HygieneDad

Ok, so here is the scoop. Bought 01 rx300 about a month ago from very big reputable dealer. Had 98k on it. They did the 90k service etc etc. Three days ago I'm going up a hill and I feel what I think was the tranny slipping. Two kind of like shudders as I'm going. I'm quite sure it was not the engine stuttering. THEN, today, I put it in reverse and nothing. It acts like it is in neutral. I shifted through the gears and drive seemed to work (I was up against a curb so I couldn't go anywhere). So as I'm waiting for a tow, I start it back up, put it in reverse and rev it up a little. All of a sudden, wham! It catches and reverse engages.

I brought it to the dealer after hours tonight so I haven't actually talked to anyone about it (it is actually an Acura dealer.)

Can someone tell me what I'm up against? Any advice before I go take on the big guns tomorrow. I'm sure they are going to fight tooth and nail to get out of this one. The only thing I have on my side is a 60% warranty that I'm pretty sure has a clause that will get them out of their 60%.

I'd sure appreciate any help. I called the lexus dealer while I was waiting for a tow. The guy there said sounds like tranny problems.

Thanks for any help!

Matt

salimshah

AWD or FWD?

Need to explain more about 60-40 split.

Was the vehicle sold as as?
Were you given some warranty coverage for xxxx days/months OR AND milage?

Salim

Nad1370

If drive works and reverse doesn't the you def. got a trans problem there.
Acura dealer huh?
90k service includes all fluids replace.
Hope they put the right trans fluid in it. T-IV

mikey00

Others have had the reverse issue and is usually caused by the input turbine speed sensor and/or the counter gear speed sensor located on top of the transmission. Most Lexus dealers and independent transmission shops don't even acknowledge this and the quick answer is you need a rebuilt trans for about $4800. I had the same problem and was about to pull these sensors, clean them, and then swap the two but the problem went away on its own. You need to do a search on transmissions and read about the problems. Also check here:
http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums...howtopic=45951
and here:
http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums...howtopic=46891

JAB

Your description is sufficiently similar to mine at about the same mileage, also not too long after the 90K was done, that I am fairly confident that your transmission is toast.

thomas1

Make sure you file a complaint with the NHTSA online with the transmission failure. the list is growing. Thank you Lexus for stepping up to the plate.

go here for the complaint:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

jimxo

My tranny just blew after 115k miles today. 2001 FWD (4X2)

We are the original owners and did all the regular repairs. I'm getting prices from 4-6k from the dealer and $2500 from the local shops.

I'm not happy today.

salimshah

AWD or FWD and which year?

Did you get metal in the fluid?

Salim

thomas1

sorry to hear of your failure, FWD, you are the first one I have heard of failing. Unless you can get customer assistance with the repair at Lexus, go to the independent. If all your service was done at Lexus, ask for a goodwill assistance as a valuable customer. Many have gotten the price down to $2000 or less. Be firm, but polite if this is the case. By the way since they are in there you might consider having them replace the rear main seal on the engine, doesnt cost much afther the tranny is removed.

jimxo

Thanks,

A well respected local shop has it. They said $1700-$2700 with a 1 year warranty.

Mark2008

These transmission issues are without an end, it seems. I made my posts two days ago relating to the reverse gear issue we noticed back in October 2007. Transmission finally began cannibalizing itself last week and we cautiously drove over the snowy mountain pass to Eugene and the nearest Lexus dealer. They found metal fragments in the ATF and loaned us an RX350 until the transmission could be replaced. I have asked for a post-2001 transmission, after reading in these forums that some improvements have been included in the 2001+ remans. 2000 vintage RX300 and 66,000 miles when first noticed the reverse gear "thump" "thump" on backing out of the home garage. Changed the ATF at Toyota in Bend and problem went away until earlier this month. Anyone wanting a copy of the 1999-2000 RX300 repair manual, here is a link: http://www.esnips.com/doc/9641c41a-4...-Repair-Manual This is a 40 Mb or so big PDF once you use RARZilla to open the compressed RAR file.

My question: Currently, the engine has only 68,000 miles and should I fork over the $127 for replacing the rear engine seal during the $1,700 (my cost) Lexus repair of the transmission?

Lexmex

The rear engine seal issue has occurred on a number of RXs I have seen on this forum, but it is by no means a super common issue. The price you would be paying is quite small for $127. In other words, you could replace it and then it could fail in the near future. It is not necessarily a wear item that wears out a a crtain point.

My view on this is to use a good synthetic, preferably at least a 30 weight other than that of Mobil 1 and to change out at least at 5000 miles to prevent oil shearing that can lead to oil leaks.

mikey00

How did you get the cost down to $1700? Did you use the dealer for all your routine maintenance in the past and they are offering you a goodwill discount? Or is this Lexus steppping up to the plate and providing us with some assistance on these defective transmissions?

Mark2008

We have been documenting the transmission issue with Lexus customer care in Torrance CA since the first incident last October. We are second owner and have put 46,000 miles on her since 2001 and had not performed any transmission service (per the vehicle maintenance manual) until the reverse gear issue. Reverse gear began to fail at 66,000 miles and at 68,500 miles complete failure occurred.

The Lexus Dealer in Eugene carried much of the ball for us in the final chapter of working the deal with Torrance. They also loaned us an RX350 for the repair period, and explained that they cannot open the transmission to see what actually failed, or Lexus Torrance will not support the offer. Our "success" in getting some out-of-warranty help was due in part to the extensive paper trail we laid. Someone else in this forum reported many phone calls later to have been offered $1,100 or some similar figure for his part of the repair.

We are happy to be using the free loaner and getting the problem resolved. Hope this is the end of our exposure to the tranny woooes..

There is a service bulletin #00504 that relates to the 5 solenoid switches and when I mention the TSB, the subject line gets changed. There is also a TSB on the ignition lock cylinder. When that failed, I cited the TSB and Lexus Torrance paid for all of the $180 repair at the local Toyota shop. Something is prematurely killing these transmissions and I don't know if there is a common thread leading back to the switches or speed monitors. The transmission is complicated, like a series of dominoes I suppose. Be sure to file a complaint at NHTSA with your VIN.

mikey00

My 2001 @127K is starting to have the reverse issue. Once every couple of weeks it goes into reverse with a clunk. Then it works fine for a couple of weeks. I have always maintained my trans using drain and fills and have recently had it flushed at the Toyota dealer. The reverse issue started a couple of weeks and about 700 miles after the flush. I plan on pulling the counter gear speed sensor, and a turbine input sensor, cleaning them and swapping their positions maybe tomorrow. If this doesn't do anything I guess my next move will be to call Lexus and see if they are willing to provide any assistance. Being that the car is 7 years old and has 127K, I bet they tell me to get lost.