NHTSA Complaint #11103331 — 2013 LEXUS RX350

I STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN IN A VERY QUIET RESIDENTIAL AREA SHORTLY AFTER LUNCH TIME. MY CAR HAD BEEN IN MY GARAGE AND THE STOP SIGN WAS A BLOCK AND A HALF FROM MY HOUSE. I TURNED LEFT ONTO A STREET WITH NO TRAFFIC AND I DID NOT SEE ANYONE OUTSIDE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. JUST A FEW SECONDS AFTER I TURNED I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 15 MILES AN HOUR WHEN I HEARD A VERY LOUD NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT. MY RIGHT SIDE VIEW MIRROR HAD EXPLODED! THE MIRROR ITSELF HAD BEEN BLOWN OUT OF THE MIRROR CASING AND IT WAS DANGLING BY A WIRE. THE HARD CLEAR PLASTIC COVERING OVER THE LIGHTS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE MIRROR CASING WAS CRACKED IN SEVERAL PLACES. THERE WAS NO OTHER VISIBLE DAMAGE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE MIRROR CASING. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE EXPLOSION. I TAPED THE MIRROR BACK INSIDE THE MIRROR CASING AND TOOK MY CAR TO THE REPAIR SHOP. THEY HAVE ORDERED A NEW MIRROR FOR ME BUT IT HASN'T BEEN RECEIVED YET. I CHECKED AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM YET. IT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS IF SOMEONE HAD BEEN STANDING BESIDE MY CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED. ALSO, IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING FASTER I MIGHT HAVE LOST CONTROL OF MY CAR WHEN I WAS STARTLED BY THE VERY LOUD EXPLOSION THAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT.