2008 LEXUS ES Complaints

ENGINE ICON WARNING ON. CHECK ENGINE. LEXUS REPAIR FOUND DEFECTIVE CAM SHAFT. PARTS REPLACED COUNT WAS 37. *TR

I WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON INTERSTATE 5 IN CALIFORNIA NEAR OCEANSIDE ON MAY 10, 2009 FROM ORANGE COUNTY TOWARDS CARLSBAD, CA. WHEN APPROACHING HIGHWAY 78, I FELT THE VEHICLE INCREASING IN SPEED TO ABOUT 90 MPH, WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. I HAD BEEN ON CRUISE CONTROL AT ABOUT 73 MPH (PROBABLY 68-69 MPH ACTUAL SPEED). I HAD TWO PASSENGERS IN MY CAR. THE FEMALE PASSENGER SCREAMED AT ME TO SLOW DOWN. I WAS UNABLE TO DO SO EVEN AFTER STEPPING FORCEFULLY ON THE BRAKES. ALSO DISENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL, BY PUSHING THE BUTTON ON THE END OF A STEM, SO THAT THE GREEN CRUISE INDICATOR LIGHT DISAPPEARED, SINCE I NOTICED THE CRUISE CONTROL STILL ON EVEN AFTER TOUCHING THE BRAKES ( I ASSUMED FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE THAT SPEED CONTROLS ARE IGNORED WHEN STEPPING ON THE BRAKE) MY COMMANDS TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN WERE INACTIVE, BUT I CONTINUED PUMPING THE BRAKES AND THE OTHER PASSENGER SUGGESTED TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF; SO I PUSHED THE START/KILL BUTTON ON THE DASHBOARD BRIEFLY, BUT DID NOT HEAR OR NOTICED THE ENGINE STOPPING. SOMEHOW, A FEW SECONDS LATER THE CAR FINALLY SLOWED DOWN AND I STEERED THE CAR TO SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOPPED THE CAR TO GET MY BREATH BACK. AFTER A FEW MINUTES I STARTED THE ENGINE AND SHE (THE VEHICLE) RESPONDED NORMAL. AND PROCEEDED ON I-5 TO MY HOME IN CARLSBAD (ABOUT 3-4 MILES) FROM WHERE I FINALLY GOT CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. SO FAR THIS INCIDENCE ONLY OCCURRED ONCE. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER, AFTER HEARING ABOUT A FATAL ACCIDENT CAUSED BY A SIMILAR EVENT ( STUCK ACCELERATOR) WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR CHECKED OUT OK AND COULD NOT REPEAT THIS PROBLEM. PRELIMINARY CAUSE FOR THE FATAL CRASH IN THIS AREA WAS EXPLAINED BY A MAT THAT WAS NOT PROPERLY ANCHORED. I DID HAVE NON-STANDARD MATS IN THE CAR, BUT COULD NOT HAVE CAUSED A STUCK ACCELERATOR DURING MY INCIDENT IN MY OPINION, HOWEVER I HAVE REMOVED THE DRIVER'S SEAT MAT . *TR THE CONSUMER SENT IN PICTURES. UPDATED 11/16/09

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS ES350. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS STRUCK ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE SIDE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED, WHICH SHOULD HAVE ACTIVATED THE AIR BAGS. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A BLACK EYE AND HEAD INJURY DUE TO STRIKING THE EXTERIOR SIDE MIRROR. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SHOP FOR REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,300.

THE "BLUE-TINGED" HIGH INTENSITY LIGHTS ON NEWER, EXPENSIVE CARS ARE A HUGE PROBLEM. I HAVE TO LOOK AWAY WHEN ONE IS COMING AT ME. THE BEAMS ARE EXTREMELY BOTHERSOME. OTHER DRIVERS I HAVE TALKED TO FEEL THE SAME WAY. WHY DO YOU ALLOW THEM ON THE ROAD? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS ES350. WHILE DRIVING ON A DARK ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 30-45 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT PROVIDING THE NORMAL LIGHTING COVERAGE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND INFORMED THEM THAT THE HEADLIGHTS NEEDED ADJUSTING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ADJUSTED CORRECTLY BY THE FACTORY AND NOTHING MORE COULD BE DONE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,612 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 14,000.

ON NOVEMBER 5, 2008 I WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY IN MY 2008 LEXUS ES 350 WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON. I GAVE THE CAR A LITTLE EXTRA GAS TO PASS ANOTHER CAR AND THE CAR JUST TOOK OFF. I TRIED TO DISENGAGE THE ACCELERATOR BY TRYING TO TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH AS WELL AS TAPPING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT IT WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. I TRIED TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE BY PUSHING THE KEYLESS IGNITION BUTTON, BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN OFF. I CHECKED THE FLOOR TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING ON THE ACCELERATOR, AND THERE WASN'T. I THEN PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, BUT WHEN I DID THIS, THE ENGINE SOUNDED AS IF IT WERE GOING TO EXPLODE, SO I PUT IT BACK IN GEAR. BY THIS TIME, I WAS GOING WELL OVER 100 MPH. MY ONLY CHOICE WAS TO STAND ON THE BRAKES. WITHIN SECONDS, THE CAR WAS IN A CLOUD OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE 4 WHEELS/BRAKES. THE CAR BEGAN TO SLOW AS THANKFULLY THE BRAKES WERE STRONGER THAN THE ENGINE WHICH WAS GOING AT ITS MAXIMUM RPM'S. THE CAR WENT OVER A MILE BEFORE FINALLY COMING TO A STOP. I WAS THEN ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND STOP THE ENGINE. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, WHEN I HAD CALMED DOWN A BIT, I STARTED THE ENGINE AGAIN AND IT IMMEDIATELY START RACING AT MAXIMUM RPM'S AGAIN, SO I SHUT IT OFF AND CALLED HENDRICK LEXUS. THEY SENT A TOW TRUCK TO TOW THE CAR IN. WHEN WE GOT TO THE DEALERSHIP, I TOLD THE SERVICE DIRECTOR THAT I WAS LUCKY THAT I WASN'T KILLED AND I DID NOT WANT TO EVER GET IN THAT CAR AGAIN. HE STATED THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE EVENT. LEXUS INVESTIGATED AND SAID THAT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING HEAVY ON THE ACCELERATOR. THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. THE "EXPERTS" THAT LEXUS BROUGHT IN FROM OUT TO DO AN INVESTIGATION NEVER EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I WAS UNABLE TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL DURING THIS LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. AN INTERNET SEARCH HAS DETERMINED THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN 40 CASES OF "RUNAWAY ACCELERATOR" REPORTED TO THE NHTSA ON THE ES350, AND MANY OF THESE INCIDENTS HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS CRASHES AND PERSONAL INJURIES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS ES350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH KEYLESS ENTRY AND A PUSH BUTTON IGNITION. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, SHE PRESSED THE IGNITION BUTTON AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WHILE STILL IN THE DRIVE GEAR. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED WITH THE VEHICLE SHUTTING OFF WHILE IN DRIVE MODE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 4,700. UPDATED 11/07/08 *BF UPDATED 11/07/08. *JB

PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT KEEP SWITCHING FROM ON TO OFF AND OFF TO ON. WE BROUGHT IT IN TWICE INTO LEXUS TO HAVE THEM FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY KEEP SAYING THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I KNOW THEY HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE 2007 LEXUS ES 350. MY 2008 IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. ALL I'M ASKING THEM IS TO HAVE FIX THE PROBLEM, BEFORE ANY ACCIDENT HAPPEN. MY HUSBAND AND I CARPOOL EVERYDAY TO WORK, AND WE ARE SO AFRAID THAT IF THERE IS AN ACCIDENT, THE AIRBAG MIGHT NOT DEPLOY BECAUSE OF THE SENSOR PROBLEM AND TURNING THE AIRBAG OFF. *TR

CONCERN ABOUT VERY BRIGHT WHITE HEAD LAMPS ON SOME NEWER AUTOS. THEY TEND TO BLIND ON COMING DRIVERS BECAUSE OF THEIR BRIGHTNESS. ACCORDING TO DR ISADORE ROSENFELD THEY CAN TRIGGER MIGRAINE HEADACHES. THIS IS A ROAD HAZARD AND CAN LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS ES350. ON MARCH 27, 2008, WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A HIGH PITCHED SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. A SECOND LATER, SHE HEARD A ROARING NOISE LIKE THAT OF A ROCKET SHIP COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN AND STOPPED WHEN IT CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE COLLISION SHOP. THE INSURANCE COMPANY DID NOT PROVIDE A REPORT FOR THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES TO HER LEGS. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,242. CONSUMER SENT IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON 06/26/08. *KB THE REPAIR SHOP STATED THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH WAS THE ELECTRONIC WIRE ACCELERATOR. UPDATED 06/26/08