We had an accident a few days ago regarding an ES350 that was mysteriously accelerating at high speed and couldn't stop and all of the passengers died. Have anyone encountered the stories these websites have described about the ES and IS, because you would think we would hear about it here by now...

http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11013075

http://autocoverup.com/

http://www.wate.com/global/Story.asp?s=6459687

 

interesting... the one article says its because of placing the all weather floor mat on top of the regular carpet floor mats, and the all weather floor mat getting stuck on top of the gas pedal? that seems like it could happen in any other car

edit: ok reading it more...... this is weird...... and kinda scarry

 

I've been researching the ES350 for the past few weeks since I was in the market to buy a used one.....a used 2007 ES350, to be exact. That won't be happening any more. Just a few days ago, I had actually decided that the floor mat issue was a reasonable explanation for what happened to so many people. Then came the accident in San Diego last Friday.....in a brand new 2009 ES350. Floor mats were recalled 2 models ago so I wonder what Lexus will say for this one. The driver was a vehicle inspector so I find it hard to believe that he just didn't know how to react. Others (who didn't end up dying) have stated that all attempts to stop/slow the car when its happening are futile. This is pretty scary stuff - I think I'll be looking at an Acura TL instead. Lexus is going to be needing to do some major DC here pretty soon or they will start losing more potential customers. They've already lost this guy.

 

i love Lexus and I am not trying to scare anyone away, but does anyone know if the accelerator is stuck, would the ebrake be disabled at high speed, or would the computer ignore the driver putting the car in neutral?? Not that any of these people have tried it, but those would be my first instinct if my car is going at a high speed and i can't stop it. This kinda reminds me of the GM incident a decade or two ago with the problems they had with cruise controls...

Like i said before, if these incidents are true, you would think we would encounter a complaint already.

 

Sounds reasonable and sensible enough, but just so you know a LOT of people think the new acura TL is fugly as hell. It may not matter for your personal taste but just saying.

The older generation TLs look nice though, it's just the new ones that they screwed up.

Maybe look into infiniti, they've got a nice sleek look (G or M)

Good luck with whatever you end up in.

 

There is a discussion about the crash here:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...rush-fire.html

As a general guideline, should such an uncontrolled acceleration occur, a last resort option is to press the engine start/stop button for 3 seconds, which will shut off the car. Whether or not that was attempted in this situation, and what exactly happened, is still being investigated. May the victims of this horrible tragedy rest in peace.

 

My first thought would be to put it in neutral... however i'm sure the CHP officer driving would of tryed this? such a sad story which seems to be caused by the design of a floor-mat :\

 

Couldn't believe the story. Had to re-read it a couple times. Such a sad story. Makes me second guess my idea of getting some all-eather floor mats now.

May the passengers who lost their lives rest in peace.

 

If you turn the engine off in high speed, wouldn't the steering wheel be locked? and ABS, brake assistance etc. will stop working too... that will be more scary...

 

[QUOTE=carLx;4812306]Sounds reasonable and sensible enough, but just so you know a LOT of people think the new acura TL is fugly as hell. It may not matter for your personal taste but just saying.

You couldn't be more right in your assessment of the new TL. I can only hope that whoever is responsible for the "improved styling" on the 09 model is now designing refrigerators or vacuum cleaners or something. Seriously one of the ugliest cars I've ever seen, especially when compared to the classic look of the previous TL design. It looks like a Saturn design or something that went horribly wrong. All 8 people who buy the new TL will certainly be disappointed. Too bad, though. I really like the ES350 on all levels, I just don't want to end up like the guy in San Diego and all the others who've experienced the same thing (and lived to tell...). I think Lexus is definitely holding back on the issue. I've read countless complaints posted online going back the the release of the 350 and they all sound exactly the same. I'm predicting that in about 2 months, it'll be a great time to be a Lexus buyer once all the poop floats up to the surface, but that won't help me much Also, regarding the all-weather floor mats, I highly doubt they were contributing here - I can't imagine why a dealer in southern CA would have all weather mats in their car, particularly when the dealer would certainly have been aware of the service notice advising against their use over the standard mat. I have a feeling that there will be a lot of stuff coming out over the next few weeks.....

 

Doesn't the steering lock once it is in park? I am not sure about this as I do not usually fiddle with it.

 

This is one of my few posts but I feel it is necessary to comment about this situation since it happened to me. I was unaware that one of my carpet hooks (closest to the center console) was missing after I brought it in Lexus for service. I'm guessing it was because they took it out to vacuum the interior. I found myself running a red light into a busy intersection because the foot pedal was held down due to the all weather floor mats making its way up to the pedal. Since then I've been checking everyday to prevent this problem. It was a very scary situation that I hope no one else goes through.

 

No, not until you open a door. Listen next time you turn off the car and open the door. You can actually hear the steering lock actuate -- it sounds like an electric motor running for about a second.

 

So the problem was the winter floor mats not installed properly?

Seems like the problem occurs when driving on the highway. This is some freaky stuff

 

Floor mats can be a problem in any car. MANY car washes do not engage the hooks on the floor mats when they put them back in the car. I've had issues with the clutch in my Supra from the floor mat not being "hooked in" which is also why you must remove your floor mats for any HPDE.

Still, it's difficult to imagine what must have happened to cause an experienced sworn officer who specializes in vehicle inspections to get so flustered he could not do what seems obvious to those of us who know about the floor mat issue. I don't doubt he tried everything possible to get the car slowed down, but anyone who understands brakes knows they are not effective against the full power of the engine, even in something as mundane as a Corolla. The brakes will quickly overheat, fade, and become useless. It only takes about 30 seconds. The emergency brake offers even less stopping power since it's just a tiny drum brake working only on the inside surface of the rear disc. It will only last a few seconds before it cracks the rotor from overheating.

The only things he MIGHT have been able to do are switch off the engine - which as Bichon said will NOT lock the steering, but will remove power assist - or put the transmission in neutral causing the engine to bounce off the rev-limiter until you can figure out a way to stop it.

I can imagine a bizarre scenario where the throttleplate could stick open through a drive-by-wire failure, but there is a whole subsystem of checks and balances to shut down the ECM if a fault or failure occurs in the throttle control system.