2014 Lexus ES350

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 LEXUS ES350. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR FOR THE VEHICLE TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE IS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V012000(FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED A RENTAL VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000.

WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STANDING STOP OR ACCELERATING WHILE CHANGING LANES, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE BEFORE THE ENGINE ENGAGED. WHAT WAS MORE FRIGHTENING WAS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING ON THE ROAD AND THERE WAS A NEED TO CHANGE LANES, YOU PRESSED ON THE GAS THEN THE VEHICLE WOULD TYPE TO ENTER TEXT HESITATE FROM 1 TO 3 SECONDS. YOU LITERALLY FOUND YOURSELF IN NO MANS LAND, AS THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND AND YOU FOUND YOURSELF CAUGHT STRADDLING TWO LANES AND THE VEHICLE VIRTUALLYSTOPPED ACCELERATING. THIS SITUATION STARTING OCCURRING MORE AND MORE WHEN I OR JANE LANES,MADE RIGHT AND LEFT HAND TURNS, OR ACCELERATED FROM A STANDING STOP. T THE VEHICLE HESITATION, WHILE ACCELERATING, IS FRIGHTING AND DANGEROUS. IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE. WE MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH NEWPORT LEXUS TO HAVE THE VEHICLE'S STALLING CORRECTED AND SERVICED. ON OCTOBER 21, 2015 WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO NEWPORT LEXUS AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM TO THE SERVICE ATTENDANT. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED AND THEN ROAD TESTED BY CHRIS PERET, NEWPORT LEXUS CHIEF MECHANIC. AFTER THE ROAD TEST, THE VEHICLE DID HESITATE AT TIMES WHEN HE ACCELERATED THE VEHICLE. THE CAUSE IS HOW THE FRONT WHEEL VEHICLE IS DESIGNED.THE PROCESS AND HOW THE VEHICLE ACCELERATION PROCESS WORKS ON A FRONT WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE; THE GAS PEDDLE WHICH IS IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE SENDS A SIGNAL TO THE ENGINE WHICH IS IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE SENDS A SIGNAL TO THE COMPUTER WHICH IS IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, THE COMPUTER THEN SENDS A SIGNAL TO THE ENGINE AND THE VEHICLE THEN ACCELERATES. HE EXPLAINED THE PROCESS IS ALMOST INSTANTANEOUS AND THERE IS ONLY A VERY SLIGHT HESITATION. IF THIS LAST COMPONENT OCCURS YOU COULD GET A LONGER DELAY BEFORE FROM THE TIME YOU DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR TO THE TIME THE VEHICLE ACTUALLY ACCELERATES (1 TO 3 SECONDS).

I PURCHASED MY 2015 LEXUS ES350 ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25TH, 2014. ON NOVEMBER 27TH, I WAS TURNING RIGHT INTO A PARKING SPACE AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AGGRESSIVELY ON ITS OWN CAUSING THE CAR TO RUN OVER THE CONCRETE PARKING SPOT STOPPER AND PROPEL 200-300 FEET UNTIL I HIT A PALM TREE, STOPPING THE CAR FROM ENTERING A NEARBY LAKE. THIS CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE CAR. MY WIFE AND I WERE IN COMPLETE SHOCK AS I WAS UNABLE TO STOP / CONTROL THE CAR - I ATTEMPTED TO PUMP THE BRAKES MULTIPLE TIMES (LEAVING TIRE TRACKS) BUT THE CAR CONTINUED ACCELERATING UNTIL WE HIT THE TREE. WE FILED A REPORT W/ THE FLORIDA SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. ADDITIONALLY, THE DAY BEFORE (NOV 26TH), I NOTICED THE SIDE MIRRORS ON THE CAR DID NOT TILT PROPERLY WHEN IN REVERSE - THE LEFT MIRROR TILTED DOWN, THE RIGHT MIRROR TILTED UP. THIS MAY BE A RESULT OF THE 'MIRROR SWITCH BLOCK' BUT TOGETHER WITH A FEW OTHER MECHANICAL ISSUES, THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THE 2-DAY OLD CAR HAD SOME SIGNIFICANT AND DANGEROUS MECHANICAL / ELECTRONIC ISSUES. I HAVE ATTACHED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAR AND A PICTURE OF THE PARKING SPOT WHERE THE ACCELERATION OCCURRED. PLEASE CONTACT ME ABOUT APPROPRIATE NEXT STEPS RELATED TO THIS SIGNIFICANT DEFECT. *JS