IllustrationI HAVE A WELL KEPT 2000 RX300 - TRANSMISSION WENT COMPLETELY OUT. IT WAS ON THE INTERSTATE HEADING OUT OF TOWN FOR CHRISTMAS. IT IS A ONE OWNER CAR. WHAT RECOURSE DO I HAVE. I PAID $4000+ TO GET IT REPLACED. NOT INCLUDING TOWING 150 MILES AND RENTAL CAR. *TR
2000 Lexus RX300
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most RX300 years
Owner complaints for the 2000 Lexus RX300 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 88.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all RX300 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
50–25K
525–50K
1750–75K
4375–100K
77100–150K
15150K+
162 reports with mileage · 54 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 138 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
16 crash reports0 fire reports12 injury reports
Power Train complaints
138 reportsI HAVE A 2000 LEXUS RX300 WITH 124,000 MILES ON IT. THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED IN THE CAR AFTER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE MAINTENANCE MANUAL DOES NOT INDICATE TO CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION OIL IN THE CAR, ONLY TO CHECK IT. I HAVE BEEN ON NUMEROUS LEXUS INTERNET SITES WHICH HAVE STATED THE SAME PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED TO THEM …
Read full complaint
I HAVE A 2000 LEXUS RX300 WITH 124,000 MILES ON IT. THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED IN THE CAR AFTER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE MAINTENANCE MANUAL DOES NOT INDICATE TO CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION OIL IN THE CAR, ONLY TO CHECK IT. I HAVE BEEN ON NUMEROUS LEXUS INTERNET SITES WHICH HAVE STATED THE SAME PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED TO THEM WITH THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR LEXUS. *TR
WELL TAKEN CARE OF LEXUS RX 300 TRANSMISSION FAILURE TWICE. USED TRANSMISSION INSTALLED IN 2004 AFTER FIRST FAILURE. SPECIAL ATTENTION WAS GIVEN SUCH AS NEVER SHIFTING GEARS QUICKLY WHEN BACKING UP AND TO PUT INTO DRIVE. TRANSMISSION WILL BE REPLACED... AGAIN. THE USED TRANSMISSION HELPS TO PROVE TRANSMISSION FAILURE IS INEVIT…
Read full complaint
WELL TAKEN CARE OF LEXUS RX 300 TRANSMISSION FAILURE TWICE. USED TRANSMISSION INSTALLED IN 2004 AFTER FIRST FAILURE. SPECIAL ATTENTION WAS GIVEN SUCH AS NEVER SHIFTING GEARS QUICKLY WHEN BACKING UP AND TO PUT INTO DRIVE. TRANSMISSION WILL BE REPLACED... AGAIN. THE USED TRANSMISSION HELPS TO PROVE TRANSMISSION FAILURE IS INEVITABLE. *TR
WELL TAKEN CARE OF 2000 LEXUS RX300 HAS FAILED TRANSMISSION. COULD HAVE CAUSED ACCIDENT AS WENT OUT ON BUSY ROAD WITH NO NOTICE. 100K PREDOMINANTLY HIGHWAY MILES. VERY WELL CARED FOR, ONE OWNER VEHICLE. NEW TRANSMISSION COST EQUALS $4000 PER DEALER CALL. A TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT GO OUT ON A WELL CARED FOR, HIGHWAY DRIVEN VEHICL…
Read full complaint
WELL TAKEN CARE OF 2000 LEXUS RX300 HAS FAILED TRANSMISSION. COULD HAVE CAUSED ACCIDENT AS WENT OUT ON BUSY ROAD WITH NO NOTICE. 100K PREDOMINANTLY HIGHWAY MILES. VERY WELL CARED FOR, ONE OWNER VEHICLE. NEW TRANSMISSION COST EQUALS $4000 PER DEALER CALL. A TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT GO OUT ON A WELL CARED FOR, HIGHWAY DRIVEN VEHICLE. WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SHARED A PICTURE OF MY GMC YUKON PULLING MY WIFE'S LEXUS TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THIS MORNING. AWFUL RELIABILITY FOR WHAT THE PRICE OF THIS CAR ORIGINALLY COST. THE LEXUS WAS PURCHASED FOR PERCEIVED RELIABILITY. I GUESS PERCEPTION IS NOT REALITY. BUYER BEWARE ON LEXUS HIGH PRICED GARBAGE! *TR
TRANSMISSION FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 110,000 MILES ON 2000 RX-200. RAN FINE UNTIL IT STARTED MAKING A GRINDING NOISE. THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED (INCLUDING THE CASE). COST $4500.00. *TR
MY 2000 LEXUS RX300 TRANSMISSION FAILED ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR HAS ONLY 93,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED YESTERDAY. THIS IS THE 2ND TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT ON THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION FAILED AT APPROX. 55,000 MILES AND WAS REPLACED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THIS TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT I PAID $1,700 FOR …
Read full complaint
MY 2000 LEXUS RX300 TRANSMISSION FAILED ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR HAS ONLY 93,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED YESTERDAY. THIS IS THE 2ND TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT ON THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION FAILED AT APPROX. 55,000 MILES AND WAS REPLACED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THIS TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT I PAID $1,700 FOR THE LABOR AND DEALER GAVE ME THE PART. *TR
THE TRANSMISSION FAILED ON MY 2000 LEXUS RX 300 AFTER LESS THAN 9 YEARS AND 106,000 MILES. LOOKING ONLINE I SEE THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL YEAR. LEXUS IS REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF $4000. *TR
BOUGHT THIS 2000 RX 300 5 MONTHS AGO TRANSMISSION IS BURNED OUT APPROXIMATE COST IS $5,000.00. *TR
LUXURY 2000 LEXUS RX300 TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 100K MILES, COST $4K-$5K FOR THE REPAIRS. *TR
BAD LEXUS RX300 TRANSMISSION. *TR
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP02004 · Engine Seizure
Opened Apr 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 20, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
No summary supplied.