Problems with 2001 Lexus RX 300 POWER TRAIN

Vehicle has 133,890 miles on it, vehicle has been serviced every 5000 miles, according to the vehicle history and owners manual. we had transmission failure 100 miles from home. pulled over to the side of the i-90 , had to wait 2 hours for a flatbed on the side of the highway. mass state police were not happy having to wait that long nor safety of being on the side of the road for 2 hours. we tried moving vehicle after it was off for an hour, moved gear selector had only park and natural , was at " full hot " mark on the dip stick, fluid is clean, doesn't smell burnt at all.towed to service department and needs a new transmission. vehicle was on the highway at 70mph , and then had no forward movement at 70mph. google " rx300 transmission problems" and you'll find thousands of links to people having same issue. toyota/lexus should be stepping up and fixing these transmissions , this is obviously a weak point in their vehicles and a major safety issue.

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.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 lexus rx300. the contact stated that the reverse gear was no longer operable in the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 147,651. updated 06/02/2016*lj *tr

The transmission has been damage no power , no gears are engage total failure, the vehicle has in motion at highway speed.

Transmission went out ,the vehicle jus stopped in the middle of the road thank god it was not the highway. there seems to be a problem with the transmission in these vehicle ,a very serious life threatening problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 lexus rx300. while driving 40 mph, the transmission seized and the gear could not be shifted into park. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 145,000. updated 3/13/15*cn the vehicle was taken to a repair shop, where the transmission was replaced. updated 01/25/16.*jb

Purchased from my mother in 2013 at 115k after she had purchased new from dealership. babied, dealer serviced, my transmission gave out at 130k at a cost of $3800!!! then in less than a year it went again, and it was under aamco warranty. then transmission went again in 2018, and just out of warranty. why is there not a class action lawsuit!!!!!! car died 3 separate times without warning in very dangerous situations. $3800 was my entire savings, and now my lexus was the only thing i had of value, and it is worth $250 as a junker!

Driving along normally, the transmission began moving in and out of gear spontaneously. depressing the accelerator resulted sometimes in revving the engine, other times in acceleration, and other times switching back and forth between the two causing the car to jerk. thankfully, i was not far from home and was able to get back safely. *tr

Driving on the freeway. transmission disengages and fails to drive car. automatic transmission failure. serviced transmission at 63,200 miles. many others have reported problems with this model year. *tr

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. *tr

The transmission of my 2001 lexus rx300 with only 83,000 miles, just failed. this car was fully and timely serviced by lexus and is otherwise in pristine driving condition. we noticed the problem months ago when we experienced engine hesitation and transmission related symptoms, but our lexus dealer checked the car and assured us it was fine. my wife and son continued to drive the car and were exposed to dangerous driving situations due to engine hesitation and failure to accelerate. despite transmission related symptoms and full knowledge of widespread transmission failures the lexus dealer did not raise any warnings with us and assured us the car was fine and safe to drive. when lexus finally acknowledged it was the transmission all along, i was shocked to learn how widespread, pervasive and well documented this problem is and how unsafe this car is to drive given the dangerous effects of transmission failure while driving. as an attorney i will not let this rest and want to know why nhtsa is not taking action on this, and why lexus is not recalling this vehicle. *kb

Transmission failure-2001 lexus rx 300, 88,000 miles, purchased new, car was babied, services regularly with transmission fluid flushed at 30,000 mile intervals. never towed anything, drove about 9,000 miles per year. you don't expect a car you buy for reliability to have the transmission fail at 88,000 miles with a $5,000 price tag to repair. research show this is a genetic problem for an under engineered transmission for a awd auto. 100's upon 100's have the complaint on this model from 1999-2002 with failures at 85,000- 95,000 miles. deceptive advertising as to quality, reliability and pursuit of perfection with the manufacturer not willing to admit they have a problem. just read the lexus and edmund boards on rx 300 awd transmission failure. manufacturer corrected the problem in 2003 or 2004 transmissions but for the people that purchased before we have to pay the consequence. there should be a recall due to safety concerns on transmission failure while driving. reports are numerous. *kb

Transmission completly failed to move the car. had it repaired and the tech told me the planitary gear unit had completly destroyed its self. very common i am told on this model.

2001 lexus rx300 shifted out of drive into neutral while going down the freeway at 60mph (redlining the engine) and almost causing an accident from behind. apparently this car has a known defect with the transmission. the vehicle shifted into reverse while in the drive position shortly thereafter. the transmission is now having to be rebuilt for $3000 that we don't have. the car shifting into reverse while in the drive location scared the heck out of us. thank god no one was behind us!!! *tr

I would like to report a safety issue with my 2001 lexus rx 300. the transmission went out when i was driving in traffic when attempting to get on interstate. the vehicle has 120,000 miles on drive train and vehicle was properly maintained. the transmission was looked at months earlier to fix potential problems with transmission. the technician did not discover anything unusual and said vehicle was okay to drive. the transmission just quit and left my children and me stranded in rush hour traffic. real dangerous!!! i think vehicle needs to be recalled. *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

2001 lexus rx300 with transmission failure. car totally went out of gear at 50mph with no warning. towed and found out that would need a whole new transmission as one of the planetary gears lost bearings and chewed up the whole transmission. design flaw that has been reported numerous times without lexus acting at all. *tr

1. may18th, 2010 on my way to work the lexus rx 300, 2001, 98k stalled and the gear did not shift either in d or in r. the transmission died. 2. no sign of failure or symptom before that 3. i called a local shop specialized in transmission to tow it to the shop. the cost to rebuild the transmission is 2800$. i went to lexus dealer and ask for a replacement (lexus does not rebuild transmission). it costs 5000$ or more. i believe that the transmission is a defective design. i'd like to complain and request lexus to provide supports for this defect. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 lexus rx300. the contact stated as she accelerated from a traffic stop at speeds of 40 mph, the vehicle lunged forward without warning. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where she was advised the transmission would need to be replaced. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 95577. the current mileage was 95780.

Car was being parked when it suddenly went to max acceleration jumping the curb. the cars forward acceleration was stopped by large decorative rock in the parking median strip. car ended up resting on the rock. car was turned off by key. this is the only occurrence of this surge acceleration the car has exhibited to date. car is currently at automotive shop for inspection and repairs. car has significant drive shaft and undercarriage damage, but was drivable to nearby autoshop after being jacked off rock by tow truck.*tr

Transmission failed and has to be rebuilt/replaced. *tr

During normal driving the transmission failed. the transmission had to be rebuilt at a cost of over $4000. the lexus dealer service department agrees that there is a design flaw, but the toyota/lexus corporation is unwilling to do more than contribute $1000 towards repair, and only if it is repaired at a dealer. *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

The transmission has failed in my 2001 lexus rx 300. i need to have it replaced with a remanufactured transmission. *tr

My transmission died on thursday, july 2nd, 2009 in my 2001 lexus. it had previously died in 2007 and replaced by the lexus dealer where i bought the car new. basically, this will be the third transmission on this car in 9 years. *tr

I was driving to work on friday 6-13-09 and stopped at a stop sign. as i attempted to proceed through the intersection the car started to buck violently. i took my foot off of the gas and put the car in neutral and the bucking stopped. i then came to a stop and put the car back into drive and the car began to buck again and i heard a grinding sound and then nothing. my car would not go forward or reverse. the service technician advised me that the transmission fluid was very clean and he could not understand why the transmission failed like this. i was told that i needed to replace the entire transmission and it cost me $4,418.00. *tr

2001 lexus rx 300 transmission failure at 115k. *tr

Transmission went out in my 2001 lexus rx300 at 122,000 miles. i also have a 1999 lexus rx300 where the transmission went out at 67,000 miles. lexus does not stand behind this as a defect. we were told we should have requested a flush of the transmission fluids as it is not a routine service provided and that it is only done when the fluids are dirty. how would we know that? aren't they supposed to determine appropriate services for their vehicles? *tr

Actually, there was little or no warning. on saturday, while driving, the car seemed to get stuck in neutral, and then lurch forward. this happened a couple of more times, and each time was somewhat more exaggerated, so much so, that i attempted to keep my foot on the accelerator, trying to circumvent a stall. by the third time, the car sounded as if i was dragging something underneath. i returned home safely, but when my husband went to check the car, it would not even shift into neutral! aaa came to tow the car and the rear wheels seemed to lock, so much so that the car was dragged onto the towing bed, leaving some rubber on the driveway. the dealership has reported to me that i need a brand new transmission on my 2001 rx300 lexus, with 125,000 miles, to the tune of $5000. *tr

Rx300 car either won't go into gear or jumps out of gear. it has occurred several times and many many reports on owner sites re: transmission failure. the latest incident left myself and my 4 year old son stranded in a parking lot in low teens weather. it also jumped out of gear once while driving. i'm afraid to drive the car. *tr

Transmission failed at 137,000 miles and needs complete replacement. *tr

Car began have transmission problems transmission failed in process of having to rebuild/replace transmission. *tr

While driving the car just stopped dangerously in the middle of a 4 lane highway and was unable to be pushed to side of road ,even when put in neutral position on the gear selector. the transmission locked up internally and vehicle impeded traffic for quite some time causing a severe safety danger for us and any cars traveling on the highway and encountering an unexpected slowing of traffic because of the blocked roadway . *tr

Failure of transmission in 2001 lexus rx 300. there is a known, well-documented history of problems with the transmission and transaxles in this vehicle. lexus has not recalled the vehicle and fixed the problem. *tr

Complete transmission failure. *tr

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. *tr

Was driving home from minnesota to pennsylvania in my 2001 lexus rx300 on june 28th, 2008; and my transmission went out on me. i was on a major highway at night time in the pouring rain and it fell down to 5 mph. i found the nearest exit and had it towed to the nearest garage where i rebuilt lexus transmission was installed, at a cost of $,4600.00. i received a twelve month unlimited mileage warranty on the transmission from lexus. my suv had approximately, 112.000 miles on it at this point. now, less that 10 months later, i have metal chips in my fluid and was told that i need yet another transmission, at a cost of over $4,000; as the dealer here in my state won't honor the lexus warranty. i have been back and forth on the phone with the dealer here and the dealer in ohio and was treated very rudely by the dealer here. i was informed that even though lexus issued the warranty, they can not follow through with it, even though the dealer in ohio said that they have to. i am completely at my wits end. i called the 1-800 number for lexus and have also contacted my attorney. someone needs to admit that there are severe transmission problems with these vehicles, and quit trying to pass over us; the people that paid for them. if there is a class action suit in the making, i ant to become a part of it. the whole idea of "customer satisfaction" flew out the window and lexus dealers need to be reminded where their paychecks come from. i was treated rudely today , without reason; and here i sit with a warranty that i can't use to get my vehicle fixed. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 lexus rx300. while driving uphill at 70 mph, the contact's vehicle lost power when she swerved to avoid another vehicle. she depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to move; however, the engine revved. the contact was able to pull to the side of the road. she feels that this is a serious safety issue because she and her family could have been involved in a serious crash. the current and failure mileages were 85,000. updated 08/15/08. *lj the consumer stated the transmission began to slip and hesitate when she would attempt to accelerate. at one point, the consumer put the gear in park with the engine running and the vehicle suddenly lurched forward. the dealership replaced the transmission, however it was the same transmission that was removed from the vehicle. updated 08/15/08

Transmission failure. *tr

First, the car would not shift into reverse. then, after attempting several times, the car violently jerked me into reverse and i almost crashed. after backing up, i shifted into drive, but locked up on me again. after revving the accelerator and trying different gears, finally jerked me and children forward into drive. initially, lexus "supposedly" fixed the problem by replacing o2 sensor, but problem recurred in june again. since the problem could not be duplicated at lexus shop, they gave me my car without any repair. then, a more serious occurrence happened in mid july when the gear got stuck while driving. i was driving about 30 mph when gear got stuck, shifted to neutral, then violently jerked me and kids forward and into drive again. children and i were very frightened. this is a safety issue because not only are you dropped out of gear into neutral while car is in motion, but then you are suddenly jerked forward into drive. to make it worse, its frequency is erratic so you just hope this doesn't happen on the freeway. according to many online blogs (especially edmunds.com), it is a common problem that 1999-2001 lexus has but will not acknowledge. mostly happens at about 65,000 miles. don't understand why there hasn't been a recall already. are we waiting for there to be a fatality or serious injury for this to receive attention? *tr

Transmission went out on my 2001 rx300 at 100,000 miles. normally i would just consider this bad luck but the 3rd party transmission guy says that he replaces tons of these and that he is convinced there is a problem. this presents a dangerous condition as the transmission went out virtually immediately, leaving the vehicle essentially disabled and almost as if in neutral. other internet posters have claimed that this transmission locked up causing unstable vehicle performance while moving. when i go to the internet and search this issue there are countless websites with owners with the same problem. you see countless posts on lexus forums, edmunds, etc., about 1999, 2000 and 2001 rx 300 suvs with transmission issues. many as early as 50,000 miles (which are covered by lexus) and many more over 70,000 to 100,000 like me. *tr

I experienced a complete transmission failure on my 2001 lexus rx300 at 115000 miles. this vehicle was well-serviced, and had transmission fluid service per the lexus maintenance schedule. after reviewing experiences of other rx300 owners (especially at clublexus.com), this comes across as a defect that the manufacturer should be responsible for. i had to pay over $3300 for repairs for a problem that should not have happened. *tr

Power train- automatic transmission failure at 87000 mi. lexus refused to acknowledge as a problem with this model (2001 rx300) problem even though it has been well documented by consumers. lexus refused any compensation for complete overhaul of transmission. *tr

Made a complete stop at a stop sign and when i tried to accelerate, the car lost power and would rev less than 2000rpm. pulled over to the side and shut engine off. restarted the car and tried to accelerate, but car still wouldn't rev above 2000rpm. since i didn't want to block a driveway, i attempted to put the car in reverse, but it didn't move. had to tow my 2001 rx300 with only 56k miles to the dealership and replace my transmission. *tr

Transmission went out on a busy interstate at night with myself, my husband and our 8 month old daughter. had to get the highway patrol to follow us to an exit. this car had 98000 miles on it at the time and according to all my internet research this is a common, known defect with the lexus rx300 that they refuse to address. its a safety hazard. lexus of course refused to do anything since it was out of warranty. cost 3600.00 in repairs. never had a transmission go out this early, actually never had one go out period on cars with many more miles. *jb

2000 lexus rx 300 (this is a toyota camry engine in a lexus body) car transmission would not change into high gears 3 & 4 for highway driving, preventing acceleration. lexus of norwood, ma replaced the entire transmission under warranty. 5,000 miles later the new transmission was doing the same thing, after a week they finally gave it back to and said it was repaired but not what they had to fix and were very sketchy, it was still under warranty. finally the repair technician told in low tones so not to be heard that it was computer software problem and that;s why they would not tell me. so they replaced an entire transmission at 48000 miles incorrectly when all they had to do was do a software bug fix. i think this is significant because the computer prevented acceleration but could probably also cause unintended acceleration. they do not have control of their software running these engines and don't want to admit because they don't know how to fix it. *tr

Vehicle was at a full stop and put into park. pavement was level. parking brake was not engaged. both driver side doors were open and rear door lifted. i was loading vehicle for full 5 minutes. as i turned, saw vehicle begin to move in reverse at a very fast pace. rolled into exterior stucco wall of garage. damaged bumper and lift gate. no injuries. when the vehicle is put into park while running, when auto is put in reverse and foot is taken off brake the vehicle moves backward very quickly with no gas applied. when put in forward, it creeps at a slower speed than reverse. there is absolutely no possibility that the vehicle was left in reverse when the accident occured. the car would have knocked me over before i could have cleared it because it moves so fast in reverse. *ak