NHTSA Complaint #10293664 — 2008 LEXUS IS

IN EARLY 02/09 I WAS DRIVING HOME ON INTERSTATE 695 N IN MARYLAND. I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 50 MPH, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO ABOUT 95 MPH THROUGH NO EFFORT OF MY OWN. I DID NOT ENGAGE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO INCREASE THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE. I IMMEDIATELY ENGAGED THE FOOT BRAKE TO DECELERATE AND BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT SLOW. EVENTUALLY AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS I WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE CAR WITH THE BRAKE BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO VIOLENTLY REV. AS I RELEASED THE FOOT BRAKE, THE CAR ONCE AGAIN ACCELERATED WITHOUT ENGAGING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. EVEN AFTER ENGAGING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, THE UNAIDED ACCELERATION AND MY ATTEMPT TO DECELERATE THE CAR CONTINUED. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO SLOW THE CAR ENOUGH TO PULL OUT OF TRAFFIC AND OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND EVENTUALLY STOP THE MOTION OF THE VEHICLE. ALTHOUGH I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV VIOLENTLY, THE BACK TIRES SPUN OUT OF CONTROL AND THE BACK OF THE CAR STARTED TO FISH TAIL. I TRIED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TACTICS TO STOP THE CAR COMPLETELY INCLUDING, ATTEMPTING TO MANUALLY SHIFT GEARS, PUTTING THE CAR IN NEUTRAL ETC. FINALLY, AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES I WAS ABLE TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION AND BRING THE CAR TO A COMPLETE STOP AND THE ORDEAL CAME TO AN END WITHOUT DAMAGING THE CAR AND MORE IMPORTANTLY WITHOUT INJURY TO ME OR OTHERS. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP THAT NIGHT AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO THE SERVICE ORGANIZATION THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE SERVICE TEAM CONDUCTED MULTIPLE DIAGNOSTIC TESTS BUT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE OR EXPLAIN THE CAUSE OF THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION TO MY SATISFACTION. ONE SERVICE REP SUGGESTED THAT THE FLOOR MAT WAS THE CAUSE BUT I HAD CHECKED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ORDEAL THE NIGHT BEFORE TO ENSURE THAT THE FLOOR MAT HAD NOT BECOME LODGED UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. SINCE THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, I DECIDED THAT THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO RETURN THE CAR AND LEASE ANOTHER CAR. *TR