NHTSA Complaint #10554667 — 2006 LEXUS IS 350

THE CAR LIKE MANY PUSH BUTTON START CARS REQUIRES THAT YOU STEP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN STARTING, BUT THE CAR WILL NOT START SOMETIMES AND/OR REQUIRES A LOT OF FORCE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO START THE CAR WHICH IS APPARENTLY DUE TO THE BRAKE BOOSTER GOING BAD. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR OR ABOUT 9000 MILES. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LEXUS DEALER AND TOLD THEM WHAT I THOUGHT WAS WRONG BECAUSE IF YOU GOOGLE "LEXUS IS350 BRAKE PEDAL HARD" OR "LEXUS NOT STARTING" YOU WILL SEE THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS SAME EXACT PROBLEM WITH THEIR LEXUS, AND NOT JUST WITH THIS LEXUS MODEL. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THE BRAKE BOOSTER IS THE PROBLEM AND THAT THE COST TO REPLACE IT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $1,100.00. AFTER CONTACTING LEXUS CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND POINTING OUT THAT A LOT OF LEXUS OWNERS SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, THEY SAID IT IS NOT UNDER RECALL, AND THAT I MUST PAY FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIR. I CAN SEE SITUATIONS WHERE A CAR NOT STARTING COULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT MORE UPSETTING IS THAT THERE IS CLEARLY A DEFECT THAT MANY LEXUS OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING, LEXUS PROBABLY KNOWS IT, BUT WILL NOT CORRECT IT OR RECALL IT. *TR