NHTSA Complaint #10325597 — 2007 LEXUS ES350

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) RE: LEXUS ES350, 2007; 16,800 MILES; VIN: [XXX] ON FEBRUARY 2ND, 2010, I WAS DRIVING ABOVE REFERENCED CAR, WITH ONLY ABOUT 16,800 MILES DRIVEN ON IT, BARELY AT 20 MPH ON A SIDE STREET AND OUR LEXUS ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN, BRAKES FAILED AND THE CAR SKIDDED AND HIT THE PAVEMENT OF A SIDEWALK. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LEXUS OF ROCKVILLE (301 762 9009) AND THEY SAID ALTHOUGH MOST REPAIRS ARE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY, A FEW ARE NOT. THEY INITIALLY QUOTED ME MY SHARE OF THE COST TO ABOUT $250 WITH WHICH I AGREED. SUBSEQUENTLY THEY CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT MY BILL WILL BE ABOUT $2300 IN ADDITION TO THE COSTS COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. PLEASE VERIFY THAT THESE COSTS ARE LEGITIMATE AND PLEASE RE-DETERMINE WHY WILL THEY NOT RELEASE MY CAR FOR A SECOND OPINION? BEING IN DOUBT, I ASKED FOR THE CAR BACK FOR TAKING IT TO ANOTHER DEALER, BUT THEY WILL NOT GIVE BACK TO ME MY OWN CAR (THEY SAID DUE TO SAFETY REASONS) AND COERCED ME INTO PAYING A BILL OF $2199.36 (INVOICE #882736), WHICH CONTAINED ALMOST $1800 IN LABOR COST AND THE BALANCE IN PARTS. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS INCIDENCE AND THE ATTACHED INVOICE VERY THOROUGHLY. IT WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN, BRAKES FAILED AND THE CAR SKIDDED AND HIT THE PAVEMENT. IT WAS NONE OF MY FAULT AND THE CAR IS STILL UNDER 7 YEAR WARRANTY. LEXUS SHOULD FULLY AND COMPLETELY REIMBURSE ME FOR REPAIRS AND INJURIES (TO MY RIGHT WRIST). AS A CIVIC AND HUMANITARIAN DUTY, I ALSO URGE YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER A RECALL, SO THAT OTHERS WILL NOT BE INJURED MORE SERIOUSLY. *TR