NHTSA Complaint #10326861 — 2007 LEXUS LS 460

I ARRIVED HOME AFTER DINNER, DROVE MY 2007 LEXUS LS460 (EQUIPPED WITH KEYLESS IGNITION) INTO MY ATTACHED GARAGE, CLOSED THE GARAGE DOOR AND, LEAVING THE KEY FOB INSIDE THE VEHICLE, I ENTERED MY HOME AND EVENTUALLY WENT TO SLEEP. I WAS AWOKEN AT APPROX. 2:15AM BY A CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM LOCATED IN THE FOYER INSIDE MY HOME ADJACENT TO THE ENTRANCE TO THE GARAGE. I ENTERED THE GARAGE TO DISCOVER THAT THE CAR'S ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING, THE GARAGE FILLED WITH NOXIOUS FUMES, AND THE ENTIRE VEHICLE EXTREMELY HOT TO TOUCH, INSIDE AND OUT. I OPENED THE GARAGE DOOR AND WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND CLEAR OUT THE FUMES. AS I SEE IT, THE FAILURE HERE WAS TWO-FOLD: (1) WHEN I OPENED MY DOOR TO EXIT THE CAR, NO ALARM OR OTHER SOUND ALERTED ME THAT THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING, AS IS THE CASE WITH IGNITIONS REQUIRING KEYS. THIS IS PARTICULARLY PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE THE CAR'S ENGINE RUNS IN VIRTUAL SILENCE; AND (2) EVEN AFTER THE CAR WAS UNWITTINGLY LEFT IDLING WHILE IN PARK, THE ENGINE DID NOT CUT OFF AFTER SOME PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME. I SPOKE TO MY LOCAL LEXUS DEALER, WHO SUGGESTED THAT I CONTACT LEXUS USA DIRECTLY. AT THE DEALER'S SUGGESTION, I WROTE TWO LETTERS (9/29 AND 10/20/09) TO A MR. MARK TEMPLIN, VICE PRESIDENT, IN TORRANCE, CA. I RECEIVED NO REPLY IN WRITING. I DID GET A CALL FROM A DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIVE OF LEXUS (MR. TEMPLIN, I WAS TOLD, WAS UNAVAILABLE), WHO INFORMED ME THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE ENGINE TO BE KEPT RUNNING UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES I DESCRIBED. AT THAT POINT, AFTER BEING TOLD BY LEXUS THAT THEY SEE NO PROBLEMS WITH THEIR KEYLESS IGNITION SYSTEM, I ELECTED TO TAKE ANOTHER APPROACH AND CONTACT NHTSA. BECAUSE LEXUS TOLD ME THAT THE INCIDENT COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED AS I DESCRIBE IT, LEXUS HAS TAKEN NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS INCIDENT WHICH NEARLY KILLED ME AND WHICH COULD KILL OTHERS, AND OFFERS NO SOLUTIONS OR FIXES TO THIS PROBLEM. *TR