What 78 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Lexus Rx350l

The contact owned a 2013 Lexus RX 350. While the contact was parking her vehicle the vehicle inadvertently accelerated and crashed into a tree. The contact was not sure how fast the vehicle was moving. The contact crashed into the tree head on and crushed the center of the bumper and grill. The contact stated that the air bag had not deployed. The contact stated she did not notice any warning lights. The contact was transported by ambulance to the hospital. The contact suffered lacerations on her hands and face. The contact stated that the police arrived after she had been transported. The vehicle was not repaired and was declared a total loss by her insurance provider. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11568826

MY VEHICLE STALLS FREQUENTLY ON THE EXPRESSWAY WHEN THE SPEED IS INTERRUPTED BY A SUDDEN STOP. IT WILL STALL WHEN I ATTEMPT TO START BACK IN TRAFFIC. I'VE COME VERY CLOSE TO HAVING A REAR END COLLISION.

NHTSA ODI 11298602

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2018 I STARTED MY DAY BY FIRST GOING TO THE BANK. I ENTERED THE PARKING LOT OF SUNTRUST BANK ON RACE TRACK ROAD, IN BOWIE MD. UPON ENTERING INTO THE PARKING LOT A CAR EXITING THE BANK OF AMERICA DRIVE THRU SHOULD HAVE STOP FOR ME TO HAVE THE RIGHT AWAY, BUT DID NOT, SO I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP TO ALLOW THAT CAR GO PASS. I THEN PROCEEDED TO A PARKING SPACE. AS I WAS ENTERING THE PARKING SPACE, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, MY LEXUS RX 350 ' 2013 ACCELERATED. I IMMEDIATELY CONTINUED TO PRESS ON THE BRAKES WHICH DID NOT ENGAGE AND WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR. THE SUV JUMPED ONTO THE SIDEWALK AND PROCEEDED TO THE STEPS, IT THEN CROSSED THE MEDIA AND WHEN STRAIGHT INTO THE BRICK POLE OF THE BANK OF AMERICA DRIVE-THRU. I WAS CONFUSED AND NERVOUS AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE THE DAY BEFORE THE BATTERY ON THIS SUV STOPPED WORKING AND I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA WHERE I PURCHASED A BATTERY AND THE TOYOTA MECHANIC DID A COMPLETE DIAGNOSIS TEST ON THE SUV. NEVER DID I THINK THAT THE VERY NEXT DAY THAT THE CAR WOULD REACT THIS WAY. I PURCHASED THIS SUV APRIL 2017, TAKING THIS CAR INTO ALL OIL CHANGES, WHATEVER WAS REQUIRED TO BE FIX, I FIXED IT. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND SAW THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE RX 350, THE LAST COMPLAINT WAS FILED IN OCTOBER 2018 AND STILL NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT THIS. AFTER THE ACCIDENT I WENT TO THE DOCTOR BECAUSE OF THE CONSTANT HEADACHES, WHICH HAS NOT STOPPED. THEY RECOMMENDED PHYSICAL THERAPY. I ALSO HAD TO GO TO MY EYE CARE CENTER DUE TO THE FACT THAT I HAD CATARACT SURGERY JUST ONE MONTH PRIOR AND AM HAVING VISION ISSUES. I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL ON THIS SUV AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT OPEN UP.

NHTSA ODI 11160508

VEHICICLE SHOT FORWARD GAINING SPEED WITH BRAKES FULLY APPLIED WHCH DID NOT ENGAGE THE BRAKE OVERRIDE OF ACCELERATION. RAN THROUGH THE GARAGE DOOR GAINING SPEED THEN COLLIDED WITH THE GARAGE BACK WALL. THERE WAS NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE ADJACENT KITCHEN WALL COLLAPSED WHICH MOVED THE REFRIGERATOR FORWARD TRAPPING OUR TWO FRIENDS BETWEEN IT AND THE KITCHEN CABINETS ON THE PARALLEL WALL. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGH THE BLACK BOX INDICATED THE CAR HIT THE GARAGE WALL AT ABOUT 17 MPH. BLACK BOX SHOWED FULL THROTTLE AND TOTAL APPLICATION OF BRAKES. CAR WAS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL AND PRODUCED HORRIFYING RESULTS. ONE OF OUR FRIENDS LAPSED INTO A COMA THAT NIGHT AND WAS TAKEN OFF LIFE SUPPORT A WEEK LATER. THE OTHER FRIEND IS IN REHAB AFTER SUFFERING A BROKEN FEMUR, A BROKEN PELVIS, AND SEVERAL BROKEN RIBS. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN OUR MINDS THAT THE CAR WAS AT FAULT AND HAVE NOTED THAT MANY LEXUS VEHICLES HAVE EXPERIENCED WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED IS SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THE FACT THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND AT A SPEED EXCEEDING THE NHTSA STANDARDS IS ANOTHER SERIOUS ISSUE WITH THE LEXUS. WE ARE HORRIFIED ABOUT THIS EVENT THAT HAS HAD SUCH TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES. PLEASE NOTE THIS OCCURED IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.

NHTSA ODI 11139529

2013 LEXUS R-350. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE ACCIDENT. *SMD *TR

NHTSA ODI 10919473

ON THE GARAGE DRIVEWAY, SUDDENLY MY CAR ACCELERATED IN THE REVERSE GEAR AND COULD NOT BE STOPPED EVEN AFTER PRESSING THE BRAKE. THE CAR COMPLETELY WENT OUT OF CONTROL IN THE REVERSE AND CRASHED INTO MY BACKYARD FENCE, PLOWED THROUGH IT AND FINALLY CAME TO A STOP AFTER HITTING MY RAISED PATIO!

NHTSA ODI 10897034

I HAD BRAKED TO A STOP ON A CITY STREET IN BUMPER-TO-BUMPER TRAFFIC THAT WAS STOPPED FOR A RED LIGHT. SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY, MY CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD THOUGH MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE. IT MADE A NOISE LIKE THE ENGINE WAS ACCELERATING. MY CAR LURCHED FORWARD AND STRUCK THE CAR IN FRONT. AS HE MOVED FORWARD, MY CAR AGAIN STRUCK IT. I HAD TO PUT MY CAR IN PARKING GEAR TO GET IT TO STOP MOVING. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO THE LEXUS DEALER. THEY CHECKED AND SAID THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG AND THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE EVENT DATA RECORDER THAT I HAD READ ABOUT ONLINE. THEY SAID THE CAR HAD NO SUCH THING. NOBODY SHOULD DRIVE THIS CAR - SOMEBODY COULD GET HURT BADLY IF THAT UNINTENDED ACCELERATION HAPPENS AGAIN. I LEASE THIS CAR AND WILL TERMINATE THE LEASE. I HOPE WHOEVER THINKS OF BUYING THIS CAR WILL SEE THIS REPORT AND STAY AWAY FROM IT. IT IS UNSAFE.

NHTSA ODI 10819572

VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED FROM A STANDING STOP COLLIDED WITH OTHER VEHICLES AND WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS. TOYOTA EXAMINED THE EVENT DATA RECORDER. THEY SAID THEY TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE (IMPOSSIBLE AS IT WAS NOT ABLE TO BE DRIVEN). THEY SAID THE FLOOR MAT WAS UNSECURED (NOT SO I CHECKED IT AS DID THE LOCAL POLICE). THE LETTER FROM TOYOTA IS A COMPLETE WHITEWASH OF WHAT HAPPENED. I HAVE THE RESULTS OF THE EVENT DATA RECORDER.

NHTSA ODI 10809525

THE CAR WAS PARKED ON A FLAT SURFACE ON THE TOP OF A DRIVEWAY THAT GOES DOWNHILL. THE CAR WAS TURNED ON AND WHEN THE PARKING BRAKE WAS RELEASED, THE CAR IMMEDIATELY SHOT DOWN THE HILL LIKE A BULLET AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE BRAKES DID NOT STOP OR SLOW DOWN THE CAR. WE WENT THROUGH 3 FENCES BEFORE THE CAR WAS FINALLY STOPPED BY THE THIRD FENCE. THE CAR HAD 4 PASSENGERS IN IT. THE PASSENGERS ON THE RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE, BOTH FRONT AND REAR, SUSTAINED THE MOST INJURIES. NONE OF THE 10 AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10644866

I WAS DRIVING ON I-59 NORTH WITH WIFE AS PASSENGER WITH RADAR CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 70 MPH APPROACHING DEPARTURE EXIT. I TAPPED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO RELEASE THE CC AND IT DID NOT RELEASE. THINKING I HAD NOT TAPPED IT HARD ENOUGH, I MADE THE TURN AND TAPPED THE BRAKE PEDAL HARDER. THE CC DID NOT RELEASE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES WITH FULL FORCE. THE ENGINE RACED TO SATISFY THE CC AND THE SPEED WAS 69 MPH GOING INTO THE EXIT. MY FOCUS WAS STEERING THE VEHICLE TO AVOID OBJECTS AND TRAFFIC. WE CRASHED ACROSS A FOUR LANE CONCRETE CURBED BOULEVARD AND INTO A CHAIN-LINK FENCE. I STEERED DOWN A FRONTAGE ROAD AND BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. THIS WAS A 30 SECOND + EVENT. THE BLACK BOX CAPTURED 9.5 SECONDS OF INFORMATION. LEXUS DOWNLOADED THE BLACK BOX AND I REQUESTED A COPY OF THE INFORMATION WHICH THEY DID FURNISH ON A THUMB DRIVE. THEY IMMEDIATELY ERASED ALL EVIDENCE OF THE CRASH FROM THE VEHICLE DATA RECORDER AND PROCLAIMED THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. THE THUMB DRIVE DATA CLEARLY DISPLAYS THAT THE CAR WAS TRAVELING 69 MPH ON THE DATA RECORDER. IT ALSO SHOWS THAT THE CC DROPPED OUT DURING THE CRASH. I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TOYOTA LEGAL IN TORRANCE, CA, INDICATING THAT THEIR REVIEW OF THE VEHICLE FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT AND THE CASE WAS CLOSED. THE BODY SHOP REPAIRS WERE $16K PLUS THE DEPRECIATED VALUE OF THE VEHICLE IS $11K. NALLEY LEXUS GALLERIA, SMYRNA, GA, WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, DEFERS ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO TOYOTA. I HAVE BEEN A TOYOTA CUSTOMER SINCE 1990 AND THIS HAS BEEN MY THIRD LEXUS RX. BITTER SWEET END! MB

NHTSA ODI 10502982