2012 LEXUS RX Complaints

ON 6/25/2012- AT 7:10 AM, I WAS PULLING INTO THE PARKING SPOT FOR MY VEHICLE IN MY HOSPITAL PARKING LOT FOR A SCHEDULED SURGICAL CASE, WHERE I WORK AS AN OB/GYN PHYSICIAN/SURGEON . AS I TURNED TO THE PARKING SPOT AT THE USUAL, APPROXIMATELY 2-4 MILES /HR SPEED ( THE SPEED AT WHICH NORMALLY ONE PARKS THE CAR), I NOTICED THAT MY ACCELERATOR PEDAL DID NOT BOUNCE BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION AS IT NORMALLY SHOULD OR WOULD. THEN MY RT FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKES TO JUST STOP THE VEHICLE IN MY PARKING SPOT. THEN JUST INSTANTLY THE VEHICLE HAD INCREASED SPEED AND BEFORE I COULD STOP THE VEHICLE, IT RAN FORWARD UNCONTROLLABLY AND CLIMBED UP THE CEMENT PATHWAY AND HIT THE TREE JUST IN FRONT OF THAT PARKING SPOT. I WAS PRESSING ON THE BRAKES AND IT DID NOT STOP THE ENGINE RAVING AND I STOPPED THE ENGINE BY TURNING IT OFF. THE FRONT OF THE CAR IS SEVERELY DAMAGED INCLUDING BENT FRAME AND THE ENGINE IS PUSHED INSIDE ACCORDING TO THE BODY SHOP. I FELT I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND IT RAN ON ITS OWN. IT WAS THE SCARIEST FEELING. IMAGINE THE DAMAGE AND CASUALTY IT COULD HAVE CAUSED IF IT HAPPENED AT THE SIGNAL CROSSING. *TR

THE CAR, A 2012 LEXUS RX350, WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM A CALIFORNIA LEXUS DEALER ON JANUARY 30, 2012. THE PROBLEM, WHICH MANIFESTS EVERY TWO OR THREE DAYS, IS A DELAY OF SEVERAL SECONDS BETWEEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND ACTUAL ACCELERATION OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN ACCELERATION EVENTUALLY OCCURS, IT DOES SO WITH A SURGE OR JOLT. THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED IN A VARIETY OF CIRCUMSTANCES. SEVERAL TIMES I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO ACCELERATE SAFELY FROM A FREEWAY ON-RAMP INTO FASTER-MOVING FREEWAY TRAFFIC. ON AT LEAST TWO OTHER OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE HAS FAILED TO ACCELERATE AS I DROVE UP A HILL. MOST RECENTLY, AS I BEGAN A LEFT TURN FROM A STOPPED POSITION, THE DELAY IN ACCELERATION NEARLY RESULTED IN MY BEING BROADSIDED. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TWICE TO AN AUTHORIZED LEXUS DEALER. ON BOTH OCCASIONS I WAS ADVISED THAT BECAUSE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM DURING A SHORT DRIVE, THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I RAISED WITH THE TECHNICIAN THE FACT THAT THERE WERE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THE VERY SAME PROBLEM. HE SAID THAT THE ISSUE, WHICH APPARENTLY RELATES TO THE POWERTRAIN, HAD BEEN ADDRESSED WITH RESPECT TO EARLIER LEXUS MODELS BUT HAD BEEN "FIXED" FOR SUBSEQUENT MODELS THROUGH REDESIGN OF THE POWERTRAIN. *TR

I WAS TOLD THAT A CIRCUT BREAKER FAILED UNDER THE DASH ,AS TO THE CAUSE. I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW AND HAD SOME STRANGE ELECTRIAL ISSUES. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 LEXUS RX350. THE CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ABNORMALLY DEPRESSED INTO THE FLOORBOARD AND THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC BUT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A FAILURE CODE. THE DEALER THEN ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT AIR HAD ENTERED THE BRAKE LINE AND CAUSED THE BRAKE TO BECOME SPONGY. THE DEALER REMOVED THE AIR FROM THE BRAKES. THE CONTACT DID NOT FEEL SAFE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. UPDATED 06/05/12*LJ UPDATED 6/6/12 *SD

I BOUGHT THE NEW CAR FROM A LEXUS DEALER IN NJ ON SATURDAY 12/03/2011. RIGHT AFTER THE CAR WAS DELIVERED TO ME AND AS I DROVE THE CAR OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP, I NOTICED THAT RPM SURGED WHENEVER GEAR UPSHIFTED SPECIALLY IN 15-40 MPH RANGE. MY WIFE ALSO NOTICED THE SAME ISSUE. WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER ON FOLLOWING FRIDAY, 12/9/2011, AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM. WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, IT HAD ~340 MILES ON IT. ONE MECHANIC AT THE DEALER ROAD TESTED THE CAR WITH ME AND NOTICED THE SAME ISSUE. WE LEFT THE CAR AT THE DEALER ON THAT DAY. ON FOLLOWING MONDAY AFTERNOON (12/12/2011), THE DEALER CALLED AND SAID THE TRANSMISSION IS FAILED AND HAS TO BE REPLACED. WE HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE CAR AND RESULTING SAFETY ISSUE: POWER TRAIN IS THE MAIN COMPONENT OF A CAR THAT HAS DIRECT IMPLICATION ON A CAR'S SAFETY. THIS CAR WAS A DEFECT EVEN BEFORE IT WAS DELIVERED TO ME. I ALSO HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE RIGOR OF LEXUS NEW CAR INSPECTION PROCESS BEFORE CUSTOMER DELIVERY. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THIS KIND OF POWER TRAIN ISSUE CAN LEAD TO A MORE SERIOUS SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM THAT CAUSES DISASTROUS ACCIDENTS. WITH THIS DEFECTED CAR, WE MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT RIGHT AFTER DELIVERY DUE TO POWER TRAIN FAILURE. *TR