My father and I both have GS400's. His is a 2000 GS400 Platinum package. He's hadd the car about a month - it has very low miles (about 18k).

Twice, while sitting at a stop, the engine has surged and pushed the car forward, and he's been unable to stop the car moving even while pushing the brake as hard as possible. The first time the car merely surged a bit forward at a light (he was first), but this time he almost hit some pedestrians. He's a bit freaked out.

I know that I saw some information here on this, but can't seem to find it using the search, probably not searching with the right words. Has anyone had this experience? Anyone out there that can help me find the right threads?

I'd really appreciate some help.

-Russell

 

Sounds like his foot might have been on the accelerator while also on the brake. The harder he pushed the brake, the harder he hit the accelerator. I've done it like twice when I was wearing some loose sandles. Scared the bejesus outta me

 

Yup, I've done the same, especially with sandals or my Tims...

 

Does your father drives using both feet? Left foot on the brake, right foot on the gas?

 

Don't fool with it. Take it Lexus and let them scan the codes. After that it might be time to look at those shoe sizes.

 

When I bought my car, it came with some aftermarket pedals that are clsoer to each other. i have done probably a dozen times before I got used to them. My wife came real close to wrecking my car the first time she drove it due to the same thing. I would still go get it looked at.

 

He doesn't drive two-footed and is pretty sure it's not the shoes getting stuck. He took it in, I'll post what they say.
-R

 

Just a comment . . . Remember the Audi 'Instant Accelleration' back in the late 80's. I think it was finally proven by independent sources that pedal position and offset tends to be a problem with 'elderly' drivers.

If you recall it virtually killed the Audi 5000 (renamed 100/200) and took Audi years to get over the 'witch hunt' (eg. 60 Minutes TV broadcast).

Let's not start those type of allegations with the GS cars. It could cost us all a lot of resale dollars.

My 2 cents worth

 

Yep. It's definately the pedal position. I have done it like 10 X . 2 people at the Lexus dealer have done it also. Pretty sure this was the problem. I have driven my previous Y2K gs about 85,000 miles & have 20,000 on my current 1 . alot of drivers experience this that have wide or large feet with higher up pedal position.

Paul

 

rja400
Have your Dad try holding the brake pedal down and then flooring the car. It should be impossible to move (the brakes are more powerful then the engine). IF however the car does move, have him take it in as there is probably something wrong with the brakes.

Doug

 

A little more info. This was while he was already sitting at a light, stopped. Why would his foot slowly slide over and press on the gas? It wasn't while he was starting to brake or coming to a stop and braking more. He was sitting at a stop light waiting and it happened.

He did try and hold the brake and give it gas, the car moved forward.
-R

 

Like many others I have "fat footed" the pedals, also. Your dad does not have to move his foot. The problem for me occurs due to foot position: I plant my heel onto the floor and rotate my toes to either gas or brake. Depending on which shoes I wear or where I plant my heel I can sometimes push both the brake and gas at the same time. And since my foot is on both pedals, pressing harder on the brake actually means pressing harder on the gas.

 

Doug, With traction control on your car will actually move forward slowly.

With traction control off, your right, you wont move, but your tires will be squealing...

 

rja, the skepticism is due, at least in part, to the Audi debacle as MR GS400 pointed out.. US DOT more or less pussyfooted the issue, but Canadian DOT flat stated that, in every circumstance in which they were determined a cause, "pedal misapplication" was at fault.

Couple this with the fact that the brakes on ANY car are capable of bringing the car to a full stop from top speed EVEN if the accelerator remains flat to the floor/throttle wide open and you can understand a degree of doubt, as far as some part of the car being at fault.

Keep us posted!

 

Besides many of the good comments already made, the skepticism is probably also somewhat due to the fact that if the GS did have an unintended acceleration problem, you can rest assured there would have already been posts about it. We can get pretty vocal in our defense of Lexus but we also have a tendency to call it like we see it. If several of the guys here have experienced it but it turned out to be pushing both pedals, and very likely as a given they were a lot less "experienced" than dad, you have pretty good odds that is what is going on. But for many of the reasons already mentioned, I still wouldn't fool with this and let Lexus check out the engine and the brakes. At a stop light, the brakes should hold the car against the TC.

And now for the facts - 10 1/2 EEE and never hit both pedals at the same time. Just in time for the end of the great anti roll bar debate of 2003 comes the unintended acceleration thread requiring shoe sizes and age for the database.