Please post your experience on the poll as I am getting various mixed opinions on the failure rate of these trani's.

My particular vehicle came with an extended warranty (no longer in effect) and was maintained religiously by myself and previous owner (records in car).
Here's a link by an independant consumer advocate company which has found problems with the camry trani (U140E). click on Toyota:
http://www.apa.ca/template.asp?DocID=23

I find it completely unacceptable that my Lexus happened to have a mechanical failure of an internal trani component while in my hands, specifically at 137,000 km which is well below the norm for wear and tear.

Please post your experience, which will be shared by other forum members

 

I responded no failure to date, but that's for me as I traded the vehicle at ~50K a while ago and the transmission was fine then. You might want to add some line to the poll that asks whether the tranny failed while one owned it within the warranty period, or "while owned during the warranty period".
This is a good thread as I am concerned about later models of the 300 ... anyone know whether they fixed any problems that might have been in the early year 300 transmissions?

 

I am original owner. Tranny failed at about 116K.

 

Thanks for response Parula,

your suggestion is the 2nd question in the poll

Cheers,
Fernando

 

Fern, if I read you right then that second question/condition whether failure occurred that I can only answer affirmatively if true doesn't seem relevant to my point . . so not sure

 

Been on this forum for years and there has been a fair number of posts on transmission failure [some say on AWD some say FWD only].

I am glad we are talking about transmission and not a medicine or a medical procedure. There are too many horror stories out on the net, that an unbiased person would not follow through with any treatment.

I think the key is to get a true random sampling ... which Lexus has. In past Lexus has done the right thing, even at cost to them. The brand name "Lexus" is worth a lot to Toyota and good bussiness practice will be to protect it.

Salim

added the following:
Transmission is a complex beast. Transmission going bad, is a loose term. The failure has to be of a component or set of common components, to be meaningful. This information is again only known to Lexus.

 

First, Lexus will never release failure rate on RX300's transmission. Lexus will commit brand suicide if it does.
Second, Toyota has to realize its brand equity depends how sustainable its product reliability reputation holds.

A recent WSJ journal report indicated Toyota has shortened product launch cycles in order to replace GM as the top selling automaker. But in the process of pursueing this business goal, Toyota sacrificed reliability and made many "bonehead" decisions as noted by Toyota's own engineers.
Here is a recall graph released by WSJ. I included a portion of the original text also.

 

Congratulations on the research,

very informative!

I'm not trying to take Lexus or Toyota's side (especially after hearing that it would cost me almost $3500 with taxes to have my trani overhauled), but I must say, the chart can be misleading, ie:

One can also look at the chart as Toyota's effort to increase production in a model year and hence fall behind on quality control or R & D.

Concern for reputation or as TunedRX300 put it "brand equity" would then cause greater amount of recall after launching of product, hence chart shows greatest recall in 2005.

I'm sure Toyota's internal focus shifted in beginning of 2006 due to having noticed 2005 recall results?

 

Fern, you are not alone apparently. A number of people posted complaints to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration for transmison problems on the 99,
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/pr...type=DrillDown I don't see any for the 2003, maybe they fixed the main problems by then, I hope!

You'll need to go to that site and work through the complaint requests for the '99, the link doesn't copy for searches.

LexMex you race all the time, how is your tranny holding up, that must really stress it out?

 

Holding up just fine...but I need to watch my fluid changes.

 

My transmission failed at 101k miles, two states away while on vacation. I had changed the fluid every 30k on my transmission with new filter and pan gasket. I was infuriated, cost me $4300 and Lexus of America treated me like white trash. I received no assistance, Even when I supplied documentation of the maintenance, pretty sad for a Toyota product to fail this early, I have had 15 company cars (all american ) that never failed with no maintenance. Lexus has a problem with their hardware and software shifting logic and they are not willing to support their product like HOnda /Accura did with their transmissions.
So sad, nice car, but crappy transmission. I now change the fluid every 15k and have added an transmission filter (external) I am going to add a cooling fan to the aux tranny cooler which is located in the right front wheel well with poor cooling flow. The AWD version seems to have the highest failure rate. I have filed complaints with the National Highway Safety Board, as I feel it is a safety issue when going 80 miles per hour and loosing it. I suggest anyone whom has had a failure file, The data base is growing there. Thank you

 

Here http://www.carsurvey.org/viewmorecom...w_79737_2.html is yet another forum of infuriated people with Rx300 transmission problems.

As an owner of one, I am wondering what we can do to have the NHTSA look into this and require a recall, it seems to me that transmission problems of this magnitude could create a serous safety problem.

 

Not to sound like a broken record ... be it about cars or medicine

I expect 90+% of ppl to complain on the net for a failure.

In contrast less than 5% to speak positively. ie 95+% ppl who have NO problems don't go on the net to write positively.

The only way to look at the problem would be to look at complaints_lodged and compare them to total_sales. So the best way would be to complain and have it logged with NHTSB, as reccomeded by others.

Totally unscientific study:
If I tally all the transmission problem reported here [CL] from state of TX (by signature) and divide them by number of RX300 I see on roads in One_Town_Texas, the % is below one onehundreths.

As always, I am mindful and dont want to trivialize the agony of the ppl who have encountered the problem. I would be among the first to complain if Lexus fails to live up to its promised warranty.



Salim

 

Salim,

Would you be surprised if Lexus did not live up to its promised warranty? I wouldn't. A warranty is a warranty, by contract it commits the manufacturer to repair as per wording of document.

Co-incidentally the Lexus standard warranty is nothing to write home about. Look at GM's and Ford who both have 5 year 160,000 km and what about Hyundai (10 year 160,000km ), etc...

I'm not saying I would have been better off with the above manufacturers, but give me a break, can't Lexus be a little more confident in their product?

I want to see Lexus stand behind their product when it's out of warranty for a part which should not normally break at 350,000 km much less 137,000 km..

Failed thrust washer, what the heck is that on a brand like Lexus.... Give me a break.

I have driven Fords, Chryslers, and GM company cars for the last 15 years and dispite not servicing the trani within the first 100,000km (fleet company wouldn't pay for it) they still went powertrain trouble free.

I would be blown out of the water if Lexus as a goodwill gesture picked up the cost of the repair, given the service history and nature of failure. When we are ready, I can assure you my replacement vehicle for the RX would be another Lexus.

Slightly off topic:
Passed by the Toyota dealer where vehicle is being serviced this evening and noticed it still inside service bay with transmission removed.. I guess I won't be picking it up tomorrow.

Disappointed.

 

[All: It seems I am digressing and the discussion is more on warranty. Transmission repair seems to be the only repeat issue which irks ppl with out of warranty repairs.]

Fern:

I do sympathise with you and others who have had transmission failure, earlier than expeted, and are left paying for the repair. Obviously these are only comforting words as my pocket book is not being impacted.

I wish the warranty is/was for more miles. Based on my cash flow and my ability to absorb out of pocket expense and peace of mind, I did buy the extended warranty [btw: I lost money on it ]. Since a sizable customer base keeps their vehicle for less, I suspect that Lexus arrived at sales price (cost + profit + warranty_cost) @60K. The 100K miles full warranty price point would have been different, and is available through extended warranty purchase[ CPO in used market as well]. 3rd party insurers offer more milage coverage.

I may wish nothing breaks, but 8yrs/100K miles of trouble free miles, is my expectation out of a vehicle. Beyond that is bonus.

I am sure others may have a different year/miles expectation.

Salim