Transmission Failure
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
From: Texas
Transmission Failure
Our RX300, died today on the side of the highway during my girlfriend’s commute to work. Took it up to Lexus and its confirmed the transmission is shot. Started with a P0770 code which indicated transmission issues.
Our plans are to sell the vehicle with 100% certainty. Question to you all, should we have it fixed (transmission replacement) approximate cost is $4k and then sell it? Or just try and sell it with a shot transmission? The car is in very good condition otherwise, 90k miles on the engine. Cant see getting any more than $1k for it with a shot transmission though.
Our plans are to sell the vehicle with 100% certainty. Question to you all, should we have it fixed (transmission replacement) approximate cost is $4k and then sell it? Or just try and sell it with a shot transmission? The car is in very good condition otherwise, 90k miles on the engine. Cant see getting any more than $1k for it with a shot transmission though.
CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 16,533
Likes: 1,379
From: Austin, TX
Sorry to hear.
First call around to make sure you will get $1K. [few hundred can make a substantial difference] [CV current value]
Call around to find out if the cost is $4K or less. [RC repair cost]
Next determine if you have a [check how long warranty will be] warranty x-mission the sales price of the vehicle. [RV after repair resale value]]
compare
RV - RC vs CV
If you keep the vehicle few months after the repairs you can determine the cost per month to keep the vehicle [The resale value will change per month but you are well beyond the rapid drop ion price]
Salim
First call around to make sure you will get $1K. [few hundred can make a substantial difference] [CV current value]
Call around to find out if the cost is $4K or less. [RC repair cost]
Next determine if you have a [check how long warranty will be] warranty x-mission the sales price of the vehicle. [RV after repair resale value]]
compare
RV - RC vs CV
If you keep the vehicle few months after the repairs you can determine the cost per month to keep the vehicle [The resale value will change per month but you are well beyond the rapid drop ion price]
Salim
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 544
Likes: 24
From: California
Check around Austin there are some good transmission builders there I just had mine rebuilt here in California which is expensive, You should be ale to find one a good rebuilder there in Austin for around $2000 to $2500 dollars.
also go to Auto Zone and get the Max Life synthetic transmission fluid, I think it's 10 quarts the trans will hold check with the shop they can tell you. Have the shop use that for long life after the rebuild and change it every 30k miles
YOU ONLY HAVE 90 THOULDAND MILES ON THE SUV IT'S WORTH KEEPING THEY RUN FOR HUNFREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MILES.
Aldo use Mobil one synthetic in the motor for long life changing it every 5-10 thousand miles I go 10 k miles also change the power steering fluid using Max Life trans fluid same as the trans fluid.
I had my trans rebuilt at 158,000 miles and it runs great also if you do rebuild ask the trans shop to weld the tops of the planetary bearings this what usually goes out on the transmission they will know what you are talking about.
The RX300 is capable of 300-500,000 miles I have seen a couple with 450- 400,000 miles and plenty with 300,000 miles. Texas weather goes from extreme cold to extreme hot synthetic oil can handle that with ease.
also go to Auto Zone and get the Max Life synthetic transmission fluid, I think it's 10 quarts the trans will hold check with the shop they can tell you. Have the shop use that for long life after the rebuild and change it every 30k miles
YOU ONLY HAVE 90 THOULDAND MILES ON THE SUV IT'S WORTH KEEPING THEY RUN FOR HUNFREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MILES.
Aldo use Mobil one synthetic in the motor for long life changing it every 5-10 thousand miles I go 10 k miles also change the power steering fluid using Max Life trans fluid same as the trans fluid.
I had my trans rebuilt at 158,000 miles and it runs great also if you do rebuild ask the trans shop to weld the tops of the planetary bearings this what usually goes out on the transmission they will know what you are talking about.
The RX300 is capable of 300-500,000 miles I have seen a couple with 450- 400,000 miles and plenty with 300,000 miles. Texas weather goes from extreme cold to extreme hot synthetic oil can handle that with ease.
Pole Position
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 215
Likes: 32
From: Ohio
Our RX300, died today on the side of the highway during my girlfriend’s commute to work. Took it up to Lexus and its confirmed the transmission is shot. Started with a P0770 code which indicated transmission issues.
Our plans are to sell the vehicle with 100% certainty. Question to you all, should we have it fixed (transmission replacement) approximate cost is $4k and then sell it? Or just try and sell it with a shot transmission? The car is in very good condition otherwise, 90k miles on the engine. Cant see getting any more than $1k for it with a shot transmission though.
Our plans are to sell the vehicle with 100% certainty. Question to you all, should we have it fixed (transmission replacement) approximate cost is $4k and then sell it? Or just try and sell it with a shot transmission? The car is in very good condition otherwise, 90k miles on the engine. Cant see getting any more than $1k for it with a shot transmission though.
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
From: Texas
Trending Topics
Pole Position
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 389
Likes: 1
From: texas
Transmission failure
Ok guy's im going to keep it short and sweet, about a week ago i was making a left turn (few blocks from home and i started hearing terrible grinding and new the dammage was done, it then went away shortly after that but the car felt like it was dragging real bad, i was giving it a good amout of throttle to keep it from making a complete stop. I limped it home and ot seized up in my drive way... No forward, reverse or neutral! I drained my trans fluid and diff to see how bad things looked, alot of metal flakes and tiny bits, now i checked the bolt on the transfer case to inspect the gear oil and it was really, really loose like i could unscrew it by hand, to my surprise it was full, I was thinking the worst after seeing alot of transfer cases fail from running dry, now im at a dead end... Car wont move period, would the trans being screwed cause it to not move even in neutral? Or could my transfer case still fail and thats whats locked up? Also what trans will fit in these cars? Maybe from the 4runner im having a hard time finding higlander trans and even used rx ones... Any info would be great!
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Pole Position
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 389
Likes: 1
From: texas
I hear ya! Im looking for a way to get the car high enough to drop the engine and trans, believe it or not im going to attempt to rebuild the transmission myself, im a little more mechanically inclined than the average joe so i told myself what do i got to loose, just the 350$ for tranny master rebuild kit lol!... worst comes to worst i throw in a used tranny, im just not sure what it would be thats keeping the wheels locked in all gears.
Last edited by AnthonyMtz; Feb 26, 2018 at 11:20 PM. Reason: Period
CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 16,533
Likes: 1,379
From: Austin, TX
Whish you all the luck. I would say invest in the transmission manual.
The biggest issue would be, acquiring the right parts and having a clean environment. Talking about clean environment, you need to have the parts squeaky clean too. If something got pulverized the little bits and pieces would be every where, including passageways. Any home garage, is not the right environment to build a transmission.
Talking about parts, there is supposedly a steel planet gear system. You may like to search on that.
Salim
The biggest issue would be, acquiring the right parts and having a clean environment. Talking about clean environment, you need to have the parts squeaky clean too. If something got pulverized the little bits and pieces would be every where, including passageways. Any home garage, is not the right environment to build a transmission.
Talking about parts, there is supposedly a steel planet gear system. You may like to search on that.
Salim
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
From: Texas
Well I ended up contacting Lexus Corporate to see if they could help on the $5500 dollar replacement tranny and they balked. They said they wouldnt contribute anything to the cost of repairs and they hadnt heard of any reoccurring transmission issues with RX300s. What a joke! My co-worker just sold his RX300 at 130000 miles and had to have the transmission rebuilt at 110000 miles. Im now contemplating next steps...
Pole Position
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 389
Likes: 1
From: texas
Whish you all the luck. I would say invest in the transmission manual.
The biggest issue would be, acquiring the right parts and having a clean environment. Talking about clean environment, you need to have the parts squeaky clean too. If something got pulverized the little bits and pieces would be every where, including passageways. Any home garage, is not the right environment to build a transmission.
Talking about parts, there is supposedly a steel planet gear system. You may like to search on that.
Salim
The biggest issue would be, acquiring the right parts and having a clean environment. Talking about clean environment, you need to have the parts squeaky clean too. If something got pulverized the little bits and pieces would be every where, including passageways. Any home garage, is not the right environment to build a transmission.
Talking about parts, there is supposedly a steel planet gear system. You may like to search on that.
Salim
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 499
Likes: 71
From: FL
Gomeybear, that is very disappointing. Makes me concerned about my FWD RX. I have tried to keep the AT fluid relatively fresh as it has had single drain and fills at 60k, 100k, and 160k miles. and a 2x drain and fill at 140k miles.
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
From: Texas
We had the a drain and fill performed at around 85,000 miles at the Lexus dealership here in Austin. It been a crappy experience with the RX thus far, may not hold true for others.