2008 Lexus Rx Hybrid

IT WAS FRIDAY MORNING ABOUT 10AM. I HAD A PULLED SLOWLY INTO QUEST DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY PARKING SPACE. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. I WAS STOPPED I WAS PUTTING THE CAR INTO THE PARK POSITION WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AT THE HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE CAR WENT OVER THE CEMENT BLOCK AND PAVEMENT AND THRU THE DOUBLE DOORS AND INSIDE THE BUILDING FINALLY STOPPING WHEN I HIT THE RECEPTIONIST COUNTER.

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BACK INTO A PARKING SPACE, ACCELERATOR STUCK IN DOWN POSITION, BRAKES LOCKED UP, ENGINE ACCELERATED TO VERY FAST RATE, STEERING WOULD NOT RESPOND RESULTING IN MY CAR SLAMMING INTO FRONT END OF CAR PARKED BEHIND ME AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. MY CAR THEN ACCELERATED FORWARD CONTINUING AT A VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED ACROSS PARKING LOT AND HITTING ANOTHER CAR BROADSIDE WHICH FINALLY STOPPED MY CAR. MY CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS AS DEEMED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY.

I HAVE NOTICED THIS ISSUE A COUPLE OF TIMES OVER THE 7 YEARS I HAVE HAD THE CAR (SINCE IT WAS NEW), MOST RECENTLY YESTERDAY: WHEN I AM TRAVELING AT MEDIUM SPEEDS, SAY 30-45 MPH, AND I HIT A BUMP IT FEELS LIKE I GET A LITTLE "PUSH IN THE BUTT". SORT OF LIKE A FORWARD SKID. SO THEN I APPLY THE BRAKES A BIT. DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO DESCRIBE THIS. MY HUSBAND SAYS THAT HE CAN'T FEEL IT WHEN HE IS A PASSENGER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE DROVE OVER A CURB AND CRASHED INTO TREES AND BUSHES. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED AN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE DRIVER WAS DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UP TO 16 MPH. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A BACK INJURY THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. UPDATED 04/14/15*LJ UPDATED 6/29/2015 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A ROCK WALL. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD AND ACCELERATED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR DIAGNOSED. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE INTERMITTENT FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000. UPDATED 01/20/15*LJ THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A FENCE. DAMAGING THE FENCE AND THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 06/9/2015 *JS

CAR WAS BEING PULLED INTO SPACE IN RESTAURANT PARKING LOT -- SPACE WAS ON GRASS UP A SLIGHT INCLINE (APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES) -- AS CAR WAS MOVING UP THE INCLINE A SMALL BUMP WAS FELT UNDER THE CAR AND THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE -- BRAKES WERE APPLIED IMMEDIATELY BUT WERE UNABLE TO STOP THE CAR -- THE CAR SWERVED AND HIT A TREE APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET FROM THE PARKING SPOT -- BELIEVE THE "BUMP" FELT UNDER THE CAR CAUSED THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION -- ABOVE ACCOUNT CAN BE VERIFIED BY THE OTHER PERSON IN THE CAR WHO HAD THE SAME DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS. *TR

2008 LEXUS RX400H. CONSUMER STATES UNINTENDED ACCELERATION *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED AS HE PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE, SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED EVEN THOUGH HIS FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AND CONSEQUENTLY, HE HIT THE OTHER VEHICLE ON THE RIGHT REAR SIDE. DURING THE ACCIDENT, THE CONSUMER FELT A SIGNIFICANT POWER SURGE AND IT HAPPENED WHEN THE POWER WAS SWITCHING FROM BATTERY TO GASOLINE. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE CONSUMER NOTICED POWER SURGES ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, SPECIFICALLY WHEN THE VEHICLE SWITCHED FROM BATTERY TO GASOLINE. *JB

I DROVE THE VEHICLE [XXX] ABOUT 25 MILES FROM HOME TO A DOCTOR'S OFFICE, AT TYPICAL NORTHERN VIRGINIA HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON I-66 & I-495. I ARRIVED AT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE, I ENTERED THE PARKING LOT AT ABOUT 5 MPH, I APPROACHED A PARKING SPACE AND AT ABOUT 2 MPH MADE A RIGHT-TURN INTO THE SPACE. WITHOUT WARNING, THE VEHICLE STARTED ACCELERATING. I COULD NOT STOP IT EVEN WITH BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE JUMPED OVER A CONCRETE PARKING STRIP, THEN THE CONCRETE CURB, UP A SLIGHT EMBANKMENT AND THROUGH A WOODEN FENCE. THE VEHICLE EVENTUALLY CAME TO REST WITH 3 OF THE 4 TIRES ON THE EMBANKMENT OVER THE CURB. THE RIGHT-REAR TIRE WAS RESTING AGAINST THE PARKING CURB STRIP. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO LURCH FORWARD TRYING TO PULL THE LAST WHEEL UP OUT OF ITS RESTING SPOT. I LOOKED DOWN AT THE BRAKE/ACCELERATOR PEDALS AND THOUGH BOTH OF MY FEET WERE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE WAS STILL TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD. I SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO PARK AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO TRY TO LURCH FORWARD, SO I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. AFTER DEPARTING THE VEHICLE, I CHECKED THE DRIVER'S SIDE FLOOR MAT AND NOTED THAT THE FLOOR MAT WAS PROPERLY POSITIONED, HOOKED TO HOOKS ON THE FLOOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A LEXUS DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED BY A TOYOTA-AUTHORIZED ENGINEER. SINCE THE EVENT COULD NOT BE REPRODUCED, WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. THOUGH WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WOULD BE PROVIDED WITH THE ANALYSIS OF TEST RESULTS, LEXUS HAS NOT RESPONDED TO OUR REPEATED REQUESTS FOR THIS INFORMATION. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED BY OWNER FOR ALL REQUIRED SERVICES AND HAD JUST BEEN SERVICED IN SEPTEMBER 2010. TO DATE, THERE HAS BEEN NO DETERMINATION AS TO WHAT ACTUALLY CAUSE THIS SUDDEN UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION EVENT WHICH RESULTED IN $7600 DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. *TR UPDATED 07/10/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)