NHTSA Complaint #10764167 — 1990 LEXUS LS400

IN APPROXIMATELY 1995, I EXPERIENCED THE "SUDDEN ACCELERATION" PROBLEM TWICE WITH MY LEXUS LS. AT THE TIME, NO ONE HAD EVER HEARD OF IT AND THE DEALER SAID HE COULD NOT REPRODUCE IT AND COULD DO NOTHING. AFTER THAT I WAS MORE CAREFUL WITH THE FLOOR MATS AND THOUGHT I HAD SOLVED THE PROBLEM. FOR THE LAST 7 TO 8 YEARS, THE CAR SUDDENLY SLOWS AND STALLS. I HAVE REPEATEDLY COMPLAINED TO NEW COUNTRY LEXUS BUT THEY JUST SAY THAT THEY CANNOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM AND DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. IN JUNE, IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND I HAD TO BE TOWED BY AAA. AT THIS TIME I RESEARCHED "LEXUS LS STALLING PROBLEM" AND GOT HUNDREDS OF HITS. ONE LEXUS SITE PERFECTLY EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM, HOW TO REPRODUCE IT AND HOW TO FIX IT. THE POSTING ON THE LEXUS SITE WAS DATED 2005, TEN YEARS AGO. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER REPRODUCED THE PROBLEM WITHIN AN HOUR BUT NEW COUNTRY LEXUS WOULD NOT SELL HIM THE REQUIRED RESISTOR TO FIX IT. I TOOK THE CAR TO NEW COUNTRY LEXUS, JUST NORTH OF ALBANY NY, AND THEY HAVE HAD IT SINCE JUNE. THEY KEEP SAYING THAT THEY CANNOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. THEY KEEP TELLING ME THAT THEY CANNOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM BUT I KEEP GIVING THEM THE PRINT-OUT FROM THE LEXUS SITE AND THE BILL FROM THE TOWING COMPANY EXPLAINING EXACTLY HOW TO REPRODUCE AND FIX THE PROBLEM. FINALLY YESTERDAY JOE MORAN SAID THAT HE COULD FIX IT BUT "AS SOON AS ANYONE BRINGS UP ANYTHING TO DO WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION" I AM TOLD TO STOP AND DO NOTHING." HE SAID "IT IS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMPANY TO FIX IT." THEY CLEARLY SEEMED TO BE TELLING ME THAT THIS RESISTOR (OR SENSOR) IS PART OF THE RAPID ACCELERATION PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA VEHICLES AND, ALTHOUGH MY VEHICLE IS NOT ON THE LIST OF VEHICLES INDICATED FOR A "SPECIAL PROTOCOL," THIS PARTICULAR PART IS TRACED TO THE RAPID ACCELERATION AND THEY WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.