2008 Lexus Rx Hybrid

2008 LEXUS 400H. WHEN APPROACHING A STOP, AT AN APPROXIMATE 25-35 MPH, ON TYPICALLY CITY STREETS WITH SOMEWHAT UNEVEN SURFACE, WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE CAR WILL LURCH FORWARD MOMENTARILY SHORTLY INTO THE STOP. IT PRODUCES THE SUDDEN ANXIETY FEELING THAT THE CAR WILL NOT STOP AND CAN BE FELT BY DRIVER AND PASSENGERS. IT DOES NOT HAPPEN AT EVERY STOP, JUST NOW AND THEN. THIS HAS OCCURRED SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. WE HAD THE CAR SERVICED SOME TIME BACK TO ADDRESS THE "B" GEAR NOT SLOWING THE CAR ON HILLS. THE "B" GEAR ISSUE WAS RESOLVED DURING THIS SERVICE. INADVERTENTLY THE BREAKING ISSUE SEEMED TO OCCUR LESS FREQUENTLY. SINCE IT HAS BEEN SOME TIME SINCE THE SERVICE, THE BREAKING ISSUES HAS SLOWLY RESURFACED AND WITH A GREATER FREQUENCY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX400. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING INTO A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A WALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPRODUCED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE EXITED THE VEHICLE AND WALKED AROUND IT, SUDDENLY THE WINDOWS AND MOONROOF OPENED. UPDATED 04/05/10.*JB UPDATED 4/30/10 *CN UPDATED 07/09/10.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT ONWS A 2006 LEXUS RX400H. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE AND IT RAPIDLY ACCELERATED WHICH CAUSED THE CONTACT CRASH INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS SUFFERED A FRACTURED A STERNUM AND THE OTHER PASSENGER WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS AND SUFFERED A BROKEN COLLAR BONE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MAJOR BRUISES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK AND CAUSED THE CRASH TO OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE STEPPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN HE DROVE OVER A POT HOLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO RUN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH DIDN'T INDICATE ANY FAILURE CODES. THE CONTACT STATED ALSO FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE TOYOTA DEALER REGARDING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000. UPDATED 3/8/10 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED IT FELT AS THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS ACCELERATING MOMENTARILY AFTER SLOWING DOWN. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM DURING RAINY, SNOWY OR WET ROAD CONDITIONS MORE SO THAN DRY CONDITIONS. UPDATED 03/29/10 UPDATED 05/13/10. *JB

ONGOING SINCE 2008 - PROBLEM WITH BRAKES ON ROUGH OR BUMPY SURFACE. THE CAR SPEEDS UP WHEN APPLYING BREAK. THEY DO NOT CATCH IMMEDIATELY AND HARD PRESSURE IS REQUIRED. REPORTED AND CHECKED BY TO THE DEALER X3 ON 11/25/08, 5/13/09, 2/9/10 - EACH TIME WAS TOLD THE CAR IS BEHAVING NORMALLY AND NOTHING WAS WRONG. MOST SERIOUS INCIDENT - DURING LIGHT SNOW BEGINNING OF JAN 2010, I WAS APPLYING SLOW EVEN PRESSURE AS I WAS COMING TO STOP SIGN - FAMILIAR ROAD SO GOING SLOW - CAR HIT BUMP, GAINED SPEED AND ABS FAILED. SKIDDED UP A SLIGHT INCLINE THROUGH STOP SIGN ALMOST HIT A POLE. BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP AGAIN 2/9 AND CALLED LEXUS 2/8 TO REPORT PROBLEM. TOLD NOTHING WRONG CAR NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. *TR

I OWN A 2008 LEXUS 400H HYBRID PURCHASED AS NEW LAST YEAR. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WE NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES WHEN STOPPING OVER BUMPY SURFACES -- IT WAS ALMOST AS IF THE BRAKE DISENGAGED WHILE TRYING TO STOP. WE BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER, WHO ASSURED US EVERYTHING WAS WORKING PROPERLY. THEY EVEN BROUGHT IN A NATIONAL EXPERT TO EVALUATE AND WE AGAIN WERE TOLD THE CAR WAS WORKING AS IT SHOULD. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT GONE AWAY -- IF ANYTHING IT IS WORSE -- AND IT APPEARS TO BE PRECISELY THE SAME PROBLEM NOW BEING REPORTED WITH THE PRIUS BRAKING SYSTEM. TOYOTA/LEXUS BASICALLY IGNORED US WHEN WE COMPLAINED AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT FIXED. IT IS OF MAJOR CONCERN AND HAS BEEN SINCE WE BOUGHT THE CAR. IT IS A REPLACEMENT FOR A PREVIOUS 400H THAT WAS TOTALED IN AN ACCIDENT, AND THE PREVIOUS CAR DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

WHEN BRAKING, ANY SMALL BUMP, PARTICULARLY ON WET SURFACES, CAUSES BRAKING TO CUT OUT FOR A SECOND OR TWO, AND THE CAR DOES NOT DECELERATE AS FAST. ADDED PRESSURE IS REQUIRED TO ENGAGE THE REGULAR BRAKES TO RESUME THE SAME STOPPING LEVEL. THIS NON-LINEAR STOPPING CHARACTERISTIC CAUSES INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES AND LOSS OF CONTROL IN BRAKING (AT LEAST FOR A SECOND OR TWO). THIS SEEMS TO BE CAUSED BY THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING CUTTING OUT WHEN THE ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM ENGAGES MOMENTARILY. *JB *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. THE VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON IT'S ON AND LUNGE FORWARD WHENEVER THE CONTACT DROVE OVER UNEVEN PAVEMENT AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE MALFUNCTION SHOULD OCCUR WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SWITCHING FROM AN ELECTRICAL ENGINE TO A GASOLINE ENGINE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000.