This site here: http://www.authorsden.com/visit/view...e.asp?id=15636 talks about how a person experienced some computer failure in his/her sc300. It's like a 'planed' malfunction from the dealer...
Ok, here goes...

Lexus SC300 - # 1 Computerized Death Trap UPDATE: JUNE 2005
By Karen Gallo-Dunn
Last edited: Thursday, March 30, 2006
Posted: Monday, October 18, 2004





Tampa, FL. October 13, 2004, 8:30 PM

For more information call:
Michael Messenger
Lexus of Tampa Bay
813-888-8221

Japanese, built-in-obsolescence (computer)::"MR. DEATH" ::: the anti safety secret :: renders the driver helpless -- no warning - no indication -- I was a scared senior, in shock, traumatized and trapped on an off ramp from I-275 where it curves and the driver exiting the expressway has no way of seeing a car on the dead mans curve -- I was literally sandwiched between 3 expressway ramps. AAA never came and either did the 9ll Emergency Police Assistance.

Definitions:
Brain = COMPUTER that controls the Heart

Heart = ENGINE that runs the Car

Secret = What the Automotive Companies know BUT do NOT share with the Consumers.

Built-in Obsolescence = Predetermined period of time -- controlled and set by the manufacturer --requiring repair/replacement of their particular part or service to guarantee their future in mandatory replacement parts/service. This is the secret ::: BUYER BEWARE!



Totally unaware of the secret, no warning, no alarm, no indication the brain died instantly and killed the heart and left the body (car) & (driver) rendered helpless.

WHEN the Manufacturer's built in obsolescence goes into effect without warning -- you are in for the scare of a lifetime -- I was!


Tampa, FL. October 13,2004, 8:30 PM :::
1996 Lexus SC 300 Brain Renders Driver Helpless in Death Trap Situation

I am Karen Dunn, the author of this article -- therefore, you are hearing it first hand without and bs additives.

Scenario:
There she was driving 60-70 MPH heading south on I-275 to Tampa. Suddenly, the car had no power: no brakes :no steering: no control: It was 8:30 PM and our Hockey Games were canceled, so the traffic was patchy not bumper to bumper.

I got off to the left side and stopped -- unaware of what was happening. I tried to restart the car and it worked -- I thought this was a fluke -- maybe I was daydreaming -- this was not registering. Usually, when the car fails, there is some sort of indication: smoke, sounds, smells, noises, rattles, etc. Nothing...Nada.

Once again the car went brain dead. I managed to get across 3 lanes to the off ramp.
Unfortunately, this was the ramp to downtown Tampa -- Ashley Street where two off ramps join together at the end and the road widens to accommodate the traffic.

The car would only go as far as the curve of blindness. This is where the expressway traffic slows down to flow onto Ashley Street with the other on coming expressway traffic. There I was in the way of the traffic; all the lights came on -- on the dash board.

The last experience I had when the engine light went on was a warning not to blow the engine. So now I think the car needs the fluids, however, it was not time for an oil change.
Traumatized, I watched as the on coming traffic came at me. Some stopped, some honked, some nearly hit me-- this my friends is a trip to the Twilight Zone.

I called AAA Emergency - the phone rang 10 to 15 minutes with my head constantly jerking to look at the traffic. Finally, the girl takes the info and I begged her to call 911 several times over and over -- (thinking she would get a faster Emergency service for this situation).

To my dismay I had to hang up on her and call 911 myself. Now I was in total claustrophobic -- asthmatic -- panic attack. Afraid to start the car and blow the engine, I was stymied. I could NOT get out of the car BECAUSE I was on the curb with covered bushes separating the on-ramp to the third expressway. I was trapped like the monkey in the middle.

Eventually, I tried to restart the car and apparently the brain had rebooted to allow the car to start. My friend picked me up downtown and drove the car to his house where we waited until --------- Finally, AAA arrived at 11:45 PM and towed the truck to the Lexus Dealership.

To be continued::
What did the Lexus Dealership say?
How much $$$$$?
How Long?
Who knows about this brain-dead secret?


NOTE: JUNE 2005

The car had approx. 110,000. Ask your dealership know it all if and when the computer will die on you.

Everyone knows this according to Tampa Lexus.

Furthermore, the BS they are reporting on the lighters being blown out because of charging the phone is also incorrect.

In my SC300 the holder for drinks is directly above the lighter. When I complained about it not charging the phone, I was told that was not the purpose. After about 15 yrs or more of using the lighter to charge my mobile phones -- of course, I knew he was again telling an untruth.

When they checked the lighter to see if I had blown a fuse or whatever -- IT WAS discovered that because of the drinks spilling on the lighter it had RUSTED out.

The brain (computer) that operates the Lexus will die someday and you will be out of luck - I pray it is not on the expressway like it happened to me.

After the $1700 fix the engine light is still on - according to Lexus - for another $250+ they would fix that but it probably was just air in the system.

Also for another $250+ I could buy a new lighter. I didn't do either,

The dealership is lying to you. The computer which is now the BRAIN controls the engine, et al. AND EVERYONE KNOWS IT BUT ME ACCORDING TO TAMPA LEXUS.

WTF? thats some crazy s**t

she prolly ran out of gas and got h.u.s.t.l.e.d. and why does it say truck at the end??

Yeah, you guys don't know about the dieing computer SC300 special made to fail trucks?

Wow... some people.

I read that the night I bought my SC....
The lady's high!!!

Waa Waa cry me a river..........she would have been a danger to the highway either way...

hmm, intersting at the least

well ,i dont know about conspiracy theories ,but i do remember somebody posting about a very similar situation his wife experienced on the highway in the rx300 forums.car all of a sudden died with the driver completely powerless(couldnt even brake if i remember correctly).when he took it to lexus at first they couldnt figure out what it was and finally said part of the intake box had broken off and and been sucked in "killing" the car.his car was still under warrenty so he got a new one ,and that kinda ended all the unanswered questions. . . so maybe just faulty air boxes?

women and sc400 dont go together

S-P-A-Z.

Too bad it was the car that ............... no, no I will just hold my tounge.

Conspiracy theories entertain me.

actually no, that is beside you in the console. The fold out holder is theorized to have been put there to ward off evil spirits. (I have my own conspiracy theories, you see!) Either way it is not directly above it or else it would protrude from the climate control. Directly under the fold out holder is blue sky and carpeted floor.

.......because her car quit running......... damn just a PANIC attack? Too bad.

You know that one person on the earth you hear talking behind you about something so traumatic, so terrible, so horrible that they don't know how they lived - only to find out 15 minutes later in the story that it was because they were served diet coke instead of regular coke? Yeah....................

I had my SC400's engine die without any warning once while I was driving at a steady pace. What did I do? I turned on my hazard lights right away, calmly changed laned 3 times, made a right turn and let it coast to a safe stopping place. SC's are heavy and with some momentum will roll quite a distance. Not having power steering/brakes is not equal to not having steering/brakes. Obvoiusly the lady had no idea what to do.
Second, if she was spilling enough drinks to rust out the cigarette lighter the moisture could have easily damaged the wiring and electronics under the carpet. I think when the guys at Lexus told her her brain was dead they didn't mean the one in her car.

hahahahahah NICE! OLT

well. i kind of feel sorry for her actually. AAA screwed her. 9-1-1 kind of screwed her. The dealership - oh no...not them! - screwed her. I could see a claustrophobic, asthmatic, and a self-proclaimed senior blaming the heart/brain (whatever she said) of the car. Anyway, at least she wasn't claiming to be in a clear state of mind.

The dealership's are like 90% of the mechanic shops out there. They take advantage of the fact that most ppl don't know a lot about their own cars. I wonder what $1700 got her...probably not much.

Anything mechanical can break [ stop working].