NHTSA Complaint #10357175 — 2008 LEXUS LS460

ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2010, WHILE DRIVING MY LEXUS LS460, I WAS SITTING IN TRAFFIC AT A COMPLETE STOP WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. SUDDENLY THE CAR BEGAN REVVING AT A VERY HIGH RATE. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO KEEP MY FOOT FIRMLY DOWN ON THE BRAKE & SHIFT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL SO THAT IT DIDN'T "JUMP" FORWARD AND HIT THE TRUCK THAT WAS STOPPED AHEAD OF ME. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP THAT I PURCHASED MY CAR FROM AND WAS PUT ON THE LINE W/ THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. HE TOLD ME THAT I MUST HAVE HAD MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL. I TOLD HIM THAT THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE SINCE I WAS AT A STOP DIRECTLY BEHIND A STOPPED TRUCK. HE SAID THAT THE BLACK BOXES OF ALL THE CARS THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY COMPLAINED OF THIS PROBLEM HAD BEEN CHECKED AND THAT IT HAD ALL BEEN FOUND TO BE DRIVER ERROR. IT IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT I WAS NOT PUSHING THE ACCELERATOR WHEN THIS HAPPENED, MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, OR I WOULD HAVE SMASHED INTO THE TRUCK THAT WAS LESS THAN 3 FEET AHEAD OF ME. I ATTEMPTED TO SEND A LETTER TO THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ON THAT DATE BUT IT WAS RETURNED TO ME DUE TO NOT HAVING AN AGENCY OR ROOM NUMBER. I AM SIMPLY TRYING TO MAKE BOTH LEXUS AND OTHERS AWARE OF WHAT OCCURRED. *TR