2007 LEXUS ES350 Complaints

THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL OUT FOR THE 2007 LEXUS ES 350 IN RESPECT TO ALL WEATHER FLOOR MATS POTENTIALLY CAUSING A JAMMED ACCELERATOR (NHTSA ACTION # EA07010). THE RECALL WAS INITIATED IN SEPT. 2007. THE LAST REPORT FILED BY LEXUS WITH YOUR OFFICE INDICATED THAT THERE WERE OVER 32,000 OWNERS OUT OF 55,000 THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT. MY VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR SERVICING AT THE LOCAL LEXUS DEALER BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER IN AUG. 2008 AND THE DEFECTIVE MAT WAS IN PLACE. WHEN I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THIS SAME DEALER TO HAVE MY NAME INDICATED AS THE OWNER OF RECORD. I SPECIFICALLY ASKED IF I HAD TO DO ANYTHING ELSE FOR RECALL NOTIFICATION ETC. AND WAS TOLD NO. LAST WEEK MY WIFE EXPERIENCED THE JAMMED ACCELERATOR DUE TO THE FAULTY MAT AND WAS EXTREMELY FORTUNATE THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO BRING A RUNAWAY VEHICLE DOING 80 OR 90 MPH TO A STOP WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. I CALLED THE LEXUS DEALER IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INCIDENT AND WAS TOLD ABOUT THE MAT PROBLEM BUT NOT ABOUT A RECALL. I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL FROM YOUR WEBSITE. I ALSO WENT TO THE NATIONAL WEBSITE FOR LEXUS AND FOUND THAT I WAS NOT REGISTERED AS THE OWNER AND SO I REGISTERED. I LATER CALLED THE LOCAL LEXUS DEALER TO SEE ABOUT THE RECALL AND THE PERSON SAID" YOU ARE LISTED IN THE NATIONAL LIST, I AM SURPRISED SOME ONE TOOK THE TIME". (IN REALITY THAT SOMEONE WAS ME , NOT ANYONE AT THE DEALERSHIP) MY PROBLEM WITH THE MAT HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF BY THE LOCAL DEALER AFTER I ASKED ABOUT THE RECALL, BUT THIS ISN'T MUCH HELP TO ALL THE OTHERS OUT THERE DRIVING AROUND WITH THESE FAULTY MATS. ACCORDING TO YOUR WEBSITE, ONE PERSON HAS DIED AND SEVERAL HAVE BEEN INJURED....... SO FAR. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2007 LEXUS ES 350 WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE HEADING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION LOST CONTROL, CROSSED A MEDIAN DIVIDE, GOT AIRBORNE, AND HIT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE QUARTER PANEL, HOOD, DRIVERS DOOR AND DRIVERS WINDOW. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED - INCLUDING SIDE AIR BAGS WHICH ARE INSTALLED ON THIS VEHICLE. WE HAVE CONTACTED LEXUS REGARDING WHAT WE BELIEVE IS A FAILURE OF THE AIR BAGS TO PROPERLY DEPLOY BUT AM CURRENTLY RECEIVING 'FORM' RESPONSES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 LEXUS ES350. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE'S SPEED SUDDENLY INCREASED TO 70 MPH. THE CONTACT QUICKLY PULLED OVER TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE COMPUTER DID NOT SHOW ANY FAILURES. THE FAILURE WOULD HAVE TO RECUR IN ORDER FOR A REPAIR TO BE PERFORMED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. UPDATED 03/23/09.*LJ UPDATED 03/23/09. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED SHE COULD SEE HOW THE FLOOR MAP COULD CATCH THE EDGE OF THE PEDAL, BUT DOESN'T BELIEVE THAT WAS THE CASE FOR HER. UPDATED 11/17/09

UPON PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, ENGINE SUDDENLY FLARED UP EXCESSIVELY. BRAKES FAILED, ENGINE START/TURN OFF BUTTON WOULD NOT OPERATE. VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. TO PRECLUDE HITTING TRAFFIC ON A MAJOR STREET, I PUT CAR IN REVERSE. ENGINE CONTINUED TO FLARE EXCESSIVELY. BRAKES STILL WOULD NOT ENGAGE. I COULD NOT CONTROL VEHICLE THUS CRASHED INTO 3 PARKED UNOCCUPIED VEHICLES. *TR

MY LEXUS ES 350 RECENTLY HAD FLARE PROBLEMS WITH MY TRANSMISSION. THERE IS A BULLETIN OUT BY LEXUS WHICH SUGGEST THE CAR'S TRANSMISSION WILL FLARE BETWEEN 3RD AND 4TH GEAR. HOWEVER, WHAT THEY DON'T TELL YOU IS THAT THE CAR'S TRANSMISSION WILL FLARE, BUT IN MY CASE, TAKE OFF ON ITS OWN. IN SHORT, EARLY MORNING I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND MY CAR'S TRANSMISSION FLARED AND SUDDENLY TOOK OFF WITH OUT ME DOING ANYTHING. BASICALLY, I HAD TO PUT BOTH FEET ON MY BREAKS AND STAND ON MY BREAKS TO KEEP THE CAR FROM CRASHING INTO ANOTHER CAR. LUCKILY, I REMEMBERED TO HIT THE OFF BUTTON ON MY CAR TO KEEP IT FROM RAMMING INTO ANOTHER CAR. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKES THIS BEFORE HAVING A CAR SUDDENLY SURGE FORWARD WITH ALL 8000 RPMS BLAZING. MY WIFE WOULD OF NEVER BEEN ABLE TO STOP THIS CAR IF SHE WAS DRIVING. I REPORTED THIS TO MY LEXUS DEALER IN LINDON BUT THEY REFUSED TO WRITE DOWN THE COMPLAINT AFTER FIXING THE TRANSMISSION. BASICALLY, THE LOCAL LEXUS DEALER SAID THEY WOULD NOT WRITE DOWN MY COMPLAINT AND SUGGESTED I CALL LEXUS CORPORATE....WHICH I DID ON FRIDAY. *TR

I HAD GONE THOUGH A TOLL BOOTH AND WAS ACCELERATING AROUND A TRUCK BUT WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OF THE GAS, THE CAR ACCELERATED AND WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WITH ALL MY STRENGTH AND WAS BARELY ABLE TO KEEP THE CAR AT 60 MPH. LUCKILY THERE WAS LIGHT TRAFFIC, BUT THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT I WOULD HAVE HIT MULTIPLE CARS IF THERE HAD BEEN TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND BRAKE TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE WITH THE ENGINE SCREAMING THE WHOLE TIME. TRULY THE MOST TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE. WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO EXPLAINED IT WAS PROBABLY THE FLOOR MAT WHICH HAD NOT BEEN SECURED WHEN THE CAR HAD BEEN SERVICED THE DAY BEFORE. I ALMOST DIED BECAUSE OF A LOOSE FLOOR MAT?!!! *TR

ON SUNDAY AUGUST 31ST, I LEFT A DEPARTMENTAL PICNIC AT A COLLEAGUE'S HOUSE AROUND 8:30 AT NIGHT TO GO HOME TO KENT OHIO. I LEFT EARLY BECAUSE I WANTED TO GET HOME BEFORE IT GETS TO DARK. I ENTERED THE I 76 RAMP AT THE LAKE MILTON/NEWTON FALLS ENTRY. AFTER DRIVING PERHAPS AROUND 35-40 MPH HOUR ON THE RAMP I STARTED TO ACCELERATE TO ENTER THE HIGHWAY. SUDDENLY I FELT THE CAR ACCELERATED BY ITSELF, I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE MAKING THE ASSUMPTION THAT I MAY HAVE STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL TO MUCH. HOWEVER, THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATING REACHING 80-85 MPH. I WAS GETTING CLOSER TO CARS IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAR ACCELERATED VERY FAST AND I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN. THE SPEED CONTINUED TO BE EXCESSIVE IN SPITE OF ME TRYING TO BREAK THE SPEED. I THOUGHT AT FIRST THAT THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK, BUT NOTICED IMMEDIATELY THAT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. I WAS STILL MOVING 80-85 MPH. TRYING TO AVOID CARS IN FRONT OF ME. I PUT MY BREAKDOWN LIGHT ON TO WARN OTHER DRIVERS. I MANAGED TO DRIVE OVER TO THE SHOULDER, TRYING TO AVOID HITTING ANYTHING. I PUT MY FOOT DOWN ON THE BRAKE AND KEPT IT ON THE BRAKE TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE SPEED DOWN TO 40MPH WITH MY FOOT CONTINUOUSLY ON THE BRAKE. I TRIED TO LET MY FOOT GO BUT THE CAR IMMEDIATELY SPEEDED UP AGAIN. I MANAGED TO PUT MY CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND THAN IN PARK, THE CAR SLOWLY CAME TO A HOLD. THE BRAKES SMELLED AND SMOKED. IT WAS GETTING RAPIDLY DARK AND I WAS SCARED AND IN A STATE OF SHOCK, BUT ALSO RELIEVED TO BE ALIVE. AT THAT TIME A STATE TROOPER STOPPED AND I TOLD HIM WHAT HAPPEN. HE CALLED A TOWING TRUCK AND PUT RED FLARES UP TO KEEP ME SAFE ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE DARK. HE POINTED OUT TO ME THAT I WAS ON MILE MARKER 5.3 ON I 76. I HAD TO WAIT ABOUT 30 MINUTES UNTIL THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. THE DRIVER TOLD ME THAT MY BRAKES WERE STILL VERY HOT. *TR

WHILE BACKING OUT OF GARAGE, THE THROTTLE BECAME STUCK UNDER THE FLOOR MATE. THE VEHICLE TRAVELED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED ACROSS A BUSY STREET AND END UP ON A 5FT. SNOW BANK. OTHER THAN A SORE NECK AND BACK THE NEXT MORNING, MEDICAL TREATMENT WAS NOT NECESSARY. THE CAR HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM THE SNOW BANK BY A TOW TRUCK. THERE WAS $1,500 DAMAGE TO THE REAR OF THE CAR AND WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE THAT NOBODY WAS ON THE ROAD AT THE TIME. I HAVE SENT REGISTERED LETTERS TO LEXUS TWICE AND THEY HAVE FAILED TO RESPOND. CAUSE OF THROTTLE UNDER CARPET WAS THAT CARPET HAD BEEN PLACED ON WRONG SIDE BUT CLIPS WERE ENGAGED. OPERATORS MANUAL ONLY MENTIONS THAT FLOOR CLIPS BE ENGAGED, THEY WERE. TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, FLOOR MATE SHOULD NOT BE INTERCHANGEABLE AND FLOOR CLIPS SHOULD BE LOCATED SUCH THAT THEY CANNOT BE ATTACHED TO EITHER SIDE. I WANT LEXUS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND PEOPLE CAN GET SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED. THEIR LACK OF RESPONSE TO MY LETTERS IS IRRESPONSIBLE AND UNACCEPTABLE. *TR

WHILE BACKING OUT OF OUR GARAGE, THE THROTTLE BECAME STUCK IN THE FLOOR MAT. THE VEHICLE TRAVELED ACROSS THE STREET AND WAS STOPPED BY A 5 FOOT SNOW BANK. THERE WAS NO INJURIES BUT THE CAR SUSTANDARD OVER $1,500 DAMAGE. *TR

BLUETOOTH DISCONNECTS ALL THE TIME, APPARENTLY, DUE TO INTERFERENCE FROM OTHER VEHICLES. CONNECT FUNCTION IS DISABLED WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING. THIS MAKES ONE TO USE PHONE HOLDING IT TO THE EAR, CAUSING A RISK OF POLICE PERSECUTION, AS WELL AS SAFETY HAZARD. *TR