Transmission on 2001 RX 300

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!

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.

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

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?

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.\

You're welcome, good luck!

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.

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.

I think they said that it was not empty.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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."

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.

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.

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...

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

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 ...