1999 Lexus RX300 from North America - Comments

My transmission went out at 72,000 miles, the Lexus Dealer did give me a rebuilt transmission free of charge. I am very UNhappy to report that at 114,000 miles the transmission has gone out once again. Lexus of course is not paying for it this time, I am.

JD.Power ranks these cars number one in dependability? I drive my Lexus with great care in normal city conditions.

I have had many different cars of different makes and have never had a problem with a transmission until I got my Lexus RX 300! We should all unite and start a class action law suit to get our Thousands of Dollars Back!

It is a nice car aside from the Transmission that goes out every 40,000 miles.

So what you're saying is that when you buy a car, you expect it to come with a lifetime of free transmissions?

What else, engines, tires, wiper blades???

Your vehicle has 114,000 miles on it?

Quit crying like Johnny Fontane and pay for the transmission.

And by the way, who is the "we" that should unite?

You mean that there are more unrealistic people out there that want free parts and service for life?

Lighten up on the dude. I think you would feel the same way if you spent 2-3k+ on a tranny and about 40k miles later it went out on you again. it could be a defect on the transmission he should look into this with other owners of the lexus brand.

It was a rebuilt transmission that he didn't pay for. Read the review again, more slowly this time!

I had the same problem at 76,000 miles and same solution, but truly it is not something to expect from a $30,000+ car at that point of mileage. Now the engine broke, out of the blue, without warning it stalled. Lexus says they know about this problem, but it is due to poor maintenance (it has only been serviced by the same Lexus dealer and timely) and kindly is offering to pay for 50% or more of the repair, which only shows how faulty this model is. I could expect such problems from a cheaper car, but not on this type of vehicle, you supposedly pay more to obtain dependability and good engineering, but not the case on this model. I owned an LS-300 for 5 years and was the best car I ever had, virtually problem free, only normal maintenance and sold it at 130,000 miles. It is obviously a problem with this model and it is time Lexus admits it and takes responsible measures.

By the way, what car do you have? It seems you are overreacting a little………..

I agree, a tranny should last beyond 114k miles on a properly serviced Lexus.

The RX300 is an average-to-good vehicle, but should NEVER be confused with having the reliability attributes that are given to the flagship model LS sedan or LX suv.

I own a 99 Lexus RX300 its original cost was 41,000 dollars and I felt I was getting a reliable vehicle... I began having problems with the transmission at 88000 miles note I had always had it serviced at the Lexus dealership and they know the vehicle well very well. Whats going on with the transmission in all of these is the clutches seem to be always breaking up by this I mean slowly coming apart therefore these shavings end up clogging the screened filter and the fluid can't get up to the areas of the transmission that need fluid and therefore when you put the car in reverse or drive it seems like you are in neutral... now when this first starts you can turn the vehicle off let it set for a few minutes (pain) and the trans will engage... eventually though this will not be the case. I have taken my RX300 back to the dealer twice now they clean the screened filter refill with new fluid and you are good to go for about 8000 miles... this though may not continue forever... the clutch blades will eventually get to the point where they won't engage and you are stuck in neutral... Is this something that should not happen on this type of vehicle??? I think we should ask the question if I was told that after about 70 or 80 thousand miles this 40k dollar vehicle will need a new tran do you still want to buy it??? Lexus should acknowledge the fact this is a re-occurring problem that is not going away or fix itself, but they don't seem to want to listen... good luck to all I've had a ES300 and my wife has a IS300 but after this we will not buy Lexus again.

I had the same problem as the comment above with my 99 RX300. I think this engine is underpowered for such a heavy car for all it is, is an ES300 motor. I've owned Lexus since 90 when they first came out and will dirve nothing other than Lexus. This is the only Lexus I've had that has had tranny problems. All my other Lexus have over 150,000 and still run like new. I don't think you should give up on Lexus, just buy a different model. The LS is the best in my opinion, but my wife likes the SC the best.

Not only have I needed to replace the transmission at 115,000 miles, my 99 Lexus electrical system has failed costing me several hundred dollars, the ignition switch needed to be replaced 3 times and there are still some fuses that need to be changed, but I refuse to put more money into this truck. I have maintained this car conscientiously and timely. I have never been more disappointed - Lexus washed their hands of it when I was 2000 miles out of warranty.

I have a 1999 RX300 AWD and had problems with transmission and rear main oil seal leak. I bought this SUV with 25k miles back in Jan 2002.

Transmission problem> Still working, but started having issues at about 45k with gear shifting hesitation Would come and go and seem to be more of a problem when car was not warmed up. At 60k, I had the transmission oil checked (as describe in owner’s manual) during an oil change at a quick oil/lube place. They said it was very dark and recommended an oil power flush. I took it to a mechanic who specializes with Lexus vehicles and he did a drain and re-fill and said it would need it again after 10k miles. I then took it to a local Lexus dealership who said that records showed that at 20k miles, a Lexus mechanic recommended a transmission oil change, but was declined by the 1st owner. The service rep from this local Lexus dealership told me that the '99 and '00 RX300’s are having problems with transmissions. They checked my transmission when they repaired the oil seal leak and they expect it go in the near future. They recommended a power flush to try and salvage some extra miles. Claims of faulty rx300 transmissions are real. Not sure if I should get this done or just do another drain and fill. Claims of faulty rx300 transmissions are real. Sounds like a combination of design flaws, especially a poor filtration system.

I have owned two 1999 Lexus RX300 AWD models. The first transmission went bad at 85,000 miles. The second is now slipping at 89,000 miles. The transmissions are defective either in design or the materials of construction. I do not think it is un-realistic to expect such a high dollar vehicle to have a 'bullet proof' drive train.

I too own a 1999 Rx300, I start having problems with the transmission at 75,000 miles. The transmission was rebuilt in November 2005. Today, the transmission went out again.

I agree with the prior comment that Lexus should be held responsible. Apparently, there is a problem with the transmission in this car.

You think that transmission is bad. I use to own a Ford Contour and the transmission in that piece of junk went out at 40K miles and ford wanted 3K for a rebuilt transmission. I never bought Ford or domestic since.

I have a 99 RX300 AWD and my transmission went out on me this weekend. It's stuck on neutral and won't REVERSE. I have 120K miles on it but didn't expect it to go down like this in an expensive car.

All these comments make me scared to look at a used RX300. We currently have a '92 Toyota Camry with 506,000 km (that's just over 300,000 miles) and have never had a problem. The only exception to that would be replacing the CV boots about 3-4 times - minor in comparison to the RX300 comments. We would like to get an AWD product and keep within the Toyota/Lexus family.

Maybe I'll just stick with Toyota products like the Highlander. Any feedback on them that anyone knows of?

Houston, TX.

1999 Rx 300's have constant problems with the rear main seal and transmission, but the engine in my opinion is very well built. I have over 100,000 miles and the engine still runs like it was new. Any one interested in a RX300 rally?