911 Tape: Runaway Lexus Driver Reported No Brakes

All he had to do was turn off the key and use the e brake.

As usual in runaway acceleration cases that capture the publics imagination, nobody has a rational explanation on how the brakes can completely fail without leaving any evidence of failure. That's the brakes, I guess...

Do try to keep up- no key, this is one of those transponder fob and start button setups. And it was a loaner- he was not familiar with the procedure to kill engine and not lock the wheel.

-- aem sends...

If I turn the key off in my 06 LS 460, the steering wheel locks and I die of collision. If I just let the motor run and down shift that may do some engine braking, but I probably die without brakes. If I use the emergency brake, it burns out and I die of collision. OH WAIT !!!!! I paid an extra $15,000 for the radar safety option that stops the car just before it runs into something !!!!! Hmmmm ... oh yeah ... that needs brakes too!!!!! Boy am I ever glad I drive Lexus ... car of the collapsing brakes !!!!!!

And?

Sean Kane, president of Safety Research & Strategies, said an Aug. 28 crash that killed four --

I'll take my chances with the engine off, or the car in neutral, or whatever.

OK. And the excuse for neutral would be?

So put the transmission lever in neutral and let the engine rev itself off the limiter, so long as the engine and transaxle are disengaged the car will slow down....

The mindlessness of people just amazes me some days...if my car was going full-bore I'd shut the damn thing down one way or another. Turn off the key, press the clutch, pull the e-brake, put it in neutral....put it in park...I don't care. There is just no way a failure such as a stuck accelerator pedal, even on one of them drive- by-wire jobbies, should cause a car to be unstoppable.....

Chris

Yes.

Thanks.

So if the factory floor mats are installed correctly there is no problem, then why the recall? Were dealers installing incorrectly sized after market mats as dealer upgrades?

Bob

I don't know what the actual problem is. The floor mats are probably sourced in North America, for whatever that's worth.

No, it doesn't.

That happens only if you turn the key to lock. It doesn't happen when you turn the key to off.

That would be my advice.

All my cars have regular keys, up to the Scion. IIRC, to stop the engine on a Prius, etc, you press the brake and push the button. I can't remember if the trans has to be in N or P.

The car had the push button start. A lot of people don't realize that to kill the engine with one of those when the car is in gear you have to push and hold the button in for 3 seconds or so.

Panic does strange things to peopel. Putting the car in neutral would have solved the whole thing.

Ed

Maybe in flat eastern Nebraska or Iowa but not if he's going downhill. Google Earth shows Hwy 125 in Santee, CA is in the hills/ mountains. That's going to take some skill to slow down.

Michael

He was a POLICE OFFICER. There was no excuse.