NHTSA Complaint #10408735 — 2006 LEXUS RX HYBRID

THIS POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM INVOLVES HYBRID INVERTERS IN LEXUS HYBRID VEHICLES. THIS PARTICULAR CASE INVOLVES A 2006 LEXUS RX400H VEHICLE WITH ABOUT 109,000 MILES ON IT THAT HAD RECEIVED ALL RECOMMENDED, SCHEDULED, ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. IN THE COURSE OF NORMAL DRIVING, ALL POWER TO PROPEL THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY AND ABRUPTLY VANISHED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE CONCOMITANTLY LOST POWER STEERING AND SKID CONTROL AS EVIDENCED BY NOTICES ON THE DASH. FORTUNATELY IN THIS CASE, MOMENTUM ALLOWED THE VEHICLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CAR WAS PUT IN NEUTRAL AND MANUALLY PUSHED OFF THE ROAD. LATER IT WAS TOWED A GREAT DISTANCE TO THE DEALER, AT CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE, THE DEALER BEING THE ONLY PLACE CAPABLE OF THIS TYPE OF REPAIR. THE DEALER FOUND THE HYBRID INVERTER FAULTY. NO REASON FOR THE FAILURE COULD BE PROVIDED. THE WARRANTY NO LONGER APPLIED THEREFORE THE COST OF REPAIR WAS QUOTED AS AN ASTONISHING $9,000.00 ! TOYOTA EVENTUALLY AGREED TO PAY THE DEALER FOR THE PART, BUT NOT ITS INSTALLATION. THE FAULTY PART WAS NOT RETURNED. SHOULD THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT NOT PROVE ISOLATED, SUCH ABRUPT AND UNCONTROLLED POWER LOSS RENDERS ALL THESE VEHICLES UNTRUSTWORTHY AT MINIMUM, AND RAISES POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC SAFETY CONCERNS DEPENDENT ON CONDITIONS THAT INCLUDE WHERE AND WHEN HYBRID INVERTER FAILURE AND COMPLETE POWER LOSS SUDDENLY OCCURS. *TR