2002 Lexus LS430

ON DEC. 27, 2009 ,FULLY OPENED THE TRUNK LID OF MY LS430 & WITHIN SECONDS IT CRASHED DOWN ON MY NECK AS I WAS LEANING IN TO GET SOMETHING. THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A FLUKE. AGAIN ON MARCH 3,2010, IT HAPPENED AGAIN , HITTING ME ON MY HEAD. THE 3RD TIME WAS ON MEMORIAL DAY, MAY 31, 2010, AGAIN ON MY HEAD. NOW I WILL ONLY OPEN MY TRUNK LID WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS PRESENT TO HOLD IT OPEN FOR ME SO IT WON'T FALL ON ME AGAIN. *TR

1. SALT AND WINTER CONDITIONS ARE THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. 2. THE FAILURE IS THE FLAKING AND PITTING OF CHROME WHEELS DUE TO APPARENT INAPPROPRIATE CHROMING PROCESS. 3. LEXUS REPLACED THE 4 WHEELS IN 2006, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WITH ANOTHER SET OF CHROME WHEELS THAT BEGAN NOTICEABLY DISPLAYED PITTING AND FLAKING IN 2009. *TR

I HAD OPENED THE TRUNK ON MY LEXUS LS-430 (2002) TO PLACE SOME PERSONAL ITEMS FOR TRANSPORT. I WAS LEANING DOWN WHEN SUDDENLY THE TRUNK LID CAME CRASHING DOWN TOP OF MY HEAD WITH RESULT OF PAIN AND SWELLING. SAME HAD HAPPENED TO MY WIFE BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE HYDRAULIC TRUNK STRUTS NECESSARY FOR THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE TRUNK HAD BOTH FAILED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LEXUS LS430 PURCHASED NEW. HE STATED ALL FOUR PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WINDOWS WERE DE LAMINATING. THE DEALER ADVISED THERE WERE NO RECALLS. THE FIRST INITIAL REPAIR WAS DONE UNDER WARRANTY, HOWEVER THE FAILURE BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD TAKE NO LIABILITY FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000 AND THE CURRENT WAS 110,000. UPDATED 02/02/10 *BF ALL OF THE WINDOWS WERE DELAMINATED RESULTING IN A FAILURE OF THE SAFETY GLASS AND PROGRESSIVE OBSTRUCTION ON BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES. UPDATED 02/04/10.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LEXUS LS430. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ENTER A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT INTENTION. EVEN AFTER REPEATED BRAKE APPLICATION THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. CONSEQUENTLY SHE CRASHED INTO SEVERAL VEHICLES AND A BUILDING. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 72,000.

CURRENTLY, LEXUS DOES NOT HAVE A SERVICE INTERVAL FOR THE POWER STEERING FLUID THAT IS USED IN THE LS430 RACK AND PINION. I HAVE FOUND THE FLUID IS NOW DARK BROWN IN COLOR AND HAS ATTACHED TO THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO USE THE OPAQUE RESERVOIR TO VIEW THE FLUID LEVEL. THE DENIGRATED POWER STEERING FLUID HAS OCCURRED WITHIN 60,000 MILES. THIS IS THE ONLY FLUID NOT REPLACED DURING THE 60,000 MILE SERVICE THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THE RESERVOIR IS TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEE THE CURRENT FLUID LEVEL IN THE EVENT ADDITIONAL FLUID IS NEEDED TO AVOID FAILURE OF THE STEERING UNIT. THE COST OF THIS SMALL WHITE PLASTIC RESERVOIR EXCEEDS $250.00 FOR THE PART ONLY AND DOES NOT INCLUDE LABOR TO REPLACE THE UNIT, FLUID AND ANY HOSES THAT MAY BE NEEDED. I HAVE CONTACTED LEXUS DEALERSHIP TWICE OVER THIS ISSUE. THE TECHNICIAN ADVOCATES THAT I SHOULD JOSTLE THE RESERVOIR TO CAUSE THE FLUID INSIDE THE SEALED OR CAPPED UNIT TO SPLASH ABOVE THE BLACKENED RING. THIS DOES NOT ALLOW ONE TO SEE IF THE FLUID IS AT A DANGEROUS LEVEL. I GUESS ONE COULD BE OVER ENTHUSIASTIC AND DAMAGE, CRACK OR BREAK THE PLASTIC RESERVOIR OR A HOSE AND CAUSING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE UNIT OR OTHER ATTACHED PARTS. TWO ITEMS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. IF NOT SERVICING THIS POWER STEERING FLUID, IT WILL DECREASE THE SERVICE LIFE OF THE RACK AND PINION STEERING UNIT! FAILURE TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING FLUID IN A TIMELY MANNER DOES CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE OPAQUE WHITE PLASTIC RESERVOIR, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO READ THE AMOUNT VISUALLY INSIDE THE RESERVOIR. THE CURRENT PRACTICE BY LEXUS SELLS PARTS AND AVOIDS SAFETY CONCERNS LEADING TO FAILURE OF STEERING COMPONENTS AND OR CAUSES PRE-MATURE FAILURE OF THE STEERING COMPONENTS. *TR

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING MY 2002 LEXUS 430 LS WHEN SHE HAD A SEIZURE. DURING THE SEIZURE HER FOOT HIT THE GAS PEDAL AND SHE PROCEEDED THROUGH SEVERAL RESIDENTIAL AREAS BEFORE CRASHING INTO A TREE. THE AIRBAG WAS NOT DEPLOYED CAUSING 2 LEG AND FOOT FRACTURES. INSURANCE ADJUSTER AGREED THAT THE AIRBAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. THE LOCAL LEXUS DEALER HAD COMPLETED AN ANNUAL SERVICE ON THE CAR WITHIN THE LAST 12 MONTHS. *TR

I HAD OPENED THE TRUNK ON MY LEXUS LS-430 (2002) FOR MY 11 YRS OLD SON TO TAKE HIS SPORTS GEARS OUT OF THE TRUNK. HE WAS LEANING DOWN INSIDE THE TRUNK WHEN SUDDENLY THE TRUNK LID CAME CRASHING DOWN STRIKING ON HIS HIPS, IT WAS GOOD IT DID" HURT HIS BACK. THE INJURY RESULTED IN TREMENDOUS PAIN .AFTER THE INCIDENT I INSPECTED THE TRUNK AND FOUND THEIR WAS NO RESISTANCE WHILE GOING UP AND DOWN WITH THE TRUNK AND FOUND THAT THE HYDRAULIC TRUNK STRUTS NECESSARY FOR THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE TRUNK HAD BOTH FAILED. .SEVERAL TIMES CONTACTED THE LEXUS DEALER AND LEXUS CORPORATION TO FIX THE SHOCKS. BUT THEY DECLINED, AS THEY STATED THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANT PERIOD MY CAR HAS ONLY 32000 MILES. *TR

DEAR SIR: I BOUGHT MY LEXUS LS 430 BRAND NEW IN 2002, AND I LOVE IT VERY MUCH EXCEPT FOR ONE THING: THE BRAKING SYSTEM. WHEN I PRESS THE BRAKE, MY LS430 SKIDS (FORWARD), AND DO NOT STOP IN A SAFE DISTANCE. I THOUGHT IT WAS MY DRIVING SKILLS. BUT I DECIDED TO VISIT THE LEXUS DEALER. THE LEXUS DEALER, AFTER DRIVING THE CAR, TOLD ME IT IS NORMAL FOR THE ABS SYSTEM TO DO THAT, AND I SHOULD NOT PRESS THE BRAKE HARD. WELL, I LEFT THE DEALER, AND A FEW METERS AWAY I WAS DRIVING AROUND 20-25 ML/H WHEN THE CAR AHEAD OF ME STOPPED, I PRESSED THE BRAKE, BUT MY CAR - AS USUAL- SKIDDED FORWARD AND HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME CAUSING VERY SERIOUS DAMAGE TO MY CAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO LEXUS WORKSHOP, WHICH CHARGED THE INSURANCE COMPANY $ 9000. I CONTACTED THE SAUDI ARABIAN STANDARDS ORGANIZATION (WWW.SASO.ORG.SA) AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE BARKING SYSTEM FAILURE IN THIS ACCIDENT. THEY SENT TECHNICIANS AND TESTED THE CAR AT LEXUS WORKSHOP, AND FOUND AN ABNORMAL FORWARD SKIDDING WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKE AT LOW SPEED, AND WROTE ME A REPORT OF THEIR FINDINGS. FOR YOUR INFORMATION THIS IS THE SAME ORGANIZATION WHO DISCOVERED THE TECHNICAL FAILURE IN THE FIRESTONE TIRES FITTED ON THE FORD EXPLORER FEW YEARS AGO, WHICH RESULTED IN A VERY COSTLY RECALL TO FORD CORP. I WROTE THE SAUDI LEXUS AUTHORIZED LEXUS DEALER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, BUT NO ANSWER RECEIVED. I CANNOT TAKE ON THIS POWERFUL LEXUS DEALER ALONE. I DO NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN FIND TO EXPOSE THIS DANGEROUS BRAKING FAILURE IN THE LEXUS LS430. I HAVE MANY FRIENDS WHO OWN THE SAME LEXUS MODEL AND HAVE THE SAME COMPLAINT. PLEASE ADVICE ME HOW CAN I STAND UP TO THIS POWERFUL DEALER AND THE MIGHTY TOYOTA/LEXUS COMPANY. I AM WORRIED AND SCARED TO DEATH THAT I MIGHT BE IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN I NEED THE BRAKING SYSTEM OF MY LS 430 THAT WILL FAIL ME AS IT DID TODAY AND MANY TIMES BEFORE. TO BE HONEST WITH YOU: I WILL DEFINITELY SELL MY LEXUS L 430 IF THE BRAKE SYSTEM IS NOT FIXED. *TR