fatbeaver1

I have a 2013 RX350 front wheel drive with (I think) the U660E transmission with 93,000 miles. It has been maintained by Lexus dealers it's entire life. No accidents, garage queen. I was on the highway today and swerved to miss some rocks falling from a dump truck, I was going about 75 mph. Immediately after that the transmission revved up to 5,000 rpm or so and did not seem like it was engaged. After pulling off the highway it is now only able to drive in manual mode in gears 1-3, no 4,5, or 6. There was a Toyota dealership close so I took it to them immediately. Again, all this just happened today. I just got a voicemail saying the transmission is shot and I will need a new one. I was surprised. I will call the Toyota dealership where it is tomorrow morning to get an estimate then I will drive it directly to the Lexus dealership and have them give me a second opinion. Again, I can still drive it in 1st through 3rd gears manually up to about 40 mph at about 3,000-3,500 rpm. I will be combing through this forum tonight after I type this for any similar experiences. With that said, any thoughts out there on what has happened and what my next step might be? I can already see this going to my regional rep and see if they will pay for it if it is truly a bad transmission, even though it is clearly out of warranty. And my garage floor is clean, not a drop of any fluid to be found. Thanks in advanced for any thoughts.

cdfraser

Were you able to avoid all the rocks or did you hit anything? Possibly hitting the transmission or fluid line?

Clutchless

Was the fluid ever changed on the transmission?
As asked above did you loose transmission fluid after hitting the rocks? Maybe that is your problem.
That happened to me once in high school while driving my father's 1966 Thunderbird. I parked on the shoulder across from a friends house and the neighbors had rocks there to stop folks from parking, but 16 year old me did not notice until I drove off and heard a noise and all the tranny fluid drained out. Luckily no harm was done except to replace the torn line and fill it back up.

You probably need to do one of the following options with regard to your transmission:
Replace with a new one - most expensive and maybe the only dealer option except for a rebuild, which they don't want to do. More money, faster turn-around and increased odds of a successful repair to replace it.
Replace with a rebuilt one - maybe the dealer will offer this option, maybe you need an independent shop
Replace with a used one - lots of these around this transmission has been used for 10 years in lots of Toyota & Lexus vehicles - need to find a low mileage one and change the fluid before installation.
Rebuild your transmission - total cost unknown until they take it apart and it is dependent on the rebuilder's skill and honesty

Weigh all this against the value of a 2013 RX350 with 93,000 miles and whether you just want to trade it in for a newer vehicle at this time.

RX in NC

I would value the opinion of a long-time well-respected indie transmission shop over any dealership. Yes, you should ask Lexus management for some goodwill assistance, but I would not expect them to provide it at 93,000 miles. If I had to pay the full cost to fix this vehicle, I would be consulting that indie shop and then weighing my options.

john341

I would check if the transmission oil cooler has any damage from rocks, it could be restricting oil flow. Also reset the transmission computer.

RadiantX45

If what you say is true that this only happened after you swerved to avoid some rocks, then yes, like the previous posters pointed out have the engine/ undercarriage inspected for impact. If the transmission fails due to an impact that is an insurance matter.

Did you preform a successful moose maneuver? Did the vehicle fully turn the opposite direction and start traveling backwards while in drive?? Can you go into more detail with what exactly happened when you avoided the rocks?

john341

Also, if the shifter is in manual mode, i believe on the RX350 it is limited to just four gears, unless you set the gate to maximum. That's probably why it is not shifting into the highest gear.

fatbeaver1

UPDATE: There was no under carriage damage and no lines were hit that I am aware of. Just got off the phone with the Toyota dealer. They said the transmission oil level was not low but the fluid was dirty. I have never changed the fluid. The U660E is a sealed unit. I have read all the posts about sealed transmission and was going to change the fluid at 100k. No warning lights came on, no shudder, just intimidate loss of power from the transmission. I thought it may have been a sensor or something that would not let the transmission engage. Toyota is quoting $6200 to put in a manufactured transmission. I am going to try a local transmission shop before I take it to the Lexus dealer. I took it to the Toyota dealer because they were right off the highway where the incident happened. Is it possible the dealership may not be able to do a reliable diagnostic on it?

I don't know if this is an insurance matter and will not treat it that way right now.

john341, do you know how to "set the gate to maximum" to get 4,5,6 gear in manual mode, as you said in your post?

4482

I had 2400 miles on my 2010 RX and the tranny went! No warning of any kind. They still replaced it with a rebuilt tranny, but gave me the free 30K service.
Good luck with yours!

Non

Maybe try doing the drain and fill of the ATF now? Who knows, maybe it's worth a try.

fatbeaver1

UPDATE: Lexus has agreed to pay for all parts to replace the transmission. That leaves me on the hook for the labor, which will be about $3500.

RX in NC

I strongly recommend that you have a well-respected indie transmission shop take a look at your transmission before you agree to any offer from Lexus. Keep in mind that Lexus dealerships are NOT transmission experts.

salimshah

Please make sure who ever does the replacement (that is if needed) also replaces the rear-main seal of the crankshaft. This is important if Lexus is paying for parts, as the seal may be considered as part of the engine and Lexus may not pay for it. In that case shell out the $$ to replace the seal.

Salim

iolmaster

iTrader: (1)

If it were me I would look elsewhere. $3500.00 for labor is ridiculous. That is almost 24 hours of labor. Not at all reasonable.

Fpan87

If the O.P looks elsewhere, he would have to cover parts + labor. I'm pretty sure Lexus corporate only agreed to cover parts if it's being repaired at a Lexus dealership. Good luck with the repair.