NHTSA Complaint #10367888 — 2010 LEXUS RX

I WAS DRIVING MY NEW LEXUS 450H (2,000 MILES) IN A FRESH LIGHT SNOW (1.5 TO 2 INCHES) IN INCLINE VILLAGE NV AT 25 MILES PER HOUR ON A SLIGHT DECLINE WHEN I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW DOWN FOR A CURVE A FEW HUNDRED FEET AWAY. IT LOCKED THE WHEELS IMMEDIATELY AND AS A RESULT I HAD NO STEERING CONTROL. GIVEN THAT I HAD ENOUGH TIME TO GET MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE BEFORE HAVING TO MAKE TURN AHEAD, I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE (I HAVE BEEN DRIVING IN SNOW MY WHOLE LIFE SINCE I WAS RAISED IN CANADA) AND IT HAD NO EFFECT -- THE WHEELS REMAINED LOCKED AS I GAINED NO CONTROL OF STEERING AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SLIDE UNTIL IT HIT THE GUARD RAIL ACROSS THE STREET AS I ENTERED THE TURN AT SOME 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR. I AM CONVINCED THAT THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE 450H TRYING TO GENERATE POWER WHENEVER THE GAS PEDAL IS NOT DEPRESSED -- THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN MY FORMER LEXUS 400H WHICH ONLY TRIED TO GENERATE POWER WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED (I KNOW ABOUT THE NEW LOGIC BECAUSE THE POWER GAUGE (THAT SHOWS WHETHER THE BATTERIES ARE CHARGING OR DISCHARGING) SHOWS CHARGING WHENEVER ONE'S FOOT IS TAKEN OFF THE GAS PEDAL ON THE 450H, NOT ON THE 400H). NEEDLESS TO SAY, I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE LOCAL LEXUS DEALER AND TRADED THE VEHICLE FOR AN RX350 THAT WILL DRIVE LIKE A NORMAL CAR. I AM ONLY INTERESTED IN HAVING PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN HILLY SNOW CONDITIONS AVOID BUYING THE RX450H AS THEY WILL NECESSARILY HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE. I DO NOT HAVE VIN AT THIS TIME AS I AM AT MY SECOND HOME IN CALIFORNIA AT THIS TIME. *TR