Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | ||||||
| DP05002 | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 08/05/2005 | 01/05/2006 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | ||
| In a letter dated july 8, 2005, and after experiencing two incidents (and one crash) where he alleges his model year (my) 2002 camry accelerated without driver input, mr. jordan ziprin petitioned the national highway traffic safety administration | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | |||
| 04/27/2011 | 16000 | ||
| I had no problems with my 2004 lexus 300se until i ran through a building. my car only had 16,000 miles on it and i never experienced braking problems, exceleration problems or anything of the sort. i did call the dealership when recalls were very big news in the media but was told my model was not on any lists for recall. i drove my car to the tailor shop...i turned in the shopping center with no problem..i turned into the parking place in front of the tailor shop and the car would not stop. i pressed the brake but the car just went into lunge mode and instead of stopping went faster. i had my brake pressed all the way to the floorboard. thank god the lady in the tailor shop was in the back of the store because my car did not come to rest until it was inside the store and pinned at a wall. people came out from other stores..smoke everywhere...they came to my window and told me to turn the key off. the wheels were still spinning but my foot was not on the accelerator - the wheels came to a stop when i turned off the ignition. my car was considered a total loss. damage to the bldg included all of their front glass and interior. i don't know a final figure on the third party damge. my insurance covered the claim but i truly feel this is a lexus issue and they should be held responsible as the accelerator apparently stuck and nothing would stop it until i turned off the engine. | |||
| 04/28/2011 | 41000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 lexus es330. the contact stated as he starts the engine the rpm increased excessively and stays high for a few minutes as he move the gear shift out of park, the vehicle would jump forward causing the the acclerator pedal to stick and the vehicle would not move. later on while parking the brake was being depress and the gear was shift into reverse the vehicle acclerated forward. the contact stated the vehicle crash into the garage causing damages to the front bumper but no one was injured. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer will be contacted at a later date. the failure mileage was 41,000....mw | |||
| 02/25/2011 | 70200 | ||
| On 2/25/2011, i drove the car 15 minutes on the i-5 freeway to la jolla. the car was then parked for 2 hours so the engine was cold. i started it, backed out of parking place, and accelerated slightly to pass another car backing up. i was exiting a condo complex and speed was generally under 10-15 mph going over speed bumps. the total distance traveled was about 150 feet on gentle, 5 degrees?, downhill grade, generally coasting with slight pressure on the brake pedal, to reach the exit which was at a streetlight at a busy street. the light was red so i gently increased the force on the brake pedal. i then sensed that the brake was suddenly not stopping the car. i applied as much force as possible and could not come to a complete stop. i shifted the car into neutral and the pressure being applied to the brakes stopped the car instantly. the engine raced like i had never experienced before. i then turned the ignition to off. i shifted the transmission into park. knowing of the problem with floor mats and accelerator pedal problems, i reached down and pulled the floor mat towards the seat and away from brake and accelerator pedals. i restarted the car. there were no further problems. | |||
| 08/08/2010 | 30000 | ||
| When braking and slowly turning left to come to a stop in a parking space at a wal-mart parking lot my car suddenly accelerated uncontrollably at such a fast speed that my car crashed into a metal pole and pushed a parked station wagon facing my car back far into another isle. my foot was definitely braking the whole time.!!!! my car unexpectedly accelerated at a very high speed while i pressed the brake. i have in my possession a surveillance tape of the accident taken by wal-mart. as a result i hurt my back and neck and was very upset that i could have killed people walking in that parking lot. i am positive that the braking system in my car malfunctioned. | |||
| 12/31/2010 | 25790 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 lexus es330. while parking the vehicle driving 1 mph she noticed when she engaged the vehicle in drive the vehicle jumped. the vehicle accelerated over a cement block and went up a hill. the contact stated the vehicle continued to accelerated and crashed into some bushes and rocks. she stated she had minor injures to the neck and shoulder. no police report was filed. the vehicle had damages to the front bumper and under the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer. the vehicle had not been repaired yet since the manufacture was sending out a representative to inspect the vehicle. the failure mileage was 25,790 and the current the 25,794. vwb | |||
| 07/31/2010 | 65000 | ||
| On a sunny saturday afternoon, july 31, 2010, i attempted to make a u-turn in the parking lot. while i turned left, pulling into a parking space, my vehicle surged forward with a sudden acceleration and ran over the curb. i stepped on the brake pedal, but it did not stop. i changed the gear to the p position and heard a loud noise when the gear was moved through the n position. it struck a lamp post before stopping. the vehicle was inspected at lexus of bellevue, wa, on august 11, 2010, but they denied any vehicle malfunction. | |||
| 04/12/2010 | 43000 | ||
| Throttle control computer failed on 2004 lexus. could not get the car to go more than 5 miles per hour. lexus/toyota says it is unrelated to the 1000's of other complaints having to do with the throttle. i believe that it is related and should be part of the recall. | |||
| 12/11/2008 | 45000 | 1 | 04/01/2004 |
| While parking, the consumers 2004 lexus es 330 suddenly accelerated jumped and curb hit a tree. *ts the consumer stated she gently pressed the accelerator to inch into a parking space a little more, when the vehicle suddenly went out of control. after hitting the tree, the vehicle then bounced back from the tree and went down an incline to the right where she was able to stop it. the consumer was treated at the hospital for a hairline fracture of her sternum. it took several weeks to recover. *jb | |||
| 02/26/2010 | 52050 | 1 | |
| My lexus 2004 model es330 has been accelerating by itself. this acceleration has been happening two to three times a week for about a year. i did not realize that the car was accelerating by itself, but have noticed more during last 3 to 4 months. *tr | |||
| 07/03/2007 | 38000 | 1 | |
| Was parking in a strip mall. my vehicle suddenly accelerated, jumped the parking block and the sidewalk, crashed through the front of a store and came to rest inside the store. this is the only incident with this car. insurance company repaired the car and we continue to own it and drive it. *tr | |||
| 02/06/2007 | 55000 | 1 | |
| My 04 lexus es 330 had unexplained throttle increase while driving on hwy at about 50 mph. i was able to immediately put it in neutral and it stopped. i turned off the engine and called local lexus dealership who advised me to bring it to them. when i started engine again it drove ok. *tr | |||
| 12/02/2009 | 42000 | 2 | |
| I had 2 accelerating experiences with my 04 lexus. both led up to several $ damage to my car and i other car. then the 3rd one occurred when my car was in for repair and the lexus garage loaned me a 2009 lexus, the same thing - it accelerated and i drove into a brick wall. i thought they were my fault. the state of minnesota intervened and took my drivers license so i can longer drive. i feel this was an injustice and want my license returned. *tr | |||
| 07/15/2009 | 110000 | 1 | |
| Upon starting and putting car in reverse engine experienced uncontrollable acceleration. car it backed across a the traffic lane in a parking lot with the brakes applied stuck two parked cars and ended up on top of a planting area after hitting a tree planted there. police were called and responded. the car has been looked at by a mechanic but could not find a visible problem with the accelerator. *tr | |||
| 01/01/2009 | 17 | 1 | |
| Please note - this is or may be related to other odi i just reported at 10261933. i have a lexus 2004 es330 and in addition to weird braking problems, i have also hit the brake and basically felt the car continue like i never hit the brake and i am accelerating or have cruise control on. when this has occurred, i did not feel the abs braking system engage or any type of slowing down occur. i end up hitting and releasing the brake quickly to try and get the car to brake and come to a stop. on one occasion i also quickly hit the gas to see if perhaps that would clear the problem, and it did not. i pulled over, checked that no debris or floor rug had some how made the gas pedal stink, and that is not the problem. other than this problem, and the problems reported under odi 10261933, i have not had any other problems w/ accelerating or stopping. i have brought the issue to the attention of lexus and they have denied any recalls or other reported problems. i suspect they assume i am a woman - who cannot drive. again, i have owned fast high performance porshe and mercedes previously and never had this problem before. i hope someone will figure this out before i am injured or perhaps someone else is. thanks. ps no date of incident, so i will put 1/1/09. this refusal of the car to engage the brake etc has occurred about 5 times. *tr | |||
| 09/01/2008 | 56000 | 1 | |
| My wife was driving a 2004 es330, when she pressed the brake on a 15 mph speed, the car instead surge forward with a very high speed and she heard a roaming noise coming from the engine. in a few seconds, the car ran up a curb and she managed to avoid hitting the trees and wall. the car was damaged and she is not going to drive the car again. lexus dealer simply said they can not find any problem with the car. i did research on this nhtsa data and found a lots of same complains against es330 and es350. i am very upset by the way lexus handled the issue. *tr | |||
| 08/01/2008 | 56000 | 1 | |
| The car doesn't go when you hit the gas. also when at low speeds it will jump like its accelerating without me hitting the gas. lexus admits the issue exists and say nothing is wrong. they say it is a side effect of the drive by wire transmission. this has and will cause more accidents. *tr | |||
| 01/28/2006 | 19100 | 1 | 03/23/2004 |
| I reported on the nhtsa website on march 2, 2006 an accident that occurred when i was driving a 2004 lexus 330 on january 28, 2006 in tucson arizona. i reported the circumstances of my accident to the lexus customer satisfaction center (lcsc). i followed up with a letter including my nhtsa website report, other nhtsa reports of similar types of accidents with lexus es330, police report for my accident and requested assistance to determine the cause of the malfunction that led to the accident. a technician from toyota motor sales, usa, inc. came to the lexus dealer in tucson and inspected the vehicle. i received a letter from a claims administrator-legal department of toyota motor sales, usa, inc. indicating the technician's report concluded it (my vehicle) was functioning properly at the time of the accident. this letter did not include an accurate description of the circumstances of the accident. i wrote another letter to the claims administrator stating that he had not accurately described the accident details and i requested a copy of the technician's report. i received a letter on june 6, 2006 from the claims administrator stating that while i (the claims administrator) had the scenario incorrect, the circumstances remain the same. that oversight on my (claims administrator) part has no bearing on the testing conducted by the lexus field technician. the letter also stated that be advised that it is not our policy to release our internal reports. i sent a follow up letter via certified mail, to the claims administrator on june 6, 2006 requesting that an exception to the policy be made in my case and asking again to receive a copy of the technician's report. i never received a response to my letter. thus, i am very unsatisfied with the customer support that i have received from the toyota motor sales, usa, inc. *nm | |||
| 06/03/2006 | 9100 | 1 | 08/03/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while exiting the drive way the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. there was a crash with an oncoming vehicle before it stalled in the yard across the street. a police report was filed and there was property damage. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop who repaired the damages to the body of the vehicle. the dealer has not been alerted. | |||
| 01/28/2006 | 19100 | 1 | 03/17/2004 |
| I was driving our 2004 lexus es330 on a clear sunny day at approximately 2:30 pm. i stopped in the left turn lane at a very busy intersection in tucson, arizona. there were three cars in front of my vehicle and i had the car in neutral. when the left-hand turn-light signal changed to green, i pulled the gear shift from neutral to drive. instantly, the motor made a loud revving sound and the car lunged forward and hit the vehicle in front of me. i immediately applied the brake but my car continued to push on the car that i had hit. i then tried to back away from the car i had hit by putting the gear shift into reverse. when i shifted my car into reverse it hit the car behind me and i immediately applied the brakes but they did not work. this occurred twice before the engine died. this was a harrowing experience. fortunately no one was injured. even though i was stopped immediately prior to the accident, there was $4,500 damage to my car and $7,500 of damage to the other car. since we purchased the car it was serviced regularly at the dealer where we purchased the vehicle. until this accident i had never been the driver of a vehicle that was involved in a car accident. nhtsa website has complaints of very similar problems posted by owners of the 2004 lexus es330 model. i have reported this problem to lexus customer satisfaction center. *nm | |||
| 12/23/2005 | 2000 | 1 | 04/01/2003 |
| The accelerator in my 2004 lexus es 330 stuck in a crowded parking lot and caused a collision. *nm | |||
| 10/24/2005 | 1 | ||
| The jenci's contend that mrs. jenci put the vehicle in reverse, it then surged, made a loud sound and lunged forward out of control. *nm | |||
| 07/01/2005 | 1 | 02/22/2004 | |
| Dt: consumer's wife got into the vehicle and reversed, then put the vehicle into drive. at that time, it continued to go backwards. she then called the consumer and he called the auto club, a wrecker came out, and the service man put a block behind the wheel and the vehicle went forward in drive. the dealership was contacted at this time, but the vehicle was not left. yesterday, the vehicle went backwards in drive again. he has contacted santa monica lexus and they were sending out a diagnostic expert to check the vehicle. the first time was a couple of weeks ago.*ak | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Consumer is requesting information regarding the status of the review of the 2004 lexus ex 330 acceleration delay problem.*mr the consumer experienced an acceleration delay while driving the vehicle. when the consumer slowed the vehicle down, like when approaching a highway on ramp, then accelerated to get into traffic, there was an 1.5 second delay before the vehicle would accelerate. *nm | |||
| 03/01/2005 | 2 | ||
| The vehicle suddenly accelerated uncontrollably. driver was able to maintain control of vehicle, and pulled over. then, turned vehicle off. took vehicle to the dealer, but mechanic could not duplicate the problem.*ak | |||
| 09/29/2003 | 1000 | 09/26/2003 | |
| I have complained numerous times and have written a letter to denny clements, group vp of lexus informing him of my safety concerns related to the 2004 es330. his office attempted to appease me by offering to send me 2 free oil change coupons or $1,000 off my next purchase or lease of a lexus vehicle. the vehicle has serious hesitation issues when attempting to accelerate. i have spoken to everyone at the dealer, including the service manager (who admitted the issue, but had no solution) and general manager. the issue has not been resolved. *nm | |||
| 01/17/2005 | 10000 | 3 | 03/29/2004 |
| When attempting to accelerate the vehicle hesitated, then surged forward without warning. no impact reported. please provide additional information. *jb vehicle surges even when vehicle is at a complete stop. no collision so far. *tt | |||
| 07/16/2004 | 3500 | 1 | |
| Vehicle lunged forward when brakes were depressed.*mr while pulling into his garage the vehicle would not stop but lunged forward. the vehicle hit a corner wall, went over an eight inch step up, and hit the step to the house breaking it. the vehicle then hit the wall facing the entrance to the garage causing damage to the vehicle and the house (vehicle damage $9200. house damage $60,000.). the manufacture examined the vehicle and concluded that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. *nm | |||
| 08/01/2004 | 900 | 1 | 06/02/2004 |
| At most sppeds, especially when stopped or at speeds below 40 mph, my lexus es330 has a severe hesitation/acceleration delay that when depressing the accelerator pedal, acceleration is delayed at least 1.5 seconds, is unpredictable and compromises safety and places the driver at risk in most day to day driving scenarios. it is also impossible to match the speed of a vehicle in front when in bumper to bumper traffic, when the accelerator pedal is pressed, the es330 will continue to roll forward for a few seconds then accelerate, it will not creep at the speed of traffic. i am told by lexus that this is normal and is inherint in the vehicle design. if this is true, one would think this design flaw will soon eclipse the firestone/ford explorer injuries of the past.*ak | |||
| 05/01/2004 | 2200 | 5 | |
| When accelerating from an idle position vehicle hesitates. *ak | |||
| 06/29/2004 | 3480 | 1 | 09/27/2003 |
| While driving at low speeds vehicle hesitated then surged forward. no impact reported. *ak the vehicle hesitated when the accelerator pedal was applied then suddenly after several seconds the vehicle would accelerated suddenly. *nm | |||
| 03/08/2004 | 950 | 1 | 01/25/2004 |
| My lexus es330 was less than two months old and the mileage read about 950 the time when the accident happened.t occurred on the way to work at 8:40 am march 8th, 2004. it was a sunny warm day. as i was driving on the far right lane of south 5 freeway with speed around 65 to 70 mph, a car next to my lane was trying to cut in front of me. in order to keep a safe distance, i tried to slow down the car by pressing the brake. the moment i pressed the brake the car swerved to the right. i couldn't control where the vehicle was heading and the car didn't slow down as i further pressed the brake. it bumped into the guardrail and turned 180 degree facing the oncoming cars. luckily, i was able to make a turn and parked the car without hitting anybody. the car was damaged from the right head light all the way to the rear bumper. i immediately called the dealer and lexus sent a inspector to check on the car. one week later, i was informed the car is ok and there is nothing abnormal after their investigation. i requested an investigation report and the response i got is i have to go through the legal system. there was no explanation for the exact meaning of this phrase. i am a good driver with excellent record. the whole experience was totally out of nowhere and unpredictable. i kept looking back to find any clues that might lead to the accident. as i studied the nhtsa complaints, most of them happened during slow speed driving. my case happened on the freeway and all i remembered was the car didn't slow down as i applied the brake. *ak | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - ACCELERATOR PEDAL | |||
| 04/26/2007 | 1 | 09/01/2004 | |
| 2004 lexus es330. consumer states accelerator problems *tgw the consumer stated when she changed the gear from park to reverse, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, hit a fence and continued to accelerate even though her foot was on the brake. the consumer believed the accelerator became stuck. *jb | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 2 | ||
| 2004 lexus 330. consumer states uncontrollable acceleration *tgw the consumer stated he experienced sudden acceleration twice. fortunately, both times he was able to regain control by shifting into neutral, stopping and restarting. while he was attempting to regain control, he attempted to pull the accelerator pedal up and brake, but neither action was successful. *jb | |||
| 02/18/2007 | 1 | ||
| 2004 lexus es330 sudden acceleration *gr the consumer stated when she attempted to turn around in the parking lot, the vehicle accelerated out of control, struck a sign and another vehicle. *jb | |||
| 07/17/2005 | 2000 | 100 | |
| 2004 lexus es 330 has severe hesitation and surging problems when trying to accelerate under traffic conditions such as merging onto freeway where you might need to slow and then accelerate. we experienced dangerous situations due to hesitation and then sudden surge. second trip to dealer and they say it's a known problem and there is nothing they can do. i believe it is a safety issue and a recall should be enforced. lexus seems to think it is only an inconvenience. | |||
| 02/23/2005 | 7615 | 2 | 12/28/2003 |
| Two episodes of spontaneous acceleration. episode one on or about august 17,2004, while pulling past a vehicle on a freeway, the car did not slow when accelerator pressure was released and required multiple pedal depressions to obtain control. the second episode is described below.*ak | |||
| 08/01/2004 | 300 | ||
| I own a lexus 2004 es 330, purchased new. from day one there has been a hesitation in acceleration. this has put me in possible danger many many times. in talking with the dealer, they were/are aware of this problem and said it is a software problem that they hope will be fixed. nothing to date. i have complained about this numerous times and they agree that this could be a very dangerous situation, and that all the es 330s have this problem. unfortunately, lexus has not taken the time or wanted to spend the money to fix this. the danger is real. can you help? thanks. jane robins. *jb | |||
| 12/14/2004 | 6000 | 4 | 11/24/2003 |
| On numerous occassions this car had accelerated unexpectedly when putting it in gear both forward and reverse.n the last occurrence the car shot forward, jumping a low curb and hitting a tree.*ak i had no control over what happened and i am afraid to drive this car any more. | |||
| 10/14/2004 | 100 | 25 | 05/08/2004 |
| Electronic gas pedal - when at low speed or immediately after coming to a stop the gas pedal is depressed the car hesitates for 1.5 seconds or more before responding and then accelerates very fast. this presents a serious safety hazzard when tring to enter or cross busy highways. the dealer says all the 2004 7 2005 models do it. it is a constant complaint. lexus customer service says they are aware of it but have no cure. a safety warning and recall shopuld be issued.*ak | |||
| 05/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| My 2004 lexus es330has a problem with shifting. when attempting to accelerate the car hesitates significantly before deciding to downshift. this is a notable problem when trying to avoid traffic or change lanes fluidly under crowded traffic conditions. lexus says this is normal for the car.*ak | |||
| 01/01/2004 | 60 | 2 | 12/27/2003 |
| Automatic transmission/vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal failed. *ak the vehicle hesitates when the throttle is applied while drining at 30 to 40 mph due to poor transmission shifting. the dealer installed new software which improved (~50%) but did not eliminate the concern. the consumer says this is a common concern with these vehicles based on his internet research. *dsy | |||
| 12/01/2003 | 500 | 10 | 11/15/2003 |
| Vehicle does not always respond properly to driver depressing accelerator. in some cases, when coasting slowly e.g., under 10 mph), suddenly pressing the accelerator sharply will have no effect for about 1.5 seconds. during the delay, the engine will continue to idle and vehicle speed do not increase. after the delay, the engine and vehicle speed increase in accordance with the accelerator pedal position. this can lead to an accident if the driver is making a left turn when there is oncoming traffic. there is another possibly related anomaly with the car: when driving, under some circumstances, when the driver sharply presses the accelerator, the engine and vehicle speed will not change for about 1.5 seconds. after the delay, the transmission down shifts and the engine speed increases.*ak | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - CRUISE CONTROL | |||
| 09/02/2004 | 7000 | 6 | 10/29/2003 |
| Vehicle surged when cruise control was engaged at 60 mph. it surged up to 80 mph. it felt like it was going down hill. dealer could not duplicate the problem. also, transmission hesitated at 0-20 mph, it also jerked. *ak.......lexus has admitted the problem, but maintained that vehicle drove as designed. hesitation problem experienced by many lexus es330 car vehicle hesitation, then will lurch forward when accelerating a tlow speeds. lexus has admitted the problem, but insisted vehicle drove as designed. *ak | |||
| 07/26/2004 | 100 | 20 | 05/28/2004 |
| 04 lexus es330 transmission hesitation is serious danger to driver. engine hesitates when starting from a dead start. car has to be floored to move and even then it hesitates even more. also car has serious blind spots on left and right outer side mirrors (they are too small for the car). also, cruise control light stays lit even when the brake is hit or you dis-engage it. the only time the cruise control light turns off is when you physically turn it off with the switch or shut the engine off completely. this gives the driver the impression that it is on all the time even when it is off or worse they think they have shut it off but it's really still on and you have a very good chance of rear ending someone. this is extremely bad engineering and extremely dangerous. how you guys let a car like this on the road is beyond me. did you test it? if so, how did you let it pass thru to the usa? this car with it's hesitation, blind spots, and dangerous cruise control it's likely to get someone injured or killed in a hurry. car doesn't get anything near the epa ratings under any condition. i've contacted lexus customer care and they say this all normal. no help or suggestions. please get lexus to put out tsbs on these problems before someone gets injured or killed. i'm very concerned. i've been a driver for 34 years. i've never driven a car so dangerous in my life. *ak | |||