Yet another tranny failure
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 959
Likes: 2
From: New Jersey
I have a 99 RX300 AWD with 147,500 miles. I bought the car used 3 years and 27,000 miles ago.
So far I have serviced the trans twice. The first time, I had my local shop do a flush, and I used the correct Toyota fluid. They also replaced the filter. The second time, I was at the dealer for an unrelated repair, and they told me "NEVER" do a flush on these transmissions... only "drain and fill".. So the second time, I did just that.
Today the trans works perfectly.. We just got back from a 3,500 mile road trip across the country for the holidays.. no problems.. I'm trying to decide how much further to gamble.. My wife and I really like the car, and over the past year, we've sunk ~$3,000 in various maintenance and repairs (timing belt job, 2 air/fuel sensors, MAF, brakes, tires, etc..)
So I want to know what, if anything, I can do (besides keeping the fluid clean) to preserve the life of this trans.
Many thanks.
So far I have serviced the trans twice. The first time, I had my local shop do a flush, and I used the correct Toyota fluid. They also replaced the filter. The second time, I was at the dealer for an unrelated repair, and they told me "NEVER" do a flush on these transmissions... only "drain and fill".. So the second time, I did just that.
Today the trans works perfectly.. We just got back from a 3,500 mile road trip across the country for the holidays.. no problems.. I'm trying to decide how much further to gamble.. My wife and I really like the car, and over the past year, we've sunk ~$3,000 in various maintenance and repairs (timing belt job, 2 air/fuel sensors, MAF, brakes, tires, etc..)
So I want to know what, if anything, I can do (besides keeping the fluid clean) to preserve the life of this trans.
Many thanks.
Even if your trans does go, $3400. (average rebuild price) isn't too much to spend a car you really like.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 959
Likes: 2
From: New Jersey
Mikey00:
Just trying to figure out what the 10-15% rate from the magazine scan actually is. If I understand it correctly, it's all major faults in all cars from 2003-2004. Given that the average of all these was 7.5 (5.0%-9.3%) in 2003-2004, that's more than twice the 3% average major transmission failure rate in the 2009 CR online listing. At the end of the day, we think we know what's causing this (as Tomas1 points out) but what we're REALLY interested in is "How likely is this to happen to MY car"?
Just trying to figure out what the 10-15% rate from the magazine scan actually is. If I understand it correctly, it's all major faults in all cars from 2003-2004. Given that the average of all these was 7.5 (5.0%-9.3%) in 2003-2004, that's more than twice the 3% average major transmission failure rate in the 2009 CR online listing. At the end of the day, we think we know what's causing this (as Tomas1 points out) but what we're REALLY interested in is "How likely is this to happen to MY car"?
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 959
Likes: 2
From: New Jersey
So am I to understand the scan you posted shows how to interpret the colored circles of CR.
Now help me relate these circles to RX300 ratings. After 10yrs or 120k+ miles of service, one should expect some problems due to normal wear. I think we should be looking at '94-'97 CR rating of RX300 of model yr '99-'01.
The gear discovery is great, but no one wants to share the date the new parts were introduced.
Salim
Now help me relate these circles to RX300 ratings. After 10yrs or 120k+ miles of service, one should expect some problems due to normal wear. I think we should be looking at '94-'97 CR rating of RX300 of model yr '99-'01.
The gear discovery is great, but no one wants to share the date the new parts were introduced.
Salim
CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 1,385
From: Austin, TX
Would be great if you could post the ratings along with the color key. If there are copyright reasons, then it is a different issue. It is very unlikely that we will be able to see problems listed as transmission problem and not others.
My rambling is .. it is only reasonable to look at problem free vehicles for up to 6yrs or 100K miles. Beyond that one should expect problems. With RX300 introduced as '99, we should practically stop looking at ratings past '04-'07 [my post had an error ... which I have fixed]
Salim
My rambling is .. it is only reasonable to look at problem free vehicles for up to 6yrs or 100K miles. Beyond that one should expect problems. With RX300 introduced as '99, we should practically stop looking at ratings past '04-'07 [my post had an error ... which I have fixed]
Salim
Well, if I understand CR correctly, they ask hundreds of thousands of subscribers to say if they have had a problem with a certain component of the car (eg transmission). The percent problems is then collated and the averages are shown below (these are the current values from their web site):
TROUBLE SPOTS 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08
Trans. Major 3 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 <1 <1
So the '99 cars had 3 % average problem rate (O). "Worse than average" (semi black circle) would be greater than 3% compared to other vehicles of that age. So the transmission failure rate of the RX300is > 3% but we don't know how much. Presumably, though, it can't be that much more, so that was where my guess of 3-5% came from.
TROUBLE SPOTS 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08
Trans. Major 3 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 <1 <1
So the '99 cars had 3 % average problem rate (O). "Worse than average" (semi black circle) would be greater than 3% compared to other vehicles of that age. So the transmission failure rate of the RX300is > 3% but we don't know how much. Presumably, though, it can't be that much more, so that was where my guess of 3-5% came from.
Last edited by sktn77a; Feb 18, 2009 at 07:25 PM.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 4,507
Likes: 38
From: Bethlehem Twsp. Pennsylvania
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Lexus Champion
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 4,507
Likes: 38
From: Bethlehem Twsp. Pennsylvania
I read it some where on my research on-line.By 2003 it was almost a non existent problem.See, I think Toyota Motor Co. is being very sneaky with this whole thing. They figured out the problem,and tried keeping it a secret. Probably so they wouldn`t be forced into a recall, I don`t like the way they handled this problem at all. Especially with a high end vehicle such as Lexus.
CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 17,329
Likes: 210
From: Miami, Florida
I've asked over there, but they don't seem to have the same issues that we do with tranny failures. One thing to keep in mind is that early Harriers often had the 2.2 or 2.4 L engines, not the big 3.0 that we had in the first model years, Harriers did exist in 1997 and 1998.
Now one interesting thing is that the U140F and U140E transmissions along with the 3.0 1MZFE continued to have life in the Toyota Alphard van right up until about 2008 and I also haven't heard issues then, but by then any change would have been apparent.
Now one interesting thing is that the U140F and U140E transmissions along with the 3.0 1MZFE continued to have life in the Toyota Alphard van right up until about 2008 and I also haven't heard issues then, but by then any change would have been apparent.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 959
Likes: 2
From: New Jersey
I am sure I would be violating CR membership agreement if I did a cut and paste of info I obtained with a paid membership. However, I do think it would be OK for me to comment on the trans failures they report. I will do that as soon as they come out with latest info which should be in the next few weeks. Right now the info we are looking at is almost 2 years old. Figuring it was publized almost a year ago and the surrveys used to compile the data went out almost a year before that.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: NE
You won't find the chart I posted online. It was scanned from CR mag. The purpose was just to give readers an idea about failure rates for their various ratings. I think CR really tries to avoid getting pinned down to specific numbers. The point they try to get across is that if any particular area is rated with a half black circle or black circle it is progressively worse than average and leave the rest to your interpretation. Remember Lexus is a high end car; so even being rated average in any area is not good. New numbers should be out in the next few weeks. It will be interesting to see what direction they go.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: CA
My "01 tranny was dying out at 160,000 miles. I went to the dealer for a quote and it came to $4600. With tax, the total rounded out to about $5K. Luckily, I knew of a family friend who was a tranny specialist and he did the job for about $2750 and the cars been running like a dream again. I guess the 2010 RX350 will have to wait just a lil while longer. 