1999 LEXUS RX300 Complaints

EVEN THOUGH HAVING ALL MAJOR SERVICE PERFORMED TO THE LEXUS OWNERS MANUAL SPECS, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 110K MILES, LEFT MY WIFE STRANDED IN A REMOTE LOCATION, AND NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. IT NEEDS REPLACING AT A COST OF $4000. I AM AWARE OF HUNDREDS OF OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE RX300. *TR

I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH MY 1999 LEXUS RX300. I HAVE NOTICE VIA THE INTERNET THAT THESE ARE WIDE SPREAD PROBLEMS BUT NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN OCCURRING. THESE ARE THE INCIDENCES THAT I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH: * DEBRIS CAN GET INTO THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE THAT ALLOWS AIR INTO THE ENGINE CAUSING THE ENGINE TO HAVE A LOW IDLE SPEED, OR STALL WHEN IT IS COLD. (THIS OCCURRED IN THE PAST, PERHAPS 2004. LEXUS EVENTUALLY REPLACED MY ENGINE IN 2005.) * SLUDGE CAN BUILD UP IN THE ENGINE. I ROUTINELY HAVE TO HAVE THE SLUDGE CLEANED OUT TO AVOID ENGINE PROBLEMS. * THE 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT COMES ON BECAUSE THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR SENDS INCORRECT INFORMATION TO THE ENGINE'S COMPUTER. THIS CAN CAUSE A LOSS OF POWER ON ACCELERATION. (THIS STARTED OCCURRING ON DECEMBER 11, 2008.) * THE 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT COMES ON BECAUSE A COMPONENT OF THE OXYGEN SENSOR STOPS WORKING, AND THE CAR IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROPER RATIO OF AIR TO FUEL FOR THE ENGINE. (THIS HAS OCCURRED IN THE PAST, PERHAPS 2005. WE HAD TO PAY FOR NEW AIR FLOW SENSORS.) * LIGHT BULBS FREQUENTLY BURN OUT IN THE TAILLIGHTS. * THE FRONT SUSPENSION MAKES VERY LOUD NOISES WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS OR ROUGH ROADS. THE SUPPORT BUSHING FOR THE SUSPENSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. (THIS BEGAN HAPPENING IN DECEMBER 2007. LEXUS TOLD US WE NEED NEW STRUTS.) * A THROBBING WIND NOISE FROM THE MOONROOF. ONE CANNOT HAVE THE MOONROOF OPEN AT THE SAME TIME AS THE WINDOWS OR ONES EAR DRUMS EXPERIENCE SEVERE PAIN. (THIS HAS EXISTED FROM PURCHASE.) I BELIEVE THE 1999 LEXUS RX 300 MIGHT VERY WELL BE A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR THE LEMON LAWS, YET WE'RE NOT SEEING PROBLEMS BEING ADDRESSED WITH RECALLS. *TR

I HAD A 1999 LEXUS RX300. IT HAD TRANSMISSION SENSOR REPLACED AT ~86K MILES. AND RECENTLY, AT 140K MILES, THE TRANSMISSION TOTALLY BROKE DOWN. FROM READING HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/VIEWMORECOMMENTS_REVIEW_54694_4.HTML, THERE ARE SO MANY 1999 RX300 OWNERS HAD THE SAME TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. *TR

ON 12-31-2007 MY HUSBAND AND I WERE COMING HOME FROM A RESTAURANT. WE LIVE IN THE COUNTRY,SO THERE ARE NO STREET LIGHTS AND IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT. WE WERE DRIVING HOME AND ALL OF A SUDDEN OUR LEXUS STOPPED ACCELERATING WAS NO PLACE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD,NEEDLESS TO SAY THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PULL IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. SI WE HAD TO SIT THERE IN THE ROAD. AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME THE LEXUS WOULD PULL AGAIN NOT FAR AND THEN IT WOULD QUIT PULLING. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT IT. SINCE JANUARY 2008 I HAVE READ SO MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I FILED A REPORT WITH NHTSA AND AS FAR AS I KNOW THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN INVESTIGATION YOU DON'T THINK TRANSMISSION FAILURE IS A HAZARD PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FIXED,MY LEXUS WILL PULL A SHORT DISTANT SO IF KNOW ONE THINKS THIS IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO DO AN INVESTIGATION OR NO ONE SEES THE HAZARD THAT COULD HAPPEN. THEN I AM LEFT WITH NO CHOICE BUT TO START DRIVING MY 1999 LEXUS RX 300. I HAVE BEEN WAITING SINCE JANUARY 2008 AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE NOR HAVE I HEARD BACK FROM ANYONE. AND AS FAR AS THE DEALERSHIP ALL I GET IS THE RUN AROUND. AND TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH I AM TIRED OF IT. SOMEONE PLEASE GIVE US CONSUMERS AN ANSWER WE DESERVE THAT MUCH. TO THIS DAY I HAVE NO VEHICLE TO DRIVE. DO I SEE A HAZARD YES. SOMEONE PLEASE HEAR OUR CRIES. WE NEED YOUR HELP. *TR

I CHANGE MOTOR OIL EVERY 5,000 MILES, AS PER MANUFACTURER'S SCHEDULE. ALSO PERFORMED A 'LARGE' ($1,400) MAINTENANCE AT LEXUS DEALER. CAR ('99 RX300 AWD) HAD REAR ENGINE SEAL LEAK AT 68,000 MILES. IT SEEMS A LARGE NUMBER OF THE RX300S EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM, DUE TO HARDENING (DEFECTIVE) SEAL MATERIAL ABUTTING A HOT CRANKCASE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 LEXUS RX300. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 75 MPH, THE VEHICLE DROPPED TO LOW GEAR AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PAST 25 MPH. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE REPAIRS WERE MADE AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. LESS THAN FOUR YEARS LATER, WHILE TRAVELING AFTER AN EXTENDED DRIVE, HE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP SIGN. THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SLIP INTO FIRST GEAR INTERMITTENTLY. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC SERVICED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION EITHER NEEDED TO BE REBUILT OR REPLACED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 240,000.

WHILE RUNNING LOCAL ERRANDS ON 9-1-08, MY 1999 LEXUS RX 300 SUV EXPERIENCED SUDDEN FAILURE OF AWD AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, RESULTING IN RAPID DECELERATION AND MOMENTARY LOSS OF CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER, WHICH STATED THAT TRANSMISSION WAS DESTROYED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. ESTIMATED COST IS $5,100. *TR

I WAS SLOWLY BACKING UP THROUGH A NARROW EXIT, AND THEN I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, SLOWLY PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CAR JUST TOOK OFF LIKE A BULLET, I HIT THE WALL OF A HOUSE, I WAS ABOUT 10 OR 15 FEET FROM THE WALL, IT WAS SO UNEXPECTED, FAST AND SCARY THAT I FROZE, I WAS WITH THREE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE CAR, WE WERE LUCKY THAT NOBODY GOT HURT. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THIS IS THE ONLY TIME THIS HAPPENED. *TR

I HAVE A 1999 LEXUS RX300...TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 150K MILES NO WARNING JUST STRANDED ME WHILE OUT RUNNING ERRANDS. THE COST TO FIX THIS WAS 3K AND NO CAR DOOR OVER A WEEK. THIS CAR ALSO HAD AN ENGINE THAT LEXUS REPLACED DUE TO OIL SLUDGING. REALLY WANTED TO KEPT HE CAR UNTIL 200K BUT NOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. *TR

NOTICED INABILITY OF THE TRANSMISSION TO CONSISTENTLY UPSHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE IN FREEWAY CONDITIONS WITH MINIMUM LOAD, FLAT SURFACE. *TR