2001 Lexus RX300 AWD transmission teardown - rebuild or buy a used transmission?
Hi everyone,
I own a 2001 Lexus RX300 AWD with the 1MZ-FE V6.
I originally took the car to the shop because of a squealing noise when the A/C engaged. While inspecting it, the mechanic found that my transmission had serious internal wear and recommended taking it apart.
After opening it, they found:
Transmission filter full of metal shavings.
Burnt friction discs/clutches.
Scratched oil pump.
Worn bushings (one bushing is spinning in the housing when it shouldn’t).
Wear marks on many steel plates and other internal components.
The transmission previously had a P0770 (Shift Solenoid E) code.
The transmission also had occasional harsh shifts.
The mechanic says rebuilding it would require replacing:
Friction discs
Steel plates
Rebuild kit (seals/O-rings)
Bushings
Oil pump
Possibly more parts depending on what they find.
His opinion is that, considering the amount of wear and the difficulty of sourcing parts, it may be better to buy a complete used transmission with the torque converter instead of rebuilding mine.
A used transmission with a warranty is available, but it’s expensive.
My questions:
If this were your RX300, would you rebuild this transmission or buy a used one?
Is there anything else that absolutely should be replaced while the transmission is already out?
Are these transmissions reliable after a proper rebuild, or is a good used OEM transmission usually the better option?
Does this level of wear suggest the transmission was run low on ATF, or is this common for high-mileage RX300s?
Thanks in advance!