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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2008 Lexus RX350 Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
7about this part
Share
6%of 126 total for the year
Median mileage
120,300miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2008 Lexus RX350, 6% of the 126 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 120,300 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“There was a wining sound coming from under the hood. When I started my SUV up in the morning there was a loud wining sound. The sound lowered as the car warmed up, nut when I put the care in drive and accelerated the nous became louder. I took my car in to the dealer they said it has the power steering so I had them replace the power steering pump. But before they returned the car to me they called me and said the noise was still there and that I now needed a transmission overhaul. At 120,000 miles this should not be happening. …”

NHTSA complaint #11142279, filed 2018-10, 120,300 miles

“After having to replace brake calipers, a broken key, and the engine oil cooling pipe (warranty) in the last year, my rx 350 is having transmission shudders with 136k miles. This is ridiculous for a car with the Lexus name and price. The car is hesitating during shifting causing issues while driving. I have not had to replace the transmission yet, but with the reviews for some older models, I fear this is coming soon. I am very disappointed to pay this much money for a quality car that is supposed to last 250k+ miles, and having so many problems with just 136k miles on it. …”

NHTSA complaint #10871108, filed 2016-05, 136,000 miles

“We have complained about a noise upon starting the car for the past year when having the vehicle serviced. This was the first service visit where dealer was able to pinpoint the code and they came back with the cam shaft variable valve timing (vvt) gear issue. The repair estimate was $6830. I found your recall dated september 4, 2013 # 13v395000 for vvt on Lexus gs350, is350 and is350c models for the same model year and find it suspicious as the same engine is used. I am wondering if other rx 350s have the same issue and the recall should actually be expanded to include the RX350 model. …”

NHTSA complaint #10548277, filed 2013-10, 163,000 miles

“The oil cooler pipe assembly on the engine failed catastrophically causing a sudden lost of a large volume of oil. The failure occurred while driving on a street and was only noticed while parking (a co-worker saw the oil pouring out of the car). The consumer stated he was not made aware of the warranty enhancement program. The consumer requested to be reimbursed for the repairs. Updated 10/10/2017”

NHTSA complaint #11018815, filed 2017-08, 150,621 miles

“The transmission completely failed while I was driving on the freeway. This was very dangerous and caused a safety hazard. The transmission had to be replaced. The power steering rack had to also be replaced. It's ridiculous that these failures occurred before 120,000 miles.”

NHTSA complaint #10577450, filed 2014-04, 119,326 miles

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2019413%
2018422%
2017613%
2016712%
201525%
2014320%
201347%
2012412%
2011620%
201077%
200988%
200876%
200795%

Other parts of the 2008 Lexus RX350

Body and structure
24 complaintsOther or unknown
20 complaintsSteering
18 complaintsElectrical system
17 complaintsVehicle speed control
15 complaintsBrakes
12 complaintsEngine
12 complaintsExterior lighting
10 complaintsAir bags
6 complaintsEngine cooling
5 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
4 complaintsEquipment
2 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2008 Lexus RX350

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology