- The problem
- Dope, inc. Is recalling 42,540 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." These lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors.
- The risk
- Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
- The fix
- Dope, inc. Will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on july 28, 2009. Owners may contact dope, inc. At 1-626-272-1798.
Vehicle safety record
2001 Lexus RX300 Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 176 complaints about the 2001 Lexus RX300 with NHTSA, most often about the transmission & drivetrain (124) and the acceleration & cruise control (21). Those complaints describe 15 crashes, 2 fires and 15 injuries. It is covered by 5 recalls, the latest in May 2009 for the headlights. For comparison, the 2000 has 216 and the 2002 has 105.
NHTSA data checked
CAbout as many problems as a typical RX300 year, for its age
#56 most complained-about 2001 vehicle
- Complaints
- 176
- Recalls
- 5
- Crashes
- 15
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
- 15
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2001 Lexus RX300 problems
Share of all 176 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2001 Lexus RX300 recalls 5
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." These lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors.
- The risk
- Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
- The fix
- Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589.
- The problem
- Polymer process development is recalling 931 units of back glass, p/no. Fb20415zpy, sold as replacement equipment for use on 1999-2004 lexus rx300 vehicles. The glass fails to conform to the automotive glazing material requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 205, Glazing materials.
- The risk
- The purpose of this standard is to reduce injuries resulting from impact to glazing surfaces.
- The fix
- Polymer will notify owners and replace the affected glass free of charge. The recall began on april 18, 2008. Owners may contact polymer toll-free at 800-510-9879.
- The problem
- Certain ck motorsports combination headlights, clear corner, bumper, and side marker lights sold as replacement lamps for use on the passenger vehicles listed above. Some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
- The risk
- Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
- The fix
- Ck motorsport will notify owners and replace the noncompliant lamps free of charge. The recall began on july 1, 2006. Owners may contact ck motorsport at 1-909-610-7211.
- The problem
- Certain pro-a motors corner lamps, turn signals, and headlights sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles listed above. Some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
- The risk
- Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
- The fix
- Pro-a motors will notify owners and offer to repurchase the lamps. The recall began on april 3, 2006. Owners may contact pro-a motors at 323-838-2988.
What owners say
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176 complaints about the 2001 Lexus RX300
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 8.
Purchased from my mother in 2013 at 115k after she had purchased new from dealership. Babied, dealer serviced, my transmission gave out at 130k at a cost of $3800!!! Then in less than a year it went again, and it was under aamco warranty. Then transmission went again in 2018, and just out of warranty. Why is there not a class action lawsuit!!!!!! Car died 3 separate times without warning in very dangerous situations. $3800 Was my entire savings, and now my lexus was the only thing I had of value, and it is worth $250 as a junker!
The vehicle was started and in park in a flat lot. When I shifted to reverse, it did not engage/roll back. As I applied pressure to the accelerator nothing happened until a it suddenly clunked and lurched back. I put it back in park and then it repeated the same synptom. The transmission has now begun to whine and there is rumbling and jerkily between rough shifts on the streets and highway. After hearing and reading numerous horror stories of these transmission problems, and how they have suddenly gone out or...
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locked up at highway speeds, I'm sure this is a problem lexus has known about and is defective, especially since it represents more than 70% of the nthsas published complaints on this vehicle. There should be an investigation into this. The sudden unreliability of this transmission and it's potential to cause harm is not a coincidence among these many reports. If this were a boeing max 8 plane it'd be out of commission for a failure like this!
My transmission is not shifting smoothly between gears. This happened about 7 years ago and I had to have the transmission replaced. Now it is happening again.
Takata recall - transmission failed. Had to replace the transmission at 140,423 miles. There was metal in the transmission. Cost to replace the transmission was $2,875.10
Vehicle has 133,890 miles on it, vehicle has been serviced every 5000 miles, according to the vehicle history and owners manual. We had transmission failure 100 miles from home. Pulled over to the side of the i-90 , had to wait 2 hours for a flatbed on the side of the highway. Mass state police were not happy having to wait that long nor safety of being on the side of the road for 2 hours. We tried moving vehicle after it was off for an hour, moved gear selector had only park and natural , was at " full hot " mark...
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on the dip stick, fluid is clean, doesn't smell burnt at all.Towed to service department and needs a new transmission. Vehicle was on the highway at 70mph , and then had no forward movement at 70mph. Google " rx300 transmission problems" and you'll find thousands of links to people having same issue. Toyota/lexus should be stepping up and fixing these transmissions , this is obviously a weak point in their vehicles and a major safety issue.
While driving the car on city streets I attempted a u turn with the vehicle as I was completing the u turn the transmission made a weird noise and then there was nothing. No forward or reverse and when I put the vehicle in park it acted like it was in neutral. I had to put the emergency brake on to keep the car from rolling. Had to have the vehicle towed to my house 115 miles away. He car only has 145,000 miles on it. Car starts up and runs great but will not engage the transmission. The vehicle is still financed...
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so I need to get it fixed however the cheapest rebuild I can find is $5,000.00. I called toyota and asked if I could trade it in on a new car and they said not with the transmission fixed because they would lose money on it. I feel toyota should fix this due to the fact there are numerous complaints about this issue with other lexus owners. I still owe $5,500.00 On the loan and cant afford the cost of another transmission. I think toyota should fix this since there are a lot of complaints about the drive train.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 lexus rx300. The contact stated that the reverse gear was no longer operable in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 147,651. Updated 06/02/2016*lj *tr
Tl* the contact owned a 2001 lexus rx300. While driving 35 mph, the vehicle accelerated when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle crashed into a tree and the air bags failed to deploy. The driver sustained a broken breast bone (sternum) and head injuries that required medical attention. The passenger sustained neck and knee injuries, and bruises from the seat belt that required medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 156,000.
The transmission has been damage no power , no gears are engage total failure, the vehicle has in motion at highway speed.
Transmission failure: started to make noise couple of days ago and finally failed while on the road. Engine is running good, but no gear engagement. All drive train position seems like the car is in natural. Excessive transmission failures was reported by other rx300 owners. Cost to service re-build transmission is $3,551.00
Vehicle has been well maintained with regular oil changes and transmission flush. However, on 06/22/2015, under normal driving conditions in my 7 miles commute, the vehicle failed to accelerate after coming to a stop. The rpm/engine revved up, but vehicle did not move much (could not shift gears). Pulled to the sideway and called for help. Took it to local mechanic, and diagnosed with code p0770 (solenoid shifter e failure). Mechanic says new transmission is needed ($5k plus). Checking online, this seems to be a...
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very common occurrence for this vehicle and probably model year. Toyota has to be aware of this major defect, and has probably intentionally said silent. I wish toyota could be taken to task on this problem as it is wrecking family finances!
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 lexus rx300. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into reverse. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 162,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 lexus rx300. While driving at approximately 55 mph, the vehicle accelerated without warning. The brakes failed when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was shifted into neutral and merged to the side of the road where the vehicle was turned off. The failure recurred once. The vehicle was towed to the contact's resident. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.
While driving at a speed 40, I noticed lag in gear shift while trying to accelerate to 60 mph. I noticed no pick in speed rather 40 mph became 20 mph, the more I press on the gas petal the only acceleration was notice on the rpm. I had to put on the hazards and pull over to let other cars pass.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 lexus rx300. While driving 65 mph, the engine stalled. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vin was not available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
Air bag light came on the dash and is flashing back & forth 100% of the time. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 lexus rx300. While driving 40 mph, the transmission seized and the gear could not be shifted into park. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 145,000. Updated 3/13/15*cn the vehicle was taken to a repair shop, where the transmission was replaced. Updated 01/25/16.*Jb
Transmission went out ,the vehicle jus stopped in the middle of the road thank god it was not the highway. There seems to be a problem with the transmission in these vehicle ,a very serious life threatening problem. *Tr
While traveling at 25 mph the car stopped accelerating forward and seemed to not be in gear. As I pressed the gas pedal the engine revved up, but would not go forward. Car was taken to the dealer who stated even though the car only has 123k , you need to replace the transaxle. I confirmed that their was no maintenance required. *Tr
Left home to go to grocery store. As I entered a major road near my home the car lost power almost causing an accident. I was able to limp home. The repair shop diagnosed a faulty transmission and commented that they see many rx300's with transmission problems. The transmission was rebuilt at a cost of $3214.00. This car has been well taken care of, including recommended transmission fluid replacement. I feel that the transmission failure was very premature. Judging by the number of similar reports at or around the same mileage, I feel that the transmission was not engineered properly and lexus did nothing to correct the problem. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 lexus rx300. The contact stated that when attempting to shift, the shifter would delay. In addition while driving at 35 mph, the vehicle lost power and failed to accelerate. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle and after multiple attempts, the vehicle was able to restart but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the transmission needed to be flushed. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. In addition, the vehicle failed to reverse after the repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 192,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 lexus rx 300. The contact stated that the while driving at various speeds, there would be a sudden loss of acceleration. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.
I took the vehicle to the lexus dealer when purchase. I told the repair person that there was a noise/roaring coming from the front of the vehicle and I was told that it was the suspension not to worry about it. For this inspection I paid over $300.00. Now the noise is back and it is much louder and it is constant.From 45mph and higher.The noise occurs when I am driving straight and when I turn to the right.When turning to the left the noise stops. I sound like the noise is coming from the steering column mechanism. The vehicle has been well maintained.Please note that this my complaint. *Tr
Transmission failure at 145000 (approx) after performing all schedule maintenance at the dealer since purchase. I have read countless entries where the 1999-2002 lexus rx300 has had premature transmission failures. This is a costly repair and a I feel lexus should have recalled the vehicle and provided assistance. *Tr
It started with a high pitch whinning noise followed by a clunking noise whenever it shifts. It is getting progressively worse each day. Shavings were found in the transmission fluid when it was changed. *Tr
Lexus RX300: every year compared
All RX300 years2001 Lexus RX300 vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Lexus RX300 | 176 | 5 | C | |
| 2001 Lexus LS430 | 52 | 0 | D | Compare |
| 2001 Lexus ES300 | 38 | 0 | C | Compare |
| 2001 Lexus IS300 | 35 | 0 | D | Compare |
| 2001 Lexus RX | 19 | 0 | C | Compare |
| 2001 Lexus GS300 | 17 | 0 | D | Compare |
| 2001 Lexus LX470 | 5 | 1 | A | Compare |
| 2001 Lexus GS430 | 4 | 0 | C | Compare |
| 2001 Lexus LS | 3 | 2 | F | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2001 Lexus RX300
Does the 2001 Lexus RX300 have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2001 Lexus RX300: headlights (May 2009); exterior lighting (April 2009); glass, side / rear (March 2008); exterior lighting (May 2006) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Lexus RX300?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the transmission & drivetrain (124), acceleration & cruise control (21), engine & cooling (17).
How many complaints has the 2001 Lexus RX300 had?
176 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on March 13, 2001 and the latest on June 18, 2019. Of these, 15 describe a crash and 2 a fire, and together they report 15 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2001 Lexus RX300 a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 45 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical Lexus RX300 year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Lexus RX300 years have the most complaints?
1999 (221), 2000 (216), 2001 (176). See every Lexus RX300 year compared.
What should I do if my 2001 Lexus RX300 has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data