2010 Lexus RX350

I BOUGHT A NEW LEXUS RX 350 IN AUGUST 2010 AND HAD A COLLISION ON THE THIRD DAY DRIVING THE CAR. I WAS AT A PARKING LOT WAITING FOR A PARKING SPACE. THE ENGINE WOULD SHUT DOWN. WHEN I SAW A PARKING SPACE AVAILABLE, I STARTED THE ENGINE BY PRESSING THE ENGINE BUTTON WITHOUT PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL (YOU DON'T NEED TO PRESS THE BRAKE WHEN YOU USE A KEY TO START THE ENGINE). I DID NOT KNOW BY DOING THAT, I ONLY STARTED THE RADIO AND AIR CONDITIONING BUT NOT THE ENGINE ITSELF. I THEN PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND SHIFTED TO THE DRIVING GEAR. AT THAT TIME, ANOTHER CAR WAS PULLING INTO THE PARKING LOT. I WAS GOING TO STOP MY CAR TO WAIT FOR THE OTHER CAR TO PASS BY ME. I PRESSED THE BRAKE BUT THE CAR DID NOT STOP AND KEPT GOING FORWARD BECAUSE THE ROAD IS A LITTLE STEEP. I FELT THAT I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE CAR - BOTH THE BRAKE AND POWER STEERING. MY CAR FINALLY STOPPED AFTER HITTING AN EMBANKMENT IN THE PARKING LOT. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE FRONT BUMPER AND SCRATCHES ON THE SIDE. TOTAL DAMAGE IS MORE THAN $2,000. WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THE RX 350 WAS DESIGNED IN THAT WAY - IF YOU PRESS THE START BUTTON WITHOUT PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE ENGINE WON'T START, BUT YOU ARE ABLE TO SHIFT THE GEAR TO DRIVING IF YOU PRESS THE BRAKE AT THIS TIME. IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKE WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY IF THE ENGINE IS NOT STARTED. *TR

2010 LEXUS RX 350 - I WAS COMPLETELY BLINDED BY BACKLASH WATER, WHICH CAME DIRECTLY FROM THE FRONT WHEEL-WELL, WHILE DRIVING IN VERY HEAVY RAIN ON FOOTHILLS PARKWAY, BOULDER CO. I UNEXPECTEDLY DROVE THROUGH A FLOODED SECTION OF A HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 30 MPH DURING A VERY HEAVY RAIN STORM. IMMEDIATELY ENTERING THE FLOODED AREA, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS COMPLETELY COVERED BY WATER, AND I WAS COMPLETELY BLINDED. IT LOOKED LIKE I WAS UNDERWATER! RATHER THAN WATER EXPELLING TO THE SIDES OF THE CAR, THE WHEEL-WELL REDIRECTED THE WATER BACK ONTO THE CAR IN A WAIVE LIKE MANNER. THE WINDSHIELD CLEARED AFTER THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN TO ABOUT 15/10MPH. I INITIALLY BELIEVED THAT THE WATER CAME FROM THE CAR TO THE RIGHT OF ME. I REALIZED THAT THE WATER CAME FROM MY OWN CAR WHEN I DROVE THE CAR THROUGH ANOTHER FLOODED SECTION OF A STREET AT A SLOWER SPEED. I COULD CLEARLY SEE THAT THE FRONT WHEEL-WELL WAS KICKING WATER BACK ON TO THE HOOD OF THE CAR IN A "WAIVE" LIKE FASHION. WITH A SLIGHT INCREASE IN SPEED, THE RATE OF WATER ON TO THE CAR INCREASED, AND WATER EVENTUALLY COVERED THE HOOD AND THEN THE WINDSHIELD. THE SECTION OF THE HIGHWAY WAS NOT CLOSED, AND OTHER VEHICLES WERE GOING THROUGH THE FLOODED AREA. NO CARS WERE STALLED. THIS WAS THE MOST HELPLESS SITUATION I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN MY 40+ YEARS OF DRIVING! THE CAR WAS A RENTAL LOANER FROM THE DEALER, STEVENSON LEXUS OF LAKEWOOD, COLORADO. *TR

ON 7/29/2010 MY 2010 LEXUS RX 350 EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED EXHILARATION CAUSING A COLLISION WITH A PARKING LOT COLLISION SAFETY POST (METAL PIPE FILLED WITH CONCRETE) CAUSING EXTENSIVE FRONTAL DAMAGE OF THE VEHICLE. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 1245 ON A CLEAR DAY DRY PAVEMENT WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES IN THE PARKING LOT NEAR THE SCENE OF THE COLLISION. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN I WAS PULLING INTO THE A PARKING SPOT MAKING RIGHT HAND TURN. AS I WAS ENTERING THE PARKING SPOT AT APPROXIMATELY 1/2 WAY I TAPPED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO COMPLETE THE PARKING MANEUVER AND THAT IS WHEN THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD WITH A SPEED INDICATIVE OF HARD ACCELERATION COLLIDING WITH THE POST BEFORE I COULD TAKE ANY ACTION TO SLOW OR STOP THE VEHICLE. THE ACCELERATION DETAILED ABOVE HAS HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. WE WERE BOTH PUZZLED BY THE EVENT BUT DECIDED TO DISMISS IT SINCE IT OCCURRED DURING THE NATION WIDE MEDIA BLITZ ABOUT TOYOTA VEHICLES UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, AND REALLY DID NOT WANT TO BUY IN INTO MASS HYSTERIA. HIND SIGHT BEING 20/20 MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE. *TR

10 MONTH OLD 2010 LEXUS RX 350 HAS LOOSE BUMPER ALL THROUGHOUT. POSSIBLE THE VERY BOTTOM GENTLY HIT SOMETHING AND NOW THE ENTIRE BUMPER IS FALLING OFF NOW. BROUGHT IT TO DEALER AND HE SAID IF IT'S HIT IN THE RIGHT SPOT THE PLASTIC BUMPER WILL BE LOOSE, BUT WON'T FALL OFF, HOWEVER IF IMPACT WAS ON ONE SIDE ONLY, WHY IS THE BUMPER COMPLETELY SEPARATED UNDER THE HEADLIGHT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAR AS WELL AND THE GAP IS INCREASING. I LOOKED ONLINE AND MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND IT'S SPECULATED THAT THE BUMPER WAS PUT ON WITH TOO FEW CLIPS TO HOLD IT IN PLACE. BEWARE, THE 2010 LEXUS RX 350 IS POORLY MADE AS A BUMPER SHOULD NOT COME OFF FROM SOMEONE'S KNEE OR LITTLE SCRATCH. AREN'T CARS SUPPOSED TO BE MADE TO WITHSTAND A LITTLE DINGS WITHOUT COMPROMISING AN ENTIRE BUMPER?! *TR

MODEL YEAR 2010 LEXUS RX 350 HAD A SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM WHILE TRYING TO PARK IN A PARKING LOT PARKING PLACE IN EDMOND OKLAHOMA. THE CAR SURGED FORWARD RUNNING OVER THE CURB AND REQUIRED SWERVING TO THE RIGHT ONTO A GRASS MEDIAN BETWEEN THE PARKING LOT AND BUSY FAST MOVING STREET. THE CAR THEN TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AT AN UNCONTROLLABLE SPEED BEFORE SWERVING BACK INTO THE PARKING LOT WHERE THE VEHICLE THEN STOPPED. THE CAR IS ONLY THREE MONTHS OLD AND HAS 2040 MILES. THE LEXUS DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO HISTORY OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION ISSUES WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL CAR. THE CAR IS NOW AT THE DEALERSHIP AWAITING 7- 14 DAYS FOR A LEXUS FACTORY SPECIALIST TO EXAMINE THE CAR. THIS SUDDEN ACCELERATION ISSUE IS NOT MERE PARTS OR INCONVENIENCE ISSUE. THIS WAS A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE AND A POSSIBLE LIFE OR DEATH ISSUE FOR OTHER 2010 LEXUS RX 350 OWNERS. *TR

NAV SYSTEM MANUAL ENTRY IS DISABLED WHEN CAR IS IN MOTION. FORCES USER TO USE VOICE COMMANDS. VOICE RECOGNITION IS POOR - HAS DIFFICULTY IN RECOGNIZING WORDS SUCH AS MONTREAL, OTTAWA. STREET NAMES HAVE TO BE EXACTLY FOR EXAMPLE AVENUE MAIN, IF MAIN IS SAID IT WILL NEVER FIND IT. DOES NOT HAVE THE OPTION OF SELECTING INTERSECTION WHEN DRIVING. ALL THIS MAKE THE NAV SYSTEM A SAFETY HAZARD. DRIVER BECOMES DISTRACTED TRYING TO GET THE ENTRY INTO THE SYSTEM. SLOWS DOWN, DRIFTS IN LANE. THIS IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN ALLOWING THE DRIVER TO ENTER DATA MANUALLY. THERE IS AN AFTER MARKET OVER-RIDE AVAILABLE - WHICH THE SERVICE MANAGER SAYS, IF INSTALLED WILL NOT VOID WARRANTY. BUT FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE, LEXUS SHOULD OFFER A USABLE SYSTEM OR REFUND USERS THEIR MONIES AND DISABLE A DANGEROUS FEATURE. *TR

NAV SYSTEM DOES NOT DISTINGUISH HEIGHT ON HIGHWAYS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS ON ELEVATED HIGHWAYS - AS NAV SYSTEM ASKS DRIVER TO TAKE EXITS THAT DON'T EXIST. AS A RESULT WILL CAUSE A DRIVER TO PANIC - LEADING TO AN ACCIDENT SITUATION. NOWHERE IN THE ADVERTISING DOCUMENTATION DOES IT STATE THAT IT CANNOT DISTINGUISH ELEVATED HIGHWAYS AND SIDE ROADS. LEXUS CHARGES A PREMIUM FOR THIS DEVICE AND IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN TO DRIVERS UNAWARE OF ITS FAULTS. MOREOVER, THERE SHOULD BE A WAY FOR CAR COMPANIES TO BE ACCOUNTABLE ON THE QUALITY OF ELECTRONICS THEY DELIVER. A NOTICE TO ALL OWNERS WITH THE NAV SYSTEM SHOULD BE SENT OUT. CAR DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES NAV SYSTEM DEFICIENCY. NO FIX AVAILABLE. SUBSTANDARD PRODUCT FOR A LEXUS AUTOMOBILE. *TR

NAVIGATION SYSTEM DOES NOT IDENTIFY POI'S SUCH AS GAS STATIONS ALONG ROUTE. THIS IS DANGEROUS AS WHEN THE NAV SYSTEM IS USED AS A PRIMARY INFO SOURCE - LOOKING FOR A GAS STATION, ONE CANNOT BE FOUND. LEAVES USER IN A PANIC STATE - WHICH CAN LEAD TO DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. LEXUS - SOLD AN INTEGRATED NAV SYSTEM - WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE A REFERENCE WHEN TRAVELING. THIS REFERENCE IS UN-RELIABLE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR A FIX AS A SAFETY ISSUE. DISCUSSED THIS WITH SALES PERSON AT DEALER, ACKNOWLEDGED VERBALLY THAT THE NAV SYSTEM HAS PROBLEMS - NO UPGRADES AVAILABLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 LEXUS RX350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOPPED OR SLOWED POSITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD CHANGE GEARS AT RANDOM. THIS FAILURE OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. ON THE LATEST OCCASION, UPON ACCELERATING FROM A SLOWED POSITION, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS LOCATED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT; THE DEALER HAD BEEN UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 7,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 11,000.