Transmission on 2001 RX 300

[Lurfys Maw]

I would appreciate any comments on the story I am getting from my
Lexus dealer.

My wife has a 2001 RX 300. We bought it CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) in
2003.

Friday afternoon, she called me from a friend's house saying it was
making strange noises and seemed to have difficulty shifting out of
low gear.

I called the dealer where we bought it and who has done all of the
service. They sent a flat bed truck to get it.

The tow truck driver drove it onto the flat bed truck. I didn't hear
any noises. He showed me what appeared to be oil streaks on the lower
side of the car just behind the right front wheel. I also noticed what
appeared to be quite a bit of oil on that wheel housing. But there was
no oil under where the car had been parked while it was waiting for
the tow truck (about 90 minutes).

A few hours later, the service tech called. They had not had a chance
to work on it, but it will not move at all and they believe it is the
transmission.

I asked him what ha caused this. He said they wouldn't know for sure
until they take it apart, but they just wear out.

I asked him if it could be caused by a service mistake, like not
replacing the transmission oil or not tightening an oil plug or
something. It was just in for service in February. He said "No, there
is still oil in there". There are no oil spots in the garage where it
is parked.

I am puzzled by the oil streaks on the side of the car (if that's even
what they were) and the oil on the right front wheel housing. Isn't
the transmission in the rear?

He quoted me $6,300 for a new transmission.

What is the expected life of an RX 300 transmission?

What chance do I have to get this covered by Lexus. I believe the CPO
warranty was for 5 (more) years or up to 100,000 (total) miles. We are
well past the 5 years, but well under the 100,000 miles.

He also said that they usually do not even open up the transmission if
is it completely frozen, like this one is. They just replace it.
should I insist that they try to figure out what the problem was?

The car had 35,000 miles on it when we bought it. It now has 68,000.
My wife puts about 7,000 miles on it each year, 90% city driving. She
is a very careful driver.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Ray O]

Post by Lurfys Maw
I would appreciate any comments on the story I am getting from my
Lexus dealer.
My wife has a 2001 RX 300. We bought it CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) in
2003.
Friday afternoon, she called me from a friend's house saying it was
making strange noises and seemed to have difficulty shifting out of
low gear.
I called the dealer where we bought it and who has done all of the
service. They sent a flat bed truck to get it.
The tow truck driver drove it onto the flat bed truck. I didn't hear
any noises. He showed me what appeared to be oil streaks on the lower
side of the car just behind the right front wheel. I also noticed what
appeared to be quite a bit of oil on that wheel housing. But there was
no oil under where the car had been parked while it was waiting for
the tow truck (about 90 minutes).
A few hours later, the service tech called. They had not had a chance
to work on it, but it will not move at all and they believe it is the
transmission.
I asked him what ha caused this. He said they wouldn't know for sure
until they take it apart, but they just wear out.
I asked him if it could be caused by a service mistake, like not
replacing the transmission oil or not tightening an oil plug or
something. It was just in for service in February. He said "No, there
is still oil in there". There are no oil spots in the garage where it
is parked.
I am puzzled by the oil streaks on the side of the car (if that's even
what they were) and the oil on the right front wheel housing. Isn't
the transmission in the rear?
He quoted me $6,300 for a new transmission.
What is the expected life of an RX 300 transmission?
What chance do I have to get this covered by Lexus. I believe the CPO
warranty was for 5 (more) years or up to 100,000 (total) miles. We are
well past the 5 years, but well under the 100,000 miles.
He also said that they usually do not even open up the transmission if
is it completely frozen, like this one is. They just replace it.
should I insist that they try to figure out what the problem was?
The car had 35,000 miles on it when we bought it. It now has 68,000.
My wife puts about 7,000 miles on it each year, 90% city driving. She
is a very careful driver.
Thanks for any suggestions.

Was the oil on the side of the car and not underneath? Oil leaking from a
powertrain component is more likely to be on the undercarriage than on the
side of the car, so I would imagine that oil on the side came from an
external source. What kind of oil did you see? Was it automatic
transmission fluid?

The transmission is located under the hood to the left (from the prospective
of the passenger compartment ) of the engine.

Transmissions are pretty complicated, and dealers have gone to complete
replacement rather than try to repair it with unacceptable results. There
are some basic tests like pressure tests and solenoid checks that they
should do before replacing the transmission. If the transmission is not
producing the correct pressure, then it probably needs replacement. What is
the condition of the automatic transmission fluid (ATF)? If a shift
solenoid is not engaging, a solenoid replacement is relatively simple and
inexpensive compared to a transmission replacement.

You can try contacting Lexus customer relations and plead your case there to
see if they can offer any out-of-warranty assistance.

Good luck!

[Lurfys Maw]

On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:12:14 -0500, "Ray O"

Post by Ray O
Was the oil on the side of the car and not underneath?

What the tow truck driver showed me was on the side of the car on the
narrow strip of body sheet metal underneath the door just behind the
right front wheel. There were 6-8 "streaks" similar in shape to the
streamlets of water on a windshield when the is moving.

Post by Ray O
Oil leaking from a
powertrain component is more likely to be on the undercarriage than on the
side of the car, so I would imagine that oil on the side came from an
external source. What kind of oil did you see? Was it automatic
transmission fluid?

I didn't touch them myself. He wiped a finger across them and to show
me that they were wet. If I recall correctly, then were angled up and
back at about a 30-40 degree angle (from 4 o'clock to 10 o'clock).

Post by Ray O
The transmission is located under the hood to the left (from the prospective
of the passenger compartment ) of the engine.

That would make it difficult to leak on the right (opposite) side, no?

Post by Ray O
Transmissions are pretty complicated, and dealers have gone to complete
replacement rather than try to repair it with unacceptable results.

I wasn't trying to get them to repair vs replace it. I just wanted to
know what broke.

Can this type of failure be caused by incorrect maintenance, like not
tightening an oil plug after changing the oil?

Post by Ray O
There
are some basic tests like pressure tests and solenoid checks that they
should do before replacing the transmission. If the transmission is not
producing the correct pressure, then it probably needs replacement.

I assume they did or will do whatever tests they need to. We also have
a '99 LS 400, also CPO. Both have had all service at this dealership.
The service is not cheap, but we have had no provlems.

Post by Ray O
What is
the condition of the automatic transmission fluid (ATF)?

I don't know. It had an A-level service in February.

Post by Ray O
If a shift
solenoid is not engaging, a solenoid replacement is relatively simple and
inexpensive compared to a transmission replacement.
You can try contacting Lexus customer relations and plead your case there to
see if they can offer any out-of-warranty assistance.

The tech was going to talk to Lexus about covering this under
warranty. If that doesn't work, I'll appeal to the dealership itself,
since I have bought 2 cars from them. If that fails, I'll call Lexus.

Thanks

[Ray O]

Post by Lurfys Maw
On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:12:14 -0500, "Ray O"

Post by Ray O
Was the oil on the side of the car and not underneath?

What the tow truck driver showed me was on the side of the car on the
narrow strip of body sheet metal underneath the door just behind the
right front wheel. There were 6-8 "streaks" similar in shape to the
streamlets of water on a windshield when the is moving.

Post by Ray O
Oil leaking from a
powertrain component is more likely to be on the undercarriage than on the
side of the car, so I would imagine that oil on the side came from an
external source. What kind of oil did you see? Was it automatic
transmission fluid?

I didn't touch them myself. He wiped a finger across them and to show
me that they were wet. If I recall correctly, then were angled up and
back at about a 30-40 degree angle (from 4 o'clock to 10 o'clock).

That sounds more like something kicked up from the front tires than from the
transmission.

Post by Lurfys Maw

Post by Ray O
The transmission is located under the hood to the left (from the prospective
of the passenger compartment ) of the engine.

That would make it difficult to leak on the right (opposite) side, no?

That would make it very difficult to leak on the opposite side.

Post by Lurfys Maw

Post by Ray O
Transmissions are pretty complicated, and dealers have gone to complete
replacement rather than try to repair it with unacceptable results.

I wasn't trying to get them to repair vs replace it. I just wanted to
know what broke.
Can this type of failure be caused by incorrect maintenance, like not
tightening an oil plug after changing the oil?

If you are talking about the engine oil plug, the answer is no. If the
engine lost all of its oil, the engine would probably seize, but the
transmission would not be affected.

If you had a transmission service and you are talking about the transmission
fluid, the answer is possibly, but you would see fresh red automatic
transmission fluid (ATF) under the front of the vehicle and the transmission
fluid level would be low or empty. You said that the dealership said that
the fluid level was full.

There are a couple of other possibilities if you had a relatively recent
transmission service. If you had the transmission flushed for the first
time at over 60,000 miles, it is possible that the flush dislodged sludge
that clogged one of the valves. Another possibility is that the wrong ATF
was used.

Post by Lurfys Maw

Post by Ray O
There
are some basic tests like pressure tests and solenoid checks that they
should do before replacing the transmission. If the transmission is not
producing the correct pressure, then it probably needs replacement.

I assume they did or will do whatever tests they need to. We also have
a '99 LS 400, also CPO. Both have had all service at this dealership.
The service is not cheap, but we have had no provlems.

Post by Ray O
What is
the condition of the automatic transmission fluid (ATF)?

I don't know. It had an A-level service in February.

I'm not sure what you mean by "A-level" service, but if that is an oil
change and tire rotation, then the likelihood that the service caused the
transmission failure is very very slim. I have heard of quick oil change
places draining the transmission fluid by mistake, but the car won't even
make it out of the service bay if that were th4e case.\

Post by Lurfys Maw

Post by Ray O
If a shift
solenoid is not engaging, a solenoid replacement is relatively simple and
inexpensive compared to a transmission replacement.
You can try contacting Lexus customer relations and plead your case there to
see if they can offer any out-of-warranty assistance.

The tech was going to talk to Lexus about covering this under
warranty. If that doesn't work, I'll appeal to the dealership itself,
since I have bought 2 cars from them. If that fails, I'll call Lexus.
Thanks

You're welcome, good luck!

[Lurfys Maw]

On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 12:33:50 -0500, "Ray O"

Post by Ray O

Post by Lurfys Maw
On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:12:14 -0500, "Ray O"

Post by Ray O
Was the oil on the side of the car and not underneath?

What the tow truck driver showed me was on the side of the car on the
narrow strip of body sheet metal underneath the door just behind the
right front wheel. There were 6-8 "streaks" similar in shape to the
streamlets of water on a windshield when the is moving.

Post by Ray O
Oil leaking from a
powertrain component is more likely to be on the undercarriage than on the
side of the car, so I would imagine that oil on the side came from an
external source. What kind of oil did you see? Was it automatic
transmission fluid?

I didn't touch them myself. He wiped a finger across them and to show
me that they were wet. If I recall correctly, then were angled up and
back at about a 30-40 degree angle (from 4 o'clock to 10 o'clock).

That sounds more like something kicked up from the front tires than from the
transmission.

That's what it looked like to me, but the guy showed it to me. But
then, he was just the tow truck driver. Nice guy, probably just trying
to be helpful, but not a mechanic.

Post by Ray O

Post by Lurfys Maw

Post by Ray O
The transmission is located under the hood to the left (from the prospective
of the passenger compartment ) of the engine.

That would make it difficult to leak on the right (opposite) side, no?

That would make it very difficult to leak on the opposite side.

Post by Lurfys Maw

Post by Ray O
Transmissions are pretty complicated, and dealers have gone to complete
replacement rather than try to repair it with unacceptable results.

I wasn't trying to get them to repair vs replace it. I just wanted to
know what broke.
Can this type of failure be caused by incorrect maintenance, like not
tightening an oil plug after changing the oil?

If you are talking about the engine oil plug, the answer is no. If the
engine lost all of its oil, the engine would probably seize, but the
transmission would not be affected.
If you had a transmission service and you are talking about the transmission
fluid, the answer is possibly, but you would see fresh red automatic
transmission fluid (ATF) under the front of the vehicle and the transmission
fluid level would be low or empty.

I think the last transmission service was on 3/15/07. The car had a
D-level service. That's the most comprehensive service done every
60,000 miles.

Post by Ray O
You said that the dealership said that
the fluid level was full.

I think they said that it was not empty.

Post by Ray O
There are a couple of other possibilities if you had a relatively recent
transmission service. If you had the transmission flushed for the first
time at over 60,000 miles, it is possible that the flush dislodged sludge
that clogged one of the valves.

The D service was over a year ago. Would it take this long to cause a
problem?

Post by Ray O
Another possibility is that the wrong ATF
was used.

Again, I would think that would show up sooner than 13 months. No?

Post by Ray O

Post by Lurfys Maw

Post by Ray O
There
are some basic tests like pressure tests and solenoid checks that they
should do before replacing the transmission. If the transmission is not
producing the correct pressure, then it probably needs replacement.

I assume they did or will do whatever tests they need to. We also have
a '99 LS 400, also CPO. Both have had all service at this dealership.
The service is not cheap, but we have had no provlems.

Post by Ray O
What is
the condition of the automatic transmission fluid (ATF)?

I don't know. It had an A-level service in February.

I'm not sure what you mean by "A-level" service, but if that is an oil
change and tire rotation, then the likelihood that the service caused the
transmission failure is very very slim. I have heard of quick oil change
places draining the transmission fluid by mistake, but the car won't even
make it out of the service bay if that were th4e case.\

Yes, an A service is basically lube and oil. It was done by the
dealership.

Post by Ray O

Post by Lurfys Maw

Post by Ray O
If a shift
solenoid is not engaging, a solenoid replacement is relatively simple and
inexpensive compared to a transmission replacement.
You can try contacting Lexus customer relations and plead your case there to
see if they can offer any out-of-warranty assistance.

The tech was going to talk to Lexus about covering this under
warranty. If that doesn't work, I'll appeal to the dealership itself,
since I have bought 2 cars from them. If that fails, I'll call Lexus.
Thanks

You're welcome, good luck!

[Ray O]

Post by Lurfys Maw
On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 12:33:50 -0500, "Ray O"

Post by Ray O

Post by Lurfys Maw
On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:12:14 -0500, "Ray O"

Post by Ray O
Was the oil on the side of the car and not underneath?

What the tow truck driver showed me was on the side of the car on the
narrow strip of body sheet metal underneath the door just behind the
right front wheel. There were 6-8 "streaks" similar in shape to the
streamlets of water on a windshield when the is moving.

Post by Ray O
Oil leaking from a
powertrain component is more likely to be on the undercarriage than on the
side of the car, so I would imagine that oil on the side came from an
external source. What kind of oil did you see? Was it automatic
transmission fluid?

I didn't touch them myself. He wiped a finger across them and to show
me that they were wet. If I recall correctly, then were angled up and
back at about a 30-40 degree angle (from 4 o'clock to 10 o'clock).

That sounds more like something kicked up from the front tires than from the
transmission.

That's what it looked like to me, but the guy showed it to me. But
then, he was just the tow truck driver. Nice guy, probably just trying
to be helpful, but not a mechanic.

Post by Ray O

Post by Lurfys Maw

Post by Ray O
The transmission is located under the hood to the left (from the prospective
of the passenger compartment ) of the engine.

That would make it difficult to leak on the right (opposite) side, no?

That would make it very difficult to leak on the opposite side.

Post by Lurfys Maw

Post by Ray O
Transmissions are pretty complicated, and dealers have gone to complete
replacement rather than try to repair it with unacceptable results.

I wasn't trying to get them to repair vs replace it. I just wanted to
know what broke.
Can this type of failure be caused by incorrect maintenance, like not
tightening an oil plug after changing the oil?

If you are talking about the engine oil plug, the answer is no. If the
engine lost all of its oil, the engine would probably seize, but the
transmission would not be affected.
If you had a transmission service and you are talking about the transmission
fluid, the answer is possibly, but you would see fresh red automatic
transmission fluid (ATF) under the front of the vehicle and the transmission
fluid level would be low or empty.

I think the last transmission service was on 3/15/07. The car had a
D-level service. That's the most comprehensive service done every
60,000 miles.

Post by Ray O
You said that the dealership said that
the fluid level was full.

I think they said that it was not empty.

Post by Ray O
There are a couple of other possibilities if you had a relatively recent
transmission service. If you had the transmission flushed for the first
time at over 60,000 miles, it is possible that the flush dislodged sludge
that clogged one of the valves.

The D service was over a year ago. Would it take this long to cause a
problem?

If a service causes a transmisison problem, the symptoms usually show up
immediately or within a month. The same is true if the wrong ATF is used.

Post by Lurfys Maw

Post by Ray O
Another possibility is that the wrong ATF
was used.

Again, I would think that would show up sooner than 13 months. No?

Post by Ray O

Post by Lurfys Maw

Post by Ray O
There
are some basic tests like pressure tests and solenoid checks that they
should do before replacing the transmission. If the transmission is not
producing the correct pressure, then it probably needs replacement.

I assume they did or will do whatever tests they need to. We also have
a '99 LS 400, also CPO. Both have had all service at this dealership.
The service is not cheap, but we have had no provlems.

Post by Ray O
What is
the condition of the automatic transmission fluid (ATF)?

I don't know. It had an A-level service in February.

I'm not sure what you mean by "A-level" service, but if that is an oil
change and tire rotation, then the likelihood that the service caused the
transmission failure is very very slim. I have heard of quick oil change
places draining the transmission fluid by mistake, but the car won't even
make it out of the service bay if that were th4e case.\

Yes, an A service is basically lube and oil. It was done by the
dealership.

If that is the case, it is highly unlikely that anything the dealer did
caused the problem.

[tww1491]

Post by Lurfys Maw
I would appreciate any comments on the story I am getting from my
Lexus dealer.
My wife has a 2001 RX 300. We bought it CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) in
2003.
Friday afternoon, she called me from a friend's house saying it was
making strange noises and seemed to have difficulty shifting out of
low gear.
I called the dealer where we bought it and who has done all of the
service. They sent a flat bed truck to get it.
The tow truck driver drove it onto the flat bed truck. I didn't hear
any noises. He showed me what appeared to be oil streaks on the lower
side of the car just behind the right front wheel. I also noticed what
appeared to be quite a bit of oil on that wheel housing. But there was
no oil under where the car had been parked while it was waiting for
the tow truck (about 90 minutes).
A few hours later, the service tech called. They had not had a chance
to work on it, but it will not move at all and they believe it is the
transmission.
I asked him what ha caused this. He said they wouldn't know for sure
until they take it apart, but they just wear out.
I asked him if it could be caused by a service mistake, like not
replacing the transmission oil or not tightening an oil plug or
something. It was just in for service in February. He said "No, there
is still oil in there". There are no oil spots in the garage where it
is parked.
I am puzzled by the oil streaks on the side of the car (if that's even
what they were) and the oil on the right front wheel housing. Isn't
the transmission in the rear?
He quoted me $6,300 for a new transmission.

Since the Highlander is the same vehicle, you ought to check with a Toyota
dealer for a replacement cost. Probably will be cheaper. I was not aware
that Toyota was having problems with the RX 300 transmission .. just a 4
speed as I recollect.

Post by Lurfys Maw
What is the expected life of an RX 300 transmission?
What chance do I have to get this covered by Lexus. I believe the CPO
warranty was for 5 (more) years or up to 100,000 (total) miles. We are
well past the 5 years, but well under the 100,000 miles.
He also said that they usually do not even open up the transmission if
is it completely frozen, like this one is. They just replace it.
should I insist that they try to figure out what the problem was?
The car had 35,000 miles on it when we bought it. It now has 68,000.
My wife puts about 7,000 miles on it each year, 90% city driving. She
is a very careful driver.
Thanks for any suggestions.

[j***@hotmail.com]

There was a fix in 2002 for it, but I doubt Toyota will give that for
free. And now you know the probable reason why the previous owner got
rid of the car. It's a known defect, so maybe Toyota will cut some
slacks and cover it.

A little Google will show you that there are many problems with the
01 RX transmission. But normally Toyota is going to stick it to you
after CPO. The dealer's already told you that ($6300).

I'd use that money for a down payment on a new BMW. Might as well get
a true luxury car.



DetMich1, Club Lexus:
"My friend Shelby, a service writer at Lexus tells me the transmission
failures on the AWD models is common on the 99-01 model years. Lexus
switched transmissions for 2002 and beyond and solved the problem.
When I was car shopping she said "don't buy an AWD RX 300 manufactured
prior to 2002. Also, the oil sludging problem wasn't corrected until
late 2001 (due to a wide temperature differential between the block
and cylinder heads). The experience with any single car can be good or
bad but statistically over a large sample, the incidence of problems
is much lower with model years 2002 and newer."

Post by Lurfys Maw
I would appreciate any comments on the story I am getting from my
Lexus dealer.
My wife has a 2001 RX 300. We bought it CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) in
2003.
Friday afternoon, she called me from a friend's house saying it was
making strange noises and seemed to have difficulty shifting out of
low gear.
I called the dealer where we bought it and who has done all of the
service. They sent a flat bed truck to get it.
The tow truck driver drove it onto the flat bed truck. I didn't hear
any noises. He showed me what appeared to be oil streaks on the lower
side of the car just behind the right front wheel. I also noticed what
appeared to be quite a bit of oil on that wheel housing. But there was
no oil under where the car had been parked while it was waiting for
the tow truck (about 90 minutes).
A few hours later, the service tech called. They had not had a chance
to work on it, but it will not move at all and they believe it is the
transmission.
I asked him what ha caused this. He said they wouldn't know for sure
until they take it apart, but they just wear out.
I asked him if it could be caused by a service mistake, like not
replacing the transmission oil or not tightening an oil plug or
something. It was just in for service in February. He said "No, there
is still oil in there". There are no oil spots in the garage where it
is parked.
I am puzzled by the oil streaks on the side of the car (if that's even
what they were) and the oil on the right front wheel housing. Isn't
the transmission in the rear?
He quoted me $6,300 for a new transmission.
What is the expected life of an RX 300 transmission?
What chance do I have to get this covered by Lexus. I believe the CPO
warranty was for 5 (more) years or up to 100,000 (total) miles. We are
well past the 5 years, but well under the 100,000 miles.
He also said that they usually do not even open up the transmission if
is it completely frozen, like this one is. They just replace it.
should I insist that they try to figure out what the problem was?
The car had 35,000 miles on it when we bought it. It now has 68,000.
My wife puts about 7,000 miles on it each year, 90% city driving. She
is a very careful driver.
Thanks for any suggestions.

[DaveW]

Post by j***@hotmail.com
I'd use that money for a down payment on a new BMW. Might as well get
a true luxury car.

What do you drive, john?

[David Z]

Post by DaveW

Post by j***@hotmail.com
I'd use that money for a down payment on a new BMW. Might as well get
a true luxury car.

What do you drive, john?

The silence speaks loudly, doesn't it? I strongly suspect he's a Lexus
owner.

[tww1491]

Post by j***@hotmail.com
There was a fix in 2002 for it, but I doubt Toyota will give that for
free. And now you know the probable reason why the previous owner got
rid of the car. It's a known defect, so maybe Toyota will cut some
slacks and cover it.
A little Google will show you that there are many problems with the
01 RX transmission. But normally Toyota is going to stick it to you
after CPO. The dealer's already told you that ($6300).
I'd use that money for a down payment on a new BMW. Might as well get
a true luxury car.
"My friend Shelby, a service writer at Lexus tells me the transmission
failures on the AWD models is common on the 99-01 model years. Lexus
switched transmissions for 2002 and beyond and solved the problem.
When I was car shopping she said "don't buy an AWD RX 300 manufactured
prior to 2002. Also, the oil sludging problem wasn't corrected until
late 2001 (due to a wide temperature differential between the block
and cylinder heads). The experience with any single car can be good or
bad but statistically over a large sample, the incidence of problems
is much lower with model years 2002 and newer."

Interesting! We owned a 01 RX and got rid of it before 30k and bought a
Pilot. We had several reasons, one of which was the gelling problem which
ours was showing despire "by the book" expensive Lexus maintenance. Given
what you indicate here, I made a good call.

Post by j***@hotmail.com

Post by Lurfys Maw
I would appreciate any comments on the story I am getting from my
Lexus dealer.
My wife has a 2001 RX 300. We bought it CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) in
2003.
Friday afternoon, she called me from a friend's house saying it was
making strange noises and seemed to have difficulty shifting out of
low gear.
I called the dealer where we bought it and who has done all of the
service. They sent a flat bed truck to get it.
The tow truck driver drove it onto the flat bed truck. I didn't hear
any noises. He showed me what appeared to be oil streaks on the lower
side of the car just behind the right front wheel. I also noticed what
appeared to be quite a bit of oil on that wheel housing. But there was
no oil under where the car had been parked while it was waiting for
the tow truck (about 90 minutes).
A few hours later, the service tech called. They had not had a chance
to work on it, but it will not move at all and they believe it is the
transmission.
I asked him what ha caused this. He said they wouldn't know for sure
until they take it apart, but they just wear out.
I asked him if it could be caused by a service mistake, like not
replacing the transmission oil or not tightening an oil plug or
something. It was just in for service in February. He said "No, there
is still oil in there". There are no oil spots in the garage where it
is parked.
I am puzzled by the oil streaks on the side of the car (if that's even
what they were) and the oil on the right front wheel housing. Isn't
the transmission in the rear?
He quoted me $6,300 for a new transmission.
What is the expected life of an RX 300 transmission?
What chance do I have to get this covered by Lexus. I believe the CPO
warranty was for 5 (more) years or up to 100,000 (total) miles. We are
well past the 5 years, but well under the 100,000 miles.
He also said that they usually do not even open up the transmission if
is it completely frozen, like this one is. They just replace it.
should I insist that they try to figure out what the problem was?
The car had 35,000 miles on it when we bought it. It now has 68,000.
My wife puts about 7,000 miles on it each year, 90% city driving. She
is a very careful driver.
Thanks for any suggestions.

[mcbrue]

As I recall Johngd has listed his cars in the past. And unless memory
fails me, there were some German cars in there as well as a Jap car.
Right now I only own Jap cars. But with summer coming and having to
fight that dratted stupid uncontrollable "automatic" air, I am really
beginning to think about car shopping again.

[Giga]

Please do! Anything but a Lexus! It's only fair for you to go elsewhere to
share your infinite wisdom with another unsuspecting newsgroup. If you
wouldn't mind, please take Long Dong with you...

Post by mcbrue
As I recall Johngd has listed his cars in the past. And unless memory
fails me, there were some German cars in there as well as a Jap car.
Right now I only own Jap cars. But with summer coming and having to
fight that dratted stupid uncontrollable "automatic" air, I am really
beginning to think about car shopping again.

[St. John Smythe]

Post by mcbrue
As I recall Johngd has listed his cars in the past. And unless memory
fails me, there were some German cars in there as well as a Jap car.
Right now I only own Jap cars. But with summer coming and having to
fight that dratted stupid uncontrollable "automatic" air, I am really
beginning to think about car shopping again.

The regulars here would probably be willing to take up a collection to
help.

[j***@hotmail.com]

You know, Honda and Acura edged BMW/Mini out of best resale value
since a couple of years ago. I didn't realize VW is in there these
days, but VW now works closely with Porsche in engineering as well.
And Porsche ranked #1 in JD Powers initial quality survey (http://
www.gizmag.com/go/7410/).


How Much Is Your Car Worth?
By Gina Chon, Wall Street Journal

Sister brands Honda and Acura topped the latest list of vehicle brands
with the best resale value -- an important measure for upscale car
buyers -- edging out longtime leader BMW.

Volkswagen, which moved up to No. 2, and BMW and its Mini brand, tied
for third, also earned high marks in Kelley Blue Book's survey for the
2007 model year, as foreign brands took almost all the top honors.

Kelley Blue Book expects Honda and Acura's latest vehicles to retain
nearly 56% of their original retail price in five years. VW and BMW/
Mini ...

Post by tww1491
Interesting! We owned a 01 RX and got rid of it before 30k and bought a
Pilot. We had several reasons, one of which was the gelling problem which
ours was showing despire "by the book" expensive Lexus maintenance. Given
what you indicate here, I made a good call.