1998 LEXUS GS300 Complaints

VEHICLE IN CRUISE CONTROL AND EXPERIENCED SUDDEN SURGE/ACCELERATION WITH NO BRAKES. MJS

ROD BEARING KNOCK FIRST HEARD AT 3300 MILES, DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR STATEING THAT PROBLEM CAN NOT BE DUPLICATED. I HAVE RECORDING OF THE NOISE AND AFFIDAVITS.

1) HEADLIGHTS LEFT "ON" - CAR WAS STOPPED AND KEYS REMOVED FROM IGNITION, HEADLIGHT SWITCH IN AUTO AND ALL DOORS CLOSED. HEADLIGHTS SHOULD HAVE AUTOMATICALLY TURNED OFF AFTER 30+ SECS, HOWEVER, HEADLIGHTS REMAINED ON EVEN AFTER USING REMOTE TO LOCK AND TURN OFF HEADLIGHTS. SOLUTION: OPEN DOOR AND SET HEADLIGHT SWITCH TO OFF. 2) CAR LURCHES - CAR LURCHES FROM STANDING START.

5/13/1999:TOOK CAR IN FOR 10K CHECK-UP. ADVISED DEALER THAT I WAS EXPERIENCING A FRONTEND SHUDDER AT HIGHER SPEEDS OR UPON ACCELERATION. DEALER ROTATED TIRES AND FOUND NO SHUDDER. 5/14/99:AFTER GETTING ON FREEWAY, EXPERIENCED A LOUD HUMMING AND THUMPING NOISE FROM FRON-END AND A VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. BRAKING INCREASED VIBRATION. MY HUSBAND THOUGHT THE LUG NUTS WERE LOOSE ON THE TIRES AND GOT OFF FREEWAY AND CHECKED TIRES (NO PROBLEM FOUND). THE VIBRATION AND NOISE DID NOT ABATE EVEN WHILE SLOWING DOWN TO GET OFF FREEWAY. NOISE AND VIBRATION DISAPPEARED AFTER GETTING BACK ON FREEWAY. 5/15/1999:WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A RESIDENTIAL AREA, EXPERIENCED VIBRATION FROM FRONTEND AGAIN WHILE BRAKING. AFTER STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN, THE SOUND/VIBRATION WENT AWAY. 5/17/1999:RETURNED CAR TO DEALER-ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE BRAKES AND TIRES AGAIN. I INFORMED THEM OF THE PROBLEMS, BUT DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE. TIRES WERE BALANCED. 6/5/1999:I GOT OFF 605 FREEWAY AT FIRESTONE EXIT AND PROCEEDED EAST. I WAS GOING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN ON HOXIE AND WAS IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE. THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED SUDDENLY. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES BUT MY CAR DID NOT STOP AND CONTINUED TO ROLL (I WAS ROLLING FORWARD AT APPROXMATELY 5MPH AT THE TIME). I STOPPED AFTER HITTING THE TRAILER HITCH OF THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME. THE TIME WAS 11:45 AM AND THE ROAD WAS DRY. IT FELT LIKE THE BRAKES NEVER ENGAGED. THE DRIVER OF THE TRUCK CHECKED HIS VEHICLE, BUT FOUND NO DAMAGE. HE DID NOT SPEAK ENGLISH AND SHOOK HIS HEAD WHEN I SHOWED HIM MY LICENSE AND INSURANCE CARD. 6/7/1999: REPORTED ACCIDENT TO MY INSURANCE AGENT. I TOLD HER THAT I WOULD BE TAKING THE CAR TO A BODY SHOP FOR ESTIMATES AND ALSO TO THE DEALER TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. 6/10/1999: TOOK CAR TO LEXUS DEALER. DEALER FOUND LOOSE CONNECTION AT HYDRAULIC ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AT BRAKE BOOSTER VALVE BODY. DEALER STATED THAT MFG. DECLINED TO WARRANTY BUMPER DAMAGE. STEERING WHEEL STILL VIBRATES.

WHILE BRAKING IN A PARKING LOT, IT SEEMED THAT THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM WAS ACTIVATED. WHEN BRAKING VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD UNCONTROLLABLY FOR A COUPLE OF FEET, THEN VEHICLE WOULD STOP. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

AT ABOUT 3:45 PM, I LEFT MY OFFICE IN ROSSLYN TO GET TO A DENTIST APPOINTMENT. I WAS HEADING WEST ON ROUTE 50 IN THE RIGHT LANE, THEN MOVED TO THE CENTER LANE AND FLOORED THE ACCELERATOR TO PASS A SLOW MOVING VEHICLE THAT WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE. AS I PULLED BACK INTO THE RIGHT LANE, THE CAR CONTINUED ACCELERATING. I HOOKED MY TOE UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO SEE IF IT WAS STUCK IN A DOWN POSITION. IT WAS NOT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THROTTLE WAS STUCK, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE UNEXPECTEDLY IN WHICH THE OCCUPANT HAD TO PRESS HARD ON THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER TURNED OFF VEHICLE IN ORDER TO STOP,THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND IT WAS IDLING AT HIGH RPM. TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AGAIN AND RESTARTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS AT NORMAL RPM. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER, HOWEVER DEALER UNABLE TO DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK *SB

AT 45 MPH VEHICLE ACCELERATES WITHOUT CONTROL, HAVE TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL, AND TURN IGNITION OFF. FROM A STOP THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY ACCELERATES WITHOUT DRIVERS CONTROL. FRONT END SHAKES AT 45 MPH AND ABOVE, HAS CRUISE CONTROL.

WHILE PULLING FROM LIGHT AND UPON REACHING 40 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO 60 MPH, DRIVER ALMOST LOST CONTROL. CONSUMER SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND COASTED TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY TO STOP. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK