Thanks. Hell, I'm just elated to have received the headlight condensation letter (and thankful I didn't try to seal it myself like I was going to a few weeks ago!)

 

242K kilometers and no issues other than the usual hesitation. Gotta be firm on the gas between that 2nd and 3rd.

 

Which year is your RX?

 

2004 sport made by my fellow ontarians. Added to my sig now and a rare pic in the RX's now-completed new garage/home.

]

 

Yeah, I find if I am consistent on the gas between the gears, I rarely have an issue. It's a little unsettling though to go around a corner in rush hour traffic heading onto the interstate and let off the gas due to traffic ahead of me - only to have the car go CHUNK in the shift. Ugh.

 

I have a 2001 RX 300 with 114,000 and the transmission died- I am spendingn $3100 to have it fixed and it comes with a 3 year/50000 warranty- Anyone had their tranny rebuilt and not had problems? Hoping this is the right call!

 

Welcome to Club Lexus Marilyn43. The car is worth about $6000. This is a tough call and depending on the quality of work for the rebuilt transmission it could go either way. I guess it comes down to what you can afford. With that age and mileage I would personally junk the car and buy a RX330 with less mileage. I really hope everything works out with this new transmission. Let us know how this turns out.

 

2001 RX300 with 168,000 miles. We bought the car in 2003 with 16,000 miles on it We passed this on to our daughter when my wife got a 2007 RX350 back in 2009. Recently started making some ominous noises, per our daughter. She had it to a independent Lexus/Toyota shop but didn't get a full diagnosis other than, yep, that could be the transmission. She decided to trade it in on a 2012 Highlander Limited 4WD. My daughter did have the trans fluid exchanged @ 120,000 miles by the shop mentioned previously. The fluid exchange was the one and only transmission service this vehicle had. Got $4000 for the RX on the trade.

Not sure if trans was failing, but I think 168,000 miles isn't bad. BTW, late model Highlander Limited's are very nice vehicles.

 

Agreed...my brother in law just got a new Highlander Limited and they are VERY nice - the line is starting to get a little more blurred between the higher end Toyota's and their Lexus counterparts.

 

My wife's 2002 RX300 (bought new in 2002) has 240,000 miles (386,242 km) on the original tranny. Early this morning when I walked her out to her car as she left for work I heard a whining sound that was loudest from under the car. So 240,000 miles may be about all we get:-) Her car has been really trouble free - biggest deal was normal replacement of the timing belt - lucky I guess.

 

Not saying you do NOT have a trans problem, but a loud whining from under the hood could be other things too...alternator, power steering pump possibly.

 

2005 Thundercloud 88,000 AWD. Do not like the shifting. It doesn't downshift all the time when I step on it. Most times (80%) I have hesitation when trying to pass. It shifts too smooth, no power torque when shifting.

 

Thanks JBL - the way my luck has been lately, well, lets just say it wouldn't surprise me if it was the tranny. You know - "if I didn't have bad luck I wouldn't have any luck at all". I'm covering the basis. As a by-the-way, it seems a transmission flush is strongly suggested by some knowledgeable sounding folks - and that there's a machine that can perform that chore? Draining and refilling I could manage, but not a flush. Any suggestions? Is it a worthwhile preventative measure?

So, when my wife came home, the whining noise was hard to hear, if at all. No noise when the steering wheel turned, no change in pitch when shifting between gears, no difference with HVAC on or off. Hmm, I said... and checked the oil which was a full quart low. Maybe it was a cold engine whining that it was a tad low on oil. We'll see, but for now, she seems okay.

 

If you have not done a flush by 60K miles I would not recommend performing one. One never knows what all can be unleashed by a flush after that point. Would recommend performing a series for drain and fills to keep the fluid as clean as possible.

BTW, have you ever serviced the power steering fluid? Believe you should look at that as well. Does not use a standard power steering fluid, FWIW.

 

2005 AWD 133,000. miles no issues. do a drain and fill with Amsoil every thirty thousand miles. 4 quarts in 4 quarts out