What 40 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Lexus Ct200h

Hydraulic pump problem

NHTSA ODI 11651417

The brake booster and pump are a known issue for all CT200 models 2011-2013. The brakes do not work as intended which is a safety issue. The attached file is acknowledgement by Lexus that this is an issue. Though they are not covering the problem

NHTSA ODI 11630875

dash lit up like a xmas tree; braking became immediately unpredictable, spongy, and difficult to stop the car. error code c1391.

NHTSA ODI 11591893

My Ct200h has now recently started to leak fluid from the brake system has started to malfunction due to this known problem by Lexus on their 2013 CT200h brake booster/master cylinder as well as the actuator system problem which they had previously put out a statement for. This is absolutely incomprehensible the scope of a dangerous situation this could have put my family in. Imagine if the brakes would have fully malfunctioned and I slammed into the back of a 18- wheeler, the whole top of this car is coming off including everyones heads in the car. I hope this reaches a competent individual who understands the scope of the malfunctioning in the brake system. This is supposed to slow a 2 ton car going from 65 mph to 0 at any instance, if the system malfunctions at the wrong time LIVES ARE PUT AT RISK. I have full service records through the dealer and constantly do routine maintenance with the dealer. I am highly disappointed in with this matter.

NHTSA ODI 11579639

There is a noise I am hearing while breaking which is the actuator trying to build pressure, but the pressure is being leaked out of the accumulator in the brake master cylinder, all of the “Brake” and “ABS” lights come on and you will hear the actuator about every three seconds or so. This is a dangerous mechanism which has been known already on a multitude of these same models. Please fix this, as it could have been a dangerous situation this vehicle could have put my family in.

NHTSA ODI 11569870

ABS BRAKE ACTUATOR IS FAILING AND MAKING A LOUD NOISE WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE FOR LEXUS. CONTACTED LEXUS DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THE CAR IS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY RECALLS OR WARRANTY EXTENSIONS.

NHTSA ODI 11406837

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 2013 LEXUS CT200. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP NOT ALLOWING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO BE DEPRESSED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE RAN INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUFFERED A BROKEN COLLAR BONE, BROKEN LEFT HAND, AND A BROKEN FEMUR BONE. THE CONTACT DID RECEIVE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND WAS TOWED TO A JUNKYARD. THE CONTACT WAS RELATING THIS ISSUE TO THE REPAIRS TO THE LEFT CONTROL ARM PRIOR TO CRASHING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11405808

ON 9/13/2019 I EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF BRAKING POWER WHILE APPLYING BRAKES ON AN UNEVEN/POTHOLED CITY ROAD SURFACE WHILE APPROACHING A STOP WITH VEHICLES IN FRONT OF ME. THIS LOSS OF BRAKING POWER NEARLY RESULTED IN COLLISION. THE LOSS OF BRAKING POWER HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT UNTIL NOW HAS NOT RESULTED IN A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION. I DISCOVERED THAT DRIVERS OF BOTH THE CT200H AND PRIUS INDICATE LOSS OF BRAKING POWER WHEN APPLYING BRAKES ON UNEVEN SURFACES SUCH AS POTHOLES, SPEED BUMPS, OR MANHOLES THAT ARE NOT LEVEL WITH THE SURROUNDING ROAD SURFACE. THIS LOSS OF POWER IS OFTEN REPORTED AS ACCELERATION, THOUGH THE MORE LIKELY EXPLANATION (SEE ATTACHMENT) IS THAT DECELERATION IS INTERRUPTED DUE TO SLOW HANDOFF OF REGENERATIVE BRAKING TO FRICTION BRAKING. PREVIOUS REPORTS OF BRAKING ANOMALIES HAVE BEEN FILED WITH NTSB FOR THE LEXUS CT200H, WHICH USES THE SAME REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM AS THE TOYOTA PRIUS. A DRIVER WHO COLLECTED DATA REGARDING THIS ISSUE STATES: "THE SPEED SENSOR DATA FROM EACH WHEEL ALSO COMES AT ABOUT 60 HZ. ONE WOULD THINK WITH THIS KIND OF DATA RATE THE SYSTEM SHOULD BE ABLE TO ADD IN FRICTION BRAKING FAST ENOUGH (AFTER GOING OVER A BUMP WHILE BRAKING AND REDUCING REGEN BRAKING), SAY IN A SMALL FRACTION OF A SECOND, SO THAT THE DRIVER WON'T HAVE TO EXPERIENCE THE MANY SECONDS OF SENSATION OF LOSS OF BRAKING, IF TOYOTA BOTHERED TO REFINE THE ALGORITHM." A REVIEW OF BRAKING RELATED INCIDENT REPORTS FOR BOTH THE TOYOTA PRIUS AND LEXUS CT200H MAY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INSIGHT INTO THE FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY OF THE LOSS OF ASSISTED/FRICTION BRAKING ON UNEVEN ROAD SURFACES. SEE ATTACHED ACCELEROMETER DATA.

NHTSA ODI 11255463

THE BRAKES ON THIS CAR QUIT WORKING FOR A SECOND WHEN BRAKING OVER ROUGH SPOTS SUCH AS POT HOLES OR SPEED BUMPS. BUT, OF COURSE, NOT ALWAYS. IT FEELS AS IF THE CAR WANTS TO ACCELERATE WHEN THIS HAPPENS. I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS.

NHTSA ODI 10991341

CAR SURGES WHEN BRAKING AND GOING OVER SPEED BUMP, TRAIN TRACKS, POT HOLES GOING BETWEEN 20 - 35 MILES. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 5-6 TIMES SINCE WITH 1/14 HAPPENING I HAVE HAD THE CAR. I HAVE ASKED FOR LEXUS OF PALM BEACH TO DO HEALTH CHECK, BRAKE CHECK AND ALL SYSTEMS ARE OK, BUT SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT. JUST WORRIED THAT WHEN CAR SURGES, ME AND/OR MY FAMILY OR PASSENGERS GET INJURED

NHTSA ODI 10820431

AS I WAS DRIVING INTO A TURN FROM A COMPLETE STOP IN THE TURN LANE ON A CITY STREET, MY CAR SURGED FORWARD AND THE BRAKES DIDN'T RESPOND. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.

NHTSA ODI 10785840

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 LEXUS CT. WHILE COASTING INTO AN ELEVATED DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED BRAKE FAILURE. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,847. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 03/30/15*LJ UPDATED 6/24/2015*JS

NHTSA ODI 10683861

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 LEXUS CT HYBRID (N/A). THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED THE BRAKES DISENGAGED WHEN DRIVING OVER ANY UNEVEN SURFACE ON THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE VEHICLE WAS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10535518