DDUTY

I've got an RX 330, 2005 model with about 65,000 miles on it. I've never had an kind of problem with it before this weekend.Then WOW, my accelerator stuck!

To start with the history of this car. I bought it in 2006 from a higher end used car dealer in Pensacola, FL, who buys high end auction cars, Lexus, BMW, Porsche, Jag, etc. The car had only 3,000 miles on it and I got it for about $5K off sticker. Not that this matters about the problem I'm having but it's part of the overall story I guess.

I was moving to Panama (Central America) not Panama City, FL. The dealer set it up as an export so I did not have to register it in the USA, pay taxes and/or register it.

I got it a few weeks later via container and drive it on a regular basis and my wife goes back and forth to school about 70 miles round trip three nights a week.

Now the PROBLEM. Saturday afternoon we were leaving a funeral and I was dropping some people off at their house. I was on a main road in town and was doing about 30 miles an hour and had to slow down to make a right hand turn onto a side road. I had four other people in the car.

I took my foot off the accelerator to apply the breaks to slow down for the turn but the car did not slow down it just kept going! It felt like the cruise control was on but did not disengage when I applied the brake. (more on the cruise control "feeling" in a moment).

Because of the problems that Toyota has been having with this same or similar problems I had prepared myself mentally for it in case it happened to me.

The first thing I did was shift the car into neutral; then applied the brakes, slowing down enough to make the turn. The engine started racing but I'm not sure if it red-lined or not but it sure sounded like it to me. I stopped the car, turned off the key and after stopping put the car into park. I'm glad I was only doing about 30 miles an hour or it could have be a lot worse.

Floor mats I thought. I got out of the car and looked closely at the mat and it was at least six inches away from the accelerator. I replaced the stock mats with some very thick (wonderful) cocoa mats but they are shorter than the standard mats so it could NOT have been caused by a floor mat.

I started the car, took the people home and went in with them. I told my wife what had just happened as she was in another car. To be honest I was a little freaked out over all this.

An hour or so later, I drove the car to the store and picked up a few things for the family we were visiting. It was actually the family of the deceased; grandmother, mother, father, and five year old son that was in the car with me when this problem happened. We had just buried their seven year old son who had died of Leukemia. The thought of having a wreck with these people in the car was certainly nerve racking to say the least. They had certainly already had enough to deal with that day But the car was fine going to the store, no acceleration problem at all. Idled fine as well.

I drove back to the family's house from the store and stayed about two hours before heading home, about five miles away. I was planning on taking the car into the Toyota dealer in David, Panama about 45 minutes away but I can't do this until Monday as they are closed on the weekends here. (there is no Lexus dealer in Panama but Toyota will do all the maintenance for any Lexus owner here)

I left and started the short drive home being cautiously slow. Guess what? It happened again on the way home; actually twice. It was exactly the same thing again. I followed the same procedures as before; shift into neutral, brake, turn the key off and come to a stop and then put it into park. At least I think this is the steps in order I took but I might be wrong. It could have been neutral, brake, stop then into park and turn the key off. It all happened so fast I'm not sure of the exact sequence of events. I do know it started when I took my foot off the accelerator and it kept going!

Earlier I had mentioned it felt like the cruise control was on and would not disengage when I applied the brake. I almost never use the cruise control here because the roads and traffic are so bad. But a couple of weeks ago I was driving in a place where it was appropriate to use cruise control. I tried to engage the cruise control but it did not work for some reason which seemed odd as I had never had a problem with it in the past but like I said I almost never use it.

This morning I started the car and backed it out of the drive and onto a flat area of my driveway. The car started normally, idled smoothly and seemed to be fine for the 20 feet that I drove it.

Again, the mat is NOT the issue. It is nowhere near the gas pedal. I am not mechanically inclined and to the best of my memory they took my screwdriver away in kindergarten and told me that I was never allowed to pick up another tool the rest of my life ;-)

So the reason for this post is two-fold. First to make people aware that my RX 330 did have an acceleration problem and what I did when it happened. Secondly to ask if anyone else has had this problem and if so what did the dealer do to correct it?

Also, my car is out of warranty. Actually it probably did not have any warranty since I exported it out of the USA to Panama. It's a real "iffy" question as to an exported car having any warranty at all!

So here I sit at home today in Panama "carless" and clueless. Does anyone have any suggestions other than the obvious which is take it to the Toyota dealer on Monday?

I think that since Toyota has had this kind of problem in the USA that they should fix it here in Panama for free like they do in the USA. Toyota has well over half the new car market here in Panama and I'm sure they would not want to tarnish that by having some fat old Gringo have a wreck or get killed due to an acceleration problem in his Lexus. BTW my Lexus VIN number does not start with a J so it's not made in Japan whereas all the new Toyotas sold here are imported directly from japan, not the USA.

Thanks for taking the time to read this message.

David
Boquete, Panama
(I FOUND THE PROBLEM - PLEASE READ THE REPLY BELOW)

DDUTY

I think I found the problem!!!! Please read as you need to check your RX also.

A few minutes ago I went out and waned to see if there was anything I could find that might be causing this problem. Of course I looked AGAIN at the floormat and that was not causing the problem.

Then I noticed that the plastic cover on the right hand side near the accelerator was loose. Its the large tan (on my car) plastic piece that goes all the way from the footwell around and in below the stickshift area. It's actually just above the rectangular area that you can used as a purse holder (or for a bog of burgers from McDonald's). The are actually two large plastic pieces (covers), one lower and one higher that goes just below the stickshift. It's the lower plastic panel that caused the problem. Mine has two black plastic "studs" that hold it in place and they were both missing!!! The darn thing was just flapping around when I touched it. I pressed the gas pedal down and I could easily pull this plastic part over the "rod" that the break pedal is attached to. It did not actually cause the gas pedal to stick down but did cause it to rub and almost stick. So I feel almost certain this is the problem.

I went inside and grabbed my wife to tell her how smart I was for finding this life threatening problem. She then informed me that two days ago she found a little plastic "stud" in the floorboard and she just stuck it in glove-box and forgot to tell me. Oh well....

Anyway, I do feel this is what caused the problem. BUT and it's a big but, I think there is a design problem here. It would be very easy for Lexus to just shave an inch or so off this plastic piece so that it could not ever cause this problem for someone else in the future. Just think this little missing plastic stud could have killed five people!!!

Everyone who drives an RX should be aware of this potential problem and I also need to let Lexus know about it also I think. It could save someones life one day. And heck maybe they will give me a new LS460 for bringing it to their attention ;-) It would certainly be cheaper than an attorney who could sue them!!!

Anyway I've put the plastic "stud" back in and will try and find a second one somewhere tomorrow since there were two that were missing.

Hope this explanation will result in everyone else checking their RX and making sure the two "studs" are in place and the panel is not loose. And I also hope that Lexus fixes this potential problem if they have not done so already in the newer models. It might even be a reason for a recall. Who knows.

David
Boquete, Panama

ps: I will take some photos of this panel and if I can post them here to better explain what I"m talking about.

Adamjeeps

Nice work, I will go out and look closely at my RX 350 to see if there are any potential issues down there.

hypervish

I think this problem is only for your RX. This may have happened if someone removed that panel and didn't install it properly and broke a couple of clips that hold it in place.

salimshah

Since it is fresh in your memory ... can you think back and share with us, what happened when you applied brakes? Did it not overcome the stuck throttle? Also putting in "N" is a good option but first I would simply put pressure on brakes. With "N" you can potentially red-line rpm [preventing an accident is still better than red-lining rpm].


I am very glad you found your problem and are helping spread the message ... one needs to make sure the controls are free form physical obstructions [carpet, panelling etc].

By the way, I still expect the people who examine the accident do check for physical obstruction(s) ... granted it all depends upon the condition of wreckage.


Salim

arnieosp

iTrader: (1)

Keep in mind that with the throttle wide open you loose the vacuum assistance in the brakes in 3-4 applications. You will still have brakes, but you would have to press them lot harder.

DDUTY

It happened so quickly and at very slow speeds, under or around 20 MPH. I know that once it kept wanting to accelerate even when the brake was applied. Another time it wanted to redline or at least high RPM when I shifted into neutral.

Sorry to have put up a "questionable" post but it happened and I still think that Lexus should really rethink that panel next to the gas pedal so it does not happen to anyone else. It would be a minor fix I would think and it could avoid a major problem.

Still waiting for that free LS460 for finding this for Lexus and pointing it out.

David
Boquete, Panama

TalkLexus

David.... There was a recall for this concern back in 2006 called the 6LD RX330s and RX400 Center Console retaining clip replacement. If you go to lexusdrivers.com and register your VIN number you will probably find that it has yet to be done.... Just a thought...

rcy

+1. There was a recall for this.

DDUTY

thanks for letting me know about the recall. I was not aware of it since I bought the car in the USA, didn't register it, and shipped it to Panama. I wonder if Lexus would send me the parts needed to replace the current clips or something?

David in Panama