RX in NC

Those of us who have experienced transmission failures in our RX300 all-wheel-drive models are convinced that there are design flaws and engineering weaknesses in play here. But keeping your fluid clean is a small price to pay if it MIGHT extend the life of your transmission by a significant margin. I have my wife's 2000 RX300 on a 30,000-mile drain-and-fill schedule. The original transmission failed under warranty at about 48,000 miles. The vehicle now has about 101,500 miles on the odometer and the fluid in the replacement transmission has remained quite clean during its 30,000-mile lifespans. I've stayed with Toyota Type T-IV fluid simply because it provides me with a far greater shot at 100% success if I have to battle Lexus over another transmission failure. Don't put anything else into your transmission case as long as you are convinced you'll go after Lexus for replacement or repair if you suffer a transmission failure. I believe that there are far better transmission lubricants available, but Lexus will immediately void your warranty and refuse assistance if you switch from Type T-IV fluid and then suffer a transmission failure down the road. It's just not worth it unless you're willing to completely bear the financial burden that transmission failure always brings. No way am I willing to do so. I believe that power flushes are too risky and in some cases will make your transmission issues worse by dredging up previously trapped and settled debris and dragging it through your system. Drain-and-fills are far cheaper and safer overall.

For the first calendar year since we purchased my wife's 2000 RX300 AWD, 2005 went by with no major problems disrupting the vehicle. From 1/1/05 to 12/31/05, she put approximately 24,000 miles on her RX. It now registers about 101,500 miles on the odometer. Other than routine fluid-and-filter changes and tire rotations, the only out-of-the-ordinary procedure I performed during 2005 was to change the AC/Alternator belt last May. Belt changing is not typically an unusual maintenance requirement after four years or so of running the factory belts but given the position of this belt and the extremely limited access to it, this procedure required quite a bit of time and some long and slender wrenches borrowed from a friend of mine. I also had our local Lexus service manager inspect the engine for the gelling issue back in early November since I'm now having to add about a half-quart of oil between oil changes. No signs of gelling were found, which is as I expected. But it's always safer to be certain. We'll never be satisfied with the harsh shifting characteristics of this transmission and the unacceptably high numbers of transmission failure in the AWD RX300 along with it being substantially lacking in power and nimbleness will continue to keep me from recommending this vehicle to anybody considering acquiring one, but I did want to acknowledge the fact that for 2005, nothing serious managed to break on this thing. That has been a true rarity during our ownership experience, and 2005 doesn't change the fact that this has been by far the worst vehicle I've ever had in my garage. Maybe all those times of cursing out our RX300 has finally forced the vehicle to sit up and take notice. Time will continue to tell....

Yep, Chrysler is the only American automaker that can boast of any good news these days. Although I'll never buy another GM product after some customer service issues with GM Corporate back in the 1990s, I really feel for their employees. Ford faces a relatively bleak future as well. Canada Craig is right on the money about perception. I find the 300C a handsome, aggressive-looking vehicle and I understand its appeal and success. In my opinion, there are some butt-ugly Lexus designs out there that look more like rolling baked potatoes than automobiles....

If you'll occasionally add a bottle of relatively generic fuel injector cleaner to your gas tank, you may find that this is the simplest and least expensive way to avoid knocking or pinging. My wife's 2000 RX300 gets a bottle of this stuff at every oil and filter change I perform, and knocking or pinging has never occurred. We also run 87 octane, have never needed anything higher, and the vehicle reached 100,000 miles earlier this week. Before spending any money on new sensors or expensive clean-out procedures, try some fuel injector cleaner first. I would add a bottle to two or three successive tankfulls and then see where you stand. Let us know if this helps.

This is a good thread in which to note that I had to effect my first non-warranty, non-routine-maintenance repair on my 1999 Dodge Ram 5.9-litre V8 pickup truck this morning in order to pass the required annual North Carolina safety inspection ritual. The problem? My left-side license plate bulb had burned out. I had to replace it at a cost of about $1.25 and three minutes of my time to remove the old bulb and replace it with the new one. I can't complain at all for a truck that will turn seven years old in February. My point is that there are still some damn good American-made vehicles out there if you know where to look. Over the years this truck has required a new catalytic converter (an emissions warranty item), a new battery (which I consider to be a routine maintenance replacement item after four years from date of ownership), a new set of tires (again, a routine maintenance replacement item), and now a new license plate bulb. That's it. Compare this to the assortment of major problems that my wife's 2000 RX300 AWD has suffered during essentially the same timeframe and far less punishment in terms of workload and purpose and there's no question whatsoever which has been the far better vehicle in our household.

I read this and I'm still shaking my head and feeling this guy's pain. Never haul a significant load of lumber inside an SUV. Always use a real truck to do a truck's job. Know anybody who owns a pickup? Pay them some gas money to help you out next time. What an expensive lesson to learn. That's why my primary vehicle is a full-size pickup....

What was the outside temperature this morning? Cold weather is notorious for exposing weak and dying batteries. You sound like the classic case of a battery that just gave up the ghost. You're hearing clicking relays when you turn your key, and 90% of the time it's due to a dead battery. If you can jumpstart the vehicle I'd drive it in to have the battery tested before obtaining a new one. Many auto parts places or auto repair shops will test it for free. There's always an outside chance that the problem is something else such as a relay or a fusible link. Being a 2003 model, I believe that your battery is still under your new car warranty. If so, let Lexus handle this issue for you at no charge. If not, don't overpay big-time by purchasing your next battery from Lexus. There are plenty of places that can sell you a battery that is just as good or better than the OEM battery for far less money than Lexus will attempt to extract from you. I'm betting it's your battery. Winter always eats 'em up when they're on their last legs.

Why not just put a camper shell on your current F-150 if it still gets the job done with few problems? And crate those dogs - it's the only safe way to transport them. We've been crating our dogs when travelling for more than 20 years, and we've yet to have a single problem with a dog when doing so....

You'll find very mixed reviews on this forum. Some owners love their RX300, some despise them. I fall into the latter category. My wife has a 2000 all-wheel-drive RX300 that is in a nutshell the worst vehicle I've ever had in more than 36 years of driving. As you'll come to understand by studying this forum and others like it, the AWD RX300 is subject to a much greater percentage of transmission failures than would be expected. Ours failed at 48,000 miles even though like all of our vehicles, it has been meticulously maintained. Since 2003, we've also had to deal with the following common problems: cracked exhaust manifold, multiple failed oxygen sensors, leaking rear main oil seal, and failed front strut mount rubber bushings. I forced Lexus to cover all of these items without charging me a dime for them, even though some of these failures took place after the expiration of our warranty. But I'm a bulldog and not many owners will get the kind of positive response I've received from our local service manager over the years. The two-wheel-drive versions seem to be less prone to transmission failure, but they do experience the other common failures I've mentioned above. In my opinion, the RX series is nowhere near tough enough to use as a towing vehicle - you are asking for transmission problems if you do this. One thing you'll hear from owners who are both pro and con with their RX300s is that you MUST change your transmission fluid at intervals of from 15,000 to 30,000 miles, and I certainly agree. If you don't, you are a failure-in-waiting. And if you buy a pre-owned RX300, if you can't get ahold of the maintenance records that indicate the transmission fluid was changed at least every 30,000 miles, I believe you are making a great mistake if you opt to purchase that vehicle anyway. My best advice is to do plenty of research before you make your final decision. But based on our experience, there will never be another Lexus SUV in our garage once we get to the point where I'm willing to swallow the depreciation on my wife's vehicle which will probably be at about 125,000 to 130,000 miles. She'll reach 100,000 miles before New Years Day. In closing, I'll mention that from a quality, durability, and longevity standpoint, I'll take my 1999 5.9 litre V8 Dodge Ram pickup over my wife's 3-litre V6 2000 RX300 every single time. My Ram has been a dependable workhorse that just doesn't break down and it can tow anything I chose to pull around. In contrast, her RX300 has been babied more than any vehicle we've ever owned and it has required more than $9,000 worth of Lexus service in order to fix the above-described component failures. Fortunately, I've yet to give Lexus a cent towards these repairs - if I had been required to pay out of pocket, we would have unloaded this vehicle long ago....

I believe you've hit the nail on the head regarding several of the RX series' known problems. Converting a small sedan platform into an SUV is likely to cause issues with the suspension, transmission, and drive train unless those components are re-engineered to handle the greater weight and torque brought about in creating a heavier and more ponderous vehicle from a lightweight sedan chassis.

There are a number of long-lasting American "Big Iron" V8 engines on the market. The key is to 1) choose a well-proven and respected model and 2) take care of it with regular oil and filter changes. I've always loved the 5.9 liter (360) V8 in my 1999 Dodge Ram 1500-series SLT pickup. That engine remains as strong and trouble-free as the day I brought it home. In fact, the entire truck has been a trustworthy, bulletproof workhorse that just doesn't break. Compared to the myriad of major problems we've been through with my wife's 2000 RX300, my Ram has proven to be the far superior vehicle in terms of quality, durability, and longevity. The only drawback to my Ram is its tendency to swallow fuel. The best I'm able to do is about 14 mpg around town and about 18 mpg on the highway. But if you require power and performance, that's the tradeoff you'll always have to accept with any gas-powered full-size truck or SUV regardless of manufacturer.

Yep, I always figured that my wife's vehicle holds between 8 and 10 quarts total. A simple drain-and-fill gets about half of that out, which should be enough to keep the fluid relatively clean every 15,000 to 30,000 miles. These folks who believe their systems are running around with 16 or 18 quarts of Type T-IV fluid in them are woefully misinformed or ignorant, take your pick....

Most of this build-up is on the outside of the plastic lenses as previously noted, but given enough time and exposure to wet weather, some of these vehicles also develop what is probably a condensation-based haze on the inside of the plastic lenses as well. I keep the outside surfaces quite clear using plenty of elbow grease and a very small amount of non-abrasive soap scum remover made for bathroom fixtures on a moistened soft cotton rag. My wife's vehicle typically needs this treatment every couple of months or so, and this approach has worked quite well with no scratching of the plastic lenses since I've always used a clean rag right out of the washer/dryer. The inside surfaces have much smaller areas of condensation. I'm not willing to attempt to break the seals at this point so unless the problem gets significantly worse, my plan is to continue to leave it alone.

I trust that you got it in writing that your buyer still owes you $10,000 on today's transaction. Regardless of how well you think you know this fellow, you need to fully protect yourself. If you didn't get it in writing, before you leave the office today you need to type up a bill of sale showing that he paid you $20,000 today and still owes you $10,000 by December XX (you pick the date). Then both of you should sign and date the document. If a notary public happens to work in your office, have the document notarized. Then give the buyer a copy and keep the original for your records until the transaction is paid in full. While I appreciate the value of doing business with a friend or colleague, I appreciate the value of protecting myself even more. Explain the need for having a written contract to your buyer. If he questions the need for or objects to this action, you should immediately get your vehicle back and return his $20,000 check until he is in the position to pay you in full.

I think that lenore nailed this one for you. Every weekend when I pop the hoods on all of our vehicles for their weekly fluid levels and tire pressure check-up, I take the time to remove any leaves or pine needles that may have accumulated up near the base of the windshield. It takes about 30 seconds per vehicle to do this. Add it to your weekly routine and you may find that the burning smell associated with cranking up your heater suddenly disappears. Keep in mind that accumulated debris in an engine compartment is never a good thing to allow. It can gradually interfere with performance depending on where the debris eventually settles, and it will certainly increase your chances for a fire under the hood.

Bluestu's blanket statements claiming that those of us who have experienced transmission failures in our all-wheel-drive RX300s have not taken proper care of our transmissions are ignorantly incorrect. I take better care of ALL of my vehicles than any service department (including Lexus) will. There is no question that the all-wheel-drive version of the RX300 has experienced a higher degree of transmission problems than what should be expected from a vehicle that costs as much as it does. Even some of the folks on this site who are big fans of their RX300s have acknowledged that the failure rate may be as high as 20% approaching 100,000 miles. A 20% failure rate of an automatic transmission by ANY manufacturer at such a mileage level is totally unacceptable and certainly merits a recall, but don't hold your breath waiting for Lexus to step up to the plate on this issue. If you decide to keep this vehicle, you should bear these warnings in mind: 1. Keep the transmission fluid clean with drain-and-fills at least every 30,000 miles. Some owners choose to do these every 15,000 miles. 2. Use only Toyota Type T-IV transmission fluid. I don't believe it is any better than other options such as Amsoil or other synthetics and in fact it may not even be as good, but it keeps you protected from a legal standpoint with Lexus if your transmission does fail. 3. Those of us on this site who warn folks about these transmissions are not alarmists and we do NOT neglect our vehicles. We've been through these problems first-hand and we speak from years of experience. I've owned more than twenty vehicles over the past 35 years and my wife's RX300 has been by far the most troublesome even though it is babied like no other we've owned. When we reach the point where I'm willing to swallow the depreciation on this thing at what will probably be around 130,000 miles, it is outta here before you can blink an eye and you can bet that there won't be another Lexus SUV in our garage. Best wishes to you in resolving your dilemma in whatever way you see fit to do so. But you certainly need to be aware of the negatives just as much as the positives, and the RX series has its share of negatives with transmission problems in the all-wheel-drive configuration leading the way....

After what we've been through with my wife's 2000 RX300 AWD, if your vehicle is all-wheel drive I would return it for a full refund as well. If it is two-wheel drive, transmission failure seems to be less of a problem.

While education is certainly the building block that launches most careers, education comes in many forms and flavors, and not all of them involve formal schooling. I have a Masters in Economics/Statistics, but my Masters had very little to do with my successful career path over the past 25 years. Determination, drive, and the desire to achieve can often overcome the lack of a formal education. A college degree is not necessarily the secret to a rewarding and satisfying career and livelihood, but it can certainly be the ticket that gets you in the door and to the table. But remember that education is a lifelong pursuit, and you will do most of it on your own and through channels that are probably unknown to you right now. Never equate a college degree with instant success and satisfaction. It rarely works that way. You must discover your passion(s) and build upon them yourself. A formal education may open more doors for you, but your own hard work and determination is the true key to getting where you want to be in life. I doubt if Bill Gates loses any sleep because he never graduated from college....

Yep, I'm 6'7" so I'll stick with my Dodge Ram pick-up for the foreseeable future. Good legroom, great headroom, and I can drive for hours without any back problems or leg cramps....

The best lube I've found for pesky squeaks and rattles in dashboards and plastic parts that rub together is powdered graphite. It can be a bit messy to work with and you have to be able to get it down into the offending nooks and crannies, but once you've located the problem area it doesn't require very much product in order to silence the noise. If you're at the end of your rope with your dealer in attempting to find and fix problems such as this, get yourself a tube of powdered graphite and a long, extremely thin plastic straw (such as those that come with the spray cans of silicone lubricant) and go after the inner workings of your glove compartment yourself. You can feed some powdered graphite into one end of the straw using a needle or pin, position that end into place, and then give a quick blow into the other end to distribute the graphite where you want it. Just be sure to put some newspaper down on your floorboard to catch any residue that you may spill while attempting to blow the graphite down into those tight spaces.

I have to admit that Hyundai has come a long way in the past couple of years as far as product quality improvement, product appearance/appeal improvement, and overall perception of the brand is concerned. Their small SUV line-up has really stepped up to the plate and seems to be making significant headway in the market. I see quite a few of them on the road now, which wasn't the case just a couple of years back. Kudos to Hyundai for the progress they've made. This brand may very well move from a niche role to a significant one in North America during the next few years.

Hey lenore, The kitchen tile job is basically done and it looks great. Renting that $900 wet saw from Home Depot made all the difference in the world since you can cut as precisely as you can measure. They only charged me for one day since I picked it up last Wednesday morning and couldn't return it until Friday morning since Thursday was Thanksgiving Day. I wound up cutting and tiling for about ten hours on Wednesday and then finished up on Thanksgiving morning before we headed out for our luncheon. I allowed two days for the adhesive to cure and then grouted on Saturday. I'll seal the grout lines this evening and then I can check off another completed home renovation project. I hope that does it for awhile - I need a break....

"Core value" typically refers to the refund or credit you receive when you return your old part to the source you purchased your new part from. It usually applies to parts that can be remanufactured (such as alternators, starters, and compressors) or toxic parts that need to be disposed of properly (such as batteries).

lenore, In response to your question on how the kitchen wall tile job is going, we decided to remove the five double electrical plug boxes that were built into this wall and install new flat-based power outlets underneath the overhead cabinets. It was a touchy little job that took some advance planning and some new thin-mount plug boxes designed for under-cabinet mounting. All the new wiring is contained and hidden within molding that runs underneath the cabinets into the walls. That task was accomplished last weekend with the greatly-needed assistance of my electrician son-in-law, and just last night I finished patching and joint compounding the five holes in the wall where the original plug boxes used to be. The wall will look much better without the plug boxes breaking up the tile pattern every three feet or so, and it greatly reduces the number of funky cuts that I'll have to make since now I'm left with only the two light switches on either end of the wall. I talked my wife into dropping down to just two different tile sizes instead of her original plan which used three. That will make the tile job go a little easier and faster. I'll probably purchase the tiles later this week, and I'm leaning towards renting a contractor-quality wet saw from Home Depot for a couple of days. Using fast-setting mastick as my tile adhesive, I think I can get all the tile up within a 48-hour timeframe. I hope to get this done during Thanksgiving weekend coming up. Then it will just be a matter of selecting, spreading, and sealing the appropriate grout. Grouting will be a piece of cake compared to the tiling. This project should turn out nicely and I look forward to getting it behind me. I've tiled a number of floors over the past 20 years but never a wall before now. I doubt if you have nearly as much time to get the wall tiles seated and adjusted as you do with floor tiles, so I know it will be a new experience for me. I'll go to school on those first three or four tiles and then I hope to be rockin' and rollin' along....

Toyota timing belts are better than average. I don't plan on changing the timing belt on my wife's 2000 RX300 until at least 120,000 miles.