Hey guys, some of you may have read my previous post in which I had experienced a transmission fluid leak which basically led to internal transmission damage.
Anyhow, seeing that my ttansmission is likely broken what do you think my next best move would be?
1. Buy brand new transmission from Lexus dealership....2900 bucks plus about 1500 for labor.

2. Buy used transmission on ebay...between 250 bucks and 1000 depensing on condition.

3. Buy new LS430.

....One thing is I really like the color of my LS430...it is midnight pearl...sort of a metallic cream color that looks beautiful at night.
....Also....I just had a claim done for the car valued at 3600 for front end damage...so it would be stupid to not have the new front bumper panel and headlights installed...but I would have to have the car in working order to get it back to Canada.

And to add to this...the car has 229,000 miles...although as we all know, it still has alot of life left!

 

I don’t believe there is such an actual new transmission for your car. If anything s rebuilt unit would be the closest you would come to new.

 

Well Lexus of Seattle claims they can put a brand new A650E in..it costs 2900 USD...so not sure leads you to believe that I cannot find this tranny brand new? Why only rebuilt ones?

 

A major repair and/or replacement on a 2001 would be better served to use a reputable independent shop instead of the dealership. In fact, I would have the car towed to the independent shop and have the trouble shooting and repair options process start all over again. Sad to say the dealerships take advantage of people in your situation where the car is remote from where you live.....

 

$2900 isn't bad for a new one, or one that has been reconditioned, as long as it comes with a warranty that is valid at any Lexus dealership. Ugh, just read about the labor cost too. I think with the mileage, I might start looking at just replacing the car all together, though as others have stated or will state, you can get a used transmission for next to nothing and have an independent tranny shop install it. I'm sure you could get it done that way for about $1k...

 

Good point Duck05, I didn't even think of that...assumed this dealership was solid based on their google reviews...but it's plausible that the dealership might try to take advantage of my situation...but to what degree?
If you know any good shops in Seattle please PM me or post here...I am going to go with your suggestion and find someone independent to have it rediagnosed...do you think tgey would misdiagnose it on purpose though?

 

Some Googling for Seattle shows http://www.numberonejapanese.com/ seems to be pretty well reviewed. Didn't see any dedicated independent Lexus service for Seattle...

 

I read you other post that had more of the story and it is easily possible that the transmission is shot and your first repair was band aid. In any case, I would still shy away from the dealership on a repair of this magnitude as it is not their "sweet spot". If the car was under warranty no argument but a 2001 is not in that state.

I do not live in the Seattle area but hopefully an experienced Club member has recommendations. Try posting a question in the "Pacific" region area asking for shops.....

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/pacific-25/

 

Hey thank you so much Duck05...I really appreciate all the tips and suggestions...super helpful. I just posted in the Pacific forum, hopefully some Seattle experienced members will see it and chime in.

 

Thank You Romanova, I will give them a shot...looks like a reputable shop. Hopefully they will have a connect for a locally soured A650E tranny!

 

Good suggestions, the choice is obvious I think...4500 vs maybe 1500? Yep i'm going independent for sure!

 

According to the records from Lexus Drivers, my 2004 is on its 3rd transmission. The original one was replaced under recall at the 5000 mile service and the second one was replaced at 42200 miles due to an internal failure that caused sluggish operation and the illumination of the DSC and TRAC OFF lights. It also states that they used a Lexus remanufactured unit. This was back in October 2007. I have no way of knowing if this repair was covered under warranty or if the original owner had to pony up the cash. It's possible that Lexus might have covered it under some goodwill provision. I also don't know if a new transmission would have been available at that time.

I would think that brand new transmissions are as hard to come by as hen's teeth since it has been almost 12 years since they were putting them in new cars. It isn't worth putting a new one in your car with the miles that it has. If it were me, I'd be looking at a junkyard auto recycling yard for a used replacement.

I applaud your effort in trying to keep your LS alive. Good luck...

 

Again, a similar situation happened to me in college, and my dad was very blunt with me. "GET RID OF IT!" Was his advice, when my motor failed right after buying a used car. The seller ripped me off because it had head gasket issues (imagine being 40 yrs. old and knowingly doing that to a struggling college student, boy was that a valuable lesson). I sued the guy in small claims and guess what? LOST! He was smart enough to write "AS IS" on the bill of sale.

Just me, I don't think that $4,500 is worth it for any 3rd gen LS430. It just isn't. However, I also think my dad's response is still too extreme.

I would simply go to an indie, have them look for a used transmission, and maybe the cost is closer to $2k. If you are willing to take a chance on $2k, then that's what I would do. But there has to be an upper limit. The reason you want the indie to find the tranny is then they would warrant it for some period of time, and eat any labor associated with problems....good luck.

p.s. I had thought this was just rebuilt by someone, so they should be fixing it for free, my .02

 

I'm at 211k miles and still think it's well worth it to keep investing in the car. But I definitely ditched the dealer over 40k miles ago. Been trying out a few independent shops since then and all seem decent so far. So don't be afraid to try another shop as long as the reviews are positive

 

Had the LS sent to a local mechanic and found a used JDM transmission with 50]k miles for 300 USD!!....Hopefully she'll be back on the road soon...hoping to keep this car until 500k miles and beyond! Might replace the control arms soon as last I checked there seemed to be a small crack forming...i cannot afford it to fail catastrophically.