NHTSA Complaint #10173182 — 2005 LEXUS ES

ON JULY 9, 2006 AT 3:30 P.M., I STOPPED AT FISHERS FOODS IN CANTON, OHIO. I PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT FROM THE FRANK RD. SIDE OF FISHERS AND WAS DRIVING SLOWLY WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO ENTER A PARKING SPACE. THE PARKING SPACE WAS LOCATED DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE ENTRANCE AND I TURNED LEFT AND EASED SLOWLY INTO THE SPACE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE BRINGING THE CAR TO A STOP. THE MOMENT I STOPPED, I REACHED OVER TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE CAR ENGINE SURGED ENOUGH TO MOVE MY FRONT WHEELS OVER THE CAR STOP IN AN INSTANT WITH MY FOOT STILL ON THE BRAKE. I WAS TOTALLY SHOCKED. I STILL HAD MY FOOT POSITIONED ON THE BRAKE AND PUSHED DOWN. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND THE BACK TIRES CAME OVER THE CAR STOP. AT THIS POINT, I REMOVED MY FOOT TOTALLY FROM THE BRAKE TO SEE IF THE ENGINE WOULD SLOW DOWN NATURALLY WITHOUT ANY ACTION AT ALL BY ME. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO SURGE JUST AS FAST TOTALLY ON ITS OWN. I TRIED THE BRAKE AGAIN AND THE CAR STILL DID NOT STOP. I LIFTED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE AGAIN AND AT THIS POINT REALIZED I WAS GOING TO GO INTO THE ROAD. I LOOKED TO THE LEFT AND SAW A CAR COMING DOWN THE ROAD A FAIR DISTANCE AWAY. I THEN LOOKED TO THE RIGHT AND SAW A SILVER TOYOTA WITH A LADY DRIVING IT. I KNEW I WAS GOING TO HIT HER. THE COLLISION HAPPENED AND I PUT THE BRAKE ON AGAIN AND THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED. THE POLICE CITED ME FOR FAILURE TO CONTROL. AS I WAS WAITING FOR MY HUSBAND TO PICK ME UP AFTER THE ACCIDENT, HE CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT HE HAD TALKED TO MY BROTHER AND THAT WHILE MY BROTHER WAS WORKING AT LEXUS, ANOTHER LADY HAD A SIMILAR ACCIDENT, ONLY HERS HAPPENED WHEN SHE WAS PULLING INTO HER GARAGE AND HER ENGINE SURGED AND HER CAR RAN INTO THE GARAGE DOOR. I THOUGHT THIS WAS KIND OF A BIG COINCIDENCE AND I DECIDED TO LOOK INTO IT FURTHER ON THE INTERNET WHEN I GOT HOME. THE INFORMATION I FOUND OUT ABOUT WAS SHOCKING, UNBELIEVABLE, AND ALSO MADE ME VERY ANGRY. THE COMPLAINTS ARE STILL BEING MADE ON AN ONGOING BASIS. *JB