MJN331

Yeah it shouldn't happen even one time. I'm lucky to have survived because I didn't panic in the moment but I was scared ****less, for lack of a better word. I didn't jump it right into low gear until I passed a couple of others -- if I threw it into low right away at that speed, I think it would have been a mess -- tailspin or whatever. Low gear in that car can climb Mt. Everest

MJN331

Thanks. And I'll look into this.

Bgw70

jonas's RX

Hey BgW70

I was just curious but the earlier SC 430 came with a 5 speed
did you take your older SC or your newer SC

when you went to 5th,I assume you must have taken youe
newer SC. By dropping from 6 to 5th gear on the newer SC,
You probably would be fine but if you were in the older SC
with 5 speed, moving at 80MPH and going to 4speed,
I think the drop will probably do serious damage at that high speed
To the gear box if you had to use the gears to eventudllyvstop
but again at that point, I don’t think it matters if it is life threatening

Even when you hit 40mph, with 4th speed, I don’t think
the car will come to a complete stop unless you drop it to 2nd

I am no expert but just my thought to the stop issue

GmanSC

Bre88

Thanks MJN331...I am delighted that no one was harmed, How, I wonder, can you and others be CONVINCED that this issue will not happen again or with other SC430's. For example, does the Toyota Corporation understand what happened, and if so, have they taken steps tp correct this issue...how do we know the loss of braking ability is not systemic? Are there recorded cases of this loss of brakes occurring among the fleet? Have there been any fatalities? What is the root cause? Can we trust Lexus to repair? Do we have to go to an outside mechanic to assess the viability of the braking assembly. Has MJN's Lexus service Center reported this to HQ? Who is the government is interested in this rather quixotic issue. Finally, why should I not anticipate my SC experience the same unknown cause brake failure?

jonas's RX

Yes I agree

If this is a documented case where a serious accident
could have occurred. Then as a SC owner, we should ask
Lexus if they are not willing to replace a potential failed
brake/ABS booster, they would be liable. I think
Something like this could be a class action lawsuit
To be honest

DshngDaryl

I don't know if I agree. A part failed on a 16 yer old car. Though the ramifications could have been catastrophic, are they any worse than a car tire blowing out?

You have been a member here for 14 years. Have you ever heard of this happening before on an SC?

It seems like a very limited occurrence and not a widespread phenomenon.

jonas's RX

All valid points made ...

To be honest, this is the first time I heard of an SC with
100% brake failure while on the freeway. I guess the question
Is if there is 1 document case of a car with complete brake
failure where something serious could happen, is this enough
for the manufacturer look to see if a part is defective?

If the car shows to be fully serviced regularly , should a critical
part failed? Just because a car is 16 yrs old, does it mean it is ok
for a critical part to fail?

DshngDaryl

Good points. Lexus did do a recall on their brake boosters a few years back, but it did not include the SC.

I guess Lexus would make the argument that all brake boosters industry wide, work the same. And they include a hand brake on their cars for just this instance. Also they would probably question whether there was a complete brake failure, or just a non power assisted failure. The first car I had was a 76 Buick century. It did not have power brakes. You had to REALLY push down hard to stop. Did the booster failure block the mechanical linkage to the brakes, or was it just a matter of having to push the brake pedal harder than the user ever had to in the past?

MJN331

You're absolutely correct and I don't know if it'll happen again. The moderator asked I provide updates and I'm guessing he's reading this. On Monday morning the dealer said they'd have a diagnosis by Tuesday morning and let me know what's up. I didn't hear from them and the case manager from Lexus (Tim) called and we spoke for a while -- I basically shared verbatim the story relayed in my first post. He said (in so many words) he's going to do his best to protect my interests and it may be as late as the top of next week (7/9) until I hear back. I believe he was going to be contacting a factory rep to look into the situation, as well. By now, I gotta guess, they've diagnosed the car and for whatever reason aren't reporting their findings to me. In a traditional situation, they tell you what's wrong and what needs to be done to repair it. Thanks for your concern and I will be bringing up your points when I speak with Lexus.

MJN331

I couldn't agree more and thanks. My personal mechanic (right or wrong) said my car does not have a "brake booster" -- the part a few people have mentioned in the posts. Maybe he knows that part by another name -- I don't know -- but he said what happened was not attributable to wear and tear -- there were no wear and tear items involved, and it's all (overall) electronic/computer systems. Thank you again.

MJN331

Really good points and thank you. For certain, it was a total loss of brakes -- no forewarning by way of the brake pedal feeling weird, tight or whatever -- and no brake light was on the dash before it happened. The mechanic also pointed out that if it was a wear and tear item that just "gave way," the braking system wouldn't work and in this case, it did, after turning the car off and back on. It worked for a while -- maybe a couple of miles, like nothing had ever happened, and then it went bad again. Not the expert, but I think if this was a hardware issue, that wouldn't have happened.

MJN331

I don't know, and hopefully I'll get some square answers from Lexus. But from what I've read, there are signs if a brake booster is going bad. Something with how the pedal feels when you brake. Everything was perfect with my system before it happened. Appreciate again.

MJN331

And for 16 years, it only has 135,000 miles, and very well maintained. Hope to get answers from Lexus when they've got them.