NHTSA complaint: 2013 LEXUS RX 350 — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICICLE SHOT FORWARD GAINING SPEED WITH BRAKES FULLY APPLIED WHCH DID NOT ENGAGE THE BRAKE OVERRIDE OF ACCELERATION. RAN THROUGH THE GARAGE DOOR GAINING SPEED THEN COLLIDED WITH THE GARAGE BACK WALL. THERE WAS NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE ADJACENT KITCHEN WALL COLLAPSED WHICH MOVED THE REFRIGERATOR FORWARD TRAPPING OUR TWO FRIENDS BETWEEN IT AND THE KITCHEN CABINETS ON THE PARALLEL WALL. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGH THE BLACK BOX INDICATED THE CAR HIT THE GARAGE WALL AT ABOUT 17 MPH. BLACK BOX SHOWED FULL THROTTLE AND TOTAL APPLICATION OF BRAKES. CAR WAS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL AND PRODUCED HORRIFYING RESULTS. ONE OF OUR FRIENDS LAPSED INTO A COMA THAT NIGHT AND WAS TAKEN OFF LIFE SUPPORT A WEEK LATER. THE OTHER FRIEND IS IN REHAB AFTER SUFFERING A BROKEN FEMUR, A BROKEN PELVIS, AND SEVERAL BROKEN RIBS. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN OUR MINDS THAT THE CAR WAS AT FAULT AND HAVE NOTED THAT MANY LEXUS VEHICLES HAVE EXPERIENCED WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED IS SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THE FACT THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND AT A SPEED EXCEEDING THE NHTSA STANDARDS IS ANOTHER SERIOUS ISSUE WITH THE LEXUS. WE ARE HORRIFIED ABOUT THIS EVENT THAT HAS HAD SUCH TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES. PLEASE NOTE THIS OCCURED IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation