RX in NC

Good point. I convinced our local dealer to replace my wife's RX Bank One sensor this past summer when it failed at around 68,000 miles. All it cost us was a phone call to make the request and a day in the shop (they provided a loaner to my wife so it was really no hassle at all). So make that call and see if your local dealer will cooperate with you. Good luck.

The problem is with your Air/Fuel Ratio Sensor (also called the Bank One Sensor). This particular sensor is located on the back side of your exhaust manifold, and you have to access it from underneath the vehicle. You can order a new sensor through your local NAPA or AutoZone stores at prices considerably less than you'll have to pay your Lexus parts department. If I remember correctly, this particular sensor sells for about $200 at NAPA, and it may be a bit less expensive at AutoZone. Good luck.

Russ, Don't give in to Lexus Corporate - call them back and if the customer service rep you speak with continues to refuse to mail you the letter, then keep escalating up the chain-of-command until you speak with a manager who agrees to mail you a copy. You must be professional but extremely firm and clearly unwilling to waiver from your position that you deserve a copy of the letter because the health and well-being of your vehicle may be at stake. That's exactly what I did late last year when I received my copy. I played hardball and the fourth or fifth person I spoke with during a half-hour phone call to Lexus Corporate finally realized that I wasn't go to accept "no" for an answer. My copy of the letter showed up in my mailbox about a week later.

Russ, If you'll call Lexus Customer Service at the toll-free number (800-255-3987), provide your Vehicle Identification Number and contact information, and ask to receive a copy of the "engine gel letter", Lexus will mail you a copy which you should retain in case you experience this problem in the future. The official party line is that if the vehicle gets routine oil-and-filter changes throughout its service life, it will never suffer a gel problem. But all RX owners of this vintage should obtain this letter and keep it in their files for their own protection.

bluestu, You've got the facts wrong about my particular RX. The transmission never "fried up", it had a quirky tendency to disengage for a couple of seconds at unpredictable times. My wife judged it to be dangerous, and I agreed with her. That's why I battled Lexus for a replacement. This occured last November at just over 48,000 miles while the vehicle was still under the normal Lexus warranty. You trust your flush provider, and that's good news for you. But there are a lot of unknowledgable owners out there who wouldn't do the research, take their vehicle into a Jiffy Lube or other one-size-fits-all chain, and wind up getting a flush with generic fluid that will do far greater damage to the vehicle than doing a drain-and-fill themselves with T-IV fluid. You've got to be careful out there with these RX transmissions. All I'm saying is you'd better be sure that you trust your flush provider 100% before you hand him your car keys or your transmission will wind up in worse shape than when you drove in.

What I think we all can agree on is that the RX transmission, particular AWD, is problematic and may very well suffer from design flaws or faulty components or both. As a minimum, do a drain-and-fill with clean T-IV fluid every 30,000 miles. If you trust your local shop and their equipment, then do a flush at 30,000 miles, and bring your own T-IV fluid. But if you do choose to flush, understand that your contaminant risk factor will increase. How much? No one can say, it will depend on the shop, the equipment, and the skill of the mechanic doing your flush. I'm going to stay with my drain-and-fill procedure for as long as we own this RX. I'll keep all receipts and documentation as I do this myself. That will be more than enough proof if I have to battle Lexus for still another new (rebuilt) transmission. And finally at about 130,000 miles, we'll say goodbye to this RX and move back to a vehicle with a more tested and bulletproof transmission.

Good luck - let's hope that the low fluid level was indeed your only problem. Check that fluid weekly for fill level, color/clarity, and smell. Make it a habit to check your transmission fluid whenever you check your oil level, and weekly intervals should be the minimum. I always check oil, transmission, and tire pressure first thing in the morning before the vehicles have been cranked, when readings are generally truest. The fact that you had a very clean pan certainly improves your chances that transmission failure is not imminent. The best thing to do is to keep checking it and always keep a bottle of clean T-IV fluid handy.

The biggest variable is probably all-wheel drive vs. front-wheel drive. Other than that, speculation could include driving habits, cold climate vs. warm climate, and frequency of T-IV fluid changes. I like your idea of comparing samples of the changed fluid at various intervals to determine whether there will be a significant color change. Please keep us posted on what you determine. I truly believe that at a minimum, the T-IV fluid in these RX transmissions should be changed every 30,000 miles. Some on this forum go much farther than that and believe that a complete flush should take place. In either case, it's a far cry from your owners manual which basically tells you to just check the fluid level and add when necessary. That's just foolish.

This matter will essentially come down to what you received from your warranty company IN WRITING in terms of repairing/replacing your transmission. This could be a letter, an e-mail, a fax, etc. You didn't go into these details in your posts above, so I have no way of knowing exactly what your arrangement states (and whether that arrangement was oral or written). If the agreement is in written form, then you have a clear plan of action that the warranty company must follow and you can hold them accountable to it without legal intervention as long as you stand firm and keep your foot squarely on their throat. But if the agreement to replace your transmission was oral (such as a telephone conversation with an employee of the warranty company), you have a much more complex battle to fight. It may very well be worth your time and expense to retain an attorney in this matter. And be sure to include any costs associated with retaining an attorney in the mix as you proceed with your warranty company. You've filed claims and had repairs done by this warranty company before, correct? Was this always an oral agreement or was documentation required? What is different this time (other than the much greater cost of repairs when faced with replacing a transmission)? Stick to your guns. If your agreement was indeed oral, you hopefully documented the name, position, and phone number of the individual at the warranty company who agreed to the replacement. If this person continues to refuse to work with you, find a reputable small-claims attorney in your area and get him busy with your case immediately. Do not allow time to lapse - act decisively and imminently to keep the ball rolling. Keep us posted. And if you did NOT get the agreement to replace your transmission in writing, you've learned a very valuable lesson from a mistake that you will never repeat, I'm sure.

SW03ES, This is the last post I'm going to offer on this subject. And the subject here is not about cars, it is about maturity and earning respect. I'm not questioning your automotive knowledge at this point, I'm questioning your maturity and anger management tendencies. If you expect to be treated as a mature adult, then cease the childish name-calling, insults, and insinuations. I worked my way up the corporate ladder and formed my own investment company a number of years ago, so I also know a little something about running a business. Be very glad you're not one of my employees....

Thanks to bluestu and skperformance. This is good information to have at pad replacement time, which will come up for my wife's vehicle in 4,000 to 5,000 miles if not sooner. It's always great to have options.

Thanks for sharing. This is certainly "food for thought". Keep us posted as you dig further into your particular situation with Lexus. You may want to consider battling for a new transmission as I did. It doesn't fix the inherent design flaws, but a new transmission allows you to "restart the clock" on the life of your vehicle. My wife has put about 26,000 miles on her new (rebuilt) transmission since it was installed last November. In a word, her satisfaction with the vehicle since then has been better but still not what she thinks it should be. I would agree with that summation.

No one's playing the innocent victim here. The fact of the matter is that you've fabricated statements that you attributed to me, called me names, tossed out insults, and even gone back into your post and altered some of the original insulting wording that you originally posted at 1:30 pm today (site time) because you probably felt a legal need to tone down the original insult towards me. Shame on you - that's a feature you possess as an administrator, but you abused it in this case. I witnessed your wording as you originally wrote it, and by the way, so did others on this site who e-mailed me with notes of gratitude this afternoon for saying what I said. Like it or not, you ARE young and inexperienced. That's perfectly okay, so was I at 23, just as everyone is. We all gain experience and our judgment typically improves as we get older and wiser. That's not discrimination, that's life. I accept your "youthful exhuberance". What I don't accept is your tendency to vent your anger childishly and your absolute dishonesty with me. That's simply inexcusable at any age.

Matthew McNally, Please step in here and counsel this guy. Yes, our opinions are as different as night and day, but he has now resorted to fabricating posts and statements attributed to me, calling me names, and slinging direct insults. This is truly childish behavior. I neither expect nor desire an apology from him, but please address this issue for the good of your entire membership. Thank you for your services.

Did you put these pads on both axles? Where did you obtain them? And finally, how much did you pay? Thanks for the information.

SW03ES, Your tendency to make up fictional posts about what I wrote and when I wrote it continues to annoy me. My initial post on this forum, in early September 2003, described our intermittent transmission behavior problems during first-trip-in-the-morning conditions on cool mornings that were beginning to occur as the seasons changed from summer to autumn. I simply asked if anyone else on the forum had experienced the same symptoms and had investigated why. I would not have searched out this forum had we not experienced a major problem with the vehicle. I never said that I hated the vehicle or that my wife made me buy it - that is either a figment of your imagination or you made it up yourself as a point to argue with me in an effort to state your position. Your "life experiences" are just not sufficient to have any credibility in my eyes, and now you're fabricating statements that I did not make and once again attempting to put words in my mouth. This forum has been a great source of information from those who have experienced similar circumstances to mine. You do not fall into that category, and I've basically learned to ignore you. I see no reason to change that philosophy at this point. Case closed.

Think about the background and history from where today's Jeep evolved from. 4x4 capability is truly inherent in the Jeep's legacy, and the overall concept of what we know today as the SUV sprang from providing 4x4 capability to the masses more than three decades ago. Jeep pioneered this concept and had a head start on everybody else as a result. They've done a good job with product evolution over the years, while a number of manufacturers have not and are now suffering for it. We've had a total of six Jeeps in our family since the early 1980s. All six performed extremely well during their functional lifespans in our household. They were maintained properly, and they required a minimum of non-routine maintenance repairs (and NO transmission repairs, which I consider to be the most major automotive repair due to its complexity and cost). Perhaps you can attribute "luck" to just two vehicles, but you certainly can't chalk up six-for-six to "luck". Like it or not Lexus fans, it ain't just "luck". These were and are solid, well-engineered vehicles that require a minimum of time and expense to keep them going. And I don't believe that anyone who has owned a Lexus for a significant period of time would be willing to say that about what it costs to keep a Lexus roadworthy over a 130,000 to 150,000 mile lifespan in the typical home these days....

matt07208, You've posted this topic in the wrong forum. Go to the RX300 forum and you'll have the opportunity to read more than you ever wanted to know about RX transmission issues and failures. But 99lsguy is correct - you're flirting with disaster by not changing your transmission fluid at least every 30,000 miles and using NOTHING except Toyota Type T-IV transmission fluid when you do. Keep in mind that replacing a damaged RX transmission will cost you between $6,000 and $7,000. Did that statement just get your attention? If so, spend some time in the RX forum under topics devoted to the transmission and you'll quickly learn the importance of keeping your Type T-IV fluid clean. You'll even learn how to save significant money by doing this procedure yourself. Good luck.

SW03ES, There's no hypocrisy and no fantasy involved here. Both the Grand Cherokee and the RX have been "successful" vehicles for their individual manufacturers. And all vehicles have flaws, some more dangerous than others. Our RX happened to have (and may still have) a very dangerous flaw - its transmission. I've done everything I can do to get Lexus to address the issue, and they have - for me. But there are others out there with the same or similar circumstances who are being told that nothing is wrong with their vehicle. That's my biggest concern. I'm a 6'7", 245-pound !Removed!-chewing Great Dane and I will eventually have my way with any dealership general manager if I also maintain my professionalism and documentation to prove my position. My 100% success rate in forcing dealership repairs over the past year proves that. But there are many others out there who don't know what to do or where to turn. I truly feel for them. blake918, No, we bought the vehicle from a well-respected local retailer of "upscale" vehicles (usually Mercedes and BMW with the occasional Lexus and Infiniti also available). One of the benefits that caused me to purchase this RX was its full service history every 5,000 miles at the Lexus dealership it was sold from. Even its new tires were purchased at the Lexus dealership - can you imagine purchasing a set of tires from your Lexus dealership? Imagine the mark-up for that little transaction! The T-IV fluid was changed at 15,000 and again at 30,000 miles by the dealership. This vehicle was as spotless and cosmetically perfect as I'd ever seen for an SUV with 32,000 miles on it. I had the opportunity to check it out thoroughly along with one of my mechanic friends since the retailer was willing to let me drive the vehicle for a weekend before I decided to go ahead with it. Pre-owned vehicles can be your best protection against major depreciation as long as you know what you are doing (and what you are buying). My wife's previous 1996 Grand Cherokee was purchased pre-owned at less than 11,000 miles, my daughter's current 2000 Grand Cherokee was purchased pre-owned at less than 16,000 miles, and my current 1999 Dodge Ram was purchased at less than 12,000 miles. I obtained the complete service history of all of these vehicles and took my time inspecting and investigating them prior to purchasing them. All three vehicles have been absolutely bulletproof. Part of that is due to the quality of the vehicles, and part of that is due to my meticulous compulsion to maintain them properly. If you want your vehicle to have a long service life for you, then you must develop the attitude that no one will take care of your vehicle(s) as well as you will yourself. I've spent more time battling problems with this RX than I have with the 1996 Jeep, 2000 Jeep, and 1999 Ram combined....

Remove your gas cap, allow it to remain off for 30 seconds, then replace it and ensure that you twist it until your hear five or six "clicks". Give the vehicle at least four or five cycles of starting and driving over a couple of days before you do anything else. If the lights haven't gone off by then, you'll need to have your trouble codes read. Your dealer should do this as well as handle all associated repairs for you under warranty. If this is an oxygen sensor failure at 5,800 miles, it will be the soonest I've ever heard of one failing. If you've been following this forum over the past several months, you already know that premature oxygen sensor failure has been a common problem in the RX series.

It's true that any vehicle not properly maintained will in fact be dragged down by serious problems. But the Grand Cherokee has one of the best true 4x4 SUV performance and maintenance records in the industry. It's been around in various flavors since early 1993 so Jeep has had the opportunity to winnow out the early flaws and continue to improve on the succeeding model years. We've had two of them in our family (my wife's was a 1996 with the 5.2 litre V8 and my daughter's is a 2000 with the 4 litre I-6) and both of them have been absolutely bulletproof. We kept my wife's beyond 140,000 miles, and other than routine maintenance I had to replace one oxygen sensor and the battery (both on my cost) and the catalytic converter (under the emissions warranty so no cost to me). My daughter's is approaching 60,000 miles, and other than routine maintenance I've had to replace a sunroof motor relay and the battery (my cost). They're tough, fast, reliable, easy-to-maintain 4x4's that represent the best overall buy in the SUV market in my opinion. I wish we had purchased another one instead of me giving in to my wife's current RX300 when she developed "Lexus fever" a few years back. One thing is certain in our household - we'll return to the Grand Cherokee line-up when the time rolls around to replace our troublesome RX300....

sgriffith, Congrats on the good news of getting a brand-new transmission. Keep us posted on how it goes and what differences you experience once the new transmission is in place. Do you get to pick the shop (I'd go to my Lexus dealership since your warranty is paying for it) or does your warranty company get to pick the shop (they would probably get several independent quotes and go with the low bid)?

No brake rust here in North Carolina, but I will be replacing my wife's brake pads within the next 5,000 miles due to wear (she's closing in on 75,000 miles now - not bad for the original brakes). I've been advised to stay with semi-metallic pads, which is what the RX series is built with. Some brake shops say that ceramic pads are just too rough on the relatively soft rotors of the RX. Why did you decide to go to a ceramic pad?

sgriffith, Thanks for providing the details on your RX300's failure history. We've shared some of your same problems with my wife's vehicle as I'm sure you already know from reading the various posts. I'd like to obtain further information from you concerning your strut mount problems. What symptoms of strut mount failure became evident to you? At what mileage reading? Did you hear strange noises, notice a diminished ride quality, see unusual tire treadwear patterns, etc.? How did you diagnose that the problem was indeed your strut mounts? And I assume that when you elect to replace your strut mounts, you're replacing the entire strut assembly as well - correct? Thanks for sharing your details. I suspect that failing strut mounts may be the next issue for my wife's RX. She's closing in on 75,000 miles.

Had my meeting yesterday evening with the General Manager of our local Lexus dealership in Raleigh. Nice guy, very customer-oriented, and he understands that my vehicles are meticulously cared for by myself whenever possible. There was no question whatsoever about my ability to do my own routine maintenance; it's obvious in the condition of my wife's RX. Here's what he basically admitted to: 1. Real oil seal leaks have been a problem in the RX300 series. Widely known and addressed by Lexus with their supplier. The oil seals that are going into the vehicles under repair today are better engineered with better materials than the original factory-installed seals. We have our new rear seal at no charge to us, this is a very acceptable explanation, case closed as far as I'm concerned. 2. The various oxygen sensors have been a problem in the RX series. Same story as above - the suppliers were contacted, better engineering and materials were utilized, and the sensors that are going into the vehicles under repair today are expected to last much longer. I reminded him that thus far two sensors have popped on my wife's RX (the mass air flow sensor and the air/fuel ratio sensor) and both were replaced at no charge by Lexus, and I expect that policy to continue as our other sensors pop up until about 125,000 miles where I've seen an oxygen sensor pop in a previous (non-Lexus) vehicle we owned. After 125,000 miles I have no problem covering those sensors out of my own pocket if I have to. If Lexus will continue to cover them for me, so much the better. 3. As expected, things got somewhat hazier when I turned his attention to our transmission problems. He acknowledged that given our circumstances last autumn, his dealership should have moved much more quickly in replacing the transmission in my wife's vehicle after she no longer felt safe in it, and he apologized for me having to battle with one of his service advisors for over a month before that finally happened. But unlike most of you out there, we did finally get our new transmission and that's a definite plus. At $6,000 to $7,000 in revenue apiece to replace these transmissions, Lexus will continue to do everything they can to NOT have to put a new transmission in your problematic vehicle. It's up to you to fight your battle as I did. Most folks are not willing to go head-to-head with a service department. I stand on principle and will do it whenever necessary, and I usually succeed in convincing these folks that they're better off dealing with me now rather than trying to stretch it out and hope that I'll just go away. I will NEVER go away as long as we own the vehicle, and these folks now know that all too well. The most interesting part of our conversation centered around the proper care of a Lexus transmission in order to assure that you receive a long, trouble-free lifespan from yours. Your owners manual will tell you to never change your fluid unless you drive under unusual circumstances such as towing a trailer, driving primarily on dusty, unpaved roads, or doing mostly city driving with trips under five miles in duration. He and I both agreed that if you don't change your fluid, your transmission is doomed. His dealership prefers a 30,000-mile fluid change interval, but NOT running the risk of doing a complete transmission flush. The official Lexus opinion is that too many things can go wrong, primarily from a contamination standpoint, if the transmission is flushed. There are folks on this forum ("bluestu" comes to mind) who firmly believe that UNLESS you completely flush your transmission every 30,000 miles, it's going to die. With the inherent weaknesses in these RX transmissions, I believe that the truth is somewhere in the middle. My best advice is to ensure that you do a drain-and-fill at least every 30,000 miles with nothing but Toyota Type T-IV fluid. If you do that, keep good records, and don't abuse your vehicle by driving it like a Formula One racer, if transmission problems do develop you'll win your battle with Lexus 90% of the time, at least up until 120,000 miles or so. Good luck to all of you RX owners out there. Hope you've learned something from my experiences, especially this: be professional, have your documentation in hand, and above all, BE CONSISTENT AND FIRM....