2005 Lexus ES330

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LEXUS ES330. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON APRIL 2, 2010 WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, STRUCK A CURB AND THEN CRASHED INTO A CINDER BLOCK WALL. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY BUT THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR POLICE REPORT FILED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO REQUESTED THAT SHE NOT HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED UNTIL THEIR INVESTIGATORS INSPECTED IT. THE VEHICLE WAS AT A LOCAL BODY SHOP WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 42,000.

I DROVE MY MOTHER IN HER 2005 LEXUS ES330 FROM ORLANDO TO JENSEN BEACH, FL FOR A WEEKEND VISIT WITH HER SISTER. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED IN THE SUMMER OF 2005. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN LOCALLY AND THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IT HAD BEEN DRIVEN ON A HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEEDS. I DROVE THE CAR ON I-95 FOR 2 HOURS UNTIL I REACHED OUR EXIT. I PRESSED ON THE BRAKES TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I CONTINUED BRAKING AND WAS GETTING ALARMED THAT THE CAR DID NOT SLOW IMMEDIATELY. I MAINTAINED PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE AND FINALLY THE CAR SLOWED BEFORE WE REACHED THE STOP LIGHT AT THE END OF THE RAMP. MY MOTHER,AS A PASSENGER, WAS NOT AWARE THERE WAS A PROBLEM. ON THE RETURN TRIP WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT HAPPENED AGAIN. AFTER 2 HOURS OF DRIVING, I EXITED ONTO THE LOCAL ROADS AND BRAKED AS I APPROACHED A RED LIGHT. THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN. I PRESSED HARD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE CAR IN FRONT HAD STOPPED. I SCREAMED TO MY MOTHER "THE CAR IS NOT STOPPING!" SHE SCREAMED OUT THAT WE WERE GOING TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT. I CONTINUED TO PRESS ON THE BRAKES AND THE FRONT END MADE A LOUD MECHANICAL SOUND LIKE A METALLIC CLUNK AND THE CAR STOPPED. WHEN I GOT TO MY MOM'S HOUSE I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM THE BRAKES FAILED TWICE. THEY TOLD ME TO HAVE HER BRING IT IN FOR INSPECTION. MY MOM WAS 87 AT THE TIME AND I SAID SHE IS NOT DRIVING THIS VEHICLE ANYWHERE. THE DEALERSHIP PICKED UP THE CAR AND SAID THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES.THE NEXT WEEK SHE GOT A PHONE CALL FROM TOYOTA CALIFORNIA TO INQUIRE INTO THE INCIDENT. THE COMPANY SAID THE DEALER FOUND A LOT OF OIL ON THE LEFT WHEEL AS IF I HAD HIT A POTHOLE. MY MOTHER COULD NOT REACT AS SHE HAD NOT BEEN THE ONE DRIVING THE CAR.I CAN TELL YOU THERE WAS NO POTHOLE! I HAVE DRIVEN IT TWICE AGAIN ON THE HIGHWAY USING THE SAME ROUTE. IT NEVER HAPPENED AGAIN BUT I NEVER FEEL SAFE IN THAT CAR. I THINK TOYOTA KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE BUT DID NOTHING. THIS CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL BUT IT SHOULD BE EXAMINED AGAIN.

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) 2005 LEXUS MODEL ES330(VIN#[XXX] ). AFTER ENTERING A PARKING SPACE AT A SHOPPING MALL AT VERY SLOW SPEED. MY LEXUS ACCELERATED FORWARD WITH MY FOOT HARD PRESSED ON THE BRAKE, JUMPING AN ISLAND IMPACTING HEAD ON WITH THE CAR PARKED IN FRONT. THIS ACCIDENT CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ON BOTH CARS. REPLACED THE HOOD, GRID, BOTH HEAD LAMPS, AND FRONT BUMPER ON MY CAR. THE PASSENGER OF THE OTHER CAR WAS NOT IN THE CAR AND WAS SHOPPING IN THE MALL. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES. I CALLED MY LEXUS DEALER (LEXUS OF SILVER SPRING, MD AND WAS TOLD THAT THE 2005 LEXUS ES330 WAS NOT COVERED BY TOYOTA'S RECALL FOR BRAKING OR ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS. SINCE THEN, I CAREFULLY PULL THE CARPET BACK WHEN START DRIVING. HOPE YOUR INVESTIGATION WILL INCLUDE THE 2005 LEXUS ES330 MODEL. *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) MY 2005 LEXUS ES 330 HAD A SUDDEN ACCELERATION EVENT WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN MULTI-LANE TRAFFIC IN PENSACOLA, FLORIDA. I PUT ON BRAKES WITH BOTH FEET, BUT THE ENGINE KEPT WINDING UP. I TURNED OFF THE KEY AND BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A STOP IN TRAFFIC. I PLACED THE CAR IN PARK, RE-STARTED THE ENGINE, AND IT CONTINUED TO INCREASE IN RPMS. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND THEN STARTED IT AGAIN. THAT TIME, THE ENGINE WAS AT NORMALL RPMS. I PULLED OUT OF THE TRAFFIC INTO A PARKING LOT AND CALLED THE MOBILE LEXUS NUMBER. THEY SENT A TRUCK AND TRAILERED IT TO MOBILE WHERE THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY EVENT RECORDED ON THE COMPUTER AND THAT IT WAS PROBABLY A FLOOR-MAT ISSUE. I MADE NO ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FLOOR MAT OR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DURING MY EVENT. I THINK IT WAS SOMETHING ELECTRICAL. FORTUNATELY, I HAVE NOT HAD ANOTHER SUDDEN ACCELERATION EVENT, BUT I AM NOT REALLY COMFORTABLE WITH THE CAR. THIS EVENT IS RECORDED IN MY LEXUS SERVICE RECORD, CASE #[XXX] . *TR

WHILE DRIVING, I TOO EXPERIENCED SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OF THE VEHICLE. I OVERTOOK A SLOW MOVING VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME ON OTHERWISE AN EMPTY ONE-LANE STRAIGHT ROAD. AS I EASED BACK INTO THE LANE, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO RACE. I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE CAR REALLY WANTED TO GO FASTER AND FASTER. AS I WAS REACHING SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 50MPH, I THEN SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL BUT TO NO AVAIL AS THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. LUCKILY, THE BRAKE WORKED AT ALL TIMES. I KEPT IT PRESSED DOWN REAL HARD WHILE THE RPMS WERE GOING WELL ABOVE 6K. THE VEHICLE BEHAVED AS IF BOTH THE GAS AND BRAKE PEDALS WERE PUSHED DOWN ALL THE WAY. FINALLY, THE BRAKES DID THEIR JOB AND AS I SLOWED TO A STOP AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF WITH A KEY. AFTER COLLECTING MYSELF I TURNED ON THE IGNITION AND CONTINUED WITH MY TRIP. NEXT DAY, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HIGHLAND PARK LEXUS IN NORTHBROOK, IL AT WHICH POINT THE SERVICE MANAGER JUST SHRUGGED HIS SHOULDERS IN DISBELIEF. I LONG RETURNED THE VEHICLE AFTER THE LEASE EXPIRED BUT CAN PROVIDE ME INFO SO THAT YOU GUYS CAN LOCATE THE VEHICLE AND TEST IT IF IT STILL ON THE ROAD SOMEWHERE. *TR