Rx300 Lurching

[NFernandes]

Here are the photos of the car for Lexus to take some time meditating...

Thanks for your comments,

Nelson Fernandes

[Lexusjohn]

Nfernandes, you were lucky to get out of that mate. I hope you take all the evidence accumilated on this web site to back-up your case, best regards J :tsktsk:

[RxMike]

Dear all

Have been pretty busy for the last few months, and have just come back and updated myself on this topic with all your posts....makes for interesting reading.

My story to date.

As some of you are no doubt aware I too have suffered with the lurching gearbox since the car was new. Here are the facts from my standpoint and from all I have managed to learn on the subject.

There is a fix for this problem in the US. I actually have a copy of the TSB in my posession and have forwarded it to my Lexus dealer who was interested to see it and was told by Lexus GB when it was presented to them, that a fix for the UK cars was most definately in the pipeline and we could expect to see it around mid summer this year (2006). I believe the fix in the UK is for a replacement ECU, and not just a re-flash of the current ECU memory, as it is in America. It is my belief that the American 'fix' for this problem merely serves to 'smooth' the problem of the lurching gearbox, and only an ECU replacement which I believe UK owners will recieive is the only 'true' fix for the problem.

My RX300 has just come back from my dealer after having quite a lot of work done under warrenty.

The 'clunking' noise from the transmission that you can all hear is coming from the rear end. It is a known issue and Lexus have a fix. On my car this was to replace the rear diff with an upgraded/modified rear diff. New modified rear drive shafts and new replacement rear shock bushes/mounts. The car is now silky smooth again and the clonking has totally gone. It is worth noting that the clonking can sound as if it is coming from the passenger footwell area whilst driving the vehicle and it only seems to occur when the car is in 3rd gear and whilst using light throttle at around 30 mph.

The leading edge of the bonnet was respayed, (the car is now 2 years old and 15,000 miles). It is my belief that the paint chipped too easily and my dealer agreed with me in my case, and a warrenty claim for respray was thus upheld by Lexus GB. The car now looks like it did the day it was new.

The front nearside tyre at 14,000 miles was excessively worn on the outside edge. I belive this was mostly down to a tracking problem, and a little to do with roundabouts. Either way, my dealer re-aligned the wheel geometry and I hope all is now well. It is worth noting that my steering wheel was never truly centred from new, and now it is.

Bonnet support strut replaceed as the original was no longer supporting the bonnet.

Rear Parcel shelf replaced as the original started to detach whilst retracting each time the boot was opened.

Small rattle from front pax side of dash addressed.

All I can say is that I truly belive that Lexus customer care, IN MY CASE, has been truely outstanding. All my concerns with my vehicle have been addressed by my dealer, who I will mention because I think they've done an outstanding job, (thank you Lexus Croydon).

The only thing I can't wait to see sorted now is the lurching effect of the gearbox. As I've said before, it's not a major issue for me, but I can understand how it is for others, due driving conditions etc. in their cases. I think Lexus could have been a little bit more pro active in addressing this issue, as they obviously do read this forum, however, assuming the fix does appear in the next couple of months, (and about time too), it really will make what is already a good car, a really great car.

I hope this helps everyone with an eye on this problem

Regards all

RxMike.

[NFernandes]

I actually have a copy of the TSB in my posession

Hello RxMike,

Do you have any way to send me that TSB to my email (nf@scp.pt)?

Thanks in advance!

Nelson Fernandes

[lex69]

Dear all

Have been pretty busy for the last few months, and have just come back and updated myself on this topic with all your posts....makes for interesting reading.

My story to date.

As some of you are no doubt aware I too have suffered with the lurching gearbox since the car was new. Here are the facts from my standpoint and from all I have managed to learn on the subject.

There is a fix for this problem in the US. I actually have a copy of the TSB in my posession and have forwarded it to my Lexus dealer who was interested to see it and was told by Lexus GB when it was presented to them, that a fix for the UK cars was most definately in the pipeline and we could expect to see it around mid summer this year (2006). I believe the fix in the UK is for a replacement ECU, and not just a re-flash of the current ECU memory, as it is in America. It is my belief that the American 'fix' for this problem merely serves to 'smooth' the problem of the lurching gearbox, and only an ECU replacement which I believe UK owners will recieive is the only 'true' fix for the problem.

My RX300 has just come back from my dealer after having quite a lot of work done under warrenty.

The 'clunking' noise from the transmission that you can all hear is coming from the rear end. It is a known issue and Lexus have a fix. On my car this was to replace the rear diff with an upgraded/modified rear diff. New modified rear drive shafts and new replacement rear shock bushes/mounts. The car is now silky smooth again and the clonking has totally gone. It is worth noting that the clonking can sound as if it is coming from the passenger footwell area whilst driving the vehicle and it only seems to occur when the car is in 3rd gear and whilst using light throttle at around 30 mph.

The leading edge of the bonnet was respayed, (the car is now 2 years old and 15,000 miles). It is my belief that the paint chipped too easily and my dealer agreed with me in my case, and a warrenty claim for respray was thus upheld by Lexus GB. The car now looks like it did the day it was new.

The front nearside tyre at 14,000 miles was excessively worn on the outside edge. I belive this was mostly down to a tracking problem, and a little to do with roundabouts. Either way, my dealer re-aligned the wheel geometry and I hope all is now well. It is worth noting that my steering wheel was never truly centred from new, and now it is.

Bonnet support strut replaceed as the original was no longer supporting the bonnet.

Rear Parcel shelf replaced as the original started to detach whilst retracting each time the boot was opened.

Small rattle from front pax side of dash addressed.

All I can say is that I truly belive that Lexus customer care, IN MY CASE, has been truely outstanding. All my concerns with my vehicle have been addressed by my dealer, who I will mention because I think they've done an outstanding job, (thank you Lexus Croydon).

The only thing I can't wait to see sorted now is the lurching effect of the gearbox. As I've said before, it's not a major issue for me, but I can understand how it is for others, due driving conditions etc. in their cases. I think Lexus could have been a little bit more pro active in addressing this issue, as they obviously do read this forum, however, assuming the fix does appear in the next couple of months, (and about time too), it really will make what is already a good car, a really great car.

I hope this helps everyone with an eye on this problem

Regards all

RxMike.

Hi mate, can you tell me who you was dealing with at LEX CROYDON as i have the clonking noise that needs to be sorted. If these guys have fixed your car they will obviously know what to fix..

I have many good dealings with Croydon but need your contact name regarding this issue please.

[RxMike]

Nelson

I have sent you the TSB to your email address. You will need Adobe reader to view it. I hope you get your issues addressed promptly.

Lex 69

The service department at Croydon are aware of the problem and what the fix is......for that matter so should all reputable Lexus Dealerships. It took a good month for all the parts to arrive and schedule the vehicle in for all the work to be carried out.

I don't think it is appropriate to put peoples names on a public forum without their concent, but I can send you an email with the contact name if you wish. They are very curteous and helpful from my experience.

Regards

RxMike :)

[NFernandes]

Nelson

I have sent you the TSB to your email address. You will need Adobe reader to view it. I hope you get your issues addressed promptly.

Hello,

Thanks Mike, and you all in this forum.

The expert I hired is going to start working on the car today, I find hard to believe that he is going to get the data that we need from the car.

It seems that some instruments record logs of the speed, the gear and some more data, does anyone knows anything about it?

I will keep you posted as I have news.

Thanks again and Best Regards,

Nelson Fernandes

[m'ladys husband]

As everyone in this post, I loved the car, and the first thing I told lexus is to give me a 400h and all the story will be forgotten. But that was before I read this post and see that this is a serious and not only in my car problem.

Now there's an idea Michael, we've been tackling this in completely the wrong way, as the 400h has a completely different gearbox (CVT), we should all be asking for one of these rather than hope they actually fix it. :D

I am like you, somewhat a sceptic. I am not completely convinced yet that they are going to fix it. I have waited in good faith that they will, but if they don't I will be rejecting the car as I said I would before they agreed to fix it.

Interestingly enough my car went in for a service a few weeks ago. Not a great experience as they didn't bother to back-up all of my personal settings. Not exactly Lexus experience! Anyway they obviously had the Battery disconnected for some time so you would think the ECU would have been reset. However, with mine it still lurches and still hesitates as if it's having an afternoon nap between gear changes.

br

D

Hi Damian,

Yes, I tried that right at the outset and got the reply, you should have taken one instaed of another 300 - it would only have cost you another 4.5k.

We have just come back from another 1000 mile trip in the car in Holland.

It rell enough on the motorways,as ever, but as soon as you slow down it seems to get very confused, lurches madly, takes a nap in between gear changes - you know the experience.

It is just so dangerous, I nearly had a chance meeting with a rather large truck and trailer on one junction. All I actually got was a lot of lovely horn noise from him.

It got so bad on Tursday that my wife told me to take the damn thing back to them and park it on the LGB forecourt.

I have decided to ask Mr Steve Settle for a 'one last chance meeting'and if I dont get what I want, money back in full or a 400h, then I get on the plane and go to see the Japanaese at home.

Enough is enough as they say.

Michael.

[NFernandes]

I have decided to ask Mr Steve Settle for a 'one last chance meeting'and if I dont get what I want, money back in full or a 400h, then I get on the plane and go to see the Japanaese at home.

Enough is enough as they say.

Michael.

Take my pictures if you want. They will prove that this is just not a little fix problem.

Best Regards,

Nelson Fernandes

[m'ladys husband]

I have decided to ask Mr Steve Settle for a 'one last chance meeting'and if I dont get what I want, money back in full or a 400h, then I get on the plane and go to see the Japanaese at home.

Enough is enough as they say.

Michael.

Take my pictures if you want. They will prove that this is just not a little fix problem.

Best Regards,

Nelson Fernandes

Hi All,

I have today had a call back from the area manager and he has asked me to email him again and I have done this and requested that 'last chance' meeting.

Ill let you know how it goes - if and when!

Nelson,

thanks for posting your pictures. If LGB do monitor the site they will see for themselves what we all fear for ourselves.

This does show that we are not all internet junkies but that there is a real issue which, sadly for Nelson, has resulted in exactly what we all said would eventually happen.

Michael.

[m'ladys husband]

Good morning to you all,

I have as expected been fobbed off again and told that we are awaiting feedback.

Therefore, last night I telephoned Toyota and spoke to their office about the situation for nearly twenty minutes. They took full details of the car and chassis number and I requested a meeting in Japan.

This morning I received an email telling me that they had contaced LGB and asked them to investigate!!!

I have emailed them back and asked for a date when I can visit Japan and meet with a decision maker and get this whole sorry issue sorted once and for all.

If any of you want to tell Toyota of your troubles with these otherwise great cars the email address is

ap-overseas@mail.toyota.co.jp

As this unfolds I shall post again and keep you all up to speed.

Kind regards and thanks for the ongoing support.

Michael

[Damian]

Shame you didn't get this news earlier as I'll be leaving Tokyo on the first flight home tomorrow morning :(

br

D

[Lexusjohn]

Good morning to you all,

I have as expected been fobbed off again and told that we are awaiting feedback.

Therefore, last night I telephoned Toyota and spoke to their office about the situation for nearly twenty minutes. They took full details of the car and chassis number and I requested a meeting in Japan.

This morning I received an email telling me that they had contaced LGB and asked them to investigate!!!

I have emailed them back and asked for a date when I can visit Japan and meet with a decision maker and get this whole sorry issue sorted once and for all.

If any of you want to tell Toyota of your troubles with these otherwise great cars the email address is

ap-overseas@mail.toyota.co.jp

As this unfolds I shall post again and keep you all up to speed.

Kind regards and thanks for the ongoing support.

Michael

:tsktsk: Michael, I found the service from LGB to be way below my expectations, consequently dumping lexus altogether, I hav'nt looked back, the alloy wheel issue and paint quality were my complaints, never properly resolved. They had to almost re-spray a new RX300SE for me, that killed the new car feeling, and I could not get that "new car feeling" back with lexus.suggest if you don't get this sorted you do the same, insist as I did that they offer you an excellent price to "take it off your hands". The RX300 is a poor seller they are not selling many, can't see the point of bringing out anther 350 model as this clearly will not sell either.

[m'ladys husband]

Michael

:tsktsk: Michael, I found the service from LGB to be way below my expectations, consequently dumping lexus altogether, I hav'nt looked back, the alloy wheel issue and paint quality were my complaints, never properly resolved. They had to almost re-spray a new RX300SE for me, that killed the new car feeling, and I could not get that "new car feeling" back with lexus.suggest if you don't get this sorted you do the same, insist as I did that they offer you an excellent price to "take it off your hands". The RX300 is a poor seller they are not selling many, can't see the point of bringing out anther 350 model as this clearly will not sell either.

Hi John,

Yes I think you are right.

Its time for a change of manufacturer.

Damn shame as the car is really good apart from silly little issues and this one major item!

If anyoine ou thhnere wants to make me an offer for a really *** RX300 SEL with all the issues, sorry extras, just drop me an email.

Damian,

I wish I had known you were there as well.......maybe next time.

BUT. here we go again

I have just this morning called TMC again. I have had an email exchange with them in as much as they told me by email after my first call to them 'all will be sorted immediately'.

Of course, it wasn't, so I resent an email to them three times over the last ten days.

Still nothing, hence my early morning call again today.

Now, this morning, I have been refused a meeting in Japan saying that LGB are fully responsible for Customer relations (no joke intended) and have been asked to get in touch with me and resolve the issue.

They were more than a little surprised when I reminded them that the reason I was calling Japan was that LGB seem to be unable to respond to them or me.

Seem a familiar story to anyone else?

I have insisted that Japan ensure I get a call and a meeting arranged with LGB's top man Steve Settle today.

If nothing happens then I guess we will have to take the car and dump it at their offices and see what happens..........based on LGB's attitude over the last few weeks in particular I suspect not a lot.

Will post again as soon as I hear anything.

Best regards to you all from one very hacked off

Michael.

(Don't even ask my wife what she thinks about it all!!!)

[m'ladys husband]

Hi all,

As promised results of yesterdays efforts.

Having been assured by TMC Japan that I would be contacted by senior staff from LGB - a big fat nothing!

Visited our dealer yesterday afternoon.

They were very helpful in that they were amazed we still had the issue and that LGB had left us alone.

They thought this should have been sorted out a year ago by a swap out or similar.

Now, I know you are all thinking why didn't the dealer know what is going on - our main point of contact there has just left and so the other chaps were a bit in the dark.

Whilst they were aware of the issue we have, they thought that following the meetings at the dealers office and road tests with techies, all had been resolved.

Anyway, the salesman we saw has assured us that he will try his best to sort it out this week.

If he does manage anything then I shall personally recommened him to the Magic Circle of Great Britain because he will be a b****y magician!

Intersting to note that the RX300 is being stopped and replaced by the 350 - is there some underlying transmission reason in this decision I wonder?

Also of note, it seems that the public may be asking about the smoothness of transmissions when testing Lexus cars....hooray for informative web forums.

Will post agin as and when anything actually happens from LGB or JApan.

Best regards to all.

Michael.

[m'ladys husband]

Hello all,

here follows todays posting.......................

Another day has passed.

Had a message on my office answer phone this morning from the dealership saleman who has been told by the LGB area manager not to get involved with the problem!

I called the dealer principal who was amazed to hear this and he promised to talk to Mr Settle and get back to me.

Still waiting for a reply.

Some things never change.

I have tonight sent an email letter to The Times for their Motoring Section to consider publishing about Lexus and the lack of customer care over this problem.

Michael.

Just a thought, if I bury my head in a bucket of Lexus sand will the problem go away?

[Damian]

Just a thought, if I bury my head in a bucket of Lexus sand will the problem go away?

Bear in mind that they use a special kind of sand so you may never get your head out again!

[NFernandes]

Hello,

Here in Portugal, dispite all the intents of progress, Lexus keeps telling us nothing. We are now preparing the legal case and sending new letters to all the leading offices to notice that we aren´t going to stop.

With your help I´m now in position to charge Lexus and force them to examine my car and to make it an evidence that this problem is not a thing to forget or to play. They must stop making us clowns! And I will not stop untill make them pay for the time and pacience that this problem is causing me!

I ask you all to do the same as this seems to be the only way we will get this problem settle!

We must keep this forum alive and logging our actions in order to learn the best way to push them to the solution of this mistake! This is gone to far!

I will keep posting news as they came. Lets wish that I post soon...

Best Luck to us all...

[m'ladys husband]

Hi All,

I have had a chat with LGB and am told that here are a few units (New ECU's) coming into the UK in the next week or two.

Apparently, Lexus are not sending many because there are only a few of us with the problem.

I am a little confused as the number 50 was mentioned and 7 being the UK needs.........my congratulations to all of you that have had your cars fixed to your satisfaction!!!

My suggestion to the other 6 (!) of you who, like me, remain to be sorted out whu not phone your dealer and tell them again about the problem.

I have of course sent the datatbase of all those of you who registered with me but the man who counts these names seems to have an issue above 7..............sound familiar?

Oh well, must get back to the sand bucket!

Will post again as and when Damian comes to dig me out of the special Lexus sand.

Best regards.

Michael.

[m'ladys husband]

Good morning all,

In a frustarated state I have tried to get a deal on a new 400h.

Have been offered only two thirds of the cost of the 300 after less than a year..............not too chuffed about that at all.

It seems that he resale values of the car are being hit hard by the new 350.

Anyone want a very nice 300SEL with a lurching gearbox?

The gearbox fix is promised for late May now - it just gets a longer lead time each time I ask about it.

Has anyone else called their dealer to tell them they have the problem or is it still just the seven of us that senior management at LGB believe have the issue?

I do hope that someone there looks at the database I sent them at their request!

Best regards for Easter.

Michael

[m'ladys husband]

Hello all,

Just been browsing the site and saw a posting re a head to head tset by 4x4 magazine "

This is the headline in the April issue of 4X4 Magazine.

"A few pages in and we discover that they did indeed test the three machines, and surprise, surprise the Lexus was rated in third place - criticised for lacking power and an indecisive auto box .............."

So thats it then, 4x4 magazine finds the RX box indecisive as well.

Thats 7 of us and a magazine now then !

Michael.

[m'ladys husband]

Hello All,

Not getting anywhere at all with LGB and still no sign of any new software or ECU.

Mr Settle has offered us a deal to swap for a used 400h which is wholly unacceptable on a cost basis alone.

(See my previous posts).

I have asked for a face to face but my dealer principal says they will see us in court.

So there we have it, LGB dont care and think we'll all back down.

I for one will not - its not in my stubborn old nature to do so especially when the manufacturer changes its running gear so radically to correct a fault that hey say is not there.....until today!

Any ideas out there?

Perhaps a united approach to Watchdog or an open letter in the Times?

Perhaps a fighting fund where we all chip in some dosh and take a test case to law?

Please let me know what you think.

Just to add insult to injury my dealership have today mailed us a flyer on the new models which I guess is common to them all and you may have seen it already but in case not, I quote an extract from the NEW RX 350 section -

"The five speed automatic shift software has been updated to improve shift response to make the transmission of power to the road a smoother more immediate and ultimately more satisfying experience."

As it seems unlikely that Lexus will do it, may I on behalf of all at Lexus/Toyota thank all of you in the LOC who have taken the trouble to help us get the new version of the RX performing as our customers really wanted it to be - we are sorry that we wont help you get your older test models up to scratch but you can always buy something else.

Sorry about that - just could not resist a little bit of cynicism!

Michael.

[m'ladys husband]

Hi all,

Just dropped 4x4 magazine an email asking if following their recent test and opinions on the Rx gearbox they may be interested to see ours and all the help (!) we are getting from LGB.

I'll let you know if anything happens.

Michael.

[Lexusjohn]

:tsktsk: This is exactly the responce I got with my "Lexus concerns" a flat negative. They don't do discounts and wont budge when an obvious problem arises.

Time to change manufacturers I think, trouble is you loose so much money as trade values are all other dealerships will offer.

Build quality IS AN ISSUE of late, why I don't know!, the wheels are very poorly finished and they are well aware of this. The paint quality "chip-wise" is very poor and this too they are very well aware of, but NO remedy.These gearboxs are in need of software upgrading.

It could be that in the USA (where the main bulk of sales are)the complaint levels are low or the americans are easyer to fob off.

Here in UK they are trying to increase sales, seems to me the PR is all wrong. Time to cut your loses?

[fergy]

Seeing how well the RX has held its price (not) next time I'm going to buy nothing newer than a 3 year old car, that will hopefully loose less...

.....ok that is my argument with the wife for getting a Porsche 911, dont really want to spend much more than I spent on the RX so that roughly equates to a '03 996....with hopefully a less steep depreciation curve...and just a weeeeee bit faster...