2011 LEXUS ES Complaints

2011 LEXUS ES350. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE ACCELERATION PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HER HUSBAND MOVED THE GEAR FROM PARK, TO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE SHOT OUT LIKE A ROCKET. THE VEHICLE WENT THROUGH AND BROKE AN IRON GATE, SMASHED SOME ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT, TOOK DOWN A TREE AND ANOTHER ONE FELL ON TOP OF THE VEHICLE CRUSHING AND BREAKING THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW. THE VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED UNDER THE STAIRWAY TO AN UPSTAIRS CONDO WALL. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE VEHICLE WENT AIRBORNE AT SOME POINT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. ALSO, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *JB

VEHICLE DUE FOR REGULAR, PERIODIC SERVICE AT LEXUS OF MANHATTAN. ARRIVED @ 07:00. AT 09:35 SERVICE MANAGER INFORMED US OF SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE ROTORS, BRAKES, AND ALIGNMENT. SAID THEY HAD COMPLETED THE ALIGNMENT AND CAUTIONED THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE TO SUBSEQUENTLY HAVE MAJOR BRAKING SYSTEM REPAIRS. VEHICLE WAS LEASED NEW IN MAY 2011. HAD NEVER EXHIBITED A SINGLE PROBLEM. WAS DRIVEN ~98% HIGHWAYS. ALWAYS GARAGED. NEVER PARKED ON A CITY STREET. THIS LEXUS EITHER IS A "LEMON" OR THE DEALER IS FABRICATING THE TRUTH. PROBLEMS REPORTED TO LEXUS. RESPONSE: "THE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE ARE NOT COVERED AND MUST HAVE RESULTED FROM YOUR MISUSING THE VEHICLE." IN EFFECT, LEXUS IS TAKING THEIR DEALER'S SIDE IN THIS SITUATION LEAVING THE DOOR OPEN TO THIS COMPLAINT TO THE FEDERAL AUTHORITIES. THIS SITUATION IS PURE NONSENSE AND EITHER THE VEHICLE IS A "LEMON" OR THE DEALER WAS "UP-SELLING" AN UNNECESSARY REPAIR. LEXUS HAS REFUSED TO AUTHORIZE THIS VEHICLE BE INSPECTED BY THEIR OWN TECHNICIANS. THUS LEXUS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION (THE PEOPLE WITH WHOM I WAS SPEAKING AT LEXUS) IS PUTTING ITSELF INTO THE POSITION OF ADMITTING THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THEIR VEHICLE BUT THEY WILL NOT EVEN INVESTIGATE THEIR DEALER'S FINDINGS! SOMETHING IS (AGAIN) VERY WRONG WITH THE PEOPLE FROM TOYOTA! *TR

EXTREMELY DANGEROUS RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER GRASPS TOP OF DOOR FRAME TO CLOSE DOOR. DRIVER CLOSES WINDOW BUT IS UNABLE TO STOP WINDOW FROM CLOSING. ONCE IT STARTS IT CAN'T BE STOPPED NOR IS THERE A SAFETY STOP SUCH AS THAT FOUND IN GARAGE OR ELEVATOR DOORS. WINDOW CRUSHES FINGER OF PASSENGER AND FLESH IS TORN. FLESH RETRIEVED AND SEWN IN EMERGENCY ROOM BUT HOSPITAL SURGERY REQUIRED 3 WEEKS LATER ON RIGHT RING FINGER. POTENTIAL DEATH TRAP! IMAGINE IF IT CLOSES ON A CHILD, A DOG, OR OBJECT. *TR

AT APPROXIMATELY 7:23 PM ON JULY 8, 2012, WHILE PARKING IN THE PARKING LOT OF OUR LOCAL CHURCH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE CAR WAS ALMOST AT A COMPLETE STOP, WHEN THIS SUDDEN UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION OCCURRED. AT THAT TIME LOTS OF PEOPLE WERE EXITING THE CHURCH AND WALKING TOWARDS THE PARKING LOT TO GET INTO THEIR CARS, WHILE OTHERS WERE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THEIR VEHICLES WAITING FOR THE NEXT SERVICE TO START. I WAS TERRIFIED SINCE AS HARD AS I PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL, MY CAR CONTINUED ACCELERATING ; IT RAN OVER THE CONCRETE PARKING BUMP, HIT AN ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION, AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP WHEN IT HIT A PARKED SUV ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE PARKING LOT. THE FRONT SECTION OF MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS NOT DRIVABLE. I TOWED THE VEHICLE TO MY HOUSE AND LATER TO THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP FOR AN INSPECTION. AN INSPECTOR FROM LEXUS CORPORATION INSPECTED IT ON JULY 17, 2012. HE CALLED ME THE SAME DAY TO LET ME KNOW THAT THE INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED, HOWEVER HE WOULD NOT DISCLOSE ANY INSPECTION RESULTS, DUE TO LEXUS POLICY. I AM STILL AWAITING A FORMAL RESPONSE FROM LEXUS. *TR

AT APPROXIMATELY 6:30PM, WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN INTO A FRIENDS DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN, AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO THE RIGHT AS IF LOCKED IN TO THE RIGHT HAND POSITION, HIT A TREE AND FINALLY CAME TO A STOP BY HITTING HIGH CONCRETE STEPS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND LATER TO THE BODY SHOP AS THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. DURING THE INTERIM, THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY TOYOTA. POST INVESTIGATION, THE LETTER RECENTLY RECEIVED FROM TOYOTA STATES "DURING THE LIMITED TEST DRIVE ACCELERATING AND BRAKING TESTS WERE CONDUCTED AND THE VEHICLE PERFORMED WITH NO ABNORMALITIES FOUND". THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE PER THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MECHANIC AT THE BODY SHOP, DUE TO THE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND FLUID LEAKAGE. THIS LETTER FROM TOYOTA'S INVESTIGATION IS INCONGRUENT WITH THE FACTS AS I KNOW THEM. AS OF THIS DATE, JUNE 3, 2012, THE VEHICLE IS STILL BEING WORKED ON. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A OWNS A 2011 LEXUS ES350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER EXITED THE VEHICLE AND FORGOT TO SHUT THE IGNITION OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A PUSH TO START AND STOP FEATURE. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN UNTIL A CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR SOUNDED. THE DRIVER SUFFERED CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING AND AS A RESULT, WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL TO TREAT THE CONDITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

AT ABOUT 2:00 PM ON DEC 26, 2011, WHILE PARKING IN A PUBLIC COVERED GARAGE, I TURNED INTO THE PARKING SPACE, POSITIONED MY CAR, AND WAS ABOUT TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE WHEN THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD, HITTING THE CONCRETE WALL IN FRONT OF ME. THE PASSENGER IN MY CAR, MY 21 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, ALSO A LICENSED DRIVER, FELT THE CAR LURCH AND ACCELERATE FORWARD. SINCE I HAD REACHED A GOOD PARKING POSITION, I AM CERTAIN THAT I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. THE INJURY TO MY FOOT, FROM ALL INDICATIONS, SHOWS THAT MY FOOT WAS ON THE BREAK. I HAD IT X-RAYED ON DEC 27 AT A PATIENT FIRST MEDICAL FACILITY AND ALSO WAS SEEN ON DEC 28, BY MY FAMILY PHYSICIAN. HE EXAMINED MY FOOT AND INDICATED THAT MY ANKLE SPRAIN WAS INJURED AS I WAS BRAKING; IT WOULD NOT HAVE SUSTAINED THAT INJURY IF MY ANKLE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE ACCELERATOR. *KB

CAPABILITY OF LEXUS ES 350 YEAR 2007: IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ONE TO BE LOCKED OUT OF ONE'S CAR WITH THE SMART KEY IN THE CABIN OR IN THE TRUNK. IF THE SMART KEY WERE IN THE CABIN, ONE COULD NOT LOCK THE DOORS AND WOULD BE ALERTED WITH LOUD CONTINUOUS SIGNAL. IF THE SMART KEY WERE IN THE TRUNK, ONE COULD NOT LOCK THE TRUNK AND WOULD ALERTED WITH A LOUD CONTINUOUS SIGNAL. THIS CAPABILITY DOES NOT EXIST WITH THE LEXUS ES 350 YEAR 2011: IF ONE LOCKS ALL THE DOORS TO THE CABIN AND THEN ACCIDENTALLY PLACES THE SMART KEY INTO THE TRUNK. THE TRUCK CAN THEN BE LOCKED LEAVING THE DRIVER IN THE COLD WITH NO WAY TO GET BACK INTO CAR. THIS A SAFETY HAZARD. WE WERE NOT ALERTED ABOUT THIS SAFETY HAZARD WHEN WE TRADED IN OUR 2007 LEXUS ES 350 FOR THE 2011 LEXUS ES 350. LEXUS RESPONSE: ONCE WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO A PHONE, LEXUS INDICATED THAT WE MUST HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A LEXUS DEALING!!! RECOMMEND THAT LEXUS FIX THIS SAFETY DEFECT ON LEXUS ES 350 YEAR 2011. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH THE TRAFFIC AT APPROXIMATELY 70MPH, MIDMORNING, WE HEARD A LOUD POP FROM THE CAR. WE SAW NOTHING ON THE ROAD AND NO ONE ELSE TRAVELING AROUND US EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS. WE WERE NOTIFIED BY A CAR TRAVELING NEXT TO US THAT WE WERE LEAKING GAS. WE PROCEEDED OFF THE HIGHWAY AT THE FIRST EXIT AND PULLED INTO A GAS STATION AND SHUT DOWN THE CAR. WITHIN 8-10 MIN, THE ENTIRE TANK OF GAS (WE JUST FILLED THE TANK UP APPROXIMATELY 20 MIN PRIOR) HAD LEAKED ONTO THE GROUND. THE FIRE DEPT WAS CALLED JUST IN CASE THE CAR BLEW UP. THE FIREFIGHTER LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND PUT A PLUG IN THE GAS TANK TO STOP WHAT FUEL WAS LEFT FROM LEAKING OUT THE TANK. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSEST DEALER. THE SERVICEMAN AT THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE CAR HAD A WHOLE IN THE GAS TANK, A DENTED OIL PAN AND A SMALL 2IN GASH IN THE SPARE-TIRE WELL ( THE LATTER TWO WE NEVER VERIFIED). THE VEHICLE, PURCHASED NEW 1 MONTH PRIOR, HAD BEEN DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 600-800 MILES WITHIN A 4 DAY PERIOD. AS THE MAIN DRIVER, I NOTICED THE VEHICLE HAD A SLOW TAKEOFF AND TOOK SEVERAL PUSHES OF THE GAS PEDDLE TO GET MOVING EVENTHOUGH IT IS A 6 CYLINDER VEHICLE. *TR

CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO CHANGES MADE TO 2011 LEXUS ES 350 VEHICLE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED SOMEONE USUALLY DRIVES HER VEHICLE, TO ONE LOCATION, AND LEAVE THE KEYS IN THE CAR, SO SHE CAN PICK IT UP WHEN SHE ARRIVES. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE BEEN INFORMED BY THE DEALER, IT IS NO LONGER AN OPTION TO LEAVE THE KEYS IN THE VEHICLE. *JB