Four problems related to vehicle speed control have been reported for the 2000 Lexus RX300. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
While driving, the car jerks and then cuts off. This has happened at least half a dozen times within the last 2 months. Engine light is constantly on, even after servicing the car at local Lexus dealer. When car is parked, I noticed exhaust fume smells heavily with gas.
With little/no warning, automatic transmission (2wd) failed. All gears (p,r,n,d,2,1) worked like neutral gear. If this would've occurred a few minutes earlier, my children and I (located at a sharp turn over a steep hill) could've been seriously injured or killed. Apparently, this is a common problem in Lexus Rx300's from year 1999-2002. How many early transmission failures does it take to have a recall?.
My parents own a 2000 Lexus Rx300. On the way back from a wedding, the car started to accelerate and my dad could not stop the car. He had to go over through a gas station parking lot to avoid cars stopped at a light. He said the engine kept revving high and the car kept accelerating. He was able to stop the car by running the wheels along the curb. After my dad and my mom were safe, he called me. I rushed over to the car and checked it out. No check engine lights and no other known issues. I called aaa for a tow. I started the car and everything seemed to be okay so I moved it into the parking lot away from the street. I let the car sit for awhile and made sure there was nothing wrong with it. I also checked the floor mats just in case something was stuck but nothing was. They ended up driving home that night. We had to service the brakes because they were all worn from the ordeal.
I experienced and had an accident due to the revving engine issue with Toyota/Lexus. I have a 2000 (used) Lexus SUV and was pulling into a parking space in the lot of a business when the accident happened. I did not have my foot on the gas as I was allowing the car to "creep" into position but had it hovering and/or touching the brake pedal. All of a sudden the engine revved and starting speeding forward, again without my foot on the gas pedal. It happened suddenly and quickly and I immediately hit a sign at the front of the parking space. This set off the air bags, jamming me back in the seat and pulling the seat back. I could not longer reach the pedals but I was stunned by the seat belt explosion. The car went over the sign (flattened it), over a low cement barricade, and into the side of the business. I was not seriously injured due to the air bags but the front of the car was badly damaged. I've never received an type of recall notice and nothing has been done to repair the defect. I'm driving a very scary time bomb.