1998 Lexus GS300

AFTER STOPPING AT AN INTERSECTION, THE CAR WOULD TRAVEL FORWARD VERY SLOWLY WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL NORMALLY. IT WOULD SUDDENLY "CATCH" AND LURCH FORWARD IF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. CAR WOULD THEN HANDLE NORMALLY FOR A FEW MOMENTS BUT UPON STOPPING WOULD REPEAT THE PROBLEM. VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED SEVERAL TIMES IN AN EFFORT TO "REBOOT" THE CAR'S ELECTRONIC ACCELERATION SYSTEM BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. CAR WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL LEXUS DEALER. AFTER SITTING ON THE LOT FOR 1 DAY, VEHICLE STARTED AND OPERATED NORMALLY IN THE DEALER'S SERVICE LOT. DEALER HAS REPORTED THAT THE PROBLEM CALLS FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE VEHICLE'S THROTTLE BODY AND GASKET. *AK

THIS LETTER IS TO REPORT A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION THAT EXISTS WITH MY 1998 LEXUS GS 300. ON 2/02/03 I WAS WAITING AT A CAR WASH IN A LINE OF TRAFFIC WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY ENGINE ADVANCED TO WHAT SEEM LIKE FULL THROTTLE. THE REAR TIRES BEGAN TO SPIN ON THE WET PAVEMENT BUT MY FULL PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE KEPT THE CAR FROM LUNGING FORWARD. MY WIFE LEANED OVER TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON AND SAW MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND NOT ON THE GAS! AT THAT TIME I STARTED TO SHIFT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL BUT DECIDED IT WOULD BE BEST TO TURN OF THE IGNITION. BEFORE I GOT MY HAND ON THE KEY THE ENGINE WENT BACK TO IDLE! THIS WHOLE EVENT LASTED 5 TO 10 SECONDS. MY FOOT WAS DEFINITELY NOT ON THE GAS! AT THAT TIME MY WIFE TOLD ME WHAT HAPPENED TO HER THE WEEK BEFORE THIS SCARY EVENT. SHE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT ABOUT 55 MPH WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE RAPIDLY WITH OUT PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDDLE. SHE SAID SHE HAD TO APPLY A LOT OF BRAKE PRESSURE TO KEEP THE CAR FROM ACCELERATING OVER THE SPEED LIMIT. THIS ALSO LASTED ABOUT 5 TO 10 SECONDS! SERVICE FROM THE LEXUS DEALER IS GREAT BUT THEY TOLD ME MY CAR COULDN'T DO THAT, AND THAT ALL COMPUTERS CHECKED OUT OK! ALSO A FACTORY SERVICE REP SAID THIS SAME THING! I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT IT DID HAPPEN AND THAT I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE A CAR THAT HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN. THEIR ANSWER WAS, NO ERROR CODES IN THE CARS COMPUTER SO NOTHING IS WRONG! THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DEADLY SITUATION BOTH TIMES! SOMETHING MUST GET DONE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED.

FOR ABOUT THE FIFTH TIME IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, I HAVE EXPERIENCED AN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. AS I WAS PULLING INTO A 7-11 PARKING LOT, THE ENGINE REVVED WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE ACCELARATOR AND SURGED FORWARD AT WHICH TIME I APPLIED THE BRAKE HARD. THE CAR CONTINUED TO SURGE FORWARD, RESTRAINED, SLOWER BY THE BRAKING BUT STILL MOVING TOWARD PEDESTRIANS AND THE STORE. I MOVED THE SHIFTER INTO PARK AND THE REVVING CEASED IN ABOUT A SECOND OR TWO. THE PRIOR FOUR TIMES I WAS IN TRAFFIC MOVING AHEAD SLOWLY-- STOP AND GO. WHILE STOPPED, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REV AND THE CAR TRIED TO SURGE FORWARD WITH MY FOOT ALREADY ON THE BRAKE. I DEPRESSED THE PEDAL HARDER AND THE REVVING STOPPED IN ABOUT 5-10 SECONDS. REPORTED TO THE DEALER FIRST ON 01/03/2002. NPF.*AK

SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN MARCH 1998, I HAVE HAD SEVERAL SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEMS. ONE PROBLEM THAT OCCURS PERIODICALLY IS THAT THE CAR WILL ACCELLERATE FROM 2MPH TO 8/10MPH WITH THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH ONTHE ACCELLERATOR (UNINTENDED ACCELLERATION). THE SECOND PROBLEM INVOLVES ABSOLUTELY NO ACCELLERATION FROM A STOPPED CONDITION FOR UP TO THREE SECONDS. THE CAR STANDS STILL AND DOES NOT MOVE AT ALL. *AK