Lexus RX300 Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 435 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the Lexus RX300 across 5 model years. The 2000 model year has the most (138). The words owners use most often: “transmission failed” (17% of reports).
- 435power train complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 8mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $6,600typical repair cost reported by owners
- 38%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Transmission failed: mentioned in 73 of 435 complaints (17%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the Lexus RX300 at $6,600, and half of them between $5,800 and $7,650.
Based on 107 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2004–2017), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 397 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 435 complaints, 8 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 4 an injury.
Lexus RX300 power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 RX300 | 7 | 28% | 97,963 |
| 2002 RX300 | 38 | 43% | 102,000 |
| 2001 RX300 | 123 | 73% | 113,000 |
| 2000 RX300 | 138 | 64% | 106,000 |
| 1999 RX300 | 129 | 58% | 108,429 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the Lexus RX300. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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…
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…
Suddenly my gears began shifting into neutral, park, reverse and into !st and 2nd gear without locking into any of them. No matter what the shifter moves freely. My car only moves forward no matter which gear it's in, including reverse. I put it into park and it still keeps moving forward. In order…
Transmission failed due to bad design. Many others have same failures. Need recall.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Do all Lexus RX300s have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 435 owner complaints about power train for the Lexus RX300. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Lexus RX300 power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the Lexus RX300?
Owners report a typical cost of $6,600 (half paid between $5,800 and $7,650), from 107 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the Lexus RX300?
The most frequent phrase is “transmission failed”, in 73 of 435 complaints.
See all Lexus RX300 problems.