Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
SUVs Lexus RX 300/330/350 Lexus RX 300 Transmission Problems
306 messages, Last post on Nov 28, 2009 at 8:40 AM
You are in the Lexus RX 300/330/350 Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester
|
Replying to: avery1 (Jul 07, 2009 8:58 am) Just as a "flush" is not quite the same as transmission "service" (changing the filter and checking the debris in the pan) there is a difference. I was lucky. The dealer replaced mine with a genuinely new (from the Kyushu plant) transmission after trying two rebuilt (exchange) transmissions off the local shelf, all under warrantee at 70,000 miles. I would shop around. There are transmission shops (maybe even another dealer) who would love to have your business. Look for a reputable one that will rebuild yours with the modernized Lexus spec parts, rather than one off-the-shelf, if it's not a genuinely new transmission. The new transmission (four years ago) in mine doesn't exhibit any of the mis-designed or under-designed traits that (presumably) led to durability issues like the original had. The original was clearly flawed. With the new one, there is no hesitation upshifting or down, no rough shifts, and no burning of the fluid like the original from 5/98 (early '99 model). Good luck. I hope you let us know what transpires.
|
|
|
Replying to: la4mead (Jul 07, 2009 9:27 am) I did have a complete transmission service done including the flush. |
|
|
Replying to: avery1 (Jul 07, 2009 8:58 am) Ron Ka1cvy
|
|
|
Replying to: ka1cvy (Jul 07, 2009 10:11 am)
|
|
|
Replying to: avery1 (Jul 07, 2009 10:59 am)
|
|
|
Replying to: wwest (Jul 07, 2009 6:56 pm) |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: avery1 (Jul 07, 2009 7:03 pm) I did not have time to read the entire thread. Was the 01' less prone to failure than the 99 and 00? Was the 330 better than the 300's. Thanks for the input. I do not want to purchase one of these and worry and wait for the tranny to go out.
|
|
|
Replying to: minorsalazar (Jul 12, 2009 10:50 pm) Although more common with first year models (1999, including those built in 1998), the transmissions have not always been unusually troublesome. Many people report mileage approaching 200,000 miles without trouble. But there is enough concern that you should be cautious of any SUV style vehicle's transmission. Some report hesitation, burned fluid (indicating wear) and failures much earlier. But these concerns don't lead to a hard and fast rule, across the board. My friend's AWD 2000 model is doing great at 200,000 miles. Mine was replaced under warrantee. The first model year for the RX330 was 2004. Use a keen eye on those like you would any first-year model since the drivetrain was changed. The moral is: I'd be suspicious of any used car I'm considering. But that doesn't mean you won't find what you're looking for (a great car with lots of life left). Knowing what to look for is helpful. Look for signs of city mileage, which tends to be hard on a car. Roadtest the transmission thoroughly under widely varying conditions. Pull the dipstick and wipe it on a paper towel. Check for a burned smell, indicating wear. New fluid is a cherry-pink color, with the smell of a petroleum based product, absent of burned odor and brownish tint. Check RX's like you would any used car. There are good ones. An early model that had the transmission replaced under warrantee might also be worth considering. Private party or dealer, one with complete service records including tranny service (which is not incl in regular maint "packages") is your best bet. Please report back what you find. Good luck!
|
|
|
Replying to: minorsalazar (Jul 12, 2009 10:50 pm) If that happens then it will also get converted to R/awd at the same time. I may also design a circuit that will automatically hold the tranasaxle in the current gear, prevent an upshift, for 10 seconds or so even if/when the gas pedal is fully released. Obviously the new circuit would need to be disabled if the OAT declines to or close to freezing. The RX330 and later RX models use DBW to "protect the drive train" but that "fix" came with yet another set of short-comings, the inability to accelerate immediately after, 1-2 seconds, a brief period of coastdown. |
|
|
Replying to: la4mead (Jul 12, 2009 11:15 pm) Since the earlier RX300 used a mechanical coupling between the gas pedal and throttle plate the same technique could not be used. On the other hand my '01's TC, Traction Control, dethrottles the engine via EFI fuel starvation control. Why couldn't Lexus use this same technique to "hold off" rising engine RPM/Torque for downshift delays...?? The throttle plate would still open, just as it does/is with TC activation, but the only harm in that is the engine ROARING to life once the downshift is completed. On the other hand there are circumstances with my RX300 wherein VSC activates and I am forced to completely release and the re-apply pressure to the gas pedal before the engine will respond at all. |
|
You are here:
Forums
SUVs Lexus RX 300/330/350 Lexus RX 300 Transmission Problems
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2003 Lexus RX 300
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
