NHTSA Complaint #10074925 — 2000 LEXUS LS400

THREE EVENTS OCCURRED WHERE MY 2000 LEXUS 400 ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN IN BEGINNING TO START MOVING BY RELEASING MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURED IN CANNON FALLS MN. WE HAD COME TO A STOP AT A STOP LIGHT AND WHEN THE TRAFFIC STARTED MOVING I LIFTED MY TOE FROM THE BRAKE AND THE CAR LEAPED FORWARD --- I IMMEDIATELY SLAMMED ON THE BRAKE AGAIN SINCE MY TOE WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE. IT LURCHED SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN QUITE. I BARELY STOPPED IT BEFORE HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. IT HAPPENED AGAIN THE SAME WAY SEVERAL WEEKS LATER BUT NOT AS VIOLENT. THE THIRD TIME HAPPENED AS I WAS BRINGING MY CAR INTO LEXUS TO DIAGNOSIS THE PROBLEM. THIS TIME IT VIOLENTLY LEAPT FORWARD CAUSING ME TO BRACE MYSELF ON THE STEERING WHEEL TO GET MORE LEVERAGE ON THE BRAKE. IT LURCHED FORWARD WHAT SEEMED TO BE IN JUMPS OF SIX INCHES TO A FOOT WITH ME PUSHING AS HARD AS I COULD ON THE BRAKE. FINALLY I HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. AGAIN I BARELY WAS ABLE TO STOP IT BEFORE HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THIS IS A HIGHLY DANGEROUS CONDITION AND I HAVE TOLD LEXUS I WILL NOT DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN UNTIL IT IS FIXED. LEXUS IS LOOKING AT IT AND SO FAR CLAIMS THAT NOTHING IS WRONG. IE NOTHING CAN BE FOUND WITH THE DIAGNOSTICS. I AM WILLING TO LET NHTSA HAVE THE CAR FOR TESTING IF I CAN GET REPLACEMENT TRANSPORTATION DURING THE TESTING. NORM TALSOE. *AK