2000 Lexus ES300

I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY ROAD, AND MY 2000 LEXUS ES300 RPM WENT DOWN TO 0 AND SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF BUSY TRAFFIC. I WAS ALMOST HIT FROM BEHIND AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR PILEUP WITH INJURIES. I HAD TO BE PUSHED OUT OF TRAFFIIC CAR WOULDN'T START. AFTER, GETTING THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC THEY DETERMINED THAT IT WAS THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE, IT IS COSTLY TO REPLACE AND A PROBLEM WITH THAT MAKE AND MODEL 2000 LEXUS ES300. THIS IS A SERIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND I FOUND OUT A FAULTY IAC VALVE CAN CAUSE YOUR CAR TO STALL ANYWHERE AT ANYTIME. I AM THANKFUL NO ONE, AS WELL AS MYSELF WAS INJURED, BUT I DO NOT KNOW ABOUT THE NEXT PERSON THIS MAY HAPPEN TO. THE PART COST ABOUT 200 DOLLARS AND THE LABOR IS APPROXIMATELY 300 DOLLARS. THIS HAPPENED ON WED. 08/10/2011 AND THE PART HAS TO BE ORDERED DUE TO COST. AS A RESULT, NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE BECAUSE OF EXPENSE. THERE SHOULD REALLY BE A RECALL AND THIS A SAFETY HAZARD; ESPECIALLY IF THE DRIVER{S) BEHIND ME HAD BEEN SPEEDING OR NOT PAYING ATTENTION. *KB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 LEXUS ES300. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. SHE ASSUMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING AND PULLED OVER TO ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO COOL DOWN. A COUPLE OF MINUTES LATER, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE. THE BODY SHOP DOES NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE DEALER COULD NOT ASSIST AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER FURTHER STATED THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS ONLY AN "ACCIDENT". THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 114,000.

ENGINE AND TRAC LIGHT HAS COME ON INTERMITTENTLY SINCE AROUND 40,OOO MI. HAS BEEN IN DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR ON AT LEAST 6 OCCASSIONS. BOTH LIGHTS WILL GO OFF, BUT COME BACK ON AND NOT GO OFF UNTIL THE SHOP RESETS THE LIGHT. NOW THEY TELL ME THAT THE O2 SENSORS NEED REPLACING SINCE THE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I WANT TO KNOW WHY THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THAT THE CAR NEEDED EXPENSIVE REPAIRS BEFORE? IT HAS TAKEN TWO DAYS OF DIAGNOSTIC WORK TO COME UP WITH THE OXYGEN SENSOR DIAGNOSIS. HOW CAN I BE SURE THIS IS THE REAL PROBLEM? I HAVE BEEN TOLD SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I QUESTION THE DIAGNOSIS AND DO NOT FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE TOTAL COST OF REPAIR SINCE THIS AUTOMOBILE HAS BEEN IN SO MANY TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM.