Top Rx400h Annoyances

[wwest]

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That "surge" you get just before coming to a stop may very well one day save your life.

On a FWD or F/AWD vehicle it is potentially life-threatening to have a significant level of braking, engine compression braking or regen braking, should the roadbed traction be questionable. Ford now has a US patent that addresses this issue in their hybrids. Ford reduces the level of regenerative braking significnatly as/when the OAT approaches/reaches freezing levels. Additionally regenerative braking is disabled completely the instant ABS detects impending lockup during actual braking.

I wouldn't be very surprised at all if this is one of the cross-license issues and so, as a safety measure, Toyota/Lexus HSD vehicles are likely to do the same. thing

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The infamous "surge" is not that effect at all. I experience this myself only once in a great

while, usually when coming to a stop at a slight downhill angle. It isn't so much a surge as the

resistance of the regenerative braking releasing just before a stop. The result is that you

need to push harder than expected just before stopping.

I have only experienced this about three times in several months. I could see that if a driver

was distracted or not paying full attention you could easily end up hitting a bumper or stopping

further into a cross walk.

It is difficult to reproduce on command. It is fairly subtle.

/Steve

Yes, I have been tempted to refer to "it" as a "lurch" forward but the best decription is a "feeling as if being bumped slightly from behind."