2001 LEXUS RX300 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LEXUS RX300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND. SHE THEN SHIFTED INTO DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED AN ABNORMALLY LOUD THUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 105,000.

NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS APPLIED. TRANSMISSION STOPPED WORKING AT TRAFFIC LIGHT WHILE GOING HOME FROM WORK. WAS FINALLY ABLE TO MOVE FROM LIGHT INTO NEARBY PARKING LOT. HAD TO CALL TOW TRUCK FROM THERE. TOLD BY DEALER THAT THIS WAS RARE OCCASION AND THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE. HAVE LEARNED SINCE THAT IT HAS HAPPENED QUITE FREQUENTLY. THIS HAPPENED AROUND 97,800 MILES. A COST OF AROUND $3957 FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION. *TR

MY VEHICLE WAS STOPPED FOR A TRAFFIC SIGNAL AND SHIFTER IN "DRIVE". WHEN LIGHT TURNED GREEN I APPLIES GAS AND THE VEHICLE WENT INTO REVERSE WITH THE SHIFTER STILL IN THE DRIVE POSITION. TRANSMISSION WILL NEED REPLACING. REPAIRING DEALER ADVISED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL VEHICLE. *TR

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ON MY 2001 LEXUS RX300 FWD WENT OUT AT 142,000 MILES. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASE NEW FROM A LEXUS DEALER AND SERVICED, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SERVICE MANUAL, AT THE SAME DEALER. MOST RECENTLY THE TRANSMISSION WAS SERVICED AT 135,000 MILES AND ALL WAS FINE. ON JAN. 8 THE CAR WAS ON THE FREEWAY AND THE TRANSMISSION DROPPED INTO A LOWER GEAR FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND THE ENGINE REVVED CLOSE TO RED LINE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT COME ON. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER JUST BEFORE ENTERING A TUNNEL. TRANSMISSION FLUID LOOKS FINE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND I'VE BEEN TOLD IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF $5000+ FOR PARTS AND LABOR. *TR

2001 RX3000 TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 178,000 MILES WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXIT OFF-RAMP OF HIGHWAY STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF RAMP AND ALMOST CAUSING CRASH AND WAS REPLACED TO THEN FAIL AGAIN AT 192,000 MILES. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND MY CAR WENT INTO NEUTRAL. I WAS MOVING ABOUT 40 MPH AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. *TR

FAULTY LEXUS TRANSMISSION FAILURE BY MANUFACTURER'S DESIGN HAS CAUSED AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR TO THE CAR AND I CANNOT GET ANY HELP FROM LEXUS. WHY HASN'T NHTSA INVESTIGATED LEXUS FOR PUTTING A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS TRANSMISSION IN THE CAR....DO PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE FIRST? *TR

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2001 LEXUS RX300 FAILED WITH A LITTLE OVER 108K MILES. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I HAD TROUBLE GETTING IT IN REVERSE 2 DAYS BEFORE - THOUGHT IT WAS A FLUKE. THEN I HAD TROUBLE STARTING IT FOR 2 DAYS. ON 8/16 IT STARTED FINE, SO I DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. TWICE ON THE WAY THERE, IT JERKED & HESITATED WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP - I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED. I AM THE 2ND OWNER - I BOUGHT IT IN 2003 WITH 41,462 MILES ON IT. IT WAS LEXUS CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED. THE CAR FAX REPORT NOTED THE ORIGINAL OWNER REGISTERED IT AS PRIVATE/PERSONAL USE & NO ISSUES WERE NOTED. I HAVE HAD ALL SERVICE DONE BY THE DEALER, EXCEPT THE LAST OIL CHANGE. I'VE ONLY DRIVEN ABOUT 9K MILES PER YEAR, DRIVE IT RESPONSIBLY & HAVE NEVER TOWED WITH IT. VERY FRIGHTENING THAT I HAD FEW SYMPTOMS, AND NO WARNING LIGHT TO ALERT ME THERE WAS A PROBLEM. LEXUS DEALER WANTS $4,300 TO REPLACE IT WITH A LEXUS REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION. I HAVE NOT DECIDED WHAT TO DO. I'M SEEING LOTS OF INFORMATION ONLINE ABOUT HOW BAD THESE TRANSMISSIONS ARE, AND THEY OFTEN NEED REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES. SCARES ME TO KNOW I COULD REPLACE IT, HAVE IT FAIL & PERHAPS BE IN AN ACCIDENT. I AM A REALTOR & FRIGHTENING THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT WITH CLIENTS IN MY VEHICLE. MY EXPECTATIONS OF LEXUS QUALITY & SAFETY HAVE NOT BEEN MET. *TR

2001 LEXUS RX 300 - TRANSMISSION FAILURE APPEARS TO BE COMMON. MINE WENT OUT ABOUT 1 YR AGO. CAR WOULDN'T MOVE AT ALL. HAD TO HAVE IT REBUILT WITH MORE DEPENDABLE PARTS. I DON'T HAVE THE OLD PARTS. THE SHOP I WENT TO SAID THEY FREQUENTLY HAVE THEM IN WITH THIS ISSUE. *TR

2001 LEXUS RX300 IN TOWN DRIVING ALL OF A SUDDEN THE WHEELS SEEMED TO BE LOCKED UP, ANY SPEED ABOVE A CRAWL WAS ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG VIBRATIONS AND LOUD NOISE. BARELY MADE IT HOME WITH EMERGENCY FLASHER ON AND CRAWLING ALONG. AFTER PARKING THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL LOOKED COCKEYED AND AN UPPER ROD TO THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL HAD DETACHED. WILL GET AAA TO TAKE IT TO A LEXUS DEALER TOMORROW. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 60K MILES. JUST GLAD I WASN'T ON A FREEWAY OR FAR FROM HOME, BUT WAS SURPRISED AND SHAKEN BY THIS. *TR