What 44 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Lexus RX 350h

INITIALLY FELT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LURCH FOWARD ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AFTER BACKING OUT OF PARKING SPACE AT WORK AND SHIFTING INTO DRIVE. HAD TO HIT BRAKES, BRING THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP, AND THEN SLOWLY START FORWARD AGAIN. ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN THE DRIVEWAY OF A PRIVATE RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN PARK AND FULLY STOPPED.. DRIVER WAS ABOUT TO TURN OFF ENGINE AND, WITH PASSENGER, EXIT THE VEHICLE WHEN IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FOR NO REASON, PLOWING STRAIGHT INTO THE GARAGE DOOR OF RESIDENCE. GARAGE DOOR WAS COMPLETELY TORN OFF AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP AFTER SMASHING AN INTERIOR WALL AND DOORFRAME. THANKFULLY, NO INJURIES BUT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE IF THE WINDSHIELD HAD BROKE. THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED ON 3 SIDES AND THE PROPERTY SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE GARAGE DOOR, INTERIOR DRYWALL, DOOR AND DOORFRAME. AGAIN, THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED AND IN PARK WHEN IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED.

NHTSA ODI 10748382

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 LEXUS RX350. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND ATTEMPTING TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A GARAGE DOOR AND INTO A WALL. THE VEHICLE HAD EXTENSIVE DAMAGES TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED WHIP LASH THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED AND THE DAMAGES WERE REPAIRED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,878.

NHTSA ODI 10748569

CONTINUATION OF MY REPORT. ABOUT A MONTH LATER THE SAME SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURRED BUT IN REVERSE AS THE DRIVER WAS LEAVING HER HOME AND THIS TIME SHE COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE, GOING THRU THE CONCRETE FENCE OF HER FRONT NEIGHBOR TAKING A SIDE OF THE NEIGHBOR HOUSE, DOWN A HILL AND HITTING TWO AIR CONDITIONER UNITS AND AN ELECTRICAL GENERATOR, DAMAGING THE WHOLE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE REAR, BRAKING THE REAR DRIVE TRAIN AND GETTING STUCK IN A CONCRETE WALL WHICH SAVE THEIR LIFE. IF THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE GONE 10 MORE FEET IT WOULD HAVE DROP IN AN APPROXIMATELY 800 TO 900 FEET CLIFF AND PROBABLY WOULD HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES. THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. ACCORDING TO THE DRIVER SHE PUT ON HER BRAKES AND THEY DID NOT WORK. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESSES THERE WAS ONLY ONE TIRE BRAKE TRACK ON THE ROAD WHICH IT WAS GONE BY THE TIME I WENT TO INVESTIGATE. MY THEORY IS THAT ELECTRIC SURGES FROM THIS HIGH INTENSITY CABLES INTERFERE WITH THE THROTTLE CONTROL AND ACCELERATE THIS VEHICLES. IT IS THE ONLY LOGICAL EXPLANATION. IF THERE IS A WAY TO TEST THIS THEORY I SURE WOULD APPRECIATE IT. PLEASE ANSWER ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR UPDATED 3/13/15 *JS

NHTSA ODI 10609022

FIRST PART OF COMPLAINT JUST IN CASE IT DID NOT GO THRU THE FIRST TIME. DEAR SIRS, I'M WRITING TO YOU ON BEHALF OF THE OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE. THEY HAVE CONTRACTED ME AS A VEHICLE ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTIONIST IN PUERTO RICO. I NEED TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE MADE ANY INQUIRIES IN THE FUEL DELIVERY AND PROPULSION SYSTEM. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS TOYOTA, LEXUS AND HONDA VEHICLES THAT I KNOW OF SO FAR, ARE HAVING SOME KIND OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION ISSUES AND THE COMPUTER DOES NOT CATCH THE PROBLEM. THIS ACCELERATION SURGES THAT I HAVE FOUND OUT ABOUT, ALL HAVE OCCURRED AROUND HIGH ELECTRICITY AREAS. SO FAR THAT I KNOW OFF, THREE OF THESE SURGES HAVE OCCURRED NEXT TO THE ELECTRICAL PLANT CENTER IN PALO SECO PUERTO RICO AND ONE CAUSED TWO DEATHS. THE OTHER ONE IS THE ONE I'M REPRESENTING WHICH OCCURRED IN THEIR HOME TWICE. THE FIRST TIME WAS ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE THIS ACCIDENT BUT THE DRIVER HAD THE CHANCE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND NOTHING HAPPENED. AT THAT TIME THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A CHECKUP AND NOTHING STRANGE SHOWED ON THEIR SYSTEM. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR UPDATED 3/13/15 *JS

NHTSA ODI 10609024

AFTER EXITING A PARKING LOT BY BACKING OUT, LEXUS RX 350 DRIVER PRECEDED TO THE PARKING LOT EXIT. UPON MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN TOWARDS THE EXIT, THE CAR IMMEDIATELY LURCHED FORWARD AND DESPITE THE DRIVERS ATTEMPT TO STOP THE CAR BY APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE CAR HIT ANOTHER PARKED CAR. THE RX 350 CAME TO A STOP ONLY AFTER HITTING THE CURBING OF THE PARKING LOT. THE CAR THAT WAS HIT WAS UNOCCUPIED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE DRIVER OF THE RX 350. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10547211

I HAD AN ACCIDENT WITH MY 2012 LEXUS ON 5/1/13. I PULLED OUT OF A GAS STATION UNTO THE ROAD AND STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT BEHIND A CAR CARRIER WHICH WAS STOPPED ALREADY. WHEN I STOPPED, MY CAR ACCELERATED AND HIT THE BACK OF THE TRUCK. WHEN THE POLICE CAME, THEY CITED ME BECAUSE I HIT THE TRUCK. WHEN WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND I EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED, HE SAID HE HAD A SIMILAR CASE A MONTH BEFORE. WITH THAT, I SEARCHED GOOGLE AND REALIZED THAT I WASN'T LOOSING MY MIND AND THAT MY CAR ACCELERATED UNINTENTIONALLY. I CALLED LEXUS AND THEY SENT A REPRESENTATIVE TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND AFTER EXAMINING THE CAR, HIS FINDINGS WERE THAT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. I CALLED TWO ATTORNEYS AND THEY HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING BUT BECAUSE I WASN'T HURT, THEY WOULDN'T TAKE MY CASE. I CALLED "8 ON YOUR SIDE" AND THEY SAID TO EMAIL YOU AND THAT A GENTLEMAN FROM THERE "MIGHT" GET IN TOUCH WITH ME. I AM OUT $4,500 FOR THE REPAIRS AND NOW MY CAR DEPRECIATED $5,000 BECAUSE IT WAS HIT. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN BUT I WORRY EVERY TIME I COME TO A STOP. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO SO I COULD GET REIMBURSED FROM LEXUS OR TRADE MY CAR IN AND NOT LOSE THIS SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT. I HAVE HAD LEXUS SINCE 1996 AND I CANNOT BELIEVE THEY WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR REPLY! *TR

NHTSA ODI 10536785

ON 6/25/2012- AT 7:10 AM, I WAS PULLING INTO THE PARKING SPOT FOR MY VEHICLE IN MY HOSPITAL PARKING LOT FOR A SCHEDULED SURGICAL CASE, WHERE I WORK AS AN OB/GYN PHYSICIAN/SURGEON . AS I TURNED TO THE PARKING SPOT AT THE USUAL, APPROXIMATELY 2-4 MILES /HR SPEED ( THE SPEED AT WHICH NORMALLY ONE PARKS THE CAR), I NOTICED THAT MY ACCELERATOR PEDAL DID NOT BOUNCE BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION AS IT NORMALLY SHOULD OR WOULD. THEN MY RT FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKES TO JUST STOP THE VEHICLE IN MY PARKING SPOT. THEN JUST INSTANTLY THE VEHICLE HAD INCREASED SPEED AND BEFORE I COULD STOP THE VEHICLE, IT RAN FORWARD UNCONTROLLABLY AND CLIMBED UP THE CEMENT PATHWAY AND HIT THE TREE JUST IN FRONT OF THAT PARKING SPOT. I WAS PRESSING ON THE BRAKES AND IT DID NOT STOP THE ENGINE RAVING AND I STOPPED THE ENGINE BY TURNING IT OFF. THE FRONT OF THE CAR IS SEVERELY DAMAGED INCLUDING BENT FRAME AND THE ENGINE IS PUSHED INSIDE ACCORDING TO THE BODY SHOP. I FELT I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND IT RAN ON ITS OWN. IT WAS THE SCARIEST FEELING. IMAGINE THE DAMAGE AND CASUALTY IT COULD HAVE CAUSED IF IT HAPPENED AT THE SIGNAL CROSSING. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10463655