Doublebase

I have an LS460 and the same recommendations apply to our transmissions...lifetime fluid, sealed unit.

I personally didn't follow those guidelines and changed mine at 70k miles...fluid was almost black. I ended up dropping the pan, changing the filter and drain and filled it again a week later to get most of the fluid out. Just changed it again yesterday (40k miles later) and the fluid looks great (not like the first time I did it).

Check a Lexus owner's manual from Canada or another part of the world and they will suggest you change your fluid at 60k miles. In America Lexus gets a tax break from oil disposal fees...along with every other manufacturer that makes a vehicle with less hazardous waste disposal. I've read that is why they - and other companies - have these lifetime fluids. By the way, WS fluid is not "lifetime", it's not even synthetic. There have been used oil analysis's of it at 100k miles and at that point it has sheared and lost its viscosity...never mind the metals floating around in it that should have been dumped a lot sooner.

Having said all that, Toyota makes good transmissions - at least compared to other brands - so if you don't change it, ou probably will be fine for quite a while. I just want to go further than that. And I know Toyota doesn't make their own transmission, but the company that does is solid...I think it's Aisins. They have since sold my transmission to Cadillac...probably will be the best thing about that car.

Universe93

So the consensus is to just forget about the transmission fluid and let the maintenance schedule at 100k check handle it? I had posted earlier, that at the 32k service, the Lexus dealership "strongly recommended" that I not change the transmission fluid at this time, nor the 60k service. I didn't change it.

I do about 60-70% highway driving, and this car has to last til 250k miles.

12jimmyjam

So the current tranny along with the previous generation, right? Just like the comment above, I've read posts in the 5th gen forum (what I drive) that when people waited until around 100k miles to change their fluid, it was very dark and didn't smell so great. But on the other hand, I've heard of very few transmission failures on this model at all between those who change and those who don't. And I don't think we'll see a consensus on atf changes here.

I will have a toyota dealer change mine for about $250 every 50k miles, which is around a year and a half for me, just to be on the safe side and because I'll probably put around 250k on my car before getting rid of it.

NickTee

People also believe that dark oil is a bad sign, so you can't really trust what they're saying. In fact, most people do not have any idea what they're talking about when it comes to cars, so it's hard to really believe anything they say.

LexBob2

Looking at Consumer Reports predicted reliability from their Owner Surveys for both Trans Minor and Trans Major they give the ES350 Well Above Average across the board for model years '09-'14. How many are high mileage is unknown, but '09-and '10's have been out there long enough to be racking up the miles so it appears there aren't any widespread issues with the transmission. I believe the '07 and '08's showed similar results when they appeared on the listing..

chromedome

How about the planet gear transmission in the hybrid? That's also a sealed design, I don't know about the maintenance interval for that.

12jimmyjam

So what do you believe is a good transmission maintenance interval maintenance, if any, with the non synthetic fluid?

NickTee

Honestly, it's hard to say. Different cars are driven in different conditions, all in varying states of abuse based on the driver. That being said, there are very few documented failures of the ES350 transmission (which is a fairly good sign, since these transmissions have been on the road since mid-to-late 2006) and there is no substantial evidence to support people's hypothesis that the fluid cannot be lifetime. That being said, you could change it every 80,000-100,000 miles and you'd only have to change it maybe 2-3 times through the lifetime of the car. That's assuming you're using the OEM fluids. You can send the fluid in to Blacklabs for analysis, too, if you want to know the state of your fluid.
I will explicitly tell you that I do not know when specifically the fluid should be changed and that 80-100,000 miles is based loosely around other ATF ranges. Another thing to consider is that fluid failure can be caused by contamination more than just driving, which is why we see more and more sealed transmissions.

http://www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/141

Doublebase

This is probably the most debated topic on any Lexus model forum.

I believe if you're keeping the vehicle long term....200k plus...then just change it. I would think every 60,000 miles is a safe/conservative change interval.

airgas1998

i think that is sound advice.....

Maikerusan

I have a 2015 Canadian ES 350 and there is absolutely no mention in the manual about ever changing the transmission fluid.

I have a friend who was a service advisor at a dealership (Big 3 American) who admitted the tranny fluid replacement was nothing more than a cash grab by the service department and in no way affected longevity or life span of transmission. Not sure I believe that, but he sure did.

bc6152

I'm a believer in what the manufacturer recommends. If they say lifetime I believe it. If they say change not necessary I won't change it. I don't think that Toyota wants your trans to fail. I believe that those dealers suggesting trans fluid changes outside the schedule are doing a cash grab.They probably charge you for nitrogen in your tires too. The air you breathe is 78% nitrogen...

jollick

pab12

>I'm a believer in what the manufacturer recommends. If they say lifetime I believe it. If they say change not necessary I won't change it.

Totally disagree, this is common for many, many, types of modern cars. But the truth is that the manufacturer only wants to keep you running through the warranty period, nothing more. No lubricant is good forever, period.

But, they are pretty long-lived, so a tranny flush/refill is something that only needs to be considered at a pretty high mileage (~100K is a good time).

Toyota's are very reliable and the maker doesn't want any bad press about their cars wearing out that's true, but nothing is for' evah.

Just assume that, if you keep your car for any length of time, you will replace the coolant and brake fluid around 60K, and spark plugs and tranny fluid around 100K.
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My karma just ran over your dogma
Current Hers: '13 Lexus ES350
Current Mine: '08 Jaguar S-Type 4.2 "Satin Edition" (250.06 whp / 259.67 torque)
Past Ours: '05 X-Type 3.0/auto Jaguar Racing Green

NA2NC

Hello, new to the forum. Sorry for bumping an old thread. Is the transmission in the 6th gen ES Toyota or Aisin units?