NHTSA Complaint #10167016 — 2002 LEXUS IS 300

ON 8/28/06, AT APPROXIMATELY 8:50 AM I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON A TWO LANE, LEVEL, STRAIGHT PAVED COUNTY ROAD. I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 LEXUS IS 300 THAT HAD JUST REACHED 26,000 MILES. (THIS CAR HAS RECEIVED ALL REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE SERVICES FROM LEXUS OF RENO AND HAS NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE) THE ROAD WAS CLEAR AND DRY. I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN I ACCELERATED TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE. AS I PASSED, MY CAR KEPT ON ACCELERATING EVEN AS I LET UP ON THE ACCELERATOR. I ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES. THE ENGINE ACCELERATION WAS SO POWERFUL, THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND WELL TO MY ATTEMPT TO BRAKE, SO I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. THE SPEED ON THE DASHBOARD WAS 60 MPH AND ACCELERATING. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AGAIN WITH ALL THE STRENGTH I HAD AND WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR SAFELY OFF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE WAS RACING EVEN WHEN STOPPED. I MOVED THE SHIFT INTO PARK. EVEN IN PARK THE ENGINE WAS RACING. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. MY HUSBAND WAS FOLLOWING ME AND STOPPED. HE DROVE IT 1.5 MILES OUR OFFICE WITHOUT INCIDENT. I THEN CALLED THE RENO, NV LEXUS DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR. THE HEAD OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALLED ME BACK AND SUGGESTED I HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS AWARE OF ANY OTHER RAPID ACCELERATION PROBLEMS WITH THESE VEHICLES AND HE SAID NO. HE SAID THE 4 YEAR WARRANTY WAS UP IN 7/06 AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ANY REPAIRS. THAT AFTERNOON I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE RENO LEXUS DEALERSHIP. ON THE EVENING OF 8/28/06 I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THE NHTSA HAD INVESTIGATED 2002-2003 LEXUS ES 300 MODELS FOR FAULTY THROTTLES THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED RAPID ACCELERATION. SO FAR LEXUS HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED A PROBLEM. I SHARED WITH THE REP WHAT I HAD FOUND ON THE INTERNET RE: PROBLEMS WITH RAPID ACCELERATION AND THAT I WAS NOT PICKING THE CAR UP UNTIL LEXUS REPLACED THE THROTTLE. *JB