nerv81

We have a 2013 RX and at just under 80k we had to replace the transmission. My wife was driving within our development (under 30mph) when the CEL, Check AWD, and Traction disabled lights came on. She parked at a friends house a few blocks away and called me. I told her to come back and I'd check it out. While making a K-Turn the car wouldn't go into reverse. I walked over and had to hop the curb into a sloped driveway and let the car roll backwards in Neutral till I could get to a spot to go forward. After getting the car home reverse started working on it's own but it would shift really rough.

I took the car to a local mechanic that diagnosed it as a bad sensor in the transmission and said the trans would need to be taken apart to fix. I had the car towed to Lexus for a 2nd opinion and they confirmed the sensor issue but said the whole trans had to be replaced. Long story short I was able to get the dealer to split the cost 50/50 but still I'm amazed that a 2013 with 80k would need a new transmission. I recently got rid of my 2013 GS350 because of 19 trips to the dealer for 10+ issues in the first 2.5 years of ownership.

Is it just my bad luck or is Lexus quality not what it used to be. We had a 2008 RX that we kept till 120k miles and it never went in for service other than schedule maintenance or wear and tear items. Has anyone else had to replace a trans so early?

RX in NC

Yes, Lexus build quality has indeed declined. My wife had a 2000 RX300 (not a great vehicle), a 2004 RX330 (a much better vehicle), and now has a 2015 RX350 (the jury is still out on this one at 40,000 miles).

Keep in mind that there is no such animal as "lifetime" ATF regardless of what any dealership service department or Lexus owners manual tells you. The friction modifiers in all ATFs wear out over time and heat cycles. A good rule of thumb is to do ATF drain-and-fills every 50,000 miles or so. Some would say every 30,000 miles. I did 30,000-mile ATF drain-and-fill intervals on our previous two RXs, but they were much easier to DIY because they both had transmission dipstick / fill tubes. The 3rd generation RX does not and it is a much more cumbersome process as a result.

MellonC00

I do front tranaxle drain-and-fill every 30K miles and rear (AWD) transaxle every 60K. If you do it at an indy shop, they are super cheap to do. Transmission going south on modern vehicles is not unheard of. I'm told the "lifetime" is something like 100K miles according to car companies. Heck, BMW even has a parts recycle and rebuilding division that has a thriving business from all these parts coming back in every 5 to 7 years..... In other words, modern car business ain't like "build great cars and keep'em running forever." It's more like" build great looking lease-able cars and turn them over as soon as we can. Reminds me of Apple's planned obsolescence of various iPhone models.

However, Lexus does deserve some credit for building comparably more durable cars among a sea of disposable jokers out there.

Non

I think changing the transmission fluid would not help in the op's particular case.

His problem is a bad sensor inside the transmission.

I think he just had some bad luck. Small percentage of transmissions fail no matter how clean the fluid is.

RX in NC

Regardless of whether fresh ATF would have helped the original poster with his failed sensor issue, my point is that his ATF should have already been drained-and-filled at least once given his 80,000-mile odometer reading.

MellonC00

Good point.

nerv81

It's funny you guys mention the trans fluid change because I asked the Lexus dealer about it at 50k and again at 70k and both times was told it was a waste and it's actually better to keep the trans fluid since it's lifetime. At least if there was a mechanical issue with the trans I could have used the fact that I tried to have them change it to get them to cover more of the cost. I have to say though, after having so many issue with my GS and now this, I'm definitely done with the brand for a while. We'll be keeping my wife's RX until it reaches at least 150k but unfortunately I'm just not happy with all the issues.

I was speaking to a friend that has a 2016 RX F-Sport and he mentioned his car has been back to the dealer 3 times in the first year for a bad sensor, faulty weld on the exhaust, and a broken seatbelt adjuster. The quality is no longer there from when we bought our first RX in 2008.

RX in NC

We have never owned the Lexus LS series but I would not be surprised if the build quality on the much lower volume top-of-the-line models is still quite good. On the contrary, Lexus sells the RX and ES models like hotcakes, pumping them out of the factories as quickly as possible. They do not provide the same high level of profit margins that the top-of-the-line models do, so they probably are not built by the same level of experienced craftsmen that the LS series may be. But what Lexus fails to account for is that the RX and ES models comprise the majority of their customer base and when the build quality noticeably drops, the word on the street gets spread around much faster. There is also a perception that the vehicles built in Japan are of better build quality than the vehicles built in Canada.

sbrown329

"There is also a perception that the vehicles built in Japan are of better build quality than the vehicles built in Canada."
The independent ex Lexus mechanic I use said the same thing, which is why I bought a used 450h when it was time to upgrade from my 330.

fastnoypi

IMO, the OP has had a bad luck of the draw here with the possibility that an earlier ATF fluid change could have prevented a bad solenoid. I've done my 2010 at near 60k and already noticed the fluid getting to be a dark contaminated red color. I can't say anything bad about Lexus quality as my 3rd gen is my 3rd Lexus. My first gen RX is still in the family running perfect with over 200k miles with 60k ATF fluid changes.

daddiojigg

Depending on year/options ALOT of 3rd gen hybrids onwards were built in Canada.

aguero

What's up guys, I'm having a similar issue with my 2013 Rx350 F sport AWD. I started to notice the thread wear on my tires were uneven and after a few alignments I knew the alignment wast the issue. Then I started getting this vibration and pulling while turning (mainly left turns). I just took the car in yesterday to the Lexus service center and did a test drive with one of the mechanics, when he felt the vibration said instantly said it's going to be the transmission as he's seen about 5 other cases with the same symptom and it's always the transmission. I was quoted about $8,500 for the repair, he said not to bother with flushing the transmission fluid as it'll be a waste of money. He did say my car wasn't as bad as the others he's seen so should I give the transmission fluid change a shot?

Clutchless

Why not? They only cost a few hundred at most. I would see if the local Toyota dealer is cheaper than the Lexus dealer.
Then if it feels a bit better after flush, which is technically a fluid exchange, trade it in before it acts up again.

Does it shift okay? Maybe you just have a bad CV joint or motor mount. Get a second opinion. You have to ask yourself what is the value of the vehicle and is it worth investing almost $9000 in it if it really needs a transmission?

You have the 8 speed transmission since you have an F Sport. Regular models have the 6 speed.

aguero

while looking at youtube videos with similar symptoms I was convince it was a bad axle shaft, possibly bad cv joint but when the lexus mechanic said it's the transmission I was bummed. I will probably take it in for a second opinion and hope to put a band aide on this issue until I can trade it in like you said.