Sludge Problem Vs Transmission Problem

[lexrx3]

Why does Toyota recognize the sludge problem but fail to address the transmission problem? Does it just come down to the shear number of problems recorded?

[wwest]

Before, long before, Toyota finally stepped up the plate and admitted that they had an oil sludging problem, their witless "shills" were all saying that the real problem was most likely due to lack of proper maintainance on the part of owners claiming a problem. These "shills" continued making that claim even after the letter came from Toyota indicating that a design change was made to the engine in order to prevent sludging in future models.

Those "lack of proper maintainance" claims by the witless shills continue to this very day.

IMMHO Toyota is stuck between a rock and a very hard place. I have little doubt that the shift pattern/schedule change that was made to FWD automatic transaxles was done as a safety measure to lower the potential for engine compression braking resulting in loss of directional control.

Undoubtedly an ASSET.

But.

An announcement of same would be a tacit admission that FWD vehicles were/are inherently unsafe in wintertime. Obvious that is an announcement taht would have to come jointly from ALL manufacturers of FWD vehicles.

There is, of course, the not so small matter of the fact that a final solution has not yet been arrived at. Until that happens I doubt that you will see any recognition of the transaxle problems.

[RX in NC]

I believe that a reasonable rule of thumb for potential buyers to avoid the dreaded RX transmission failure issue is as follows:

If the vehicle is an all-wheel-drive RX300 regardless of the model year, just keep your checkbook in your pocket and move on.

The all-wheel-drive RX330/350 models have probably had their transmissions redesigned and improved enough to be not much more at risk than any other small Japanese all-wheel-drive SUV/crossover type vehicle currently available. But I would still change the Type T-IV transmission fluid myself every 30,000 miles just to give me a better chance of avoiding the problem. That's fairly cheap insurance that could wind up paying off big-time in the long run....

[wwest]

I believe that a reasonable rule of thumb for potential buyers to avoid the dreaded RX transmission failure issue is as follows:

If the vehicle is an all-wheel-drive RX300 regardless of the model year, just keep your checkbook in your pocket and move on.

The all-wheel-drive RX330/350 models have probably had their transmissions redesigned and improved enough to be not much more at risk than any other small Japanese all-wheel-drive SUV/crossover type vehicle currently available. But I would still change the Type T-IV transmission fluid myself every 30,000 miles just to give me a better chance of avoiding the problem. That's fairly cheap insurance that could wind up paying off big-time in the long run....

Sorry, I disagree.

I'm quite sure that by the time my 2001 AWD RX300 was built Toyota had adopted a higher capacity/volume ATF pump to assure that a sequential downshift (following an upshift resulting from a full lift-throttle event)would be completed within incurring an inordinant level of clutch slippage/wear.

I don't doubt that having a 99 or possibly even an '00 AWD vs 2WD would accelerate the the failure mileage of the transaxle but I strongly suspect that both have the core problem that results in premature transaxle failures.

For the '01 - '03 models one must be careful and not allow the ATF to degrade and then after '04 there is the issue of the 1-2 second throttle lag, safety issue, to contend with.

[lexrx3]

I believe that a reasonable rule of thumb for potential buyers to avoid the dreaded RX transmission failure issue is as follows:

If the vehicle is an all-wheel-drive RX300 regardless of the model year, just keep your checkbook in your pocket and move on.

The all-wheel-drive RX330/350 models have probably had their transmissions redesigned and improved enough to be not much more at risk than any other small Japanese all-wheel-drive SUV/crossover type vehicle currently available. But I would still change the Type T-IV transmission fluid myself every 30,000 miles just to give me a better chance of avoiding the problem. That's fairly cheap insurance that could wind up paying off big-time in the long run....

Sorry, I disagree.

I'm quite sure that by the time my 2001 AWD RX300 was built Toyota had adopted a higher capacity/volume ATF pump to assure that a sequential downshift (following an upshift resulting from a full lift-throttle event)would be completed within incurring an inordinant level of clutch slippage/wear.

I don't doubt that having a 99 or possibly even an '00 AWD vs 2WD would accelerate the the failure mileage of the transaxle but I strongly suspect that both have the core problem that results in premature transaxle failures.

For the '01 - '03 models one must be careful and not allow the ATF to degrade and then after '04 there is the issue of the 1-2 second throttle lag, safety issue, to contend with.

WWest - I'm just curious. When was your 01 built and how many miles do you have on it? Hearing what you say is very reassuring to me.

[wwest]

I believe that a reasonable rule of thumb for potential buyers to avoid the dreaded RX transmission failure issue is as follows:

If the vehicle is an all-wheel-drive RX300 regardless of the model year, just keep your checkbook in your pocket and move on.

The all-wheel-drive RX330/350 models have probably had their transmissions redesigned and improved enough to be not much more at risk than any other small Japanese all-wheel-drive SUV/crossover type vehicle currently available. But I would still change the Type T-IV transmission fluid myself every 30,000 miles just to give me a better chance of avoiding the problem. That's fairly cheap insurance that could wind up paying off big-time in the long run....

Sorry, I disagree.

I'm quite sure that by the time my 2001 AWD RX300 was built Toyota had adopted a higher capacity/volume ATF pump to assure that a sequential downshift (following an upshift resulting from a full lift-throttle event)would be completed within incurring an inordinant level of clutch slippage/wear.

I don't doubt that having a 99 or possibly even an '00 AWD vs 2WD would accelerate the the failure mileage of the transaxle but I strongly suspect that both have the core problem that results in premature transaxle failures.

For the '01 - '03 models one must be careful and not allow the ATF to degrade and then after '04 there is the issue of the 1-2 second throttle lag, safety issue, to contend with.

WWest - I'm just curious. When was your 01 built and how many miles do you have on it? Hearing what you say is very reassuring to me.

Have to check the build date but otherwise ~62,000 miles. This morning I must go out to the garage and install all four tire chains, second time in 6 weeks, so we can go to work and get groceries.

20F outside at the moment and roads are iced over.