NHTSA Complaint #11006772 — 2008 LEXUS GX

THIS IS A REPORT OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION. ON JULY 30, 2016, THE LEXUS EXITED A CONVEYOR-BELT TYPE CARWASH AT 5203 KIRBY DRIVE, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77098. MY PREGNANT WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR WITH TWO CHILDREN (AGES 4 AND 2) IN CAR SEATS. AFTER RECEIVING THE GREEN LIGHT FROM THE CARWASH TO PROCEED, MY WIFE SHIFTED FROM NEUTRAL TO DRIVE AND THE LEXUS TOOK OFF TOWARDS KIRBY, A VERY BUSY FOUR-LANE STREET. MY WIFE DEPRESSED THE BRAKES BUT THEY DID NOT WORK. THE LEXUS HIT A FLOWERBED ADJOINING KIRBY AND STRUCK A LARGE 3' DIAMETER DECORATIVE CONCRETE BALL WHICH SLOWED THE VEHICLE AND TURNED IT TO THE RIGHT. MY WIFE THEN TURNED OFF THE LEXUS AT THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE SUFFERED DAMAGES REQUIRING $9,166.58 IN REPAIRS. A SURVEILLANCE CAMERA FILMED THE INCIDENT. THE COPY IS TOO BIG TO ATTACH SO IT CAN BE FOUND AT HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/AH4WR0ZOJ-A. ALSO, THE FOOTAGE WAS MAGNIFIED AND REVEALS THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ON WHILE THE VEHICLE ROCKETED TOWARDS THE FLOWERBED AND THAT THEY THEN WENT OFF, DEMONSTRATING THAT THE DRIVER 'PUMPED' THE BRAKES IN AN EFFORT TO STOP THE CAR. THIS EDITED FOOTAGE IS AT HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/9QKMML4BI3K. THE INTERNET CONTAINS SUBSTANTIAL DISCUSSIONS OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION ASSOCIATED WITH CAR WASHES. IF THE FLOWERBED AND GIANT CONCRETE BALL HAD NOT BEEN THERE, THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE ENTERED KIRBY DRIVE AND A SUBSTANTIAL ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. I HAVE RAISED THIS MATTER WITH LEXUS AND, NOTWITHSTANDING THE VIDEO, LEXUS HAS SAID THERE NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. I FOUND LEXUS' RESPONSE TO BE VERY DISTURBING ESPECIALLY SINCE MY ENTIRE FAMILY COULD HAVE BEEN LOST THAT DAY. IN MY OPINION, LEXUS COULD NOT CARE LESS ABOUT SAFETY OR MY FAMILY.