jmadhuri

I found this on the web. Would like your opinion on how such a thing is even possible. Did/Can this really happen? I recently bought a 1997 LS400 which is in very good condition with 140K miles and I am concerned after seeing the below complaint.

http://www.automotix.net/autorepair/...775-complaint/

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

sounds like a bogus complaint and someone lost control, or an isolated incident.

there was only 1 recall in early '98 for the '97 model year, no. 98V016000, which was for a starter terminal issue that (basically) if you got salt water into the starter motor (in the depths of the engine) there was a likelyhood that the car wouldn't start (and a small possibility of an electrical short+fire).

nothing even comes close to what the report indicates, and no formal action against Lexus was taken by the NHTSA. Nor do any similar accounts appear anywhere else on the internet that i could find.

RavenTai

"ALL SYSTEMS ON THE CAR LOCKED (STEERING WHEEL, BRAKES, GAS PEDAL"

Bravo Sierra

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

LOLOL yeah really.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Welcome...Reads more like some hot foot who lost control of the car and wants to blame his driver error on the car.

One posted incident and among all the LS's here and on other forums, I've not heard of any similar incidents. I wouldn't think you will have any concerns.

emarknot

there was a reported incident in 03.....of a 97 losing acceleration controll and kept going for half a mile, hitting 5 cars till it finally "stopped"

but it was the only other incident related to the op's thread.

just saying

genetic

iTrader: (1)

nah 1997 LS400s are awesome, they will never do that.

unless you dont know how to drive

cf3232

Sounds a little suspect to me as well.

acidfire52

Right, steering, gas and brake??? Those are all separate mechanical systems on a '97. I too call bull.

emarknot

ya know, technically in an auto tranny equipt car, this is all plausable.

so say, the gas pedal was stuck. the car would remain accelerating, at the point of the vehicles limits......everything would be non-responsive. once the tires break adhesion from the road, all bets are lost.
depending on the situation, depending on how the person describes the situation, it could all be true.

if you ever get into an oversteer/understeer situation, you could have "locked" steering, the gas pedal would be "stuck".......and the brakes would be unresponsive, because the car is still accelerating.

it has happened to me.
not in a lexus
it was a toyota car

the problem?
one of the strands for the gas pedal cable broke, flung itself in the north position, and kept the cable from retracting completely. at 50% throttle, everything was cool. at 60% I lost all ability to control the car.

apparently its not a comon thing, and the throttle cable does not have a recall history.

emarknot

sorry, but my tablet isnt cooperating....


but, have you ever done 60mph, go to slow down, and the car just keeps going? not many have im sure.


but it can happen


and my previous post, was exactly that..... the guy petitioned for the lexus to have the "throttle linkage" to be examined.

Yamae

In Japan, they say that some 97 Celsior has a problem like this below @Youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICk-55i5YBU

I don't know the symptom is related to the original post here but the engine stop causes problems like those vacuum assisted devices like the brake, the steering and of course no response of the gas pedal. Searching the net in Japanese language, I found the cleaning of the throttle body can mostly fix the problem. Some needed to replace the ECU. I am still in search to prevent my car to have the problem.

The Youtube video v=ICk-55i5YBU's explanation is all written in Japanese and if you want to know the detail, the Google translation might work or I would try to translate for members.