Filehorse

Interestingly enough, my first symptom occurred some 3+ months before the transmission failed catastrophically. The first symptom was a neck-snapping jerk when pulling away from a traffic light followed by a few "after shocks" in a nearby parking lot. Had AAA tow it home and after going over everything the next day I could not get the RX to repeat the occurrence. Took it to the dealer and had all the fluids changed (transfer case, rear differential, and the transmission flushed). The vehicle performed flawlessly for the next 3 months and then failed completely with many of the same symptoms you are now seeing. Like the first occurrence, the major failure occurred without any warning. We decided that we were going to keep the RX for another year or two so I opted for a complete rebuild by a reputable shop with good references. I intentionally stayed away from the chain outfits and fly-by-night independents which I might have considered if I was going to drive the vehicle from the repair shop directly to the trade-in lot. My independent shop has been repairing transmissions for 30 years and all his people are long-term employees and not some 19-year old picked up off the street and "repairing" transmissions for $10/hour. My independent's warranty (12 months or 12,000 miles) is the same as my dealer was offering on the remanufactured transmission. I've now put some 2,500 miles on the RX since the transmission rebuild and it continues to perform exactly as it did for the first 160,000 miles. My indy shop says the rebuild should perform just as well as it did when it was new so I expect it to still be going strong when I finally do decide to sell/trade it in a couple of years - or so. Let us know what you find out with your situation.

I'm guessing it's the transmission. I had similar symptoms a few months ago and following a $3,000 rebuild, I'm back in business. The shop said it was the planetary gear that failed which is a known failure mode on these transmissions. I had 160,000 miles on mine. The dealer offered to install a remanufactured transmission for $4200 but I opted for an independent transmission shop with an A+ BBB rating; no complaints within the past 36 months; and personal recommendations from friends. Lotsa luck.

Given the age of your RX300, I'm guessing you are well past the 100,000 mile mark in addition to being 11+ years old. Another thing which will contribute to your problem are failing front suspension components - especially bushings. Still, if you replaced both pads and rotors I'm surprised the problem did not go away at least for some period of time. If you have a good independent shop, I think it's time to let the pros take a look at your problem.

Given the age and mileage (kilometerage ) a good bet on the oil leak would be the valve cover gaskets. If that's what it is, the leak should only be enough to create a nuisance but it will not get better. My Lexus dealer wanted about $700 to install new valve cover gaskets. My independent Lexus shop did the job for $350. Shop around for this service as any good independent Lexus or Toyota shop does this job on a frequent basis.

Transmission failure at 47,000 miles surely falls in the "Premature" category. Sorry for your loss. The transmission in my 2000 RX300 AWD failed last month but at 161,000 miles so it wasn't exactly unexpected. Lexus offered to install a remanufactured transmission for an out-the-door price of $5200. Through a reference from a good friend, I got in touch with an excellent independent transmission shop that is renown for doing great work and making it right whatever it takes. They've been in business for 30+ years and there aren't any 19-year old kids there working on transmissions for $10/hour. They had an A+ BBB rating with zero complaints within the past 36 months which is unheard of in the tranmsission repair business. Anyway, they did a complete overhaul/rebuild of my transmission for $3200 out-the-door and I could not be happier. It shifts as well as it ever did and I now expect it to outlast the rest of the drive train. I said all that to say this: shop around for a good independent transmission shop. There are probably several in the greater Atlanta area. That $6,000 estimate sounds like a dealer-installed remanufactured transmission which, while good, will not perform better than a transmission properly rebuilt by a quality shop. Their BBB report and rating will tell you a lot of what you need to know. I'd be very skeptical of the chain transmission shops unless I was going directly from Aamco to the the trade-in lot. I would also appeal Nalley's out-of-warranty decision to Lexus starting with the District Service Manager. This failure is too early and too close to the extended transmission warranty to not ask for some help directly from Lexus. What I would shoot for is to try to get Lexus to comp the parts and you pony up for the labor. The worst thing they can say is NO so I'd certainly try that first. Let us know how all this plays out. Oh, and like you, I'm beginning to have 2nd thoughts about what used to be Toyota/Lexus bedrock reliability.

I'd start with the Idle Air Control Valve. If it's gummed up with carbon (which it probably is) it won't allow the engine to idle at the designed RPM. This will be especially noticeable when the engine is cold. Do a search on IACV. This link describes in detail how to get to the IACV and clean it. It's a pretty easy DIY. Care and Feeding of the IACV

I'd place my bet that this failure is somehow related to the disassembly Lexus did at 64,000 miles. Of course there is no way to prove that. Have they told you what bearings were affected? Main bearings? Rod bearings? If so, how many? If all (most) bearings were affected then you have to look at the oil pump or the oil passages to and from the filter - any of which should have given you the RED Low Oil Pressure idiot light. Yours is the first engine I've heard anyone say died of a lubrication-related failure in years. These things just don't happen with any regularity anymore. Regardless, all that is academic now. Before I would let Lexus relieve me of $7,500 for a new engine, I'd be looking for a "previously enjoyed" engine. Between Lexus and Toyota, there are millions of copies of that engine available. I just don't see putting a new engine in a vehicle that has that much mileage and is pushing 10 years old. Also, I'd find me a good independent shop that specializes in Lexus and/or Toyota and get some quotes from them as to what they could do for you. I promise you it'll be a LOT less than your friendly Lexus dealer wants to install their engine. Out of curiosity, for $7,500 would you be getting a new short block or some type of factory remanufactured engine? Inquiring minds want to know. I feel your pain. I dropped $3,200 this week to have the transmission completely overhauled in my 2000 RX300 AWD. It has 165,000 miles on it. The planetary gear set disintegrated. The independent transmission shop told me they see a lot of that same failure in these transmissions. Let us know how all this plays out.

Bufferdan and Lenore are all over this and I just wanted to chime in with full agreement. If the fluid has NEVER been changed since new and now has 168,000 miles on it, I'd also (and I have) drop the pan and change the filter and pan gasket; refill with T-IV ATF; drive it a few miles and repeat only the drain and refill parts of the procedure. I would not do any thing with the filter. I might do a 2nd drain and refill if I was so inclined. This will probably get you up in that 95% ATF replacement range and your transmission will love you for it. I would avoid a fluid flush (displacement) procedure. Lenore is spot-on regarding the risks of doing a fluid flush on a high-mileage transmission with original fluid. NOTE: On my 2000 RX300 AWD, the transmission does not have a true filter but a metal fine mesh screen which only needs to be flushed (back flushed) with a solvent such as mineral spirits and then blow-dried with compressed air. If you have this type of screen, there is no reason to replace it. I got that bit of a heads-up from my Lexus parts counter when I asked for what I assumed was a paper-element filter. NOTE 2: If this is an AWD model, while you or somebody is under the vehicle anyway, go ahead and change the differential gear oil and the transfer case gear oil. If it is the original lubricant, it's past time to change it. Most people don't keep vehicles long enough to worry about these components but you now have one in the family if it's an AWD. The good news is the cost to drain and refill the rear differential and transfer case if minimal.

That Gatorback belt should be a toothed belt. On the RX, the only toothed belt you have is the timing belt and clearly this one isn't yours.

It sounds like you clock is not properly exiting the "SET" mode. Every time I reset that clock with changes in Daylight Saving Time, it's always a new experience to get it right. As for the light, sounds like a bad connection somewhere back there in the power supply to the lighting circuit. Good luck with that one.

RX300 Repair Manual The above link is one I used for a manual last week. There is a lot of good information in the CD but there is also a lot of stuff - especially body mechanical - missing. Also, there is no Index or Table of Contents so you have to dig and Search through the .pdf document looking for what you need. It's probably worth the price but I'd rather have paid more and gotten more. If you do an Internet search on RX300 Service Manual, I bet you'll find essentially the same manual available as a freebie. I have one but the quality of the narrative and diagrams is not as good as the one I paid for. But, if it's free, it'll be worth everything you pay for it.

I'd start with the dealers and then talk to the independents. Some of the independents may be buying theirs from the dealership parts department but at wholesale prices. You just need to start asking questions and starting with the dealers is the easiest place to start. As far as it goes, I'm sure the chain shops (AAMCO, Mr. Transmission, etc.) also have access to a factory reman transmissions as well so I'd give them a call too.

I would get a few quotes and the labor for all of them should be the same since this is a direct replacement. I'd get a quote from my Lexus dealer; from a Toyota dealer; and from 1 or two independents who preferably specialize in Lexus/Toyota vehicles. A straight-up replacement is pretty straightforward but having a knowledge of Toyota systems would be a plus but not necessarily a requirement. The big difference is that a good independent shop will have lower labor rates and that will make a difference. Just be sure they are quoting the same re-manufactured transmission. I'm guessing the transmission will come with a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty and in general any real defects attributable to the rebuild should show up in that period of time. As to price, you're probably in the $3500-$4000 range but that's just a guess. One other thing: the new transmission may not include a new torque converter. The one on your RX may or may not still be OK. The good news is that won't add a lot to the cost but you need to be sure that is either included in the quote or listed as a separate line item should one be required. Let us know what you decide to do and why.

Where to start...?? As you've already noticed, some (most) aftermarket vehicle warranties have a list of things they WON'T cover that will reach from here to Canada; and those are just the items they spell out for you. The 'fine print' may also limit their liability on lesser items. Unless you purchase an extended warranty through a Lexus dealer, keep in mind that if the company underwriting the warranty goes in the tank, your warranty probably will circle the bowl with it. There is a long history of these extended warranty companies declaring bankruptcy and leaving warranty holders with nothing but that canceled check for the premium. Additionally, there is a deductible for each covered expense so factor that in your decision matrix. The critical piece of information that you need to carefully consider is this: Statistically, the $2393.00 plus tax example you used will exceed the warranty claims paid over the life of the contract. This is substantiated by your data showing that only 1% of vehicles in your group experience "major issues" during the time period you are likely to own this vehicle. If the expected claims were not less than $2393.00 plus tax, the warranty cost would be higher. Statistically you are better off taking that $2393.00 plus tax and putting it in an escrow account to be applied against expenses which would otherwise have been covered by an extended warranty for as long as you own this vehicle or until the extended warranty period would have expired. Statistically (there's that word again), the odds are in your favor that there will still be funds remaining in your escrow account on the date of sale or expiration. Does a good extended warranty provide a warm, fuzzy feeling about driving into the future towards possible high-dollar maintenance expenses? Probably. Is that warm, fuzzy feeling a good investment and actually worth the cost? Well, it probably is 1% of the time. If somebody ask you to give them $2393.00 plus tax and told you there was a 1-in-100 chance of you getting it all back and perhaps a bit more, would you take the chance. Caveat emptor.

Well, here's the deal. If you try to sell it "as is" with a failed transmission it will essentially be worth its Salvage Value which is most certainly less than what you owe on it. On the other hand, it sounds like you have kept the RX well-maintained so if you put in a re-manufactured transmission (my personal preference) you likely will continue to have reliable transportation for some years to come. Of course that 'reliable transportation' will include continued and increasing maintenance on an older and aging vehicle. But, the drive train components - which are the most expensive - are probably going to serve you well. After a couple of years of continued use, you probably will need to be thinking of trading while the RX still has some decent resale value remaining. Unless you know a local transmission service shop in whose work you have great confidence and know they will stand behind their work, the re-manufactured transmission is probably your best bet. These transmissions are "rebuilt" in a facility where that's all they do and your chances of long-term satisfaction are likely to be much greater than the initial cost difference between that and a 'repaired' product from one of the chain/independent transmission shops. A 3rd option is to take the least-cost route with a local shop and then drive directly from the transmission shop to the car lot and trade for something else. Caveat emptor.

Tires need to be gauged at least monthly and should be performed cold if possible. Also, tire pressures should be within a PSI of so of each other. If you have one that's a LOT lower than the others, you need to get it checked as there is most likely a puncture somewhere. As for gauges, there are many good ones on the market. I'd probably opt for one of the digital gauges as they tend to be reasonably accurate and will cost a lot less than a really good analog gauge. Although ideally you want to gauge the tires cold, if you have to drive some distance to get it done, the worst that will happen is you might wind up a couple of PSI above spec which is still well below the tire's maximum allowed pressure rating. It may ride a little rougher but in general, a little over-inflation is a LOT better than under-inflation.

Nitrogen in your tires is no better than "dry" air which is 79% nitrogen anyway. The primary benefit of putting nitrogen in your tires is to the bottom line of your tire dealer. It's basically Mop and Glo which does no harm. A paper published by Goodyear some years ago found some long-term (keyword) benefit in off-road construction tires and also in airplane tires where it theoretically reduces fire hazard. The paper concluded that the primary benefit of dry nitrogen is the fact that is it dry - moisture in air does contribute to long-term degradation but in automobile tires that benefit is negligible. You can get the same benefit using compressed air where there is a desiccant dryer on the supply line to remove entrained moisture. There is no measurable benefits relating to fuel mileage, increased tread life, or any other parameter used to evaluate the performance of automobile tires. Any difference in tire pressure vs. temperature when using nitrogen will be negligible. The best that can be said of the benefits of dry nitrogen is that it does no harm. If my tire dealer said "Air or nitrogen; same price?", I'll probably take the nitrogen. Would I pay anything for it? Absolutely not. Oh, tire pressures whether using nitrogen or not would not change relative to air. Car Center discussion of the benefits of Nitrogen in passenger car tires Caveat emptor.

As much as I hate to ask the obvious, I will. Have you checked the fluid level? A low fluid level will cause those symptoms but so will a pump failure internal to the transmission. Let's start with the easy stuff first.

My 2000 RX300 currently has 160,000 miles on it and I was faced with the same issue a couple of years ago. Because of the labor costs involved in removing all the stuff necessary to replace the timing belt, I opted to go ahead and replace the camshaft oil seals (they were already seeping anyway) and the water pump. Otherwise, if you have to replace either or both of those items in the future, you'll have to pay them again to remove all the stuff they removed to get to the timing belt. The additional cost was basically for the cost of the parts since the labor charge at that point was minimal. The real cost is for the labor to just get to the water pump and other stuff. So,since you're in the area . . . I'd opt to replace the water pump and cam seals. Also, I agree with you; I'd pass on the spark plugs since you replaced them at 60K and they should easily be good for another 60K.

I'm with Lenore on this one. Every bolt and nut on that Lexus has a specified torque value. Without even asking, I bet they do not routinely use a torque wrench to re-tighten that drain plug. A good welding shop could probably effect some kind of repair but your best bet might be to find one off wreck somewhere. We have one here in town called Pull-a-Part where you go and remove whatever you want from the hundreds of wrecked cars. And ... that engine is a Toyota engine that's installed across multiple vehicles so finding that pan on the "secondary" market shouldn't be that much of a problem. All that said, if no one but the dealer has done this work for you, I think you need to have a serious sit-down with the Service Manager - not the service writer - and explain how this is his problem and not yours.

Amazingly enough, the items suggested by your dealer are pretty much spot-on for an RX300 with that many miles and looking ahead to continued reliable ownership. That said, I would be seeking out a reliable independent shop who specializes in either Lexus or Toyota vehicles and get a 2nd opinion on the price. The parts are going to be pretty much the same but you should be able to shave a few hundred dollars off the labor costs. I had mine in for belt replacement last year and they found the cam seals leaking (they won't get better) and I agreed to go ahead and replace the water pump while they were in there for little more than the cost of the pump. The idler pulleys are questionable since they can be replaced if they fail without a whole lot of labor cost. Of course if they fail, it'll be according to Murhpy's Law at the worst possible time and in the worst possible place. Given the other costs involved, I might spring for that as well but I'd want another opinion whether these are common failure items. I know they can go at any time but it does fall under the category of Preventive Maintenance. The transmission fluid service is a must but the cost quoted for the fluid services seems high to me.

Assuming your Platinum Warranty is through Lexus, your first step is to take your case to your Lexus dealer. Is the paint finish even mentioned in your extended warranty? I'm guessing this is not something they're just going to repair under warranty as though it were a transmission failure or other mechanical failure. Start with the dealer and be prepared to appeal your claim up the warranty food chain. Let us know how it plays out. Lotsa luck.

If the ATF has never been changed and you are near the 90K mile mark, I would concur with the recommendation advising caution on doing a displacement flush. However, if it's still under warranty through 125K, I would let the Lexus dealer perform the flush if that's what they recommend. Any failures related to an ATF flush will certainly rear their head long before the CPO expires and the monkey would certainly be on their back. Regardless, whether you use a displacement flush or a couple of drain/refills, get that old fluid out of there and put some new T4 ATF in there.

There is no single set of symptoms that I am aware of. I have 159,000 miles on my 2000 RX300 AWD and it's served me well. But, to answer your question regarding when you should start worrying, I'd say Right Now!! What you need to worry about is getting the transmission fluid flushed and the filter replaced since that is the life blood of the transmission. I just completed my 2nd fluid replacement and it's the cheapest money you can spend on an automatic transmission. Anything mechanical can fail at any time but if your transmission hasn't been abused and if the fluid is changed SOON, there is no reason to think it won't serve you well for many more thousand miles. I would have them drop the pan to do a visual inspection and be sure there is only the expected minor sludge adhering to the pan magnet. My transmission does not have a paper filter but has a metal screen that only needs to be cleaned and flushed with a solvent; blow dried and then reinstalled. Most transmissions have a paper filter and if yours has one, that filter will certainly need to be replaced. I'd be more worried about the engine sludge problem. I bought mine new and since the warranty expired, I've been running Mobil 1 10W-30 and changing both oil and filter every 5,000 miles. The engine sludge issue seems to be tied to using non-synthetic oil and going too long between changes. As with the transmission, frequent oil service is the cheapest money you can spend on the most expensive component in the vehicle. Yours in a 2002 model and I can't remember if they resolved that engine sludge problem by that time or if it was later. Regardless, 5,000 miles is the change interval for all my cars. However, your mileage may differ. Good luck.

I had exactly the same situation occur on my 2000 RX300 AWD. I had the first coil fail in 2008 and the 2nd coil failed in the summer of 2009. I could see the pattern and opted to make the preemptive move and replaced all the remaining ignition coils. If you plan to continue driving your RX, I would go ahead and replace the remaining coils as well. Otherwise, Murphy's Law suggests the next one will fail at the worst possible time - i.e. miles from anywhere on a dark, rainy Saturday night. On mine, after driving about 20 or so miles with a failed coil, the transmission decides that it will not go into overdrive and at that point, you need to be close to home or someplace where you can get it fixed. Lotsa luck.