2007 LEXUS ES350 Complaints

POWER BRAKES ON MY LEXUS ES350 . WHEN STOPPED THE POWER BRAKE PEDAL WILL GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR BOARD WHEN CONTINUOUS PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL . DUE TO THE FACT THE ELECTRONICS ATTACHED TO THE BRAKE SYSTEM REQUIRE CONTINUOUS PUMPING OF THE BRAKES TO MAINTAIN A FIRM FEELING WHEN MOVING AND STOPPED . ALSO WHEN THE MOTOR IS OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL DOES NOT WORK BUT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE DOES THE LEXUS MECHANIC TOLD ME THIS WAS NORMAL NOT TO WORRY . I TOOK THE CAR TO A VERY COMPETENT AUTO MECHANIC AND HE SUGGESTED I REPORT THIS TO THE NHTSA . I LIVE IN SANTEE WHERE THE POLICE OFFICER AND HIS FAMILY DIED DRIVING A VEHICLE SIMILAR TO MINE . I FIND MYSELF DRIVING MY TRUCK MORE OFTEN NOW. *TR

2007 ES 350 ACCELERATOR DID NOT RETURN TO NORMAL AFTER ACCELERATING. INSTEAD, SLOW AND SLUGGISH PEDAL RETURN WAS EXPERIENCED BY ME AS DRIVER. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND HAD THE LUXURY OF WAITING FOR PEDAL TO RETURN. ONLY HAPPENED ONE TIME; FLOOR MATS WERE IN CAR AT THE TIME BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE THEY HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH EVENT. FLOOR MATS WERE REMOVED WITH RECALL NOTICE IN 2009 *CN

OUT OF NOWHERE THE ES 350 LEXUS ACCELERATED IN REVERSE. I HAD TO PRACTICALLY STAND ON THE BRAKES BOTH FEET WITH ALL MY EFFORT TO STOP THE CAR WHILE THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. IT WOULD NOT GO INTO NEUTRAL OR DRIVE OR PARK OR TURN OFF DESPITE HOLDING THE IGNITION KEY. THE WHOLE INCIDENT LASTED ABOUT A MINUTE OR SO AND SUDDENLY, LIKE A SWITCH WAS HIT, THE ENGINE STOPPED RACING AND THE CAR BECAME IDOL AND NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO ME OR THE CAR OR THE HOUSE. *TR

I RECEIVED A LESS THAN REASSURING ASSESSMENT TODAY OF HOW MY '07 LEXUS ES 350 WAS FIXED AT KEYES LEXUS, VAN NUYS, CA, FOLLOWING A RECALL NOTICE. ALTHOUGH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL HAD BEEN TRIMMED, AND SOUND MATERIAL WAS REMOVED FROM THE DRIVER-SIDE FLOOR MAT AREA, THE PRINCIPAL SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM REMAINED UNSOLVED, ACCORDING TO BILL HORVATH, LEXUS SERVICE REP. BACKGROUND: WHILE TRAVELING WEST ON THE 60 FREEWAY IN MID-DECEMBER MY CAR TOOK OFF LIKE A BAT OUT OF '!@#$% AS I NEARED CHINO AIRPORT, LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES FROM HEMET, WHERE I VISIT MY 95-YEAR OLD MOTHER EACH WEEK. THE CAR'S CRUISE CONTROL HAD BEEN ACTIVATED AND IN USE FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES. MY SPEED WAS SET AT 68 MPH WHEN SUDDENLY THE CAR SIMPLY TOOK OFF, ULTIMATELY REACHING NEARLY 100 MPH. AT THE TIME OF ACCELERATION MY RIGHT FOOT WAS NO WHERE NEAR THE GAS PEDAL OR BRAKE. I REMOVED THE ORIGINAL LEXUS CAR MATS LONG AGO. NEVERTHELESS, IT PROVED TO BE AN UNBELIEVABLE EXPERIENCE AND TERRIFYING RIDE. I SHUT OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL DEVICE, HIT THE BRAKE AS HARD AS A COULD, THREW THE AUTO-GEAR SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. I WASN'T HURT, BUT TERRIFIED BY THE EXPERIENCE. I WILL NOT LET MY WIFE OR DAUGHTER DRIVE THIS DEFECTIVE CAR--EVER! THE LEXUS TECHNICIANS WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE CRUISE-CONTROL INSTANT ACCELERATION PROBLEM, ACCORDING TO HORVATH. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR I TOLD HORVATH THAT I'M ACCEPTING IT UNDER PROTEST AND THAT THE DEALER'S SOLUTION AND FINDINGS TO MY VERY DANGEROUS INCIDENT WERE "INADEQUATE." FOR THE RECORD, THIS REPRESENTS A SINGLE ISOLATED EVENT. I NEVER HAD ANY OTHER ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE. HOWEVER, I NOW FULLY UNDERSTAND HOW EASY IT MIGHT BE TO GET KILLED IN ONE OF THESE SO-CALLED LUXURY CARS. WHAT PISSES ME OFF THE MOST IS THAT TOYOTA HAS KNOW ABOUT THIS SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT FOR THE LAST NINE YEARS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 LEXUS ES350. WHENEVER THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN OR ACCELERATE FROM AFTER STOPPING, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE PARK-NEUTRAL SWITCH; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT IS STILL EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 37000.

VEHICLE: LEXUS ES350 - 2007 PROBLEM: WHEN BACKING UP OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY OR ONTO A BUSY STREET, THE CAR STALLS WHEN SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. THE COMPUTER RESETS ITSELF WHICH COULD BE 5 SECONDS AND THE CAR NEEDS TO BE RESTARTED OR ENOUGH TIME TO BE CRASHED INTO. I HAVE HAD THREE NEAR MISSES AS THE CAR STALLED WHEN BACKED UP ONTO A BUSY ROAD. THE PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED TO BOTH MYSELF AND WIFE, SO IT IS DRIVER INDEPENDENT. THE LEXUS DEALER SAID THERE IS NO FIX. THEY CLAIM THE SOFTWARE IS EITHER A YES OR NO FOR REVERSE OR FORWARD AND THE "ROLL" BETWEEN THE TWO CAN NOT BE INTERPRETED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THIS IS EXTREMELY CONCERNING DUE TO THE NEAR MISS ACCIDENTS. I UNDERSTAND IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE ES AND IS. THE PROBLEM IS VERY INTERMITTENT, BUT HAS OCCURRED 6 TIMES WITHIN MY 3 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. *TR

I BOUGHT A LEXUS ES 350 2007 MODEL (MANUFACTURED BY TOYOTA) IN NOVEMBER 2006 AND FROM THE VERY BEGINNING I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING TO THE DEALERSHIPS ABOUT HOW THE ABS BRAKES ARE VERY SLOW TO RESPOND TO APPLICATION AND HOW THEY DON'T ENGAGE AS HARD AS THEY SHOULD. ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THE DEALERSHIP TESTED THESE AND REPORTED BACK THAT THEY ARE IN CONFORMITY WITH "TOYOTA STANDARDS" FOR ES 350 EVEN THOUGH THE OTHER LEXUS MODELS LIKE RX OR IS HAVE MUCH MORE RESPONSIVE BRAKES (I KNOW THIS BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP GIVES US LOANER CARS DURING SERVICING). THE DEALER ALSO CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS ONLY THE ES 350 MODEL BRAKES THAT WERE SO UNRESPONSIVE. THIS TIME, WHEN I WAS GIVEN A 2010 ES 350 LOANER, I FELT THAT THE BRAKES ON THAT WERE MUCH MUCH BETTER AND WHEN I INQUIRED FROM THE DEALER HE TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE OF THE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS THAT TOYOTA HAD RECEIVED ON THE ES 350 2007-2009 MODELS, THEY HAVE CHANGED THE BRAKES ON THE ES 2010 MODEL TO MAKE THEM MORE RESPONSIVE. WHEN I INQUIRED ABOUT REPAIRING OR REPLACING THE BRAKES ON 2007-2009 MODELS TO MAKE THE SIMILAR TO THE NEW 2010 MODEL BRAKES, HE SAID THAT TOYOTA WAS NOT DOING THAT, AGAIN BECAUSE THEY STILL ARE APPROPRIATE BY "TOYOTA STANDARDS". ON MANY OCCASIONS WHEN I HAVE HAD TO APPLY BRAKES IN AN EMERGENCY, I HAVE FELT VERY UNSAFE AND WANTED BETTER BRAKES BUT WAS RECONCILED DUE TO THE PROMISE OF THE "TOYOTA STANDARD". BUT GIVEN THE PROBLEMS NOW FOUND IN THE ABS BRAKES OF PRIUS AND OTHER CAR MODELS, I REQUEST YOU TO PLEASE ASK TOYOTA TO MAKE THE 2007-2009 MODEL ES CAR BRAKES COMPLIANT WITH THE NEW BRAKES THEY PUT IN THE 2010 ONWARDS ES MODELS TO AVOID ACCIDENTS DUE TO UNRESPONSIVE BRAKES. *TR

REFERENCE: MY 2007 LEXUS ES 350 ON THE RECALL FOR FLOOR MATS AND PEDAL OF THE ACCELERATOR. INCIDENT HAPPENED 2/1/10 12 PM EST PLACE: ASHLAND, OH 44805 BILL HARRIS GM DEALERSHIP I PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT OF THE GM DEALERSHIP AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY LEXUS ES350 (2007)ACCELERATED SO HIGH THAT I THOUGHT IT WOULD GO THROUGH THE PLATE GLASS WINDOW OF THE DEALERSHIP. I STOOD ON THE BRAKES AND GOT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL. IT ROCKED BACK AND FORTH AFTER I PUT IT INTO NEUTRAL WITH PEOPLE WATCHING THIS HAPPEN. THEY THOUGHT THAT I WAS GOING THROUGH THE PLATE GLASS WINDOW INTO THE SHOWROOM. THE WITNESSES AT BILL HARRIS DEALERSHIP, AND OTHER PEOPLE SAW ME AND THE MESS I WAS IN WITH THE LEXUS. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO GERMAIN LEXUS OF EASTON IN COLUMBUS, OH BY LEXUS ,PER SUPERVISOR OF SERVICE SPECIALISTS. SHE TOLD ME TO RENT A VEHICLE AND PAY FOR IT MYSELF UP TO 50.00 PER DAY. IT WILL BE 2 WEEKS UNTIL I GET MY MONEY BACK FOR THE RENTAL,IF I FURNISHED A PROOF OF RENTAL AND SEND IT TO FAX TO HER ATTENTION. I TALKED WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE REP IN SERVICE AT THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP IN COLUMBUS. SHE TOLD ME TO "GET IN LINE SINCE THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE MATS." I DID NOT HAVE THE MATS IN THE CAR. MY HUSBAND, AN AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEER, TOOK THE MATS OUT OF THE CAR WHEN WE GOT THE LETTER FROM LEXUS ABOUT THE MATS AND THE PEDAL ON OUR LEXUS IN WHICH THEY WOULD SEND US ANOTHER LETTER WHEN THE TIME CAME FOR THE FIX IN APRIL 2010!!!! HOW COULD IT BE THE MATS OR THE PEDAL SINCE THERE WERE NOT ANY MATS IN THE CAR. I DID NOT HAVE MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL SINCE I WAS COASTING TO THE PARKING SPOT WHEN THE ENGINE WENT "CRAZY". *TR

2007 LEXUS ES350. COMPLAINED TWICE TO DEALER ABOUT UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION. DEALER INITIALLY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. SECOND TIME THEY INDICATED IT WAS A COMPUTER GLITCH AND "FLASHED" THE SYSTEM. THIS HAS NOT TAKEN CARE OF THE PROBLEM. WAS TOLD TO KEEP COMPLAINING, SO THAT LEXUS WOULD EVENTUALLY FIND A FIX. PROBLEM REMAINS....WHEN YOU APPROACH A RED LIGHT AND BEGIN TO STOP, THEN THE LIGHT CHANGES TO GREEN...WHEN YOU GO TO ACCELERATE, THE TRANSMISSION "JUMPS" AND ACCELERATES UNEXPECTEDLY. I HAVEN'T HAD AN ACCIDENT, BUT AM AFRAID THAT I'LL HIT ANOTHER CAR. THIS IS NOT A ONE TIME OCCURRENCE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 LEXUS ES 350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE FELT A THRUST/SURGING MOTION WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AS IF SOMEONE HIT HER FROM THE REAR. SHE NOTICED THE PROBLEM ABOUT 6 DIFFERENT TIMES. SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE WAS UPGRADED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT NOTICED THE PROBLEM SINCE THE UPGRADE. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 32,800.