Transmission Noise Problems of Lexus RX300

I was driving to work till I heard grinding noise then I realized car does not accelerate any more then it towed away to mechanic shop and they told me it is the transmission.

See all problems of the 2002 Lexus RX300 🔎.

While driving the car on city streets I attempted a u turn with the vehicle as I was completing the u turn the transmission made a weird noise and then there was nothing. No forward or reverse and when I put the vehicle in park it acted like it was in neutral. I had to put the emergency brake on to keep the car from rolling. Had to have the vehicle towed to my house 115 miles away. He car only has 145,000 miles on it. Car starts up and runs great but will not engage the transmission. The vehicle is still financed so I need to get it fixed however the cheapest rebuild I can find is $5,000. 00. I called Toyota and asked if I could trade it in on a new car and they said not with the transmission fixed because they would lose money on it. I feel Toyota should fix this due to the fact there are numerous complaints about this issue with other Lexus owners. I still owe $5,500. 00 on the loan and cant afford the cost of another transmission. I think Toyota should fix this since there are a lot of complaints about the drive train.

See all problems of the 2001 Lexus RX300 🔎.

Transmission failure: started to make noise couple of days ago and finally failed while on the road. Engine is running good, but no gear engagement. All drive train position seems like the car is in natural. Excessive transmission failures was reported by other Rx300 owners. Cost to service re-build transmission is $3,551. 00.

After first having to replace my transmission at 75,000 miles. It seems I will have to pay to do it again at 186,000. The problem started out with the vehicle having trouble climbing a hill. I changed the transmission oil and two weeks later the vehicle move about three feet from a parking stall made a loud noise jerked to a stop and would not move. I was able to put it into drive and repark the car. It will not reverse and had to be towed to a mechanic.

See all problems of the 2000 Lexus RX300 🔎.

I started hearing a noise when the car was cold and started it. The noise went away after I started driving it. After a while, I took it to a mechanic, who told me that the noise was that the transmission was failing and it will cost over $5,000 to replace. In searching about it, I was told that the company knew that the transmission on the 1999, 2000 and 2001's RX 300's were a problem, but they decided not to do anything because the troubles would start after the warranty is over. . . When I purchased my car, I was planning on having this car for a long, long time. I feel that the RX-300 was misrepresented to me, the company knew that the life of this car was going to be cut short and decided to do nothing about it.

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.

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).

Automatic transmission failure at 92k miles. While driving at 35mph heard a clunk noise and then chattering from the engine area. Was able to get safely to the side of the road. Vehicle lost forward and reverse and was towed to the repair shop. New transmission cost $3500.

The contact owns a 1999 Lexus Rx300. The contact stated that she noticed a noise on the front end of the vehicle and within a few minutes while driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle suddenly stopped moving forward. She turned the vehicle off and tried to restart it; however, after 10 attempts to restart the vehicle she was unable to do so. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer offered her a 50% discount off of the total repair costs. The vehicle had not been repaired to-date. The current and failure mileages were 86,192.

See all problems of the 1999 Lexus RX300 🔎.

2001 Lexus Rx300 transmission failure. I am one of hundreds (possibly thousands) that have had to have the transmission replaced at 88k miles. My car has been regularly maintained by the dealer. Noise - whining sound- began in engine without real performance problems; however, when I took it to the dealer I was told the transmission was failing and needed a complete replacement. Cost to repair is $3,888. 27 not including taxes.

2000 RX 300 started having a whining noise when first started to go up hills when cold. Transmission then started to slip on way over mountains. I was able to drive to town at slow speed before transmission failed.

The contact owns a 2000 Lexus Rx300. The contact heard a screeching sound that occurred intermittently when the vehicle was started. The sound would cease several minutes later. The contact believed that the transmission was the cause for the noise. She also noticed that the outer casing for the headlights turned a milky white color, which hinders effective lighting. The vehicle had not been diagnosed and the manufacturer was not notified. The current mileage was approximately 76,900 and failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

The contact owns a 2000 Lexus Rx300. While driving 47 mph, the contact heard a noise and then felt a jolt in the transmission. The vehicle stalled in the middle of the road. The engine was still running, but the vehicle would not move. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop. The dealer stated that the repair would cost $4,000. The failure mileage was 100,000.

1. Grinding noise. 2. Transmission failure. Car stopped moving. 3. Transmission replaced.

I own 2001 model year of Lexus Rx300 2wd, and I bought it pre-own certified by a Lexus dealer in northern California back in October, 2004. I strictly followed the maintenance procedures recommended by Lexus and changed defective parts at Lexus dealers, and kept all the documents in file. However, the transmission on July 16, 2008, with mileage of 77,450, failed functioning normal with a sharp whining noise. This was when car got started cold and pulled backward and moved forward in about 10 minutes. My car was diagnosed on July 15, 2008 by Lexus dealer who told me that the transmission is worn and the total cost for replacement will be some $6,500. A lot of such reports were listed in the auto clubs and blogs. I lawfully file this case for a recall and full repair by Lexus at no cost to me upon presence of proven track records of car maintenance. I hope this will be brought to the court for settlement in an earlier date no later than August 31, 2008.

Transmission failed at approximately 110,000 miles on 2000 RX-200. Ran fine until it started making a grinding noise. The transmission had to be completely replaced (including the case). Cost $4500. 00.

Lexus RX 300 transmission failing. Making noise. Have had two mechanics look at it. Appears to be a faulty design.

The contact owns a 1999 Lexus RX-300. The contact stated that he heard a crackling noise when he applied the brake then the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that ten minutes later he was able to restart. He took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the transmission caused the failure. As of January 7, 2008, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. The failure mileage was 89,000 and current mileage was 89,000. Updated 02-14-08. The consumer stated the vehicle would frequently loose power.

After 101,000 miles the transmission on the 2001 Lexus Rx300 simply went out. I could not go in reverse or drive. I parked in a stall at my son's preschool and after dropping him off, I put the car in reverse to back out. At first the card didn't move, then a quick jolt and a clanking noise and that was it. I have regularly serviced the car, and just cleaned the transmission not more that 2 months ago. That was the third transmission flush I had done since 2001. My father owns a repair shop so maintenance has always been kept up.

A little over one year ago my car was making a noise and the check engine lights came on. I took it to my usual mechanic and they said it was the transmission. A friend of mine with the same make and model of vehicle had just recently experienced the same problem, so I called the dealership. When I told the representative at the dealership what the mechanic said, I didn't even have to tell him the year of my car. He knew immediately the year of my car and almost the exact mileage, and said yes it was the transmission. He said that it was a "normal" problem with this car since it was a car engine on a truck chassis. Since I was able to show proof that I did the maintenance on the vehicle he spoke with his manager and they paid for the parts ( a rebuilt transmission) and I paid for the labor. ($1400) while sitting in the lobby to pick up my car I overheard 2 other people picking up their cars with the same issue. I never followed up with it, but have since heard of 2 other people that had the same problem at the same approximate mileage (80,000- 85,000). I am now experiencing further issues with my vehicle that they can't seem to figure out, which has prompted me to follow through with a complaint. If nothing else I think this transmission needs to be recalled.

Have a Lexus RX 300 1999 model with 4x4 drive. The car ran ok for 80,000 miles or so. Our current mileage is around 81,000. The car was being driven on an expressway when it got really slow (15 mph) and then stopped on its own. I barely avoided a major accident. Anyways, I took the car to a repair shop and they tell me the transmission needs to be replaced and will cost me 4800 to do so. Please help. Apparently this is a very common problem for RX 300 1999-2000 models. The google search online brings up tons of blogs mentioning the same problem. . Read more...