2011 Lexus Es

AT APPROXIMATELY 6:30PM, WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN INTO A FRIENDS DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN, AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO THE RIGHT AS IF LOCKED IN TO THE RIGHT HAND POSITION, HIT A TREE AND FINALLY CAME TO A STOP BY HITTING HIGH CONCRETE STEPS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND LATER TO THE BODY SHOP AS THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. DURING THE INTERIM, THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY TOYOTA. POST INVESTIGATION, THE LETTER RECENTLY RECEIVED FROM TOYOTA STATES "DURING THE LIMITED TEST DRIVE ACCELERATING AND BRAKING TESTS WERE CONDUCTED AND THE VEHICLE PERFORMED WITH NO ABNORMALITIES FOUND". THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE PER THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MECHANIC AT THE BODY SHOP, DUE TO THE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND FLUID LEAKAGE. THIS LETTER FROM TOYOTA'S INVESTIGATION IS INCONGRUENT WITH THE FACTS AS I KNOW THEM. AS OF THIS DATE, JUNE 3, 2012, THE VEHICLE IS STILL BEING WORKED ON. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A OWNS A 2011 LEXUS ES350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER EXITED THE VEHICLE AND FORGOT TO SHUT THE IGNITION OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A PUSH TO START AND STOP FEATURE. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN UNTIL A CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR SOUNDED. THE DRIVER SUFFERED CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING AND AS A RESULT, WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL TO TREAT THE CONDITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

AT ABOUT 2:00 PM ON DEC 26, 2011, WHILE PARKING IN A PUBLIC COVERED GARAGE, I TURNED INTO THE PARKING SPACE, POSITIONED MY CAR, AND WAS ABOUT TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE WHEN THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD, HITTING THE CONCRETE WALL IN FRONT OF ME. THE PASSENGER IN MY CAR, MY 21 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, ALSO A LICENSED DRIVER, FELT THE CAR LURCH AND ACCELERATE FORWARD. SINCE I HAD REACHED A GOOD PARKING POSITION, I AM CERTAIN THAT I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. THE INJURY TO MY FOOT, FROM ALL INDICATIONS, SHOWS THAT MY FOOT WAS ON THE BREAK. I HAD IT X-RAYED ON DEC 27 AT A PATIENT FIRST MEDICAL FACILITY AND ALSO WAS SEEN ON DEC 28, BY MY FAMILY PHYSICIAN. HE EXAMINED MY FOOT AND INDICATED THAT MY ANKLE SPRAIN WAS INJURED AS I WAS BRAKING; IT WOULD NOT HAVE SUSTAINED THAT INJURY IF MY ANKLE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE ACCELERATOR. *KB

CAPABILITY OF LEXUS ES 350 YEAR 2007: IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ONE TO BE LOCKED OUT OF ONE'S CAR WITH THE SMART KEY IN THE CABIN OR IN THE TRUNK. IF THE SMART KEY WERE IN THE CABIN, ONE COULD NOT LOCK THE DOORS AND WOULD BE ALERTED WITH LOUD CONTINUOUS SIGNAL. IF THE SMART KEY WERE IN THE TRUNK, ONE COULD NOT LOCK THE TRUNK AND WOULD ALERTED WITH A LOUD CONTINUOUS SIGNAL. THIS CAPABILITY DOES NOT EXIST WITH THE LEXUS ES 350 YEAR 2011: IF ONE LOCKS ALL THE DOORS TO THE CABIN AND THEN ACCIDENTALLY PLACES THE SMART KEY INTO THE TRUNK. THE TRUCK CAN THEN BE LOCKED LEAVING THE DRIVER IN THE COLD WITH NO WAY TO GET BACK INTO CAR. THIS A SAFETY HAZARD. WE WERE NOT ALERTED ABOUT THIS SAFETY HAZARD WHEN WE TRADED IN OUR 2007 LEXUS ES 350 FOR THE 2011 LEXUS ES 350. LEXUS RESPONSE: ONCE WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO A PHONE, LEXUS INDICATED THAT WE MUST HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A LEXUS DEALING!!! RECOMMEND THAT LEXUS FIX THIS SAFETY DEFECT ON LEXUS ES 350 YEAR 2011. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH THE TRAFFIC AT APPROXIMATELY 70MPH, MIDMORNING, WE HEARD A LOUD POP FROM THE CAR. WE SAW NOTHING ON THE ROAD AND NO ONE ELSE TRAVELING AROUND US EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS. WE WERE NOTIFIED BY A CAR TRAVELING NEXT TO US THAT WE WERE LEAKING GAS. WE PROCEEDED OFF THE HIGHWAY AT THE FIRST EXIT AND PULLED INTO A GAS STATION AND SHUT DOWN THE CAR. WITHIN 8-10 MIN, THE ENTIRE TANK OF GAS (WE JUST FILLED THE TANK UP APPROXIMATELY 20 MIN PRIOR) HAD LEAKED ONTO THE GROUND. THE FIRE DEPT WAS CALLED JUST IN CASE THE CAR BLEW UP. THE FIREFIGHTER LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND PUT A PLUG IN THE GAS TANK TO STOP WHAT FUEL WAS LEFT FROM LEAKING OUT THE TANK. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSEST DEALER. THE SERVICEMAN AT THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE CAR HAD A WHOLE IN THE GAS TANK, A DENTED OIL PAN AND A SMALL 2IN GASH IN THE SPARE-TIRE WELL ( THE LATTER TWO WE NEVER VERIFIED). THE VEHICLE, PURCHASED NEW 1 MONTH PRIOR, HAD BEEN DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 600-800 MILES WITHIN A 4 DAY PERIOD. AS THE MAIN DRIVER, I NOTICED THE VEHICLE HAD A SLOW TAKEOFF AND TOOK SEVERAL PUSHES OF THE GAS PEDDLE TO GET MOVING EVENTHOUGH IT IS A 6 CYLINDER VEHICLE. *TR

CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO CHANGES MADE TO 2011 LEXUS ES 350 VEHICLE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED SOMEONE USUALLY DRIVES HER VEHICLE, TO ONE LOCATION, AND LEAVE THE KEYS IN THE CAR, SO SHE CAN PICK IT UP WHEN SHE ARRIVES. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE BEEN INFORMED BY THE DEALER, IT IS NO LONGER AN OPTION TO LEAVE THE KEYS IN THE VEHICLE. *JB