NHTSA Complaint #11098091 — 2006 LEXUS RX HYBRID

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH ON A BUSY ROAD IN MA THE CAR ABRUPTLY STALLED AND LOST POWER AND ABILITY TO CONTROL IT OTHER THAN WITH A GLIDE AND MANUAL STEERING TO PULL OFF THE ROADWAY AND OUT OF BUSY TRAFFIC, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY FOR BOTH OUR SON AND THE PEOPLE DRIVING AROUND HIM. UPON HAVING IT TOWED TO THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP, THEY INFORMED US THAT THE DASHBOARD SENSORS WERE INDICATING A FAULTY OIL PUMP AND POSSIBLY A FAILED INVERTER. "THEY HAD NO WAY OF DETERMINING IF THE INVERTER WAS FAULTY WITHOUT FIRST REPAIRING THE OIL PUMP FOR $1200." UPON REPAIRING THE OIL PUMP, WE LEARNED THE INVERTER ($8000 REPAIR) WAS DAMAGED AND NEEDED REPAIR. THE DEALER COULD NOT EXPLAIN THIS AND HAD "NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF SUCH A THING." FURTHER INVESTIGATION ON OUR PART, SHOWED THAT OVER 235,000 2006 AND BEYOND TOYOTA HYBRID VEHICLES HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR A FAULTY INVERTER IN 2013. WHILE OUR VEHICLE VIN DOES NOT SHOW UP ON THE RECALL LIST, WE BELIEVE WE ARE EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. LEXUS CORPORATE IS DENYING ANY PART IN THIS AND REFUSED TO STAND BEHIND THE VEHICLE WITH ONLY 109,000 MILES AND QUICKLY CLOSED THE CASE. OUR CONCERN IS THERE ARE MORE VEHICLES OUT THERE WITH THIS ISSUE, AND THAT IT COULD BE DEADLY FOR OPERATORS AND DRIVERS. IF THE INVERTER WAS IDENTIFIED AS FAULTY ALREADY ON OVER 235,000 VEHICLES, AN EXPANDED SEARCH ON ADDITIONAL VINS NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE. LEXUS WAS VERY COMFORTABLE IN CONFIRMING THAT THEY DID NOT AND WOULD NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR VEHICLES BEYOND 100,000 MILES, AND ESSENTIALLY, IT WAS GOOD THAT OUR SON DID NOT GET INJURED, AND SORRY OUR CAR WAS ESSENTIALLY TOTALLED (VALUE OF VEHICLE IS APPROX $9000 BASED ON KELLY BLUE BOOK) FOR THE FAULTY INVERTER WHICH WAS NOT IDENTIFIED ON THE RECALL.