Sudden unintended acceleration issue. I was pulling into a parking space at 8 MPH when suddenly my vehicle revved up on its own, jumped the curb, and crashed into a building. Luckily, I was not hurt or hurt someone else. The edr download clearly showed my rpms jumped from 400 to 2,000 in nanoseconds and that the accelerator was "off." toyota's response to me was "we found no evidence that this incident was the result of any type of defect with the accelerator or brakes." I agree it is not. It is not a brake pedal or accelerator issue. It is a software issue that controls the fuel to the vehicle. After toyota was fined $1.2 billion (largest ever fine to an auto maker), they updated the software so there is a brake override in case this happens. The local lexus dealership never mentioned this to me nor have I ever received any type of recall notice. This could have been avoided if the software in my vehicle had been updated. Toyota is "very sorry about this unfortunate incident." pretty sad words for all of the people that have been killed in accidents because of this issue.
2008 Lexus RX350: sudden unintended acceleration
6 of the 126 complaints about the 2008 Lexus RX350 describe sudden unintended acceleration.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 5%
- typical mileage
- 24,980
- recalls
- 0
Sudden unintended acceleration by model year
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 lexus rx350. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the engine rpms increased excessively as the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The contact also stated that the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. The contact crashed into the driver's side of another vehicle and then crashed into a pole. A police report was filed. The contact was transported to a hospital for treatment of chest and legs injuries. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not destroyed. The approximate failure and current mileage was 69,000...updated 12/03/13 *bf updated 12/06/2013
Tl*the contact owns 2008 lexus rs350. While driving approximately 3 MPH into his driveway the vehicle surged forward. The contact was unable to stop the vehicle. The contact depressed the brakes to the floor and the vehicle failed to stop. The vehicle crashed into a wall. The entire front end of the vehicle was damaged. The air bag did not deploy. The police was not called to the scene. The contact towed the vehicle to an authorized dealer. The dealer stated that estimated repair cost was $12,000. The inspector informed him that they were unable to offer him any assistance. The vehicle was at an authorized dealer to be repaired when the complaint was filed. The approximate failure mileage was 24980 and the current mileage was 25000.
2008 lexus rx 350 with several problems including sticky accelerator which caused hesitation and then a surge and related sensor problem. Consumer stated that the warning lights illuminated and the vehicle surged forward. When taken to the dealer, the warning lights went off. *kb there was a loose wire between e5-a12 pin and general instability with sensors and various trouble lights including the check engine light, vsc and loss of cruise control. A code diagnosed a problem as acceleration position sensor switch malfunction, which seemed to be associated with the warning lights for the check engine, vsc and skid. The consumer stated the vehicle lost power and significant use of the accelerator while driving 70 MPH.
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 lexus rx350. He experienced sudden acceleration twice while driving 30 MPH and attempting to stop at an intersection and again when he tried to park. During both incidents his foot was on the brake pedal; however, the accelerator pedal stuck, the vehicle continued to accelerate and it failed to stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer was unable to locate the failure. A report was filed with the manufacturer who stated that someone would contact him. The current and the failure mileages were 19, 700.
As I put the vehicle in reverse, it rapidly and suddenly accelerated out of control and hit a light post. Trying to regain control, I put on the brake and shifted to drive, where it suddenly and very rapidly sped forward and hit a fence before I could stop the vehicle. When this occurred, the couple I was dining with heard the car backfire twice which caught their attention. I could not hear the backfire inside of the vehicle. The acceleration was extremely rapid and dangerous. The vehicle did this on its own. This is not a case of where I accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of the brake. In this particular situation, no one was hurt, and the vehicle only has minor scratches. However, as you might surmise, this could have been a potentially dangerous and deadly situation had someone been in the path of the car. Vehicle was brought to westside lexus to check on 5.13.2008. They were unable to identify the problem and said the vehicle was safe to drive.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2008 Lexus RX350 sudden acceleration
Is sudden unintended acceleration a common problem on the 2008 Lexus RX350?
6 of 126 owner complaints about the 2008 Lexus RX350 (5%) mention sudden unintended acceleration. The model year with the most reports is 2010.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2008 Lexus RX350?
There are 0 recalls and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2008 Lexus RX350
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2008 Lexus RX350?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history