2003 Lexus GX470

VEHICLE WAS IN LOW RANGE GOING IN REVERSE WITH A TRAILER VERY SLOW WHEN OUT OF NOWHERE IT ENGAGED FASTER AND WOULDN'T STOP ACCELERATING FOR 15 FEET OF THIS AND IT STOPPED MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE GAS SO THERE WAS NO REASON WHY IT SHOULD HAVE ENGAGED IN THE MANNER THAT IT DID IN FACT I HAD BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE TRYING TO STOP IT IT FELT LIKE I HIT SOMETHING WHEN IT STOPPED BUT I DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING. THIS ALL OCCURRED WHILE I WAS BACKING A BOAT INTO MY DRIVEWAY WHICH IS LEVEL GROUND

WE TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER TO HAVE BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED. IT WAS REPORTED TO US BY THE SHOP THAT WHEN THEY RAISED THE TRUCK, IT MADE NOISES AND THEY FELT IT WAS UNSAFE TO CONTINUE. THEY REPORTED TO US THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED OR ROTTED, ESPECIALLY NEAR THE RIGHT REAREND, AND THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, THAT THE WHERL OR THE BACK END COULD COLLAPSE. LAST NIGHT, I DID EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ONLINE AND IT APPEARS THIS IS A LONG-STANDING ISSUE WITH TOYOTA FRAMES ON THEIR TRUCKS, WITH MANUFACTURING DEFECTS IN STEEL PRODUCTION AND SUBSEQUENT CHEMICAL TREATMENT ERRORS BEFORE TRUCK ASSEMBLY. EVIDENTLY THERE HAVE BEEN MASSIVE RECALLS OF TACOMA TRUCKS WHICH HAVE THE SAME FRAMES MADE BY A COMPANY IN OHIO CALLED DANA. WE ARE WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM TOYOTA TODAY WHO ASSIGNED US A CASE MANAGER YESTERDAY WHILE WE WERE AT THE DEALERSHIP REPAIR SHOP. MANY OF THESE TRUCKS NEEDED A FRAME SWAP. THE EXTENT OF THE FRAME RUST AND ROT IS UNBELIEVABLE FOR THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE

FRAME IS ROTTING FROM INSIDE OUT, EXCESSIVE CORROSION ON AN OTHERWISE SPOTLESS VEHICLE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT WAS COMMON TO THE EARLY/MID 2000'S TOYOTA TUNDRA, TACOMA, AND 4RUNNER, THE LATTER OF WHICH SHARES FRAME COMPONENTS. TOYOTA, FOR WHATEVER REASON, COVERED THE TUNDRA AND TACOMA THROUGH RECALLS, BUT SO FAR HAS NOT DONE A RECALL ON THE 4RUNNER OR GX470.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LEXUS GX470. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. ALSO, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT ACTIVATED THE HAZARD LIGHTS AND ENGAGED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE DEALER (POHANKA HONDA OF FREDERICKSBURG, 60 S GATEWAY DR., FREDERICKSBURG, VA 22406, (540) 735-9100) WAS CALLED AND STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD BE THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER. THE DEALER (POHANKA LEXUS CHANTILLY, 13909 LEE JACKSON MEMORIAL HWY, CHANTILLY, VA 20151, (703) 968-9100) WAS ALSO CONTACTED, BUT HAD NOT DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 183,400.

THE HEADLIGHT LENS COVERS SLOWLY BECAME FOGGED OVER TIME CAUSING GRADUALLY DECREASING LIGHT OUTPUT. THE MANUFACTURER WANTS TO CHARGE TO POLISH OUT THE FOGGED LENS BUT THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN IF THE MANUFACTURER DID DUE DILIGENCE IN ENGINEERING AND DESIGN DEVELOPMENT MATERIALS SELECTION. THIS SAFETY FLAW SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY SINCE THE MANUFACTURER IS PROVIDING MATERIALS INFERIOR TO PAST PROVEN STABLE MATERIALS (GLASS AND OTHER AVAILABLE PLASTICS THAT DON'T DEGRADE HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE FOR WELL OVER 70 YEARS). SERVICE CENTERS DO NOT OFFER INSPECTIONS TO MEASURE WHEN THE LIGHT OUTPUT DROPS BELOW FEDERAL SAFETY SPECIFICATIONS AND GLASS LENSES OF THE PAST NEVER SUFFERED THIS PROBLEM. MATERIALS THAT DON'T DEGRADE HAVE BEEN IN USE FOR MANY YEARS AND MANUFACTURERS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO ADOPT LOWER PERFORMING MATERIALS FOR SAFETY CRITICAL SYSTEM COMPONENTS. INCOMPETENT MATERIALS ENGINEERING SHOULD BE PUNISHED BY REQUIRING THE MANUFACTURER TO REPLACE THESE LENSES AT NO CHARGE REGARDLESS OF THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. IT IS NOT CLEAR WHEN THE LIGHT OUTPUT WAS OR WILL BE BELOW THE FEDERAL STANDARDS FOR VEHICLE SAFETY WHICH IS PART OF THE PROBLEM ! THIS IS WHY THE DATE OF OCCURRENCE IS UNCERTAIN AND TODAYS DATE IS USED.

I HAVE BEEN WAITING OVER 3 YEARS TO GET THE CRACKED / MELTING DASHBOARD REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL I RECEIVED OVER 3 YEARS AGO. I SPOKE TO THE LOCAL LEXUS DEALER AND THEY SAID I WAS STILL # 49 IN LINE TO GET THIS DONE. REALLY ? AFTER 3 YEARS. HOW PATIENT DOES ONE NEED TO BE ? I BELIEVE A CIVIL SUIT IS IN ORDER HERE. WITH THE TIME AND TRIPS TO THE DEALER FOR THIS AND IT'S STILL NOT HANDLED - SOMEONE WITH SOME AUTHORITY NEEDS TO PRESS THIS ISSUE WITH LEXUS.

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A GX470 LEXUS. THIS VEHICLE ALONG WITH OTHER VEHICLES IS GARAGE KEPT. I DON'T DRIVE SOME OF MY VEHICLES A LOT AS WITH MY GX470 BECAUSE OF THE GAS MILEAGE AND DIFFICULTY IN PARKING VERSES MY C-CLASS MERCEDES BENZ AND OTHER CARS. BUT IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR I NOTICED SEVERE CRACKING IN MY FRONT DASH WHILE TAKING A LONG TRIP. THE CRACKING IS SO SEVERE THAT IT GOES ACROSS THE FRONT DASH WHERE THE PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS ARE LOCATED. THE CRACKING HAS ALSO CAUSED THE SPEAKERS SOUND TO BE DISTORTED. I CONTACTED LEXUS, BUT AT THE TIME I DID NOT KNOW THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF LEXUSES GX470S THAT HAVE THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD SUGGEST IS THAT THOSE LEXUS OWNERS LIKE MYSELF THAT IS GOING TO FILE A LAWSUIT SHOULD GET TOGETHER. MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS: [XXX] I ALSO THINK THAT A WAY TO GET THE ADDITION OF LEXUS AND POTENTIAL LEXUS BUYERS THAT HAVE NO IDEA THAT THIS PROBLEM THAT KIA OWNERS DON'T HAVE TO FACE IS THE PLAN A PROTEST OF LEXUS DEALERSHIPS NATIONWIDE. SATURDAY IS A BIG DAY IN THE CAR BUSINESS; BELIEVE ME I USE TO WORK IN THE INDUSTRY. TO HAVE EVEN JUST THREE TO FOUR PROTESTORS WITH SIGNS WARNING POTENTIAL LEXUS CUSTOMERS OF WHAT LEXUS OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING AND THE FACT THAT LEXUS IS REFUSING TO MAKE THIS RIGHT WILL GET LEXUS ATTENTION. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM BASED ON THE CONSUMER BUT LEXUS AND WHATEVER COMPANY THAT THEY CONTRACTED WITH TO PRODUCE THESE DASH. I AM PERSONALLY GOING TO SUE LEXUS. I WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE MY PLEADINGS WITH ANYONE ELSE, BUT I CANNOT GIVE LEGAL ADVISE OF ANY KIND BECAUSE I AM NOT AN ATTORNEY. PLEADINGS ARE PUBLIC RECORD. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR