2007 LEXUS ES350 Complaints

I HAVE A 2007 LEXUS ES350. WHEN COMING TO A STOP THE VEHICLE SLOWS AND THEN THERE IS A BUMP AS THOUGH THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN HIT IT THE REAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 4 TIMES. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN ACCELERATING THE TRANS WILL SPEED UP CAUSING ME TO HIT THE BRAKES. LEXUS STATED THAT THIS IS NORMAL. I THINK ITS DANGEROUS. *TR

WE BOUGHT A 2007 LEXUS ES350. WHENEVER I WOULD SIT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR WOULD SHOW ON (I'M ABOUT 115 LBS.). DURING THE JULY 4TH WEEKEND THOUGH, WE NOTICED THAT THE SENSOR WAS SHOWING OFF WHILE I WAS SITTING ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE LOCAL LEXUS DEALER BUT WE WERE JUST TOLD THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT AND THAT IT IS WORKING AS DESIGNED. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT THOUSANDS HAVE ALREADY COMPLAINED ABOUT THE FAULTY AIRBAG SENSORS. *TR

I WAS GETTING ON HWY 101 RAMP ON A SATURDAY MORNING AROUND 10:45 AM WHERE TRAFFIC WAS MODERATE, SUDDENLY FELT THE CAR BEGAN ACCELERATING BY ITSELF SO I EASED UP ON THE ACCELERATOR. CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UNCONTROLLABLY ON ITS OWN. I THEN STEPPED HARD ON THE BRAKE BUT THE CAR DIDN'T SLOW DOWN. SAW THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT WAS ON BY ITSELF, TURNED IT OFF BUT THE CAR WAS STILL ACCELERATING. MEANWHILE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 105 MPH .MIRACULOUSLY MANAGED TO MOVE OVER TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT HITTING ANY CARS BUT THE VEHICLE WAS STILL MOVING AT 100+ MPH. FINALLY MY HUSBAND HAD TO FORCE THE GEAR BOX TO PARK AND I APPLIED THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE BEFORE THE VEHICLE FINALLY STARTED TO SLOW DOWN AND EVENTUALLY STOPPED NEAR EXIT #389. IT WAS A 3.5 MILES JOURNEY AT OVER 100 MPH WITH MANY CLOSE CALLS OF SERIOUS ACCIDENTS .VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO LEXUS DEALERSHIP. DEALER LATER INFORMED US THAT THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION WAS CAUSED BY THE ALL WEATHER FLOOR MAT AND THEIR EXPLANATION ON WHY THE BRAKE DID NOT WORK WAS WHEN THE GAS THROTTLE WAS OPEN, THE HORSEPOWER OF THE CAR WAS SO GREAT THAT THE BRAKE WASN'T ABLE TO STOP IT. WE WERE NOT CONVINCED AND DEMAND TO HAVE LEXUS CORPORATION SEND A MASTER TECHNICIAN OR HAVE AN INDEPENDENT AND QUALIFIED TECHNICIAN FOR A FULL AND COMPLETE DIAGNOSIS. REQUEST WAS REFUSED BY THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT MANAGER. BASED ON THEIR COMPUTER DIAGNOSIS, THERE WAS NO ERROR CODE CAME UP AND THEREFORE WE HAVE TO TRUST THEM THAT THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN RESOLVED BY THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FLOOR MAT OUR RESEARCH FOUND THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT MODELS OF VEHICLES OF TOYOTA AND LEXUS. SUSPICION IS THAT THERE IS SOME OTHER BIGGER SAFETY ISSUES BEHIND AND TOYOTA IS USING THE FLOOR MAT ISSUE AS AN EXCUSE TO COVER UP MORE SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. *TR

REPORTED: 27-MAY-2008 (INCIDENCE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND 25 MAY 2008) PROBLEM: RUNAWAY ACCELERATION: EVIDENCE OF MALFUNCTIONING CRUISE CONTROL CAR WAS NEARING END OF 200 MILE TRIP. CRUISE CONTROL HAD BEEN ENGAGED ON AND OFF FOR LAST HOUR. DRIVER STOPPED AT ENTRANCE ONTO OLD-DESIGNED FAST-MOVING HIGHWAY RTE4) WITH OLD-FASHIONED SHORT ACCESS AND NO BREAKDOWN LANES. CRUISE CONTROL GREEN LIGHT ON, BUT SYSTEM SUPPOSEDLY DISENGAGED. CAR BEGAN TO EXHIBIT STRONG ENGINE NOISE AND RUNAWAY ACCELERATION. DRIVER SHUT OFF CRUISE CONTROL, PASSENGER OBSERVED THE LIGHT GO OFF AND THEN BACK ON SEVERAL TIMES. DRIVER FIRMLY STEPPED ON BRAKES. THE BRAKES SMOKED AND SMELLED OF BURNING. WHEN CAR SLOWED DOWN, DRIVER PULLED TO SMALL INDENTATION AT SIDE AND PRESSED IGNITION BUTTON FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. CAR STOPPED WITH JOLT. DRIVER STARTED CAR IN PARK. ENGINE MADE SAME LOUD BLOW-OUT SOUND. RE-SHUT DOWN CAR. DRIVER RESTARTED CAR TO MOVE TO EXIT ABOUT 50 YDS AHEAD. CAR BEGAN RUN-AWAY ACCELERATION AGAIN, DRIVER REPEATED STEPS PUSHING HARD ON BRAKES (SMELL AND SMOKE) AND SHUTTING CAR OFF BY PRESSING IGNITION BUTTON. OFF-DUTY POLICE (CHIEF OF FORCE) SMELLED BRAKES AND SAID LOUD ENGINE NOISE MADE CAR A HAZARD; TOW DRIVER WOULD ALSO TESTIFY TO LOUD ENGINE NOISE WHEN CAR TURNED ON AGAIN TO BE PLACED ON HIS TRUCK. BECAUSE SPILL OF ICE-COFFEE DURING INCIDENT, MATS WERE INSPECTED BY BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER BEFORE CAR WAS TOWED. BOTH NOTED THAT MATS WERE INTACT AND IN THEIR PROPER PLACE. DRIVER NOTED CLIPS WERE IN PLACE. (THE CAR WAS IN COMPLIANCE WITH LEXUS RECALL OF MATS HAVING BEEN SERVICED TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO INCIDENT.) IMPROPER MATS ARE STILL LEXUS' STATED CAUSE; HOWEVER, DRIVER AND PASSENGER SAY THIS IS NOT CASE. CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONING SEEMS LIKELY CAUSE OF RUNAWAY-ACCELERATION. WHILE OUR DEALER IS RESPONSIVE, NATIONAL LEXUS HAS BEEN MOST NEGLECTFUL;AGENT DOES NOT RETURN CALLS; AND THIS IS ALMOST THREE WEEKS AFTER INCIDENT. *TR SEE ALSO 10228954 &10229189 *DSY

ON JUNE 10, 2008 ABOUT 11:00PM, I WAS ON MY WAY FROM INDIANAPOLIS, IN TO COLUMBUS, OH. I WAS USING CRUISE CONTROL AND WENT TO REDUCE MY CRUISE SPEED WITH THE SWITCH ON THE STEERING COLUMN. MY 2007 ES350 IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO ACCELERATE UNDER FULL POWER. I SWITCHED MY CRUISE CONTROL OFF, BUT IT WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. MY SPEED WAS INCREASING STILL. I HIT MY BRAKES AS HARD AS POSSIBLE, BUT THEY WOULD BARELY KEEP THE CAR AT IT'S SPEED ABOVE 80 AS I WAS DODGING TRAFFIC ON I-70 EASTBOUND. AFTER 2 MILES OF TRYING TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR, FULL BRAKES AND MUCH LESS BRAKE PAD FOR THE EXPERIENCE, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO STOP AND THE CRUISE CONTROL DID FINALLY DISENGAGE ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED ' BUT NOT BEFORE. ALL MATS WERE LOCKED IN PLACE WITH CLIPS. NO VEHICLE ERRORS TO REPORT. THIS IS A DEADLY SITUATION. I AM 6'4', 250 LBS AND IT TOOK EVERYTHING I HAD TO STOP THE CAR. HAD THIS BEEN IN A MORE CONGESTED AREA, THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN FAR WORSE. *TR

THIS COMPLAINT IS NOT ABOUT A SPECIFIC 'INCIDENT'. THE COMPLAINT IS THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS SOMETIMES ON AND SOMETIMES OFF WHEN MY WIFE RIDES IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. AS SHE IS ABOUT 110 POUNDS, WE THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE ON ALL THE TIME FOR HER. *TR

IT WASN?T THE MATS!!!! RUNAWAY ACCELERATION IN OUR LEXUS ES 350. DATE OF INCIDENT WAS 05/25/08, MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING AND I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. WE BOTH SURMISED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD APPARENTLY TAKEN OVER THE ENGINE AND CAUSED THE ACCELERATION. (MY CRUISE CONTROL HAD ALWAYS BEEN A FLUKE, ONE WEEK PRIOR I HAD EXPERIENCED AND DISMISSED A BRIEF EPISODE WITH MY CRUISE CONTROL) ONLY GOOD BRAKES AND MY HUSBAND?S SKILL SAVED US FROM A HORRIFIC OUTCOME. I REPORTED THE INCIDENT ON THIS SITE 3/27/08. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO ENGLEWOOD (NJ) LEXUS. YESTERDAY, THE SERVICE MANAGER THERE GAVE CONTRADICTORY EVIDENCE THAT IT WAS THE MATS. SINCE A LARGE ICE-COFFEE SPILLED DURING THE INCIDENT, MY HUSBAND AND I EXAMINED THE MATS TO MOP UP THE SPILL BEFORE THE CAR WAS TOWED AWAY AND SAW THAT THE MATS WERE IN THEIR CORRECT POSITION. IN NO WAY WERE THEY STUFFED UNDER THE BRAKES AND LODGED ON THE ACCELERATOR AS HE STATED AT FIRST. IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE TO ME THAT AN EXTENSIVE EXAMINATION OF THE CRUISE CONTROL MECHANISM HAS NOT PERFORMED. INSKIP LEXUS (RI), WHERE WE BOUGHT THE CAR, HAS AGREED TO HAVE CAR TOWED AND WILL EXAMINE PROBLEM. I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN UNLESS THE PROBLEM IS RESOLVED. THE PROBLEM OF RUNAWAY ACCELERATION HAS BEEN REPORTED IN NUMEROUS CASES ON THIS SITE AND OTHER CONSUMER SITES ABOUT TOYOTA/LEXUS. MANY OWNERS DO NOT AGREE WITH DIAGNOSIS OF MATS BEING THE CULPRIT. ???QUESTION: IS TOYOTA/LEXUS THE NEW AUDI???? *TR [SEE ALSO 10228954 & 10230929]*SMCH

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 LEXUS ES350. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD TO USE THE BRAKES TO HELP STOP THE VEHICLE LONG ENOUGH SO THAT THE VEHICLE COULD BE TURNED OFF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A WEEK BEFORE THE FAILURE THE CRUISE CONTROL MADE A SOUND AS IF THE ENGINE ACCELERATED TOO HARD WHEN ACTIVATED. AS OF MAY 27, 2008, THE DEALER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 13,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 06/25/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONING MAY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. UPDATED06/25/08 SEE ALSO 10230929 & 10229189*DSY

I WAS DRIVING MY 2007 LEXUS ES350 NORTH ON ROUTE 34 IN COLTS NECK, NEW JERSEY. SUDDENLY CAR SPEED INCREASED FROM APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH TO IN EXCESS OF 70MPH. I APPLIED BRAKES AND EMERGENCY BRAKES WHICH DID NOTHING. I SPENT THE NEXT THREE MILES AVOIDING CARS IN MY LANE AND ONCOMING LANES. DURING THIS TIME I ATTEMPTED TO PUT CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND TURN IT OFF. NOTHING HAPPENED. I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO PUT CAR IN REVERSE WHICH SLOWED IT DOWN BUT THEN IT STARTED GOING BACKWARDS. I FINALLY GOT INTO NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO TURN OFF. CAR IS PRESENTLY AT LEXUS DEALER. THEY KEPT ASKING ME ABOUT FLOOR MATS AND THAT THEY WOULD INSPECT THEIR PLACEMENT. I KEEP MATS AT LEAST SIX TO 12 INCHES FROM PEDALS. THERE HAVE 40 SUCH INCIDENTS WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL SINCE IT CAME OUT. LEXUS KEEPS TALKING ABOUT FLOOR MATS, BUT SOME OF THE CARS DID NOT EVEN HAVE FLOOR MATS. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE BEFORE A LOT OF PEOPLE DIE. I WAS VERY LUCKY TO NOT KILL MYSELF AND A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE. *TR

ES 350 2007 LEXUS, PASSING VEHICLE DOING APPROX. 40 MPH IN 55 MPH ZONE, ACCELERATOR STUCK, GAS PEDAL WAS GOING TO FLOOR ON ITS OWN, LOOKED AT SPEEDOMETER WAS AT 85 AND CLIMBING. APPLIED BRAKES AS HARD AS COULD, PULLED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD, PUT IN PARK AND TURNED CAR OFF. CONTINUED ON AFTER GETTING MYSELF SETTLED DOWN. CAR IS NOW IN SHOP AND THEY ARE TALKING FLOOR MATS, DID NOT HAVE THE ALL WEATHER FLOOR MATS IN, CHECKED GAS PEDAL AND SAW NO COMPROMISE FROM FLOOR MAT IN CAR THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS TO HAPPEN. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 3000 MILES. THANKFULLY THERE WERE NO INJURIES, IT WAS 6 AM AND TRAFFIC WAS MINIMAL. *TR