So my car is working fine when all of a sudden it wont shift out of 3rd. The rpm's just keep going up and the check engine light comes on. I took my car to Lexus and they took two days to figure out what was wrong. Turns out some sensor within the transmission was bad however Lexus corporate told them that it is way to complex and advanced to fix so they are sending them a whole new transmission. I'm so bummed, only 2600 miles and this happens.

I can think of worse problems to have, than getting a brand new transmission. I don't see that as being a bad thing at all, unless you were the one that had to pay for it.

Bummer. But at least they are gonna replace the whole thing. I'd rather have a whole new tranny than to try and fix your original.

FF i hear ya, its all under warranty just sucks that i have to drive around an ES330 for a while. Things a boat

i've been having intermitent problems with my tranny as well (IS250 AWD). first thing i noticed was that the car lost of a lot of it's oomph after my first oil change... i had lexus look at it, they said nothing was wrong, so i thought that maybe it was my imagination. Next thing i noticed was that 2nd gear was an absolute dog - barely any acceleration at all. Then i noticed that when i needed to pass someone on the highway, after hitting the gas, it would only jump down into 4th gear and provide inadequate acceleration. It always used to jump down to 3rd gear in the past. Also, it would hang onto gears for much longer than it should (about a half mile worth of driving in the same gear before it would shift). i actually had to put the car into "S" mode, and upshift myself. Now this morning, on the highway, i hit the gas to move over a lane, tranny jumped down to 3rd gear, tach goes up to 5, but the car didn't move at all, as if the gear didn't catch. kinda like putting car in neutral and revving the gas. i freaked cuz i actually started slowing down and i thought the person behind me was gonna hit me.

Now that someone else is having problems with their tranny in the 250... i know i'm not just imagining this crap as lexus has led me to believe. i'm definitely gonna bring this up at my next appt.

No way, not for just a sensor. I would much rather have the original tranny that came with the car, this new tranny you never know who this transplant is going to work out. Now if something was wrong with the original tranny and it was damaged or not working and needed major repair then yes, let's get a new one. But a difficult sensor that hard to locate, remove, replace, calibrate, and/or other diagnose......?

My sister's civic had some factory problems and they gave her a "new" transmission and the car was never the same. I know a civic is not a lexus, but such a major replacement is never a good thing.

What you describe above is something I experienced several years ago - high revs, no speed during period of acceleration - in an `86 Audi 5000 Turbo. That car was 3 years old at the time. It turned out to be that the transmission was gone. Good luck!

sorry to hear what happened. Hope the new tranny will not have problem. Did you get free loaner car from your dealer??

It depends upon exactly what the replacement tranny is. If it is truly a brand new unit, never installed in another IS, I'd gladly accept it. With Honda/Acura, you NEVER get a new tranny, all replacement trannies are refurbished units, they save all the NEW trannies for new cars - this means a replacement tranny is rebuilt from a previous failed tranny - complete BS in my book. Again, assuming the Lexus tranny is completely brand new, I wouldn't worry about it . . .

This is not a new vs refurb tranny question because there are some refurbs that are just a good as new ones.

It is an original tranny the one that came with the car vs one that didn't come with the car...as in a couple of mechanics at an American facility installing your tranny using their books vs. the Japanese factory installing your tranny according to their spec. Probably nothing to worry about but I would take the latter any day.

Car makes also at times take back faulty products so that they may study the problem, and improve upon it, hence why they offer a total replacement.

We own an ES330, and I actually prefer driving it (over the IS) because the handling is so much more predictable. It doesn't handle better, just more predictably. Our IS is literally all over the highway, drifting to and fro, with odd sensations and excessive numbness. The ES stays a steady course, and will let you know when you're pushing it too hard.

I can't believe I just said that...

I'd never let them replace my tranny, You might end up with a rebuilt one..

I'd get it checked out. Mine is rock solid, tracks straight, and is very responsive.