NHTSA Complaint #10925750 — 2007 LEXUS IS 250

THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, AFTER A NORMAL START-UP AND DRIVING FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A FATAL ACCIDENT, LUCKILY I WAS DRIVING INSTEAD OF MY WIFE WHO USUALLY DRIVES THIS CAR. THIS CAR HAS AN ELECTRONIC STEERING SYSTEM, NOT THE NORMAL SYSTEM WHICH USES POWER STEERING FLUID. WHEN THIS FIRST OCCURRED I WAS BARELY ABLE TO DRIVE IT BACK TO MY HOUSE WHERE IT SAT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. THEREAFTER, WITH THE STEERING STILL NOT WORKING, THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (TOM WILLIAMS LEXUS OF BIRMINGHAM, AL). THE DEALER CHECKED THE CAR OUT AND HELD IT FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THEIR 'REPAIR' WAS TO REPLACE THE CAR'S POWER STEERING ECU. THEY HAD TO ORDER THE ECU AND THAT TOOK A FEW MORE DAYS. THEY REPLACED THE POWER STEERING ECU BUT THE STEERING STILL DID NOT WORK . THEY THEN CALL ME AND TELL ME THAT FURTHER REPAIRS ARE NEEDED. THEY SAID THAT THE POWER STEERING RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, CALIBRATED AND REALIGNED($4500). THIS ALL SEEMS VERY ODD TO ME. EVEN AFTER PAYING OUT OF POCKET FOR THE REPAIR, I'M SCARED OUT OF MY MIND TO ALLOW MY WIFE AND KIDS BACK IN THAT CAR. IT WAS LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE WHEEL WHEN THE STEERING WENT OUT. THERE WAS A STEERING CAMPAIGN SEVERAL YEARS AGO (9LC), BUT THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT MY VIN IS NOT IN THE RANGE OF CARS NEEDING REPAIR. I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT OLDER HIGH MILEAGE CARS SOMETIMES NEED REPAIR, BUT THE STEERING SYSTEM SHOULD NEVER FAIL. AFTER READING OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND USER FORUMS, I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS WITH MANY OTHER LEXUS IS250 AND IS350 VEHICLES. I CONTACTED LEXUS CUSTOMER CARE AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD LOOK INTO OFFERING SOME OUT OF WARRANTY ASSISTANCE. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF WAITING ON THEIR RESPONSE, I CALLED LEXUS BACK AND THEY SAID THEY DECIDED NOT TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. WE OWN A LS460 AND THIS IS250 AND NOW, WE DON'T TRUST LEXUS VEHICLES.