NHTSA Complaint #10478899 — 2000 LEXUS GS300

BOUGHT A 2000 CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED IN 2005 FROM LEXUS DEALER. IN 2007 ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET, A DRIVER WAS DRIVING VERY SLOW AND STARTED TO PULL OVER. I QUICKLY WENT AROUND HER TO PASS, AT ABOUT 35 MPH, BUT AFTER RELEASING THE GAS PEDAL, CAR SPED UP INSTEAD. TRIED TO SLOW DOWN WITH THE BRAKES, BUT IT SPED UP MORE. THEN SLAMMED THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH BOTH FEET AND PUT IT ON PARK TO AVOID HITTING STOPPED CARS AHEAD. IT STOPPED IN "PARK" BUT WAS STILL REVVING HIGH. I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS STILL REVVING OVER 6 RPM! I BENT UNDER THE DASH AND TRIED TO LOOSEN THE GAS PEDAL WITH MY HAND THINKING IT WAS STUCK BUT IT WOULDN'T STOP REVVING SO I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. BEFORE TURNING ENGINE ON AGAIN, I MADE SURE NO CARS WERE AHEAD OF ME AND PREPARED TO PUT IT INTO NEUTRAL/PARK IMMEDIATELY THIS TIME. DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. TOOK IT TO LEXUS (SEE INVOICE). THEY COULDN'T REPRODUCE PROBLEM; CLAIMED PEDAL GOT STUCK IN RUBBER FLOOR MAT. I TOLD THEM I PULLED GAS PEDAL WITH MY HAND WHILE THE CAR WAS IN PARK AND REVVING ON ITS OWN, AND PEDAL WAS NOT STUCK MAT. IN 2009 (NOW WITH 117K MILES) ON 60 MPH HIGHWAY WHEN MY DAUGHTER DROVE IT AND FLOORED THE PEDAL TO PASS SOMEONE. AFTER RELEASING PEDAL, IT ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN TO 95 MPH. FORTUNATELY HER LANE WAS EMPTY AS SHE TRIED TO SLOW DOWN WITH THE BRAKES, BUT THIS DIDN'T WORK. THEN SHE STOMPED ON GAS PEDAL TO DISENGAGE IT. AFTER A MINUTE THE ACCELERATION STOPPED. I CALLED DEALER TO REPORT THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID THE GS300 WAS NOT NOTED FOR THIS AND DIDN'T HAVE RECALL. I STILL HAVE CAR BUT NOW NEVER FLOOR THE PEDAL AND I'M ON GUARD TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL. I CANNOT GET RID OF IT BECAUSE I CAN'T SELL IT KNOWING THIS PROBLEM, AND I CANNOT AFFORD ANOTHER CAR. *TR