2001 Lexus RX Power Train
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
TRANSMISSION FAILED AT A LOW MILAGE, AND THE REPAIR COST IS MORE THAN A CAR. *TR
HESITANT SHIFTING WAS NOTICED INFREQUENTLY FOR A DAY OR TWO. THEN UPON STARTUP WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE UNTIL ACCELERATOR WAS DEPRESSED VERY FAR. AT THAT POINT TRANSMISSION JARRED INTO REVERSE AND BEGAN BACKING, THEN TRIED TO SHIFT BACK INTO DRIVE AND UPON DRIVING FORWARD A LOUD GRINDING WAS HEARD. DEALER INVESTIGATED AND SAYS IT WILL NEED FULL REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION FOR $5500. *JB
TRANSMISSION WHINNING NOISE AT START, AND SLIPPING ONCE WARMED UP. DEALER SAYS THE TRANSMISSION FRONT PUMP NEEDS REPLACED, QUOTED $4247 FOR LEXUS REMAMUFACTURED TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILED, SYMPTOMS WERE THAT IT WOULD NOT BACK UP. TRANSMISSION LOCKED AND THE CAR HAD TO BE DRAGGED, WHEELS NOT TURNING ONTO A TOW TRUCK FLAT BED. CAR HAD 90,000 SERVICE INCLUDING CHANGE OF TRANSMISSION FLUID AND CHECK LESS THAN 6,000 MILES AGO. IT HAD ALSO HAD ITS 60,000 SERVICE AND ALL IMPORTANT SERVICES AS WELL. *TR
PARKED THE CAR AT A PARKING LOT FOR 5 MINUTES, CAME BACK AND THE CAR WON'T GO IN REVERSE, CHECKED FLUID LEVEL, IT WAS FINE.. CAR WOULD GO FORWARD, BUT NOT BACKWARDS.. TRIED PUSHING THE CAR WHILE IN NEUTRAL SO I CAN DRIVE HOME, ALL 4 WHEELS WERE LOCKED, I THOUGHT I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STRENGTH TO PUSH SO I HAD 2 MORE PEOPLE PUSH WITH ME, BUT THE CAR WON'T BUDGE. EVEN TRIED PUSHING THE CAR WHILE RUNNING AND IN NEUTRAL AS WELL AS NOT RUNNING AND IN NEUTRAL AND ALL OTHER GEAR SELECTIONS, BUT TO NO AVAIL. EVEN THE TOW TRUCK GUY HAD TO USE SOAPY WATER TO SLIDE THE CAR UP THE FLAT BED. VEHICLE HAS ONLY 68000 MILES APPROXIMATELY. *AK
LEXUS RX 300 TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO FAIL. *JB
IN 2001 COMPLAINANT BOUGHT NEW RX 300. IN ACCORDANCE WITH SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE ALL WORK HAS BEEN DONE. NO EVIDENCE OF A POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM UNTIL SATURDAY WHILE MERGING ON INTERSTATE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT/ACCELERATOR BEYOND 30 MPG. IMMEDIATELY EXIT HIGHWAY DROVE HOME. PARKED VEHICLE FOR COUPLE HOURS DROVE TO STORE THROUGH CITY STREETS THEN ON THE WAY HOME VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO BEYOND 20 MPH. EXITED OFF MAIN STREET. MADE THE TURN THEN VEHICLE COMPLETELY STOPPED MOVING. IT IS OBVIOUSLY A HAZARDOUS AND DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY STOPS MOVING, OR DOES NOT ACCELERATE WHILE MERGING. ALTHOUGH NO PERSON WAS INJURED THE POTENTIAL OF INJURY IS GREAT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LEXUS DEALER TO HEAR THAT IT IS IN FACT A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM THAT NEEDS REPLACEMENT FOR 4K. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS DEFECTIVE ITEM OR A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED. *JB
I HAD A TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON MY 2001 LEXUS RX 300 VIN [XXX] WHILE DRIVING. THE CAR SUDDENLY WENT INTO NUETRAL AND SLOWED TO A STOP ON THE ROAD PUTTING MYSELF AND MY FAMILY IN DANGER. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THAT COMPLAINTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN FILED. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
WHILE DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED THE LEXUS LURCHED FORWARD, AND THEN BECAME INOPERABLE. TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 86,000 MILES. THE CAR WAS RECENTLY SERVICED FOR THE TRANSMISSION MAINTENANCE AT 80,000 MILES. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON EARLY FAILURE, AND IT SHOULD BE RECALLED. *JB
2001 LEXUS RX-300 TRANSMISSION FAILED JUST BEFORE 84,000 MILES, DISABLING VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY. WARRANTY DID NOT COVER REPAIR. *JB
PREMATURE TRANSMISSION FAILURE> REPLACED TRANSMISSION FEB 06 STILL NOT SHIFTING AFTER 3 TRIES SERVICED THE TRANS - MIRACLE FIX? MAY 06 DIRTY FLUID REPORTED BY ANOTHER SHOP. LEXUS SOLUTION SERVICE AGAIN WITHIN 4,500 MILES OF THE TRANS REPLACEMENT. NO FURTHER ACTION TAKEN. *JB
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2001 Lexus RX has 11 Power Train complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.