NHTSA Complaint #11209302 — 2016 LEXUS ES HYBRID

APRIL 26, 2019 WAS DRIVING WITH FAMILY OUR 2016 LEXUS ES300H ON I-44 WEST, HEADING INTO JOPLIN, MO. THE RADAR CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET TO 75 MPH, AND I WAS DRIVING IN LEFTMOST PASSING LANE BEHIND A CAR GOING ABOUT 65 MPH, WHICH KEPT MY SPEED ALSO AT 65 MPH. THE CAR DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME MOVED TO AN OPEN LANE TO THE RIGHT, WITH CLEAR PATH IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE TO ALLOW ACCELERATION UP TO 75 MPH. NOTE: IT WAS A CLEAR DAY, SLIGHTLY CLOUDY, ROAD WAS FLAT, NO CURVES. INSTEAD OF ACCELERATING MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY INSTEAD APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL NOT RESPONSIVE TO ANYTHING I DID TO INCREASE OR MAINTAIN SPEED, WITH VEHICLE QUICKLY COMING TO A STOP AS I MOVED INTO THE GRASS MEDIAN AREA SEPARATING THE FREEWAY BEFORE CAR DIED IN THE PASSING LANE. COLLISIONS WAS BARELY AVOIDED AS PICKUP TRUCK BEHIND ME SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES AND VEERED INTO MEDIAN GRASS TO AVOID HITTING ME OR GETTING REAR ENDED THEMSELVES FROM BEHIND. MY CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP EVEN THOUGH ENTIRE TIME I HAD ACCELERATOR DEPRESSED. ONCE STOPPED I EXITED THE CAR, TALKED TO THE OTHER DRIVER, WHO INFORMED ME MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ON DURING THE ENTIRE INCIDENT. I WENT BACK TO THE CAR WHICH WAS STILL RUNNING, CAR ONCE AGAIN RESPONDED TO ACCELERATOR BEING DEPRESSED, AND WE CONTINUED OUR JOURNEY. IT APPEARS THE PRE COLLISION SYSTEM WHICH THIS CAR HAD TURNED ON AT THE TIME IMPROPERLY ENGAGED, EVEN THOUGH NOTHING WAS IN FRONT TO HAVE CAUSED PROPER ACTIVATION. WE WERE LUCKY, WE COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN REAR ENDED BY A SEMI-TRUCK AS THEY HEAVILY TRAVEL THIS FREEWAY, OR POSSIBLY BEEN IN A LOCATION WHERE THERE WAS NOT A GOOD SHOULDER TO ALLOW THE QUICK STOP WITH MINIMAL IMPACT TO TRAFFIC GOING AT HIGH SPEED.