mrekid

I recently purchased a used RX300 with just under 100,000 miles, which appears to have been meticously maintained and is in great shape so naturally I was very happy with my decision until I started reading forums discussing the transmission issues with these vehicles . Now I am trying to decide if it is better to get out from under a model which seems to have epidemic problems with the transmission while my financial input is minimal or keep it and pray. All I have read about are the issues with these cars but there is not much on the positive side in these forums. So I want to know has anyone had a trouble free ownership of this model, have you been happy or unhappy with your car? I am just looking for a greater cross section of the customer base. Any input is appreciated.
Thank you,
Dan

toy4two

Do a flush / pan drop and then decide. If it had a good history I don't see any reason for the tranny to fail.

salimshah

Dan:

Although overall Lexus are reliable, but repair can be expensive [this should not be a surprize regarding any Luxury brand].

There is no way any one can assure you that you will not experience any problems with any vehicle.

If you dig past postings, read up the surveys, you can form your own opinion. Just be aware that total objectivity is lost when you read complaints. I always give a parallel regarding medical procedures and complications. If one reads the posts, one would never opt for any procedure.

Salim

HarrierAWD

Note that people will not whine when their trannies are in perfectly good working order. Based on Consumer Reports survey, the RX300 has among the most reliable transmissions, with 0% to 2% of the owners of each model year reporting problems.

No issue with mine at 81K miles. I drive it hard on Colorado mountain roads with long 12% grade during my daily 90-mile commute. I use only the genuine Toyota Type IV fluid - drain & fill every 30K at dealership.

tcheung87

What year is your RX300?

Bobk528

Last year, I purchased a 2000 RX300 with about 62,000 miles on it. I then began to regularly read various Lexus forums. I went into a panic and constantly worried about the possibility that my RX would soon have transmission failure after reading all the bad news. I was thinking about selling the vehicle but instead went to the nearby Lexus dealer and to an independent mechanic specializing in Lexus repairs to express my concern. They both said the same - "Don't worry about it". I found out from the Lexus computer records that my RX had a transmission fluid drain and refill at 27K and 43k.

Several months ago, I followed https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=220061 and http://rx300how2.home.comcast.net/xm...id_change1.htm to perform a drain and refill. My RX currently has about 76k. Because it is relatively inexpensive and easy to drain and refill the transmission fluid with Toyota Type T-IV, I plan to do it every 15k. I plan to keep the RX until it reaches 150k and to date have been very pleased with it.

Lexmex

I have actually decided now based on racing (and future modifications) to change out my ATF every 4 months. May seem like overkill for some, but my RX is going to get faster and faster with time and it seems more prudent to do.

That means once every 4 months, I will perform 3 drain and fills each time to get most of the fluid out and Type-IV is readily available at Toyota here, but I wish Amsoil would get its act together and have a distributor down here in Mexico City (Monterrey does not cut it).

mrekid

Sorry for getting back late,
The rx 300 I bought is a 99 with 100,000 miles on it. It has had all the recommended services and is beautiful inside and out. I guess my concern is that there is some kind of an epidemic problem with these tranies; but you are right that the tendency would be for those with more problems to post. On this note do you think it is a mechanical problem, if there is a problem, or is it from poor maintenance?

mrekid

How does one access the Lexus computer records for information on these vehicles?

Lexmex

If you are talking about specific vehicle history, only a dealer to my knowledge can do that.

My PERSONAL feelings on the tranny subject are that the tranny needed some beefing up for a vehicle its size. When your 99 and my 99 RX came out, they were among the most powerful in the market for its time, but I can recall a Toyota service guy here when I went for an alignment once who said it looked a lot like the one for the RAV4.

However, other SUVs have their own issues with tranny/differentials (I saw a particularly nasty problem with one on a Murano of a friend down here), and if you go to other forums, others have issues.

Having known my good friends here on CL who have had issues, I am most confident they took good care of their trannies at regularly scheduled maintenance points. However, I don't think the Lexus points are often enough. Moreover I think the tranny pan should be inspected at every drain and fill, something many are reporting is not being done.

I would not panic over this though as we tend to be a lot more cautious of what we do.

Bobk528

The former owner left a copy of a Lexus service invoice in the glovebox so I went to that Lexus dealer and they provided me with the service records. Of course, the records only represent maintenace information performed at a Lexus dealership. I now take my RX to an indepedent shop that specializes in Lexus and they are not able to share information or contribute new maintenace history to the Lexus computer records. I wonder how information is eventually entered into CarFax?

hksimpson

Lets see, you are worried if your 7-year old car with 100,000 miles will be reliable?

Lets face it, people use forums 99% of the time to report a problem or ask for help, not to tell people that their car has been trouble free for 5-years.

Keep it and enjoy it. Toyota makes the most reliable cars in the world.

toy4two

Lets put it this way, I wouldn't want any other manufactuer's car at 100,000 miles. Maybe a Honda/Acura, but if this was an Ford or Chevy with 100,000 miles I would be yelling GET OUT NOW.

salimshah

No one has produced real data that it is a prevalent problem let alone an epidemic. I am not implying that we have had 0% failures, but estimates would place it to be < 0.0x%

Salim

Lexusprime

IMHO, keeping or getting out depends on the unit itself. No matter what brand, no matter what age, no matter what model, brand new or used, there are lemons and yet there are good units. I am lucky mine has been good. There are also a lot lucky lexus owners out there than the unlucky ones. It is just that this forum comprise of those who like to strive to do better and understand their cars more thoroughly. I wouldn't say there's an epidemic of lexus problems though. Between my 1998 RX and m 2003 MB ML450, I will choose my RX.