2001 Lexus Is 300

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LEXUS IS300. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN FROM A SERVICE ROAD ONTO A MAIN HIGHWAY THE CONTACT HAD HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE WAITING TO MAKE A TURN. WHEN THE CONTACT SLOWLY REMOVED HER FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL AND SLIGHTLY DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THERE WAS AN EXTREME INCREASE IN THE ENGINE RPMS. THE ENGINE ROARED LOUDLY AND IT ACCELERATED AT A RAPID RATE OF SPEED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO THE REAR OF A PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE CONTACTS VEHICLE WAS PUSHED BACKWARDS FROM THE IMPACT OF THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE, CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE AGAIN AND DID NOT STOP ACCELERATING. INSTEAD OF ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO PROCEED INTO THE HIGHWAY SHE MADE THE DECISION TO CRASH THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE INTO A CEMENT WALL. THE POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED ACCORDINGLY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED FOR FLOOR MAT ENTRAPMENT BY THE MANUFACTURER BUT SHOWED NO SIGNS OF INTERFERENCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000. UPDATED 5/17/2010 * CN UPDATED 05/20/10.*JB

SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE, I HAVE HAD TWO INCIDENTS, WHICH BOTH OCCURED RANDOMLY WITH NO PRIOR ENGINE PROBLEMS OR INDICATIONS OF ISSUES WITH THE CAR, IN WHICH AS I WAS ACCELERATING, THE GAS PEDAL WOULD CONTINUE TO PRESS DOWN AND PIN ITSELF TO THE FLOOR. BOTH TIMES, THE GAS PEDAL WAS LITERALLY STUCK TO THE FLOOR AND NOT ABLE TO BE LOOSENED. THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURED, I PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND JAMMED ON MY BRAKE PEDAL UNTIL THE GAS PEDAL POPPED BACK UP AFTER ABOUT A MINUTE PINNED TO THE GROUND. THE SECOND TIME, I LUCKILY HAD SOMEONE WITH ME WHO INSTRUCTED ME TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND QUICKLY TURN OFF THE ENGINE ONE CLICK SO THAT I COULD BRAKE AND STEER MYSELF TO SAFETY. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS INJURED IN THESE INCIDENTS, BUT BOTH OCCURENCES COULD HAVE BEEN HORRIBLE ACCIDENTS. THE CAR IS A 2001 LEXUS IS 300. MILEAGE AT TIME OF INCIDENTS: 1ST INCIDENT-ABOUT 65-70,000 MILES 2ND INCIDENT-ABOUT 80-85,000 MILES. BOTH INCIDENTS OCCURED WITHIN ABOUT 2-4 MONTHS OF EACH OTHER AND THE LAST INCIDENT FROM TODAY WOULD HAVE OCCURED ABOUT 1 1/2-3 MONTHS AGO. I HAVE ONLY OWNED THE CAR SINCE OCTOBER 2003. I DO NOT KNOW THE PREVIOUS OWNER OR IF THERE WERE ANY OF THESE INCIDENTS REPORTED BEFORE MY OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE, AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PURCHASED FROM A LEXUS CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE LOT. I DO HAVE A SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT WITH MY LOCAL LEXUS DEALER COMING UP THIS MONTH.

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS WITHIN PRIOR THREE MONTHS OF INCIDENT DATE, WHEN TAPPING ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR BRIEFLY (FRACTION OF A SECOND) AND THEN RELEASING, CARS THROTTLE REMAINED COMPLETELY OPEN (MAXIMUM RPMS) EVEN WITH FOOT OFF OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. CARS THROTTLE SYSTEM EQUIPPED WITH "DRIVE BY WIRE" OR A WIRELESS COMPUTER CONTROLLED THROTTLE. ON PRIOR TWO OCCASIONS, VEHICLE'S IGNITION HAD TO BE SHUT OFF BY REMOVING KEYS FROM IGNITION WHILE DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. ON THIRD OCCASION, DUE TO TRYING TO AVOID OBSTACLES DRIVER HAD NO TIME TO SHUT CAR OFF. CAR STRUCK ROCKS AND VEERED OFF INTO LAKE. CAR TOTALED. *JB