NHTSA complaint: 2011 LEXUS HS 250 HYBRID — STEERING
BRAKE AND STEERING MALFUNCTION. I HAD STOPPED AT A LIGHT ON A CITY STREET WITH NO PROBLEM. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I STARTED OFF AND THERE WAS A VERY SLIGHT CURVE IN THE ROAD. AS I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT, I KEPT GOING TO THE RIGHT. I TRIED TO STEER THE CAR BACK BUT IT CONTINUED TO GO TO THE RIGHT. I HIT THE BRAKES AND I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO BRAKES. THERE WAS A SEMI COMING IN THE RIGHT LANE WHO COULD NOT AVOID HITTING ME. THE IMPACT RESULTED IN ME DOING A 360, JUMPING A CURB AND GOING DOWN INTO A RAVINE. I KEPT HITTING THE BRAKES TRYING TO GET THEM TO ENGAGE AND NOTHING. I SAW A GUARDRAIL COMING UP IN FRONT OF ME AND I TRIED STEERING TO MISS IT BUT I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OF THE CAR. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNING BUT THE TIRES WEREN'T. I HIT THE GUARDRAIL HEAD ON WHICH FINALLY STOPPED THE CAR. A PRIVATE MECHANIC CHECKED THE CAR AND CONFIRMED NO BRAKES OR STEERING, YET THE BRAKE LINE IS IN TACT AND FLUID LEVEL GOOD. THIS HAS TO BE A MECHANICAL/ELECTRONIC MALFUNCTION THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. THERE WAS A BRAKE ISSUE NOTED ON THE 2010 LEXUS HS250 BUT NOTHING NOTED ON THE 2011 I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR HURT A LOT WORSE THAN I WAS. WE WANT ANSWERS AS TO WHAT CAUSED THIS PROBLEM. *TR
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation