NHTSA complaint: 2010 LEXUS RX350 — STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE
THE AUTOMATIC LIFTGATE ON THE BACK OF MY NEW LEXUS SUV CRUSHED MY MOTHER AGAINST THE DECK WHILE SHE WAS REACHING IN TO LOAD SOMETHING INTO THE CAR. SHE WAS NEARLY DECAPITATED AND THERE DID NOT SEEM TO BE ANY SAFETY MECHANISM THAT WOULD STOP THE LIFTGATE FROM CLOSING, SUCH AS YOU WOULD FIND ON A GARAGE DOOR. I FRANTICALLY PUSHED THE BUTTON ON THE KEY FOB AND FINALLY THE DOOR STOPPED CLOSING. AT THAT POINT MY MOTHERS NECK WAS PINED AGAINST THE DECK. I HIT THE BUTTON AGAIN AND THANKFULLY IT LIFTED BACK UP. MY MOTHER ENDED UP WITH A WRENCHED NECK AND BAD HEADACHE. WE TESTED IT A FEW MORE TIMES BY HITTING THE BUTTON TO CLOSE THE DOOR AND STICKING OUR ARM UNDER THE DOOR. AGAIN, THE DOOR NEVER SENSED THAT SOMETHING WAS IN THE WAY AND CONTINUED TO CLOSE. I DON'T KNOW IF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM BUT IT SEEMED WORTH REPORTING GIVEN THE SOFTWARE PROBLEMS THAT TOYOTA/LEXUS SEEM TO BE HAVING CURRENTLY. *TR
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation