Table 1 shows one common unknown or other related problems of the 2008 Lexus Rx400h.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other problems |
For no known reason, front windshield cracked. No visible marks that glass could have been hit by rock or any hard particle. Crack starts from where the rear view mirror is placed going down and up to the top edge of the windshield. Manufacturer denied claim for replacement stating it is not a manufacturer's defect.
I drove the vehicle (VIN-jtjhw31u482853535) about 25 miles from home to a doctor’s office, at typical northern virginia highway speeds on I-66 & I-495. I arrived at the doctor’s office, I entered the parking lot at about 5 mph, I approached a parking space and at about 2 mph made a right-turn into the space. Without warning, the vehicle started accelerating. I could not stop it even with both feet on the brake pedal. The vehicle jumped over a concrete parking strip, then the concrete curb, up a slight embankment and through a wooden fence. The vehicle eventually came to rest with 3 of the 4 tires on the embankment over the curb. The right-rear tire was resting against the parking curb strip. The vehicle continued to lurch forward trying to pull the last wheel up out of its resting spot. I looked down at the brake/accelerator pedals and though both of my feet were on the brake pedal, the vehicle was still trying to move forward. I shifted the vehicle into park and the vehicle continued to try to lurch forward, so I turned off the engine. After departing the vehicle, I checked the driver’s side floor mat and noted that the floor mat was properly positioned, hooked to hooks on the floor of the vehicle. The car was towed to a Lexus dealership where it was inspected by a Toyota-authorized engineer. Since the event could not be reproduced, we were told that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle and that it was safe to drive. Though we were told that we would be provided with the analysis of test results, Lexus has not responded to our repeated requests for this information. The vehicle had been properly maintained by owner for all required services and had just been serviced in September 2010. To date, there has been no determination as to what actually cause this sudden uncontrolled acceleration event which resulted in $7600 damage to the vehicle.