2000 LEXUS GS400 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY MY CAR SUDDENLY STOP WITH NO APPARENT REASON AT ALL. I TRIED TO ACCELERATE BUT IT DID NOT RESPONDED, EVENTHOUGH THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING PERFECTLY. EVERYTHING WAS WORKING BUT THE ACCELERATOR. WHEN TAKEN TO THE LEXUS DEALER THEY TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. THEY TOLD ME IT WILL COST ME AROUND $3,000.00 TO REPLACE IT. IS THIS NORMAL FOR THIS CAR TO HAPPEN OR IS IT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR?. WE DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE IT WAS EARLY IN THE MORNING BUT IT COULD BE WORSE DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC HOURS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY MY CAR SUDDENLY STOP WITH NO APPARENT REASON AT ALL. I TRIED TO ACCELERATE BUT IT DID NOT RESPONDED, EVENTHOUGH THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING PERFECTLY. EVERYTHING WAS WORKING BUT THE ACCELERATOR. WHEN TAKEN TO THE LEXUS DEALER THEY TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. THEY TOLD ME IT WILL COST ME AROUND $3,000.00 TO REPLACE IT. IS THIS NORMAL FOR THIS CAR TO HAPPEN OR IS IT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR?. WE DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE IT WAS EARLY IN THE MORNING BUT IT COULD BE WORSE DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC HOURS. *TR

ON JULY 2 ,2009, MY WIFE STRUCK ANOTHER CAR BROADSIDE WITH OUR 2000 LEXUS GS400. THE POINT OF IMPACT ON THE LEXUS WAS WITH THE LEFT FRONT PORTION (HEADLIGHT AREA) OF THE FRONT. SHE WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, AND DID NOT HAVE TIME TO BRAKE. THE IMPACT, AND SEATBELT, CAUSE A MODERATE SIZED BRUISE ON HER LEFT BREAST AREA. LEXUS INDICATES THEIR AIRBAGS DEPLOY ON FRONTAL OR "NEAR FRONTAL" COLLISIONS AT 8 TO 14 MPH. YET, IN THIS CASE, WHAT I THINK IS A "NEAR FRONTAL" COLLISION, THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I CONTACTED LEXUS, BUT THEY CONTEND IT WAS NOT A "FRONTAL" COLLISION, AND THEREFORE THE BAG DID NOT NEED TO DEPLOY. THEN WHY DO THEY INDICATE THAT IN "NEAR FRONTAL" COLLISIONS THE AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY? I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE SPEED AND POINT OF IMPACT SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED THE AIRBAG, AND YET IT DIDN'T. I HAVE PHOTOS OF THE LEXUS SHOULD YOU WISH TO SEE THEM. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING WITH MY FATHER, MING SUEN ON I-95 SOUTH BOUND NEAR I-15 INTER-CHANGE IN MY 2000 LEXUS GS400(30900 MILES). THE ACCELERATOR GOT STUCKED(NOT BY CARPET OR FLOOR MAT) MECHNICALLY, AND MY CAR DOWNSHIFTED ITSELF AND WENT INTO FULL POWER ACCELERATION AT THE ENGINE SPEED OF OVER 5000 RPM. I TRIED TO BRAKE WITH FULL FORCE, BUT FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE, AND THE CAR WAS GOING AT 85MPH AND GAINING SPEED! THE WHOLE INCIDENT LAST FOR ABOUT 3-5 MINUTES, AND I DIALED "911" AND TRIED TO ASK FOR HELP. BEFORE THE CALL WAS CONNECTED, I MAGICALLY REGAIN CONTROL OF MY LEXUS. THE ACCELERATOR DIS-ENGAGED AND THE ENGINE SPEED RETURNED TO NORMAL. I FELT THE BRAKE WAS LOSING POWER AND BECAME VERY WEAK. I GOT OUT AT THE NEAREST EXIT AND PULLED INTO A GAS STATION. AS I GOT OUT MY CAR, I COULD SMELL THE BRAKES WERE BURNING, AND THE FRONT RIGHT BRAKE WAS FRIED. MY FATHER AND I WAS VERY LUCKY, BECAUSE IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT AND TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT ON THE FREEWAY. OTHER WISE, TRAVELING AT 85 MPH WITH FULL BRAKE AND NO CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE, WOULD DEFINATELY CAUSE SOME SERIOUS INJURY OR EVEN DEATH! MY LEXUS IS CURRENTLY LOCATED AT THE LOCAL FLECHER JONES LEXUS, AND I AWAIT THE DEALERSHIP TO INPECT AND FOUND OUT THE PROBLEM. I WOULD HOPE THERE IS SOMETHING THIS ORGANIZTION COULD DO TO PREVENT SIMILAR INCIDENT TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE ON ANY OTHER LEXUS OWNERS.*AK

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES CONSUMER HIT ACCELERATOR AT THE SAME TIME. THERE IS NOT ENOUGH DISTANCE BETWEEN BRAKE PEDAL AND ACCELERATOR. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, AND GAVE A REPORT, MANUFACTURER WILL SEND IT TO ENGINEER. *AK