NHTSA complaint: 2007 LEXUS ES350 — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
MY DAUGHTER AND FRIENDS WERE DRIVING IN MY 2007 LEXUS ES 350 ON A 2 LANE HWY. AS THEY APPROACHED A SPEED ZONE THE DRIVER NOTICED THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT WAS ON WITHOUT BEING ENGAGED. SHE TURNED IT OFF, IT CAME ON AGAIN. SHE TAPPED THE BRAKES TO TURN IT OFF AND THE CAR LURCHED FWD. SHE TRIED TO SLOW THE CAR BUT WHEN SHE BRAKED THE CAR ACCELERATED. SHE CONTINUED TO BRAKE BUT THE CAR KEPT SPEEDING UP. SHE SHIFTED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL BUT THE CAR SPED UP. SHE TRIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, PUSHING THE START/STOP BUTTON, BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT TURN OFF. SHE KEPT REPEATING THESE ACTIONS BUT THE CAR CONTINUED OUT OF CONTROL. THE DRIVER WAS STANDING ON THE BRAKE WITH BOTH FEET TRYING TO STAY ON THE ROAD AS IT APPROACHED SPEEDS OF 90MPH WITH NO BRAKES. AS THEY APPROACHED A 4 WAY STOP THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT DESPERATELY THREW THE CAR INTO PARK AT 90MPH. THE CAR LURCHED AND SKIDDED APPROX 150 FT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE SCENE I CALLED OUR SALESMAN TO INFORM HIM OF THE INCIDENT AND OUR CAR WOULD BE TOWED IN. HE ASKED ME HOW MANY FLOOR MATS I HAD IN THE CAR, AND I TOLD HIM ONLY THE TWO THEY SOLD ME, THE CARPETED ONE AND THE ALL-WEATHER RUBBER MAT. HE TOLD ME THEY HAD JUST ISSUED A RECALL ON THE RUBBER MAT AS IT WAS SLIDING FWD AND JAMMING ACCELERATORS. I CHECKED AND OUR MAT WAS JAMMING THE ACCELERATOR. AFTER MY CAR WAS EXAMINED BY LEXUS FIELD TECH'S THEY DETERMINED THE CAR HAD ACTED AS DESIGNED AND THE EXPENSES FOR A REPLACED TRANSMISSION AND NEW BRAKE
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation