NHTSA Complaint #10174421 — 2004 LEXUS ES

THE VEHICLE SKID CONTROL (VSC) ON MY 2004 ES 330 ENGAGES ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS MAKING THE VEHICLE UNPREDICTABLE AND UNSAFE. WHEN THE VSC ENGAGES THE COMPUTER TAKES OVER CONTROL OF THE ACCELERATION AND BREAKING SYSTEMS. ITS PRIMARY GOAL IS TO KEEP THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT. WHEN THE SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS AND ENGAGES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN A NORMAL TURN OR CURVE THE VSC COMPUTER WILL TAKE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND FORCE IT TO TRAVEL IN WHAT IT BELIEVES IS A STRAIGHT LINE, PLACING THE DRIVER, OCCUPANTS, AND NEARBY VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS IN JEOPARDY. BEING FORCED TO DRIVE IN A STRAIGHT LINE PREVENTS THE DRIVER FROM COMPLETING A CURVE OR TURN AND FORCES THE VEHICLE TO CONTINUE ACROSS TRAFFIC LANES AND OFF THE ROAD. WHEN THE VSC ENGAGES DUE TO A MALFUNCTION, THE VEHICLE IS A SERIOUS HAZARD. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME 4 TIMES, TWICE WITH MY FAMILY IN THE VEHICLE. I HAVE LEFT THE VEHICLE WITH THE DEALER, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND ARE UNWILLING TO REPLACE ANY PARTS UNLESS THERE IS A CLEAR INDICATION OF A MALFUNCTION. *NM