NHTSA Complaint #10316306 — 2007 LEXUS ES350

I HAD STOPPED FOR GAS MIDPOINT IN A 10 HOUR DRIVE. AFTER COMPLETING MY STOP, I ACCESSED INTERSTATE 40 E FROM THE ENTRANCE RAMP AT WHICH POINT THERE WAS A SUDDEN INDEPENDENT INCREASE SURGE IN SPEED BY THE CAR AND NOT ME. I WOULD LIKEN IT TO THE SURGE ONE EXPERIENCES WHEN THE CAR IS ON AUTO CONTROL AND IT IS ADJUSTING TO GO UP A STEEP INCLINE. I REMEMBER FEELING LIKE THE CAR WAS POSSESSED-IT HAD A MIND OF IT'S OWN. I DID HAVE THE CLEAR ALL WEATHER MATS IN MY CAR, WHICH WAS PURCHASED THROUGH LEXUS. SINCE I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE AND THERE WASN'T A LOT OF TRAFFIC I DIDN'T FEEL PANICKY. I TRIED TAPPING ON THE BRAKE A COUPLE OF TIMES AND THIS DIDN'T SLOW ME DOWN. I REMEMBER LOOKING AT MY CONSOLE TRYING TO SEE WHAT GEAR I WAS IN WHICH WAS INDEED DRIVE AND THEN ATTEMPTING TO LOOK AT THE ACCELERATOR. BECAUSE I'M SHORT, AND MY SEAT IS PRETTY FAR FORWARD IN ORDER FOR MY FEET TO REACH THE ACCELERATOR I DIDN'T HAVE A CLEAR VIEW OF IT. AS QUICKLY AS IT STARTED IT STOPPED WITHOUT ANY HELP FROM ME. I PULLED OVER TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE FLOOR MAT TO SEE IF IT HAD SLID AND IT HAD NOT. THE ALL WEATHER MAT HAS BEEN REMOVED AND LEXUS HAS SHORTENED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AS WELL AS INSTALLED THE NEW OVERRIDE SOFTWARE ON MY CAR. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY FURTHER INCIDENTS OF UNEXPLAINABLE ACCELERATION SINCE THAT ONE INCIDENT. *TR