2008 Lexus Rx Hybrid

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)

THE ROAD WAS SNOWY AND SLIPPERY, BUT NOT ICY. WHEN THE VEHICLE ABOUT 50 FEET AHEAD OF ME STOPPED FOR THE TRAFFIC LIGHT, I APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT TO NO EFFECT. MY VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW, AND I DIDN'T HEAR THE NOISE OF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM. I CHOSE TO GO OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A PIPE RAILING RATHER THAN THE TANKER TRUCK THAT WAS STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME. OTHER VEHICLES AT THE SAME LOCATION HAD NO PROBLEM STOPPING. COPIES OF MY CORRESPONDENCE WITH TOYOTA ARE AVAILABLE. TOYOTA ONLY ROAD TESTED THE VEHICLE ON DRY PAVEMENT.

WHILE TURNING INTO PARKING LOT FROM ROAD BUMPED THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE INTO CURB AT APPROX 4 MPH. POWER STEERING IMMEDIATELY CEASED TO FUNCTION. TOLD BY TOYOTA MECHANIC THAT A HIGH VOLTAGE POWER SPIKE DESTROYED THE POWER STEERING COMPUTER. PAID $1050 FOR REPLACEMENT OF POWER STEERING COMPUTER. DOES THIS MEAN A POTHOLE CAN ALSO FRY THE P/S COMPUTER. *TR

I DRIVE A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. I EXPERIENCED A SERIOUS ELECTRIC POWER STEERING FAILURE, WHICH CAUSED ME TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR WHILE DRIVING. ON OCT 15, 2009, I DROVE MY CAR ON THE FREEWAY WITHOUT INCIDENT. LATER THAT DAY, I PARKED MY LEXUS RX VEHICLE, AND IN DOING SO I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT "LOCK' POSITION. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE CAR I MADE A HARD LEFT U-TURN TO EXIT THE PARKING AREA. AS SOON AS I ACCELERATED AND TRIED TO TURN THE WHEEL BACK TOWARDS THE RIGHT TO STEER, I REALIZED MY POWER STEERING HAD FAILED COMPLETELY, AND I COULD BARELY CONTROL THE CAR. AFTER STRUGGLING WITH THE STEERING FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS, I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO PARK THE CAR AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED IN THE EVENING AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSEST LEXUS DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY. THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP REPAIR TECHNICIAN INITIALLY REPORTED THAT "STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT WORK" - "TOWED-IN" - "LIGHT IS ON" "CHECK AND ADVISE". UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION, THE LEXUS REPAIR TECH REPORTED A "CODE C1568 POWER STEERING OPEN CIRCUIT". THE LEXUS DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THIS POWER STEERING PROBLEM WAS "COVERED BY WARRANTY". THE LEXUS REPAIR TEAM INSTALLED A COMPUTER ASSY, POWER STEERING 89650-48010. SUDDENLY, LEXUS REFUSED TO COVER ANY COST TO REPAIR THIS FAILURE BECAUSE THEY CLAIMED THEY HAD DETERMINED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILURE COULD ONLY BE CAUSED BY A COLLISION. I DID NOT HAVE A COLLISION. I WROTE TO TOYOTA OF AMERICA, AND THEY CONFIRMED THIS CONCLUSION TO BE CORRECT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT WHEN SHE TOOK HER FOOTOFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. SHE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES BUT THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON APRIL 16, 2010, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHEN THE DRIVER DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AT 2 MPH. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A CURB AND THEN A TREE. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A HIP INJURY AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 12,000.

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *YEAR: 2008 * MAKE: LEXUS * MODEL: RX400H * COMPONENT: THE HYBRID BRAKING SYSTEMS * VIN: [XXX] * COMPONENT -- THE 2008 LEXUS RX400H HYBRID BRAKING SYSTEMS DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. WHEN THE VEHICLE GOES OVER A SMALL ROAD DEPRESSION OR A SMALL POT HOLE ON ONE SIDE OF THE WHEEL, IT TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL OF THE BRAKE WHILE THE DRIVER'S FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT ALSO BEHAVES THE SAME WAY WHEN THE VEHICLES SLIPS ON THE SNOWY ROAD. IT IS VERY SIMILAR TO TOYOTA PRIUS BRAKING PROBLEMS. I REPORTED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER. THE TOYOTA DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT INTENDED THAT WAY. IF THE VEHICLE IS DRIVING IN A TRAFFIC BUMPER TO BUMPER, IT IS VERY LIKELY TO HIT THE CAR IN THE FRONT REAR END WHEN THE BRAKE SYSTEMS LET GO THE BRAKE WHILE THE OPERATOR IS PRESSING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME AND IT CAN BE DUPLICATED UNDER THE ABOVE CONDITIONS. THEY SHOULD FIX THIS LIKE THEY DO WITH THE PRIUS. *TR