2009 Lexus RX Powertrain & Transmission Problems

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, GOING 65 MPH AND STRAIGHT, AND SOMEONE FLAGGED ME DOWN TO LET ME KNOW THAT MY CAR WAS SMOKING. NONE OF MY SAFETY LIGHTS HAD APPEARED ON MY DASH. I PULLED OVER AND SAW THAT THE BACK OF MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY COVERED IN OIL AND I HAD A FAST OIL LEAK UNDERNEATH MY CAR TOWARD THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. I CERTAINLY SPRAYED OIL ON THE CARS BEHIND ME ON THE HIGHWAY, POTENTIALLY CAUSING VISIBILITY ISSUES FOR OTHER DRIVERS. I ALSO LEAKED OIL ON THE HIGHWAY, CAUSING A POTENTIAL CONCERN FOR OTHER DRIVERS. IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS MALFUNCTION, COUPLED WITH HIGHWAY SPEED, COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SEIZE AND POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WOULD HAVE BEEN INSTANTLY LOST. FOUND A NEARBY AUTO SHOP AND CHECKED MY OIL DIP STICK - IT WAS COMPLETELY DRY. NEARLY ALL OF MY OIL HAD LEAKED OUT. I WAS TOWED 100 MILES HOME AND TOOK MY CAR TO THE LOCAL AUTO REPAIR SHOP. THEY DID AN ASSESSMENT AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A GROSS OIL LEAK COMING FROM THE OIL COOLER PIPE (MADE OF RUBBER) WHICH RUNS FROM THE FILTER ADAPTER TO THE ENGINE BLOCK. LEXUS IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND ISSUED A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT NOTIFICATION (ATTACHED) FOR THE FAULTY PART, BUT THE PART HAS NOT YET BEEN RECALLED.

THE VEHICLE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE VSC, AND TRACTION LIGHTS ARE ON. HAVE SPEND OVER 500.00 ON TRANSISTOR AND MODULES TO CONTINUE TO HAVE NOTHING WORK. MOST RECENTLY, WAS ADVISED THAT I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AT $4,400. FOR A CAR WITH SUCH A GREAT REPUTATION, AND NOW SEEING ALL OF THE OTHER LEXUS OWNERS COMPLAIN ABOUT THEIR TRANSMISSION, ITS SEEMS AS IF THERE IS A TREND OF TRANSMISSION ISSUES THAT FOLLOW THESE VEHICLES. *TR

T-SB-0201-11 FROM TOYOTA/LEXUS STATES "SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2GR-FE/FXE TOWING PACKAGE ENGINES MAY EXHIBIT AN OIL SEEP FROM THE ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPES." THIS TSB AFFECTS TOYOTA AND LEXUS VEHICLES GOING BACK TO AT LEAST 2008-PRESENT. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE, AND I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE HANDLED AS A RECALL INSTEAD OF A TSB DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE ISSUE IF/WHEN THE PIPE BREAKS. I RECENTLY ELECTED TO HAVE MY VEHICLE REPAIRED ON MY OWN JUST SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS ISSUE HAPPENING TO ME OR MY WIFE, AND THUS BLOWING UP MY LEXUS RX 350'S ENGINE CAUSING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGES. SEEMS PRETTY BAD THAT A RECALL CAN BE ISSUED FOR FLOOR MATS AND ACCELERATOR ISSUES, BUT NO RECALL IS ISSUED FOR THIS ISSUE WHICH CAN DRAIN THE OIL FROM YOUR ENGINE IN A MINUTE, BLOW UP YOUR ENGINE, AND THEN POSSIBLY WRECK YOUR VEHICLE. CONSUMER'S ENGINES ARE NOW BEING DESTROYED, AND THIS IS SHOWING UP IN DIFFERENT ONLINE FORUMS. I FEEL THAT THE NHTSA NEEDS TO FORCE TOYOTA/LEXUS TO REPLACE ALL OF THE DEFECTIVE ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPES WITH THE NEWER METAL ONES THAT THE TSB ADDRESSES. THEY SHOULD ALSO BE FORCED TO REIMBURSE ALL COSTS TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT EITHER NEEDED TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE, OR DECIDED TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE AS PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE ON THEIR OWN BEFORE THOSE PIPES BURST ON THEIR OWN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 LEXUS RX 350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PLANETARY ASSEMBLY HAD BECOME DETACHED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,410. UPDATED 2/11/14*CN THE CONSUMER STATED AAMCO RE-BUILT THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION. THEY FOUND THE SOURCE OF THE FAILURE WAS THE PINS HAD WORKED THEMSELVES OUT ON THE REAR PLANET ASSEMBLY GEARS, CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. UPDATED 02/14/14

MY 2009 LEXUS SUV TOOK OFF ON ITS OWN OUT OF A DRIVEWAY WHILE I WAS TRYING TO BACK OUT. I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE, AND THE ENGINE BEGIN TO REV AND THEN THE CAR WAS UNCONTROLLABLE. IT ACCELERATED OUT THE DRIVEWAY, ACROSS THE STREET, INTO A YARD, AND FINALLY STOPPED WHEN IT HIT A HUGE TREE. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 LEXUS RX350. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING INTO TRAFFIC AND SLOWING DOWN, THEN MOVING AGAIN AT ABOUT 2MPH, THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT INTO THE RIGHT GEAR, IT LURCHES AND SPUTTERS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THEY INFORMED HER THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND THAT WAS THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO, IT IS THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION THAT TRIES TO ANTICIPATE WHAT THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE SHOULD DO NEXT BECAUSE IT IS THINKING FOR YOU. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CALLED AND STATED THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE AND THAT WAS THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

UPON TAKING DELIVERY OF NEW RX350 I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED A TRANSMISSION WHINE. I FEEL IT IS A SAFETY FACTOR BECAUSE I AM CONSTANTLY THINKING OF THE PROBLEM AS I DRIVE. MY MIND IS NOT ON DRIVING AS IT SHOULD BE. I IMMEDIATELY WENT BACK TO DEALER AND SHOP FOREMAN DROVE THE CAR AND HEARD THE NOISE. HE SAID DON'T WORRY AS I HAVE A WARRANTY. THIS IS NOT A VIABLE ANSWER TO MY PROBLEM. WHAT IF I BREAK DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. TALKED WITH SALES MANAGER AND HE STATED WAIT UNTIL THE 2010 MODEL COMES OUT. HE WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING. *TR