NHTSA Complaint #10153318 — 2002 LEXUS ES

THE PLASTIC KEY TO MY 2002 LEXUS ES300 CRACKED DUE TO FAULTY PRODUCT DESIGN AND THE MICROCHIP THAT CONTROLS THE CAR FELL OUT. I DID NOT KNOW THIS HAD HAPPENED AND WAS UNABLE TO START THE CAR. I WAS STRANDED IN A RAIN STORM AND HAD TO CALL LEXUS FOR HELP. SUBSEQUENTLY I USED AN EMERGENCY KEY WHICH WAS IN MY PURSE. EVEN THOUGH THE BREAK OCCURRED BECAUSE OF FAULTY DESIGN, I HAD TO ORDER AND PAY FOR A NEW KEY ($206) BECAUSE MY CAR WAS BEYOND WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD BY THE LEXUS SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THESE KEYS BREAK "MORE OFTEN THAN WE WOULD LIKE ".CLEARLY, THE DESIGN OF THE KEY IS THE PROBLEM. WHEN THE CAR KEY BREAKS THE CAR IS INOPERABLE UNLESS YOU HAVE ANOTHER KEY WITH YOU. THE DEALER HAS TO ORDER A NEW KEY AND CANNOT START YOUR CAR FOR YOU. THIS IS A DANGER TO CONSUMERS AND OWNERS OF THESE CARS. I WAS NEVER ADVISED THAT THE KEY COULD CRACK AND BREAK DUE TO NORMAL USE OR THAT THE CAR WOULD BE INOPERABLE IF THE CHIP FELL OUT. I COMPLAINED TO LEXUS USING THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE ON-LINE WEB SITE. SOMEONE FROM A LOCAL DEALERSHIP CALLED ME AND WAS INDIFFERENT TO THE PROBLEM. I DID NOT ASK FOR MY MONEY BACK FOR THE NEW KEY BUT STRESSED THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO RESOLVE MY DILEMMA WITHOUT INJURY BUT OTHERS MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY. WHEN YOU PAY $40,000 FOR A CAR YOU EXPECT THE KEY TO HOLD UP TO NORMAL USE. I BELIEVE THAT ALL OWNERS OF LEXUS PRODUCTS WITH THIS STYLE KEY SHOULD BE NOTIFIED THAT THIS BREAKAGE MAY OCCUR AND BE ISSUED NEW UNBREAKABLE KEYS .ADDITIONALLY, FROM WHAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME LEXUS KNOWS THIS IS A PROBLEM AND SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A WARNING AND A RECALL. *NM