peteanello

I have the "thump" in the trunk noise when the fuel tank is full, until it gets down to 3/4 tank. I think it has something to do with the float. I hear it when accelerating from stops.

Here is a link to a LA Times article from 10/18/09.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-toyo...2642,full.story

It states: One possible remedy is to redesign the accelerator pedal to make it harder to get caught by a floor mat, he said. Another potential fix, he said, involves reprogramming the engine's computer to automatically cut power when a driver brakes while the gas pedal is depressed.

I still don't think redesiging the floor mats is the solution because 10 years from now someone buying the vehicle (used) could potentially install a type of floor mat that could duplicate the problem.

Great Video.....When I saw the '10 ES350 in some other posts, I wasn't all that impressed. But, after watching yours I am now wanting a 2010. I see they put a coat hanger behind the driver (I like that). Also, like the way the center console opens now.

I see the dealer hasn't removed the drivers floor mat like they are supposed to, or are the '10's exempt? I can't remember.

I wasn't informed of the option to program out certain features at the 1k service either. There was only one I seriously wanted (to turn off the seat belt chime when not used). After I pick up my mail and drive about 4 houses to my home, I don't see the need for the seatbelt. Lexus did this for me, at no charge, at the 5k service. I don't believe there is a way to do it yourself without the proper computerized equipment. The service writer also said it was not possible to feature out the chime on previous year models (I guess he was referring to the '08 and '07).

my 2008 es has spikes underneath and the hooks. the things are a pain in the !Removed! to take out to vacuum, but i know it's a response to the 2007(?) incident with mats coming loose. what i don't understand from the story is if the new cars all have them, why are they being recalled? it doesn't even sound like the mat is known for sure to be at fault. what are they going to replace or fix if the hooks come standard? if it's just the older cars, i understand, but the new ones are included in the recall list. another minor point. if they replace my driver mat entirely, i'd like them to replace all of them so they match. i don't need one dark black one and 3 faded, worn charcoal grey ones ;-)

I think they will have to do something besides redesign the floor mats because as the vehicle ages, someone not familiar with the problem may buy some after market mats that will cause the same problem (mat trapping the accelerator).

So, I'm hoping they will redesign the accelerator pedal so it doesn't make any difference what's underneath it.

I think the issue comes when people don't use the two hooks below the front of the driver's seat. I have often thought about that since the OEM Lexus mats don't have any traction nubs underneath. The same mats are on my own older ES though so i wonder why it is not included...

Carwahses for instance never re-install those hooks...

My '09 ES350, has very sharp spikes on the bottom of all 4 mats. I don't think they would dislodge even without the hooks.

And be careful at carwashes....years ago after sending my Acura TL through one, I noticed they ripped out the hooks. The must have yanked out the drivers mat without unfastening the mat. They were still broken (in the glove box) when I traded it in.

On the '09 with Nav, press the INFO button above the temp controls. Then select MAINTENANCE. There are about 15 different maintenance reminders....one is Oil.

Sounds like "Rain-X", something I would never use on my windshield. Once you start using it you can't stop. If you do, and try to use your wipers they will shutter across the glass until you reapply it. The glass will also get cloudy once it starts to wear off.

3M has a sponge (white in color) that is sort of like steel wool, but very soft. It is made for glass. It cleans great, it removes the haze where the wipers don't touch the glass.

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/200...sh-probe/?metro

Looks like the NHTSA is assisting in the investigation and preliminarily they are saying the accelerator may have stuck in an all weather mat.

I have a hunch. I bet the dealer removes the fabric mats from its loaner cars and temporarily replaces them with all weather mats. This way when they sell the loaner vehicle they can put the brand new fabric mats back in the car and then rotate the all weather mats into another loaner and repeat this process because all weather mats are easily cleaned.

We don't know if the loaner vehicle had the recalled all weather mats or the new ones. Apparently the recalled mats, if not properly installed, could shift forward underneath the gas pedal. Then if you put the pedal to the floor, the design of the rubberized ribs in the mat would catch and trap the bottom of the pedal just as if you had the pedal floored. The newer mats resolved this issue.

I gues the driver only had about 2 minutes, driving 100-120mph, to decide what to do while weaving around cars and avoiding accidents.

The driver over used the brakes (pumping them too many times) causing them to overheat and fail.

In this situation (not caused by electronic failure) the brakes will work until they are overheated and I bet the transmission gear selector could have been moved into neutral. Why it wasn't, we will probably never know.

Not sure if this is appropriate, but I copied it off a San Diego News Station Web Site:

In response to rotorpilot56, there have been numerous reports of certain Toyota models with a sticking throttle (most notably the Lexus ES350). While Toyota continues to blame it on the "All Weather Floormat" becoming stuck under the pedal, the story from people who have experienced this say that it is literally impossible to brake, moving the gear selector does absolutely nothing, and they insist that the floormat is NOT becoming jammed under the pedal. On some accounts, the issue arose specifically while the cruise control was activated. On most of the posts I have read about the topic, the pedal moves away from the foot, planting itself to the floor. It would make sense that some kind of fault lies within the electrical system/computers. Power steering is absolutely unnecessary while at freeway speeds, but according to Lexus the steering wheel will lock up as soon as power is removed from the system (never tried this myself, I trust them). I wrote in another post other details about the ES350, most specifically the EBD system which will directly affect brake pressure (as I understand, essentially an electronic distribution block), and of course the fact that the transmission is fully electronically actuated. The normal procedure for stopping a Lexus with push-button start is just a foot on the brake and a quick tap to the button. While the vehicle is in motion, you must hold the button for three seconds before it will turn off. As we know, things happen fast at high-speed, and even the most calm and collected person could easily overlook something like that (not to mention, many Lexus owners are not even aware of this feature). Anyone who has driven a newer Lexus or Prius understands that there is a learning curve. I have no idea what kind of car Officer Saylor owned, but remeber this ES350 was loaned to him while his car was in for service. Toyota really needs to take a step back and takes this problem seriously. My deepest condolences to the family and friends

I'm sure the brakes will work, but I don't know about shifting into neutral.

The previous reports of problems indicates that during unintended acceleration the dash board brake warning light comes on and the brake pedal is impossible to apply. Stiff as a brick.

And, I don't want to take a chance on !Removed! up my engine/transmission by shifting into neutral during full acceleration.

If you were willing to try these actions, you would find that they would work to bring the car to a halt with little drama except perhaps an engine screaming at maximum RPM -- but who would care if that is what is required to bring a car to a stop.

I agree, the brakes will definitely work and I could probably shift into neutral. BUT, the problem apparently is when this situation (unintended acceleration)occurs, then all bets are off. The electronics that control the brakes and transmission no longer work.

The electronics won't let you put the engine in neutral or downshift and the brakes don't work either under "sudden unintended/uncontrolled acceleration"

Have you verified this? Try moving the shifter of your ES350 into neutral and stomping on the brakes while you are flooring the gas pedal. Report back to us on the results.

I'm sure the brakes will work, but I don't know about shifting into neutral.

The previous reports of problems indicates that during unintended acceleration the dash board brake warning light comes on and the brake pedal is impossible to apply. Stiff as a brick.

And, I don't want to take a chance on !Removed! up my engine/transmission by shifting into neutral during full acceleration.

Sounds fishy. Maybe it was a murder/suicide. A CHP can't so stupid or untrained that he doesn't know how to downshift an/or put the car into neutal and/or slam on the brakes. And his wife even had time to make a 911 call while the car is careening out of control? Give me a break, or maybe I should say "brake". Either this was murder/suicide or someone earned a Darwin Award. Yes, I'm being cruel.

Trust me, this guy did everything in his power to prevent this accident. He was a driving instructor at the CHP Academy (at one point in his career), so I'm sure he went through a lengthly mental checklist (just like a pilot) of what to do in this situation.

Only thing that wasn't on his checklist (I'm sure) was pressing the start button for 6 seconds. Who would know that?

I just learned you have to hold down the start button for 6 seconds to kill the engine.

I just discovered an interesting web site: autocoverup.com

Let me know what you think. I think it was a mechanical issue. The electronics won't let you put the engine in neutral or downshift and the brakes don't work either under "sudden unintended/uncontrolled acceleration"

A local (San Diego) man and his family were killed when the 09 ES350 he was driving careened out of control when (according to the news story) its accelerator pedal became jammed under the carpet. Apparently, the start button must be pressed for 3 seconds before the car will shut down? Is this true? The car was a loaner from a local dealership and my guess is that the CHP officer who was driving, did not know how to shut the car down using this method.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat...h-56629472.html

I'm sorry if this was posted previously; I didn't see it when I looked.

I drive an '09 ES350, and was unaware you can kill the engine (at freeway speeds) by pressing the start button for 3 seconds. Good to know if it works. I wonder if you lose your power steering and power brakes?

How about putting the car in neutral, is that possible? Or slowly applying and holding down the E-brake.

I know all of the loaners I've had over the years, the Dealer flips the mats upside down so they don't get dirty. I wonder if that played a role?

Where in the story do you see that it was an ES350? Or did you read it elsewhere.

Our '04 RX was recalled for an issue with the mat potentially interfering with the accelerator.

I traded in my '06 TL for an "09 ES. The TL was a good vehicle but the ride was stiff, the front end scraped while driving into most shopping center parking lots and it was a pain to wash/dry/wax because the body is too chiseled.

The ES is just as fast, and it is a comfy ride.

A friend of mine told me the the Ultra Luxury Edition ES350 is only available on special order now, with a wait of 12 weeks. I called my dealer and he verified this fact.

Can any of you guys add any additional information on this subject?

I tried to get the Ultra Pkg in December '08, in Calif, and was told they weren't available at that time, so I settled on the Premium Plus Pkg. I see very few of them here on the west coast. It may just be a production thing.....I don't know.

Dual exhaust on a ES350 Nice, Looking better all the time B)

Don't the 07 - 09's have dual exhaust?

And I like the chrome at the bottom of the doors......add's a bit of 'Bling'

I'm not impressed at all the chrome molding on the bottom of the doors. They should have spent the money on putting on putting functional moldings (matching the paint) on the center to prevent door dings. Luckily, my '09, hasn't been dinged....YET !!!

I have only put premium in my 08' two times and fifteen thousand miles. Get 30+ miles /gal on the highway at 75 mph plus quiet, smooth, and powerful. Sorry regular will do just fine for me.

The Lexus mechanics I have talked to say that the engine problems (from using regular fuel) don't start to develop until approximately 60k miles (after the warranty expires).

Good Luck

I agree, I'm not going to skimp on 2 or 3 bucks per fill-up to take a chance on voiding my warranty or later on causing engine damage.

A good friend of mine was torn between the ES and a Toyota and walked away from the Lexus because of the fuel requirement. When I told him you don't buy a $35 - $40 K car, and then complain about the gas cost difference you shouldn't but a Lexus.

He bought the ES.

Our RX is going on 90k (not looking forward to that service) and has very few problems (not one major problem).

The ES has 7.5K miles, and I'm a happy camper.

Is your 1st paired phone turned off, so it isn't making a bluetooh connection?

Does anyone know locking the car w/o holding key fob. Sounds like not something you want to do anyway - by accidentally locking yourself out :( However I'm just curious and finding myself only time to find my key fob is to lock the car... thx.

I just hit the rocker switch on the drivers door (I never take the fob out of my pocket). Another option is to hit the button on the exterior door handle. And, it's not possible to lock the fob inside the car....if you attempt to lock the door, you get a long beeeeep and the door remains unlocked.

You can however lock the fob inside the trunk. But since it's within close proximity to the car, you can unlock the truck with the exterior trunk button and get the fob out.

Hope that helps.

I have a 2009 and I consistently clean my dash with no problems....using a damp micro-cloth...I recommend Aerospace 303. Read the reviews on this product. If you are 'anal' about your car then this is the real deal!!..........

Thanks for the mentionof Aerospace. Their Website offers a sampler kit for $5.00. I just ordered some.

Regarding the dash, I think the most important thing is to use a DAMP cloth or microfiber towel, with whatever product you choose. If you try using a dry towel on the dust/grime it is definitely not going to look good.

Greg, now I see what you mean.

I touched the time remaining and it changed to my arrival time. It was one hour early. It gives you the option to change the time zone, which I have on PST, but I don't understand how that relates to the arrival time. If it goes by the clock on the dash, it should be accurate, but there must be some other undisplayed clock somewhere that we don't see.

Also, I don't understand why the car wasn't designed to have the clock display to set automattically. All my other cars with NAV automatically set the time of day. Why the ES has those cheap tiny buttons to adjust the time, I don't understand.

The NAV in my '09 ES counts down the time remaining in hours/minutes and does not display a time to arrive.