1998 Lexus GS400

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LEXUS GS400. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE ENGINE WAS ON AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED, THE DRIVER LIFTED OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL AND CRASH INTO A TREE. DURING THE INCIDENT, THE SPEED EXCEEDED MORE THEN 60 MPH. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. DURING THE CRASH, THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK, BACK, LEGS AND ARMS AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE HEAD, FACE AND EYE, BACK AND LEGS. BOTH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED AWAY. A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MANUFACTURER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. NO FURTHER INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 272,000.

LEXUS STUCK PEDAL--I DRIVE A 1998 LEXUS GS400 WHICH I BOUGHT NEW. WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT IT, I'D PRESSED THE PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN("FLOORED IT") MANY TIMES AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. HOWEVER IN MORE RECENT YEARS, I RARELY "FLOORED IT" . ONE TIME LAST SUMMER, I PUSHED THE PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO PASS A CAR AND THE PEDAL STUCK. MY CAR ACCELERATED FROM 35MPH TO 70MPH IN A MATTER OF SECONDS ON A LOCAL ROAD. I HIT THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES BUT IT KEPT SPEEDING UP. I WAS ABLE TO PRY UP THE PEDAL UP WITH MY TOE AVERTING A NEAR-ACCIDENT. THIS WAS BEFORE ALL OF THE NEWS WITH TOYOTA'S SUDDEN ACCELERATION CAME TO LIGHT. I DIDN'T TAKE THE CAR INTO THE LOCAL LEXUS SHOP BECAUSE, THEY CHARGE AT LEAST $2000 EVERYTIME I TAKE IT IN. I DROVE THE CAR FOR ANOTHER YEAR BUT MADE SURE NOT TO PRESS THE PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN. HOWEVER, I AM INTENDING ON TRADING IN THE CAR NOW AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THE DEFECT IS FIXED BECAUSE ANY FUTURE OWNERS OF THIS CAR WILL NOT BE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND IT IS A POTENTIAL HAZARD WAITING TO HAPPEN. I WANTED TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE GOVERNMENT BEFORE TAKING IT IN BECAUSE (A) I WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO BE AWARE THAT LEXUS(NOT JUST TOYOTAS) HAS THIS PROBLEM OF STUCK PEDAL/ACCELERATION (B) IN CASE THE GOV WANTED TO CONDUCT ANY INVESTIGATION WITH MY VEHICLE REGARDING THE STUCK PEDAL FOR EVIDENCE OR RESEARCH BEFORE LEXUS DOES ANYTHING WITH IT(IT DID NOT INVOLVE A FLOORMAT-THE PEDAL JUST STUCK AND DIDN'T COME BACK UP AFTER I RELEASED MY FOOT) (C) COMPEL LEXUS TO FIX THE PROBLEM FOR FREE BECAUSE IT IS A SAFETY DEFECT BEFORE SELLING IT TO A FUTURE OWNER. I FEEL THIS IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO DO EXTENSIVE RESEARCH REGARDING THIS MATTER. LEXUS HAS MANAGED TO STAY OUT OF TOYOTA'S RECENT CULPABILITY ISSUES, BUT CERTAINLY MY LEXUS HAD THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. YOU MAY ALSO WANT ENGINEERS TO EXAMINE MY PEDAL FOR MORE RESEARCH OR EVEN EVIDENCE AS TO WHY THIS OCCURS IN LEXUS/ TOYOTA VEHICLES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LEXUS GS400. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AS HE WAS DRIVING 15 MPH ONTO A RAMP, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND AS HE DEPRESSED HIS BRAKES THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD AND REAR ENDED A TRUCK PUSHING HIM INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE TWO OTHER OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE WITH MINOR INJURIES TO THEIR KNEES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CALLED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 184,867. UPDATED 04/13/10. *LJ UPDATED 09/22/10

SUDDEN ACCELERATION OF 1998 LEXUS GS400 ONCE ON JAN. 16,1999 WITH NO DAMAGE. I WAS PARKING THE VEHICLE. A SECOND TIME ON JAN. 1, 2001. I WAS PULLING UP TO A GAS PUMP AND THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED INTO THE CURB AT THE PUMP AND ALSO HIT THE PUMP. BOTH INCIDENTS REPORTED TO DEALER, BUT WERE TREATED AS DRIVER ERROR. SECOND INCIDENT CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PUMP AND MODERATE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. I AM REPORTING THIS AT THIS TIME, BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN NO REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM ON TOYOTA VEHICLES AS FAR BACK AS 1998. I CURRENTLY OWN A 2007 LEXUS GS350 WITH 15K MILES AND A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WITH 26K MILES AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH EITHER CAR. *TR

ON THE FIRST DAY I PURCHASED MY LEXUS IN VIRGINIA I ALMOST DROVE THE CAR OVER THE CURB. I THOUGHT MY FOOT HIT THE GAS ACCIDENTALLY, BUT IT HAD NOT. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS INSTANCES WHERE THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD WHILE I WAS STOPPED WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. LUCKILY THE PROBLEM NEVER CAUSED AN ACCIDENT SO I NEVER COMPLAINED ABOUT IT. I THOUGHT MY CAR WAS THE ONLY ONE WITH THE PROBLEM. I READ A RECENT ARTICLE IN USATODAY ABOUT THE PROBLEM, AND REALIZED THAT MY CAR WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE DOING IT. MY 1998 LEXUS GS400 HAS LURCHED FORWARD SEVERAL TIMES WHILE MY FOOT WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE.*AK