NHTSA Complaint #10080875 — 2004 LEXUS RX330

THE AUTOMOBILE HAS A LATENT DEFECT AND IS INHERENTLY DANGEROUS. IN NOVEMBER 2003, I ATTEMPTED TO BACK UP IN A CROWDED PARKING LOT, AND WHILE IN REVERSE, I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR - THERE WAS A LAG AND THE VEHICLE THEN ACCELERATED BACKWARD VERY RAPIDLY, STRIKING ANOTHER VEHICLE. I ASSUMED THE FAULT WAS MY OWN (SINCE IN MOVING MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR TO THE BRAKE, MY FOOT WAS CAUGHT UNDER THE BRAKE BECAUSE THE PEDALS ARE CLOSE TOGETHER, BUT THAT IS ANOTHER ITEM) AND AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED (APPROXIMATELY $7,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE) I RESUMED DRIVING THE VEHICLE. ON JUNE 29, 2004, AGAIN I WAS ATTEMPTING TO BACK UP AND AGAIN THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE AND AGAIN WHEN I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR, THERE WAS A LAG AND THEN AGAIN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED RAPIDLY BACKWARDS, STRIKING A BUILDING. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE IS OVER $10,000, AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE COST OF THE DAMAGE TO THE BUILDING IS. INTERESTINGLY, AS WELL, IN NEITHER CASE DID THE AIRBAGS DEPLOY. THE SECOND INCIDENT RECEIVED SOME LOCAL PRESS COVERAGE, AND ON JULY 8, 2004 I RECEIVED A CALL FROM A VISITOR TO MASSACHUSETTS FROM FLORIDA WHO HAD HEARD ABOUT THE SECOND INCIDENT AND WHO REPORTED THAT ON JULY 1, 2004 THAT DRIVER WHILE IN A PARKING LOT HAD ALSO HAD SUDDEN RAPID ACCELERATION AND HAD STRUCK A BUILDING, DAMAGING THE DRIVER'S LEXUS RX 330. THAT DRIVER ALSO STATED THAT SHE HAD HEARD OF A THIRD INCIDENT IN MASSACHUSETTS OF A LEXUS RX 330 STRIKING A BUILDING FOLLOWING SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION, COUPLED WITH THE POWER AND TORQUE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE RESULTING SUDDEN ACCELERATION, IS A SERIOUS DEFECT; I WILL NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE AGAIN. THE RESPONSE OF THE LEXUS DEALER WHEN THE INCIDENTS WERE REPORTED TO IT WAS SILENCE. *LA