purebliss

Some of you may know this but I wanted to share my findings on this because I found it very interesting.

To make a long story short I had an ULT/LUX 10 ES350 for a demo and after 4k they were going to sell it as a demo. Instead I decided to purchase the car being that I really enjoyed driving it and figured it was a good deal for my wife at 2.9 percent now. Plus I had it from day 1. Well I brought it to my service center for the 5k service and they brought up the pedal modifications. I told them rite away not to do it and that I don’t even use the all weather mats. Even working there the service advisor got a little snippy with me. Reason being they work on commission and that is a major reason they want this work done as does the service department because they bill Lexus. Also some dealers aren’t doing the software update without the pedal. The main reason is the software can’t be billed separately so if they just do the software they can’t make money from Lexus. Feeling guilty that my wife will be driving this car and I didn’t do it. I did internet research and found out something I never knew. The accident that occurred in San Diego killing the family was caused because there was an RX400 all weather mat used. To make myself feel even better I placed an old ES350 all weather mat on top of my carpet mat and pedal cleared it by more then 2 inches. The point of this is the mat really wasn’t at fault. Whoever put this RX400 mat in the car is. I don’t know why Toyota issued a recall. It was dealer error. On top of that I found out the person who had the loaner car a few days before the victim also got the pedal stuck. He reports he slammed on the brakes until the car stop and shifted to neutral. Then realized the mat was jammed and he also made the dealer aware of this however they don’t recall and only the receptionist admits he told her. After the crash they looked at the brakes and saw they were pretty warn. Hence if the prior occurrence didn’t happen the brakes may have been able to stop the victim. What I am trying to say is a lot of things had to happen for this to go wrong and it all points to the dealer by placing the wrong mats in the car and also not listening to the customer who drove the car a few days before. I am happy I did this research because now when a customer asks me I can be sure of what happen to that poor victim. Also now I can feel safe about driving it.

jerfitz

purebliss,

I had the ECU reprogramming done on my ES350 and then I tested it as described below. See if your ES350 reacts the same way as mine by performing the following test. Then think about who, other than yourself, may be driving the car.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/5257673-post25.html

LexBob2

I would think in addition to any billing/commission concerns, dealers are under a certain amount of pressure from a liabilty standpoint to make the modifications when they have the car in their service depts.

I wonder if they are indicating on the work order something like "customer refused modifications" just in case something goes wrong?

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Just had the software update done at my dealer.
I didn't want the pedal or carpet work done.I told my service advisor I'd sign a waiver but didn't have to.
No "customer refused modifications" on my bill.They may have put on my bill they did the modifications.I have to check.

MD350

The floor pan and pedal design on the ES and other Toyota models don't allow for any human error (i.e. the dealer using the wrong mats). Other makes and models do allow for more clearance. In other words, if you place those mats into a Chevy or Honda, it would not cause the same effect as it did on the ES crash. This is why Lexus and Toyota are doing these modifications.

Bottom line, whether the dealer was at fault or not, if the car had the software installed and/or had a better designed floor pan and pedal to allow for human error, 4 more people would be alive today.

overclock

Or if the cop would have shifted into neutral or even park. Let me get one thing straight, if a loaner car, or any car for that matter, starts running away out of control it's going into neutral and if nothing happens it's going into park. It's only a transmission in a car. Who cares. Not me. Especially if it is a loaner. The cop put material things above his own life and he paid the price. I feel bad for his death and for those in the car. We can only learn from his experience.