2005 LEXUS LS430 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 LEXUS LS430. THE CONTACT WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN HE ENGAGED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND. WITHIN SECONDS, WITHOUT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED TO 10 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR AND THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE AT LEAST FOUR ADDITIONAL TIMES AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. HE ALSO STATED THE FAILURE HAPPENED WHILE HE WAS DRIVING AND ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON ONE OCCASION WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE BEGAN JERKING ABNORMALLY AT LOW SPEEDS AS IF HE WAS DRIVING WITH THE PARKING BRAKE ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE DEALER AGAIN, WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 22,800. UPDATED 3/14/11 *CN UPDATED 04/28/11

2005 LEXUS LS430. CONSUMER STATES UNINTENDED ACCELERATION *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE APPROACHED HIS PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED EVEN THOUGH HIS FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. FORTUNATELY, A STEEL FENCE STOPPED THE VEHICLE FROM CRASHING INTO THE ADJACENT BUILDING. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED $5,000 IN DAMAGES.*JB UPDATED 05/12/10.*JB

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A LEXUS LS430. WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR, I NOTICED THE BACK END SLID (LIKE THE GX) ESPECIALLY ON A SLICK OR WET PAVEMENT. I WAS TOLD IT WAS MY TIRES. THREE SETS LATER I STILL ENCOUNTER IT. IT WASN'T TILL I READ THE GX ACCOUNTS I REALIZED I SUFFER THE SAME CONDITION. THE CAR WON'T TURN OVER BUT IT DOES SLIDE INTO ANOTHER LANE IF I'M NOT CAREFUL AND START VERY SLOWLY. *TR

ON 10/17/09 AT ABOUT 5:40 PM, AFTER DRINKING A VODKA WITH ICE, MY HUSBAND AND I WENT TO DINNER IN OUR 2005 LS430 LEXUS. WE INTENDED TO GO TO DINNER A RELATIVELY SHORT DISTANCE AWAY. I TURNED ON MILITARY TRAIL, PROCEEDED TO THE LEFT LANE TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND TOWARDS NORTHLAKE BLVD, PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA. AS I APPROACHED A TRAFFIC LIGHT MY LEXUS UNEXPECTEDLY SPED UP. I TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKE. THERE WERE CARS STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME AT THE RED LIGHT. DESPITE MY EFFORTS MY CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I TOOK EVASIVE MANEUVERS TO AVOID THE STOPPED VEHICLES IN FRONT OF ME. THE LEFT TIRES OF MY LEXUS WENT UP ON THE CENTER MEDIAN AND MY CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. I MISSED THE VEHICLES STOPPED AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AND TRAVELING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. MY CAR WOULD NOT STOP ACCELERATING. I STRUCK A CORVETTE STOPPED IN THE LEFT NORTHBOUND LANE OF MILITARY TRAIL. AFTER STRIKING THE CORVETTE, I CONTINUED THROUGH THE SOUTHBOUND LANES UNTIL I INTENTIONALLY DROVE MY CAR INTO A FIRE HYDRANT IN ORDER TO STOP AND AVOID STRIKING GAS PUMPS AT A SHELL STATION. MY HUSBAND AND I WERE INJURED IN THIS CRASH. THE DRIVER OF THE CORVETTE PASSED AWAY. MY LEXUS IS STILL IN POLICE CUSTODY. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME. I WAS CHARGED WITH DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE (MANSLAUGHTER), AND 3 OTHER CHARGES. I AM VIGOROUSLY FIGHTING THOSE CHARGES AS I WAS NOT IMPAIRED AND, AS EVIDENCED BY MY EVASIVE MANEUVERS, HAD CONTROL OF MY CAR. BUT FOR THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION, THIS ACCIDENT AND DEATH WOULD HAVE NOT OCCURRED. IN NOV. 2008, MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE SAME LEXUS AND AS HE PULLED INTO OUR GARAGE THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP AND HIT CABINETS IN OUR GARAGE. LOOKING BACK AND COMPARING WHAT HAPPENED IN MY ACCIDENT ON 10/17/09 IT IS CLEAR THAT MY HUSBANDS EARLIER ACCIDENT WAS THE RESULT OF SOME SORT OF MALFUNCTION OF OUR LEXUS ACCELERATOR SYSTEM. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE AT THAT TIME.UPDATED 04/22/10*BFUPDATED 07/07/10.*JB*CW

ON SEP 17, 2009 AS I LEFT A GAS STATION THE LEXUS LS430 YEAR 2005 ACCELERATED AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO AVOID THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME WAS TO SWERVE TO THE RIGHT AND JAMMED OF THE BRAKE WITH BOTH FEET. UNKNOWINGLY I RAN INTO A TELEPHONE GUY WIRE AND THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS SUPERFICIAL ($3300.00) TO THE RIGHT FRONT LIGHT AND BUMPER. FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT COULD HAVE POSSIBLY GONE WRONG. I NOTICE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL APPEARS TO MOMENTARILY STICK. USAA FIXED THE AUTO AND THOUGH I WONDERED WHAT HAD HAPPENED I DID NOT REPORT THE ACCIDENT UNTIL NOW. *TR

TWO MONTHS AGO I HAD A SUDDEN ACCELERATION EVENT IN MY LEXUS LS430, 2005. I WAS INA MUSEUM PARKING GARAGE, MY WIFE GOT OUT, I NEEDED TO REPOSITION TO NOT BE 'ON THE LINE'. I BACKED UP, PRESSED THE GAS VERY LIGHTLY AND THE CAR ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND WAS ABLE TO HALT IT ONE-TWO INCHES FROM THE WALL. INITIALLY, I BLAMED MYSELF BUT THEN THOUGHT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MY FLOOR MAT AND REMOVED IT. MY WIFE REMAINS TERRIFIED TO THIS DAY. IN ANALYZING THE PROBLEM, THERE WAS A SUDDEN MASSIVE ACCELERATION WHICH I DID NOT CAUSE AND THERE IS NO WAY THE FLOOR MAT COULD HAVE CAUSED SUCH A PROBLEM SINCE I BARELY PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO GO A FEW FEET. I THINK THE PROBLEM IS ELECTRONIC AND AM WORRIED THAT A NEW SPRING ON THE PEDAL IS INSUFFICIENT. I DIDN'T THINK COMPLAINING WOULD DO ME ANY GOOD BUT NOW THAT I UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM IT IS VITAL FOR YOU TO KNOW THAT MY MODEL OF CAR LEXUS 430 LS IS AFFECTED AS WELL. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO APPLY PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE HESITATED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES. THEY DETERMINED IT WAS A DESIGN ISSUE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

NO SPECIFIC EVENT TOOK PLACE FORTUNATELY. AS A RESULT OF THE COMPLAINT I WISH TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION, HOWEVER, SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUES DO RESULT FROM THE PROBLEM! THE "RUN-FLAT" TIRES USED BY LEXUS SC430 ARE A CATASTROPHE. THEY ARE SO FIRM THAT ALL ROAD FORCES ARE TRANSMITTED TO WHEEL RIMS AND TIRE SIDEWALLS WITH THE RESULT THAT WHEEL RIMS ARE EASILY BENT AND TIRE SIDEWALLS ARE DAMAGED. THIS SEVERELY AFFECTS VEHICULAR HANDLING AND MANEUVERABILITY, CREATING DANGEROUS SITUATIONS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, ETC. THE DAMAGE HAS RESULTED FORM ORDINARY AND USUAL ROAD SURFACE IRREGULARITIES AND OCCUR READILY DESPITE CONTINUAL VIGILANCE TO AVOID WINTERTIME POTHOLES AND OTHER PAVEMENT IRREGULARITIES. I HAVE HAD CONTINUING NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE WITH NUMEROUS REPLACEMENTS OF WHEEL AND TIRES, IN SPITE OF LOW MILEAGE AND CAUTIOUS DRIVING HABITS. *NM

THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION IN HER 2005 LEXUS LS 430 WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT . *NM THE CONSUMER DOESN'T THINK THE AIR BAG INFLATED ALL THE WAY BECAUSE HER NOISE HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. HER RIGHT SHIN SMASHED INTO THE DASHBOARD WHICH RESULTED IN A VERY LARGE HEMATOMA ON HER RIGHT SHIN. SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE STEERING COLUMN AND SOON AFTER FLAMES COULD BE SEEN THROUGH THE HEAVY SMOKE. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPT. IT TOOK 6 1/2 DAYS FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE REPAIRED. THE CONSUMER REQUEST THAT THE MANUFACTURER REIMBURSE HER FOR HER MEDICAL BILLS, RENTAL PAYMENTS, LEASE PAYMENTS AND AMOUNT PAID TO LAWYER. *NM UPDATED 05/03/10