Lexus ES350 Acceleration Problems

Acceleration complaints by model year

Which parts fail

• Accelerator pedal
  44
• Cruise control
  1

Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  10763%
• 25k–50k
  4124%
• 50k–75k
  127%
• 75k–100k
  74%
• 100k–150k
  21%
• 150k+
  21%

What owners report

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Lexus ES350. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the cruise control leveler fractured from the base of the steering column the vehicle was driven to the dealer. The parts for the repair were not available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 42,300. Updated 06/13/17

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Lexus ES350. The contact stated that while traveling approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle erroneously accelerated. The contact was unable to stop the vehicle by applying the brakes or shifting into park. The failure ceased once the vehicle was shifted into neutral and the brakes became responsive. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but the failure could not be duplicated. No repairs were performed. The manufacturer was notified and no solution was offered. The failure mileage was 2,890. Updated 01/08/14 tire skid marks were observed in the road. Updated 01/09/14

Tl* the contact rented a Lexus 2010 ES350. The contact stated that the vehicle suddenly accelerated as the brake pedal was depressed, causing her to crash into the rear of another vehicle. The contact sustained injuries to the back, knee, ankles, legs and spine. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection by an engineer. The failure was located at the main computer brain. The vehicle was also included in the speed control recall however, the dealer did not perform the recall repair. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was not filed. The failure and current mileage was 5,041.

Tl contact owns a 2010 Lexus ES350. The contact was driving approximately 55 MPH when the GPS navigation system displayed inaccurate information which directed him to the wrong location. The consumer was involved in a crash due to the incorrect driving directions. The manufacturer was notified and refused to accept financial responsibility for repairing the GPS navigation system. The failure mileage was 15,400. Updated 01/31/11 the consumer also stated the vehicle would not slow down. Updated 02/03/11 updated 07-06/11 updated 2/29/12

My wife and I experienced an uncontrollable runaway of our new (3 weeks old and less than 200 miles) Lexus es-350 car on 09/27/2009. The car was totaled. At time, both police and ambulance were called. And we were sent to the nearby shady grove hospital for checkup and treatments. Initially, I thought it could be because I mistakenly pressed the gas pedal, instead of the brake, when I tried to slow down the car preparing to make a left-hand turn onto rt. 28. Now, after I read all the recent Toyota/Lexus accident news reports, which specifically involved the Lexus es series, I begin to belief it wasn't the case. And in fact, it was an uncontrollable runaway car, at the time. Because otherwise I would have naturally slowed down the car at the intersection and prepared to make the turn. …

Petition for a defect investigation into low-speed surging in different models of Toyota automobiles in which the car starts accelerating and the engine RPM increases when accelerator is not depressed. The consumer stated on February 13, 2015, his wife was driving to an appointment. She pulled into the parking lot and did not have her foot on the brake pedal as she was coasting into the parking spot. The vehicle suddenly accelerated. Big bushes in front of the vehicle limited the speed, so his wife turned off the ignition and the vehicle fell back. A witness saw the entire even and attested to the fact the engine suddenly started roaring. The front of the vehicle was smashed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed from the scene and subsequently inspected by a representative of the manufacturer. …

The contact owns a 2008 Lexus ES350. The contact stated that the TPMS warning light showed that the tire pressure was low. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer to be repaired. While attempting to reverse out of a parking lot, the vehicle independently accelerated forward at 60 MPH. The contact was able to maneuver the vehicle out of the parking lot to avoid a crash. The vehicle decelerated independently. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. After waiting for a while, the contact drove the vehicle home at slow speeds. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 49,000. The contact deemed the vehicle unsafe to drive and decided to sell it. The vehicle was sold to Carmax instead of to the dealership because they offered more money. …

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Lexus ES350. While accelerating from a stop light and attempting to avoid a curb on the left, the contact veered to the right and crashed into the driver side of another vehicle. When the contact attempted to steer to the left, the vehicle independently accelerated and rolled over. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained leg injuries and the rear driver side passenger sustained head injuries. Medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 16V340000 (air bags). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 189,000.

Related recalls (1)

NHTSA investigations