Ok, so it's time to trade in the beloved GS for something with a little more stroller-hauling capacity, and my first choice is an RX300. In order to avoid putting out more cash than necessary, I am looking at 99-01 models. But reading about all the tranny problems has me a little concerned (and less enthusiastic about selling the GS than ever-- the thing is dang bulletproof!)

My question is: how concerned should I be about buying a 99-01 RX? If the service records are not available to see if the tranny has already been rebuilt or replaced, is there a way to tell short of opening it up and checking the parts in question? (I think I remember seeing it was a planetary gear problem, but I don't remember off the top of my head now.) I will likely be buying private party or from one of the small dealers/wholesalers around since the Lexus dealers are asking 40-50% higher prices around here, so it's not like I can easily get the service history before buying.

I'm also wondering if the transmission problems are the reason why there are so many used 99-01s sitting at dealers right now... and I couldn't track down an 02 to save my life (not than I can afford the extra couple thousand). Any guidance or recommendations are appreciated... before I make an expensive mistake!

 

We own a 98Gs4 and 99Rx3.

GS is very well built car, better than RX but I have been extremely pleased with the RX. Our Rx is a year younger but has 140k+ miles while the GS has not even done 1/2 the miles. You can tell which car we use most of the time.

Buying a 8-10yr old vehicle, you really need to know how it was maintained (even if the last few years are missing). You should be able to pull maint history from Lexus .. even if it is no longer current .. as long as the previous owner(s) brought it to Lexus.

I am among the 98%+ [no real basis for this number, but it has been thrown around] who have had no trouble to report. The problem and issues to look at, will be (Salim's order of reported problems .. most frequent to least frequent)

1. drive light in instrument cluster
2. Wind noise if the rear roof rack and hold downs are not set properly
3. Rear hatch rubber seal (wind noise)
4. Black paint fading on the door plastic trim.
5. Design limitations turning radius, fuel tank capacity, location of oil filter.
6. Design .. Need to drive slow for the vehicle to warm up 10-12 minutes.
7. Air servo needs lubrication
7a. Exhaust flex joint can develop a leak.
8. Visors loose the stay power. With bumps, it flops down.
9. Door lock actuators (typically driver side is first to go) [same as in GS]
10. Window switch (driver side assembly)
11. Rear hatch struts. (more in winter)
12. Starter
12a. IACV and MAF need cleaning
13. Main rear oil seal.
14. Transmission.
14a. CEL indication some sensor has gone bad [sorry I dont have a list]
14b. Ignition Coil(s)
14c. ABS sensor
15. Engine gel [may be people don't complain much as the warranty covers it]

My RX has had only 1-8.

Repairs can be expensive, so the question you have to weigh is, buy a newer vehicle and pay more upfront, or save the money for impending repairs. Repairs are inevitable as the vehicle ages.

Also make sure you get all the keys [2 masters, 1 valet and 1 card]

Salim

 

Thanks for the very thorough reply. Definitely things to consider. I have had few problems with the GS, but really, I only drive 6000 miles a year, so the wear and tear is probably less extensive. Electrical/electronic problems (as long as they don't involve the computer) don't scare me, as my husband is an electronics engineer and has already fixed things like the door lock actuator himself. Engine main seal and transmission are the ones that worry me, as those are the expensive ones!

Does anyone have anything else to add? (And can anyone answer the "is there any way to tell a rebuilt/replaced transmission" question? Does it have a manufacture date stamp or sticker on it anywhere?)

 

Unfortunately, the transmission issue can not be predicted with any certainty. Cars with full maintenance histories appear to have as many problems as cars that do not. The incidence of "major transmission problems" would appear to be greater than 3% (CR) but we don't know how much greater. I think 3%-5% or Lexus would already be in court with a class action lawsuit!

So it's a bit of a crap shoot. You probably have a 90% chance or greater of NOT having a problem; Where can you get odds that good these days? Certainly not the stock market!

 

well i drive mine pretty hard.and mine is still original @ 100,710 miles,and knock on wood,still going strong.(aside from the occasional power glide 1st to 2nd gear).i just go,if she blows,i already have a very good indipendent shop in mind.of course im sure that it would happen on a cold february evening,in a record low temp.

 

I'm getting the feeling that no one thinks it's a reason NOT to buy one, just something to be aware of. As with anything else, the trick will be finding a good deal on one with decent mileage, so I can prepare for future expenses. Of course, I also own a '99 Isuzu Trooper which has a bad reliability track record, and it's been rock solid so far... I would certainly bank on Lexus before Isuzu.

Is there a feeling that it's better to get a car that hasn't had transmission problems (yet) or one that's already had transmission work done? It doesn't seem to me that proper maintenance is any indicator whether or not you'll have problems in the future.

Btw, I decided against an MDX based on the fact that practically EVERY YEAR except 2003 has had major tranny issues, to a much greater degree than what I'm hearing here.

 

I am the original owner of a 1999 RX300 that now has 170,000 miles. It has been conscientiously maintained, never abused, and never in a major accident. I have had problems 1, 7, 8, 12 and 14.

 

I have a 99 with 161k miles with problems 1,4,5,8,9,11,and 14 Good luck in your quest. By the way I thought Honda/Accura stood behind their tranny failures with a recall....

 

Thanks for the replies... I am still waffling. The only problem is that I really had my heart set on an RX and nothing else seems like a good substitution right now.

You are right that the MDX transmissions were recalled, but only the 01-03s... It doesn't sound like it's all that easy to get Acura to pony up on higher mileage vehicles, and now the 04-06s are starting to show up with the same problems... which means people are going through 2 or 3 transmissions over the course of a few years. Honda/Acura obviously hasn't fixed their design flaw (bad torque converter design, it seems). I can't afford to be without a car now that we are "downsizing" from 3 vehicles to 2. If you want to feel good about your Lexus, go on over to the Acura forum!

 

I think your best bet is an 01. One problem from the 99-00 that hasn't been mentioned is coil failure. I've got an 00 with 117,000 and the coils (so far) are the only real issue I've had. Numbers 1-8 are non-problems (IMHO ) and I've only suffered the door actuator problem (in addition to the coil). The rest are definitely problems to consider, but I think they occur less on the 01's than the 99-00 versions.

 

I have a 99 awd rx that has nearly 200k miles. I haven't had any major problems, just small ones like 1, 7, 9, 14a and i had an exhaust leak thanks to a torn accordion like piece in the exhaust system. Sad to say, the RX has been abused a bit but it is still going strong. It truly feels like it gets better with age. As long as you maintain it properly, with good maintenance schedules and some love, it will last you a long time. To this day, i havent had a problem with the tranny, the engine or transfer case. (knock on wood) GL on your decision.

 

My wife and I narrowed down our used car decision to the MDX and RX. After driving the MDX, my wife decided RX only! (Her ES300 was totalled by a rear-end collision.)

We were fortunate in that two weeks ago we found a used 99 RX300 with 68K miles with ALL service records included. The oil change interval never exceeded 5K miles.

After both of us drove it and negotiated, we purchased it and are very happy with the decision.

She loves her new RX, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we are on of the 90%+ that won't have tranny issues.

That being said, I'll be draining and filling the tranny fluid as soon as I have a free Saturday.

Good luck with your decision, and hopefully regardless of what you choose you're able to find a used car with all the service records. This can really bring peace of mind, even if it doesn't mean you won't have any problems down the road.......

 

By the Way, even though I am on my third transmission, I love the car....I post a great deal on the tranny issue both here and on LOC. Good luck

 

We have pretty much decided to go with an RX of some type, but we haven't decided whether to save up the extra $$$ to go with an '02. Depends on what we find. There has to be about 40 RX's on the market right now between private parties and dealers, so I'm going to start calling my way through them to find one with a service history, a full dealer service record, and hopefully an updated tranny. So we will go from there.

I'm a bit anxious to get started. I am taking a deposit on the GS tonight, to be picked up next Wednesday, so I will be officially sans-Lexus in about 5 days! I'm already getting the bug for another one. What can I say? I'm hooked.

Thanks for all the input! It really has helped clarify what I want to do.

Oh, I forgot... surfing other forums, it sounds like Lexus made a mid-2000 model year change on the tranny, but some of the '01s still got built with the old design, which would account for the lower failure rate on '01s. Does this sound consistent with what you have heard?

 

131k i have had problems 1,6,8,11,13,14 other than that great vehicle!