEAN LIKE A NEW ENGINE) NOTHING WAS EVER SAID ABOUT MY FLUIDS. NONE OF MY PAPERWORK SHOWS RECOMMENDATIONS OF ANY FLUIDS NOR WERE THERE ANY VERBAL RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT FLUID CHANGES.THEY DID RECOMMEND A TIMING BELT WHICH I DID BUT THEY ALSO STATED THAT I SHOULD HAVE MY WATER PUMP DONE AS WELL EVEN THOUGH NOTHING IS/WAS WRONG WITH IT. SO, I DID WHAT THEY SAID. BUT THINGS GOT WORSE. USUALLY WHEN I AM AT A STOP LIGHT/SIGN &/OR MAKING A LEFT TURN FROM A STOPPED POSITION & IM PULLING OUT INTO INTERSECTION, THE RPMS TEND TO GO UP BUT MY VEHICLE DOESN'T ACCELERATE/RESPOND WITH THE PRESSING OF THE GAS PEDAL. WITH THIS ONGOING INTERMITTENT ACCELERATION RESPONSE, IM SCARED BUT I NEED THE CAR TO GET FAMILY AROUND. I HAD ANOTHER OIL CHANGE & I TOLD THEM TO CHANGE TRANSMISSION FLUID. THEY ADVISED ME THE WHINING WAS THE TRANSMISSION & LEXUS DEALERSHIP DID NOT RECOMMEND THAT THE TRANS OIL TO BE CHANGED & IT IS A WASTE OF MY $100. I GOT IT VERBALLY & IN WRITING ON MY SERVICE RECEIPT. I BELIEVE THE ISSUE AT HAND (BASED ON RESEARCH) IS THE TRANSMISSION & DIRECTLY RELATED TO WORKMANSHIP (POOR DESIGN) & ALSO THE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, OF TECHNICIANS, TO CHECK FLUIDS & RECOMMEND CHANGING CERTAIN FLUIDS AT CERTAIN TIMES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHILE DRIVING OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE TRANSMISSION STARTED MAKING VERY LOUD NOISE AND THEN GOT TOTALLY STUCK AND VEHICLE COULD NOT MOVE. IT WAS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO LOAD AND ESPECIALLY UNLOAD THE CAR FROM THE FLATBED TRUCK. MY MECHANIC EVALUATED THE TRANSMISSION AND IT WAS BEYOND REPAIR AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS TOTALLY BLACK. OF NOTE, THE MANUFACTURER'S STICKER ON THE TRANSMISSION SPECIFICALLY INDICATED NOT TO CHANGE TRANSMISSION FLUID. *TR

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