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But in 2004, just before the original powertrain warrantee was to expire at 70,000 miles I took it in again (different Lexus dealer) and explained I had documented "no problem found" previously, and wanted to have the transmission serviced and asked them to report their findings. They volunteered to have the transmission replaced under warrantee, and since then I have not experienced any of the problems the original transmission had. I now have more than double that mileage, and if the fluid condition can be any indicator (in this case I think it is) I expect this transmission will last a long time. So to answer your question, yes I feel my new transmission is reliable in the long run. I don't know if you can say the same for some third-party rebuilds. As a precaution, I change the fluid every year, even when I'm only driving low mileage.
"Lexus Service" by itself absolutely does not mean they were servicing the transmission at all. And although the design of this transmission is not rugged, it is common that Lexus would rather wait for transmission failure rather than offer effective preventative maintenence which is easily done at home or a reputable transmission shop. This may account for a seemingly high number of failure complaints you see on websites, although statistically not relevant because these are only the complaints and not reports from owners who drove the RX many hundreds of thousands of miles without transmission trouble (yes, they do also exist). My advice: If you like the car and are otherwise happy with it, and it is in good shape, it's easily worth the cost of the transmission. If you have other troubles and/or don't like the car, well you know where I'm going from here. Good luck, and please share your experience bad or good.
MAJOR changes were made in the overall drive train with the introduction of the '01 RX300.
1) mechanical LSD option was dropped.
2) VC, Viscous Clutch, fluid formulation was changed in a way to make the functionality virtually ZERO.
3) Towing package, inclusive of external ATF cooler, became a standard factory installed "option" on the F/awd versions.
4) In leu of VC F/awd functionality the MB320 braking system was adopted/used to apportion torque to the rear but ONLY after/upon/after the fact, detection of front wheelspin/slip.
5) The minimum level of "real-time" ATF line pressure was raised. This one may go back to the '00 RX300 model year as it is clear that the '00 model did not have a transaxle failure rate as high as the '99.
Number 5 is undoubtedly the reason the '01 requires ATF service at least every 35-40,000 miles. The owners manual for my '01 does not call for ATF service for the life of the vehicle. When I discovered that my ATF was dark brown and smelled burned at only ~40,000 miles I enquired of the dealer and then the factory. The dealer response was that the ATF in my '01 required service each 15,000. In disbelief I pursued this issue with the factory rep who confirmed the dealer statement.
Some years later I became aware that the ATF service directive had been changed to "inspect the ATF condition during each engine oil/filter change and react accrdingly".
also when pricing it, the sites price it around $5800, but that's with a transmission with 230,000 miles on it, not a new transmission. should i price it higher because it will now have a new transmission?
or should i just try to sell it as is without a transmission? or donate it??????
thanks
Even if only FWD something just short of miraculous, that.
99-00 have such a bad reputation in this regard I doubt if any wording will make much difference.
Seems to me that this would be the perfect selling point for an ad should you choose to get it fixed. Either way, honesty is the best policy.
Lexus sharing the cost on a 230,000 mile RX more likely than not is the result of THEIR regular price being 200% of reasonable.
I would bet that their 50% is at least $3,000.00 or more.
I think I'll donate it. At least, I'll be able to deduct it off my taxes and it will, I hope, be going to a good cause.
Unless anyone can think of anything better to do with it.
So frustrating!!!!
It cost him a fortune to fix his RX300, but now he switched to Lincoln MKT and looks like he is happy with it.
I still have my RX; I bought it new in March 1998. I'd love to replace it with something modern but that's not going to happen for a long time. In the meantime, the RX does everything nicely and reliably (especially since I don't have transmission worries) although the fuel economy isn't great by today's needs. And I miss having a car with sharper handling and a manual transmission. So my next car will probably be a step down from the RX with better fuel economy. I don't feel the need to move to progressively heavier and bigger cars, but I want to stay with small to mid size feature-rich wagon/hatch, and reliability is important.
Thanks,
Asiaviaje
I would get it evaluated quickly while the car is driveable, so you don't get quoted the highest cost if the transmission needs to be replaced or rebuilt if it were me. I am under the impression that once there are symptoms, the damage has been done. But at least you still have the option of driving the car elsewhere if you get a high quote.
My 2 cents worth!
What model year RX's would be ok to buy that would not have the transmission problems. My 2000 RX now has 190,000 miles. Although I have never had a transmission problem I am still concerned because at this point I couldn't see that the car would be worth a $4000 repair. I was thinking of trading the car for a RX 330 but wanted to know when the transmission problem was fixed.
Overall I wouldn't buy anything earlier than a 2010 and I would even recommend several DIY modes for it. I would add an off/auto/ON switch for the rear drive clutch circuit. There is NO need for rear drive torque except on known or expected slippery driving surfaces, it only serves to decrease, possibly severey so, the duty life of the drive components.
Insofar as I am concerned the automatic climate control system is the "pits" as shipped from the factory. Lexus has added a few C-BEST aspects that help but still needs a few engineering fixes.
Progress:
2001 MY: the VC was made non-functional and TC was added to simulate both a locked center diff'l and/or a rear LSD, reactively, after the fact.
RX330: VC was dropped entirely and DBW was (is now) used to "protect the drive train". Prevent the engine torque from rising upon accelerator pedal depression at timeswhen the transaxle could not quickly engage the proper gear for the circumstance. Random 1-2 second quick sequential downshift delay/hesitation become standard.
RX350: Transaxle shift pattern was revised to respond to the probability of driver intention based on accelerator pedal use.
2010 RX350: Adoption of Venza (Ford Escape) style rear drive engagement clutch. Rear drive automatically, pre-emptively, engaged during low speed acceleration regardless of roadbed tractive conditions. Tractive roadbed = SEVERE driveline component STRESS, tire SCRUBBING.
Did you get any satisfaction from Lexus or the class action lawsuit?
Thanks,
Bill
'99-'00 consider yourself lucky, F/awd, even moreso.
'01-til RX330, you should have gotten at least 80-100,000 miles, greater if only FWD.
RX330-on, DBW was adopted and used to "protect the drive train" prevent the engine torque from rising, ~2 seconds, until downshift could be fully completed.
It's possible you can get a "deal" elsewhere and come out just as well cost-wise. However, it's important that your transmission rebuild includes all updates appropriate to your model so that you don't have continued problems like some on this forum report.
I got a really good one - a durable transmission that has endured and I am confident will continue to last based on a variety of factors. I am an original owner and my trans was replaced under warrantee. Others have had rebuilds that were problematic from the start, so apparently there is a difference between "fixing" a problem transmission and rebuilding or replacing with updated components appropriate to your exact model. A good trans shop should definately know the difference. Also, regardless of what the owners manual or the Lexus/Toyota dealer says, service the TRANSMISSION (specifically, because the dealer ripoff "packages" don't address the issue until failure) at least every two years, especially considering the type of mileage use your car gets.
Please keep us posted how it goes for you to help others.
BTW, I'm assuming this has nothing to do with the actual title so I changed it for the reply.
I am new to this forum and I need all the help I can get.
I have a 2001 RX300 with about 55K miles and recently I got a CEL with error code P1780 which indicates the Park/Neutral/Position switch malfunction. I took a stupid route to replace the PNP switch and rebuild the ECM without doing the diagnosis properly so I still get the CEL P1780 today. My guess is the PNP harness could only be the culprit now. Please let me know if you have similar problem and how to fix it.
Thank you.
The transmission fluid level is checked when level and cool, after engaging each gear, then returned to "park" and with a clean paper towel, re-wipe the transmission level dipstick (the yellow one on the right side of the engine bay, I think).
If the fluid level is too low, a transmission will be more likely to "slip" after sitting when the temperature is cold.
If you get your car serviced at a shop regularly, they will usually perform this check for you, and many times they will top off the low fluid level for free.
The question then becomes, why was the fluid level low?
The following article comes from today's Wall Street Journal:
Toyota Agrees to Sludge Pact Accord Will Settle Claims on Damage
From Oil Build-Up
By JONATHAN WELSH
Wall Street Journal January 30, 2007; Page B14
In an important legal precedent for car owners, Toyota Motor Corp.'s U.S. sales unit agreed to settle with thousands of consumers who say oil-sludge build-up ruined their car engines even though they followed maintenance guidelines.
Under the pending agreement between Toyota Motor Sales and motorists who are part of a class-action lawsuit, the Japanese car maker will compensate owners of sludge-damaged cars for engine-repair costs and related expenses from towing and storage charges to rental cars, attorney fees and "inconvenience, annoyance, anxiety and aggravation," according to the settlement agreement filed this month in Louisiana state court in Jefferson Parish. A judge is expected to approve the agreement in a Feb. 7 hearing.
The outcome sets a pattern under which similar cases against car companies could be pursued. Though Toyota's sludge problems have received a lot of attention, car makers including DaimlerChrysler AG, Volkswagen AG and General Motors Corp.'s Saab also have received a large number of complaints from customers about sludge-related damage.
While car makers' standard defense has long been that sludge is the result of neglect by the owner, the Toyota case seems to make clear that many owners had sludge problems despite changing their oil at proper intervals and otherwise maintaining their cars according to car-company recommendations.
Engine sludge or oil gelling can occur as metal particles and other sediment collect in engine oil and cause it to thicken. Eventually it no longer can flow properly through an engine's network of tiny oil passages and parts of the engine fail after being starved for lubrication. In some cases an engine may seem to be operating properly before a sudden failure. Other times drivers will notice the car emitting bluish smoke from the tailpipe as the first symptom of a sludge problem.
Some of Toyota's critics, including a number of mechanics, have said certain oil passages were too small in the Toyota and Lexus engines that became known for sludge problems. One theory is that openings inside the engines that let oil to pass from the upper part of the engine to the lower parts -- often called the bottom end -- were easily clogged by even tiny amounts of sediment. As a result major components such as piston rings, crankshafts and connecting rods tend to fail, causing enough damage to require engine replacement. Such repairs can cost as much as $10,000, which can be close to a cars total value depending on age and model. Toyota still says the sludge didn't result from any engine-design problem.
A Toyota spokesman says the new agreement, under which the company will repair sludge-related damage for as much as eight years after the purchase of certain vehicles, is essentially the same as a customer-support program the company started in 2002. Toyota agrees to treat the repairs as if they are under warranty even if customers haven't strictly followed the company's oil-change guidelines, according to the spokesman.
The preliminary agreement focuses on two engines; a four-cylinder model called the 5S-FE and a six-cylinder known as 1MZ-FE. The engines were used in Toyota Camry models from 1997 to 2002, Solara models from 1999 to 2002, Sienna minivans from 1998 to 2002, Avalon sedans from 1997 to 2002, Celica coupes from 1997 to 1999, Highlander sport-utility vehicles from 2001 and 2002, Lexus ES 300 sedans from 1997 to 2002 and RX 300 SUVs from 1999 to 2002.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs said they have sent about 7.5 million notices of the class action to owners and former owners of vehicles included in the lawsuit. Vehicles covered by the settlement could total as many as 3.5 million. Gary Gambel, a partner in the New Orleans firm of Murphy, Rogers, Sloss & Gambel, says he won't know the size of the plaintiff class for awhile but says disgruntled Toyota and Lexus owners "have been coming out of the woodwork" as an agreement has drawn near.
The case began with Jeff Meckstroth, a New Orleans stockbroker, who purchased a Lexus RX 300 sport-utility vehicle in late 1998. After about two years and 42,468 miles, the Lexus's engine failed. He wound up winning an arbitration case under which Lexus replaced the engine in his vehicle.
http://www.clublexus.com/forums/es300-and-es330/262014-toyota-settles-on-oil-slu- dge-lawsuit-es300-and-rx300.html
Apparently for marketing reasons (like other makes), the RX's "normal" oil change interval was listed as 10,000 miles. But the manual also called for maintenance for "severe duty" including stop and go traffic, light mileage usage, etc. at significantly more frequent intervals which were often overlooked... get the picture?
There are lots of these vehicles that never experience gel/sludge in hundreds of thousands of miles, nonetheless complaints and legal challenges surely caused changes including help for owners who had expensive repair bills.
The article e8 listed does not include what Toyota offered to owners of the cars listed in the class. They offered to extend warrantees to fix the cars IF their cars WERE affected by gel/sludge. It was a tiny percentage of the actual number of vehicles made. I'm guessing that's come and gone by now.
Any 1999+ RX that still continues to be affected by sludge or oil gelling will not be a mystery... I'm guessing there will be significant signs of smoke, especially at start-up, and upon removing the oil filler at idle. In general, it won't be a well-maintained car with an engine that seems in great shape any longer. Look for a car that has a documented history of oil changes at less than 5-6,000 miles is a pretty good guess, too.
My question is - is this true for the 2010 and 2013 model years? I am trying to decide between buying a used one or leasing a new one but with an all wheel drive vehicle, transmission and differential fluid maintenance is critical. If I get used, I would get a certified one but that only covers 3 years or 100k and I would keep the car well beyond that and if the transmission or differential failed out of warranty, it would be, in hindsight, easier to just have leased a new vehicle.
Any info is greatly appreciated.
The bad thing that this problem not show up in Edmunds reliability report (http://www.edmunds.com/lexus/rx-300/2001/reliability.html?style=&sub=)
nor on carcomplaints.com (http://www.carcomplaints.com/Lexus/RX300/2001/)
Help others to avoid problems, reports will force companies to fix there mistakes.
Or maybe there was a high percentage of Lexus owners who were satisfied with warrantee repairs - (also Lexus made many "loyalty" extensions)...
Or from owners who did not find it unusual for transmission repairs after many years of stop 'n go use?
Or they leased the car and turned it in before it was an issue?
The problem with assuming that any "problem" is widespread based on forum complaints is that most posts represent complaints, and statistically are not a significant quantity compared to the number of actual units.
Forums are a good way to find out information to help fix issues but some owners simply use them as a way to vent.
Not that the original RX tranny wasn't a weak design which opened the door to lead to many failures, but Lexus made good by treating many customers well when these cars were newer. Now they are over a decade old... so it's not uncommon for any car/crossover/suv to need transmission work, especially if they followed the originally advice from Lexus marketing that the fluid doesn't need to be changed (until failure).
Used car buyers of any car should simply look for a car in good working order, or already have had the tranny rebuilt with the modernized parts.
I just picked up a car of another make also famous for needing the tranny rebuilt. It was recently redone. This is not something unique to RX300's and doesn't affect all of them. RX's with original tranny problems usually beat the fluid long before trouble, so that's a good indicator to look for.
Next, what is the history of transmission (not other) service? When was the last time the transmission pan was dropped, the fluid changed, condition of fluid, sediments in the filter and pan inspected? What is the condition of the fluid?
These will be the indicators of how you should proceed.
What is the condition of the vehicle in general?
Let's hear back from you soon.
The dealer estimates $8000 to fix it. I am seeing that this is a common problem. based on your research, what can be negotiated or is a common recourse from Lexus? The car has been serviced for its lifetime at the dealership. What might Lexus offer be willing to contribute toward repair of the transmission? What have other owners found to be customary offers that you reported as "generous trade-in settlements?" Have liked the car but private resale value is estimated at $8-10k when working and I'm worried other issues will begin to crop up if I put full value into the replacement of a transmission. Please anyone with info reply as I need to make a decision what to do with the car as soon as possible as it sits at the dealership awaiting either repair, a trade-in, or a tow to an independent mechanic