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You may have multiple issues going on in that description. My thoughts:
- The "clunk" could be your rear driveshaft slipping. It's not that uncommon for these types of Toyota SUV's. In theory it's been "fixed" but I still see and hear about a lot of clunking. You can see about adding grease to the rear driveshaft slip yoke to see if that helps remedy the issue.
- Transmission rough: Is that at all operating temps, or predominantly when it is cold. You will have a rougher experience when it's cold, with a different shift pattern, and more deliberate shifts from a "seat of the pants" perspective. I would agree that the drop from P to D, or from R to D is a bit delayed, but I've gotten used to it.
Comparing the GX to the NX or RX isn't really fair, and they really don't have the same drivetrain. The RX and NX are cars with AWD systems, different engine and transmission, and just about everything else except the badge. The GX is a true SUV, with a rigid frame, a solid rear axle, 4 linked rear and coilover front suspension, and moderate duty suspension components that are built to support decades of driving both on road and off road. I don't know what other vehicles share the transmission, but I'd be very surprised if it is the same as what they put behind the V6 cars.
See what your dealer says. Maybe they can address some of the concerns you have. Take another GX for a test drive while you are there and see if the behaviors are demonstrably different.
Barely moving backward and putting it into drive makes for an unhappy GX
I was always told this would make for an unhappy any car.
Ours has a slight hesitation/jerk going from R to D. I was surprised given how smooth the 6 speed is during normal operation. At the end of the day its an old school body on frame truck with a V8 and 6speed. I told the dealer once and they "couldnt replicate the issue." I'll just complain about it everytime it goes on for service anyway, that way there is a length record of it if it ever comes to that point.
As for the clunk, I think I have come across discussion on these forums where adding grease to the driveshaft has helped. Also, speaking of shifting into D from a slight reverse movement, I'm talking about barely moving. In general that really isn't the best for any transmission but there have been so many other cars or trucks that have accepted that shift very gracefully. I won't be doing that anymore though!
We'll end up seeing what the dealership has to say. I've got a couple other concerns to raise but this would be the primary one.
Make sure slip yoke isn't over-greased as well... from what I have read that can cause problems as well. It also requires a moly grease different than the rest of the zerks.
Hi everyone. I am new to this forum and am at my wit's end, so I'm really hoping some of you exceptionally knowledgeable folks might be able to help me out. About 6 weeks ago, the traction control, check engine, and 4Lo (flashing) lights came on on the dashboard of my 2010 Lexus GX 460. I did not notice any vehicle performance issues at all. After doing some research, I figured this was the secondary air filter issue that multiple people have reported on, however, when I took it to the Lexus dealership, they said that the codes indicated a transmission issue. Rather than engage in an expensive diagnostic adventure, their protocol is to reset the codes and see how long it takes for the dash lights to come back on (if ever). No lights came on for about 6 weeks, and then they came back on, the morning that I had to drive my car 11 hours from Florida to Nashville, and then 7 hours from Nashville to Chicago a few days later (approx 1200 miles). I drove the car to Nashville with no performance issues and took the car to Auto Zone to have the codes read, and I got 4 results - 3 were P2714 Pressure Control Solenoid "DI" Performance or Stuck OFF and 1 was P0761 Shift Solenoid C Performance or Stuck Off - all indicating a transmission issue.
Once I got to Chicago, I took the vehicle to the local Lexus dealership, and they called me a few hours later saying they recommend replacing the entire transmission - about $5800. I asked what my other options were, and I was told that they could drain the transmission fluid and look for metal pieces, which would indicate a severe transmission problem. According to the service rep, given that I had driven the car at least 2000 miles since the lights first came on back in March, it was "highly likely" that there would be metal in the fluid. I told him I wanted to proceed with that option, and, contrary to his expectations, they found no metal in the fluid. I was really happy until this morning (just 2 days later), all three lights came back on. At this point, I'm trying to figure out whether my only option is to replace the entire transmission (or sell the vehicle). Is it normal that there would be a serious transmission issue when the vehicle has been running perfectly? Any idea whether I should be able to at least get another couple thousand miles out of the car? I bought a used, high-mileage (95k at the time, 107k now) Lexus because I was told it was a brand of vehicle that would likely have no major issues, so I'm pretty bummed at this point. Thanks so much for any insight you may have!
If anyone has any doubts the 4.6L & transmission will last a long time...
A guy on GXOR posted this pic of a friend who does deliveries between Louisiana and NYC twice a week.
" This is a 2010 Sequoia with the 4.6. This picture is about a month or two old , it now has 967,000. Spark plugs , serpentine belts , 1 fuel pump and all fluids flushed every 100K is all she’s needed. Normal maintenance etc. Never torn into the motor or transmission. 1 alternator , Mobil 1 every 15K."
You can go 30,000 with this driving style. An engine running at a constant variable experiences almost no wear. Start up, idling and city driving is what does an engine or trans in. In our bench cell testing, this engine could go 3,000,000 miles if they were highway driven.
Not surprised at this at all. Some parts will wear out eventually and need to be replaced but with regular maintenance things should work out just fine. But damn... that's a ton of miles in that amount of time! Then again LA to NY twice a week That's a rough commute.
2010 GX460 - 4Lo flashing, Check Engine Light (Transmission Error Codes P2714, P0761)
That's a rough commute.