2008 Lexus ES350

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

THE DRIVER SIDE FLOOR MAT WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH THE THROTTLE PEDAL IF PROPERLY SECURED USING THE RETAINING HOOKS PROVIDED BY TOYOTA.HOWEVER, IF THE ALL WEATHER MAT IS UNSECURED AND MOVES FORWARD FROM ITS INTENDED POSITION IT CAN ENTRAP THE THROTTLE PEDAL AT THE FULLY OPEN POSITION AFTER IT HAS BEEN DEPRESSED.THIS CAN HAPPEN REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT ANOTHER MAT (CARPET) IS UNDERNEATH.WHEN THIS OCCURS, SOME OPERATORS REACT BY APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL MULTIPLE TIMES, DEPLETING THE BRAKING SYSTEM'S (VACUUM BASED) POWER ASSIST.STOPPING THE VEHICLE WITH UNASSISTED BRAKING WHILE THE THROTTLE IS FULLY OPEN REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT PEDAL FORCE, WHICH SOME OPERATORS DID NOT, OR WERE UNABLE TO, APPLY FOR THE REQUIRED DURATION.CONTINUED DRIVING IN THIS CONDITION RESULTS IN OVERHEATED BRAKES, WHICH FURTHER DIMINISHES THE BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS.SOME OPERATORS ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF BY DEPRESSING THE ENGINE CONTROL BUTTON, HOWEVER THEY WERE UNAWARE THE BUTTON HAD TO BE DEPRESSED FOR THREE SECONDS TO STOP THE ENGINE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION; THIS FUNCTIONALITY WAS NOT EXPLAINED ADEQUATELY IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL.IN ODI INTERVIEWS, OWNER'S REPORTED THEY WERE UNAWARE THE ALL WEATHER MAT HAD THE POTENTIAL TO INTERFERE WITH THE THROTTLE PEDAL, ADVISING THAT THIS WAS NEVER PROPERLY EXPLAINED GIVEN THE SIGNIFICANT HAZARD IT REPRESENTED.OWNERS REPORTED SEVERAL EXPLANATIONS FOR WHY THE MAT WAS UNSECURED, INCLUDING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED IN THIS CONDITION (MOST COMMON REASON), OR THAT THEY HAD (UNWITTINGLY) INSTALLED THE MAT THEMSELVES, OR THAT ANOTHER PARTY, SUCH AS A CAR WASH ATTENDANT, HAD DISTURBED THE MAT WITHOUT THE OWNER'S KNOWLEDGE.ONE CONSUMER REPORTED THAT THEIR VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED WITHOUT THE RETAINING DEVICES INSTALLED.IN A SEPTEMBER 26, 2007 LETTER TO NHTSA, TOYOTA INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO REPLACE THE ALL WEATHER MAT WITH A REDESIGNED MAT.ACCORDING TO TOYOTA, THE NEW MAT DESIGN WILL REDUCE THE POTENTIAL FOR MAT INTERFERENCE WITH THE THROTTLE PEDAL.THE POPULATION NOTED ABOVE REPRESENTS THE NUMBER OF SUBJECT MATSTHAT HAVE BEEN SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES.SINCE TOYOTA CANNOT IDENTIFY WHICH VEHICLES MAY HAVE THE SUBJECT MATS, THEY WILL SEND A LETTER TO ALL REGISTERED OWNERS OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES (ESTIMATED 750K) ADVISING THEM OF THE CONCERN AND REMEDY.A COPY OF THAT LETTER WILL BE POSTED TO NHTSA'S WEB SITE UNDER RECALL 07E-082; IT CONTAINS A DESCRIPTION OF THE CONDITION AND THE ACTIONS AN OPERATOR SHOULD TAKE IN THE EVENT THROTTLE ENTRAPMENT OCCURS WHILE DRIVING.THE FATALITY INCIDENT NOTED ABOVE OCCURRED IN JULY 2007 AND WAS INVESTIGATED BY NHTSA'S SPECIAL CRASH INVESTIGATIONS OFFICE.IT HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED ON A VEHICLE OWNER QUESTIONNAIRE.THE OPERATOR REPORTEDLY TRAVELLED AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 100 MPH FOR AN ESTIMATED EIGHT MILES ON AN INTERSTATE IN CALIFORNIA BEFORE IT STRUCK TWO OTHER VEHICLES.ONE OF THE STRUCK VEHICLES AND THE SUBJECT VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE.THE OCCUPANT OF THE STRUCK VEHICLE DID NOT EVACULATE AND DIED AT THE SCENE.THE SUBJECT VEHICLE DRIVER SUFFERED A BROKEN BONE.THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL IS INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT ALSO.ODI DID NOT ISSUE AN INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER DURING THIS INVESTIGATION.THE TOYOTA REPORTS NOTED ABOVE WERE REPORTED DURING PRELIMINARY EVALUATION PE07-016 AND ARE CURRENT THROUGH APRIL 2007 FOR MY 2007 LEXUS ES350 ONLY.ODI DOES NOT HAVE FIELD EXPERIENCE DATA FROM TOYOTA FOR CAMRY VEHICLES.THROTTLE ENTRAPMENT DUE TO IMPROPERLY INSTALLED FLOOR MATS COULD BE A CONCERN IN ALL VEHICLES.THEREFORE, DRIVERS SHOULD ALWAYS ENSURE THEIR FLOOR MATS ARE PROPERLY AND SAFELY INSTALLED.THIS INCL

The contact owns a 2008 Lexus ES350. The contact stated that the TPMS warning light showed that the tire pressure was low. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer to be repaired. While attempting to reverse out of a parking lot, the vehicle independently accelerated forward at 60 MPH. The contact was able to maneuver the vehicle out of the parking lot to avoid a crash. The vehicle decelerated independently. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. After waiting for a while, the contact drove the vehicle home at slow speeds. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 49,000. The contact deemed the vehicle unsafe to drive and decided to sell it. The vehicle was sold to Carmax instead of to the dealership because they offered more money. But the contact still suffered a significant financial loss so they are requesting a reimbursement for the remainder of the value at which they purchased the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11498702

Incident

Dec 19, 2022

Mileage

49,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS ES350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS MELTED AND THERE WAS A GLARE ON THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED HENNESSY LEXUS OF GWINNETT (3383 SATELLITE BLVD, DULUTH, GA 30096 (770) 680-1000) BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THE WARRANTY POLICY EXPIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.*DT*TP

NHTSA ID

11321798

Incident

Jan 1, 2017

I RECENTLY JUST FOUND OUT THAT MY DASHBOARD MELT, AND STICKY. IF I'M DRIVING IN THE SUN , THE REFLECTION OF THE SUN CAUSED THE BLINDSPOT THAT I COULD NOT SEE. ALSO, THE STICKINESS IS CAUSING THE SMELL AND IT'S NOT HEALTHY.

NHTSA ID

11208280

Incident

May 4, 2019

THE DASHBOARD WAS MELTING, I CALLED THE LEXUS CORP TODAY AND FOUND OUT THAT THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED SINCE LAST YEAR BUT I JUST DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM LAST SUNDAY.

NHTSA ID

11206120

Incident

May 5, 2019

TRUNK RELEASE BUTTON THAT ALLOWS TRUNK TO BE OPENED MELTED. NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED THE RUBBER BUTTON TO MELT AND RENDER THE RELEASE OF THE TRUNK INOPERABLE. CAR WAS NEVER SUBJECTED TO CHEMICALS OR UNDUE HEAT. SOMETHING CAUSED THE BUTTON TO MELT AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME. POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD IF NOT REPLACED? THE CAR IS KEPT YEAR ROUND IN NEW JERSEY AND IS SUBJECT TO SEASONAL CHANGES BUT NOT IN A YEAR ROUND HOT CLIMATE SUCH AS THE SOUTHERN STATES. THE SERVICE MANAGER REFUSED TO HELP WITH THE REPLACEMENT COST. THE MECHANIC THERE WHO LOOKED AT IT SAID HE SEES IT ALL THE TIME.

NHTSA ID

11197383

Incident

Apr 4, 2019

Mileage

137,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS ES350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS FRACTURED AND MELTED. THE FRACTURE BEGAN FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE TO THE IGNITION AREA. THE DASHBOARD WAS BROKEN INTO PIECES AND EXPOSED THE IGNITION, WHICH CAUSED THE KEY TO BE LOOSE. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH STERLING MCCALL LEXUS (10025 SOUTHWEST FREEWAY, HOUSTON, TX 77074, (713) 995-2600) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE'S WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE DASHBOARD REPLACEMENT PROGRAM HAD EXPIRED FOR THE 2008 LEXUS ES350. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000. *JS

NHTSA ID

11186788

Incident

May 30, 2016

Mileage

118,000 mi

BATTERY FAILED TO DISCHARGE IN NUMEROUS OCCASIONS (STATIONARY-PARKED AT MY RESIDENCE-28,012 ML ON THIS 2008 ES 350), REQUIRED TRIPLE AAA CHARGE. LEXUS SERVICE CENTER STATED "I NEEDED A NEW BATTERY & ALTERNATOR." I HAD THE ALTERNATOR & BATTERY REPLACED ON 12/15/2018 (NOT CHEAP). THEN ON 02/17/2019, I HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM, BATTERY NOT DISCHARGING. FYI, THIS IS MY 2ND LEXUS. 1ST LEXUS OWNED WAS A 1991 ES 250, NEVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH THAT CAR UNTIL IT REACHED 117,000 MILES. THIS IS TOO STRESSFUL. WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH LEXUS (TOYOTA). THEY ONCE WERE THE BEST CARS ON THE ROAD???????

NHTSA ID

11180868

Incident

Feb 17, 2019

Mileage

27,888 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS ES350. DUE TO THE GLARE OF THE SUN, THE DASHBOARD MELTED AND BECOME VERY STICKY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CHATHAM PARKWAY LEXUS (LOCATED AT 1120 CHATHAM PKWY, SAVANNAH, GA 31405, (912) 213-0005) FOR A ROUTINE OIL SERVICE AND THE CONTACT INFORMED THEM OF THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

11156863

Incident

Jun 14, 2016

Mileage

120,000 mi

CSP: On July 30, 2018, a settlement of claims for Economic Loss related to Takata airbag inflators was approved for full implementation. The settlement includes Lexus?s agreement to provide a Customer Support Program (?CSP?) for 2002-2019 model year (MY) vehicles originally equipped with certain Takata airbag inflators or repaired under a recall with Takata airbag inflators to provide coverage for repairs of the airbag inflator contained in the airbag module. This CSP letter is to help clarify how to administer this coverage in accordance with the settlement. This is NOT a recall or a campaign, but is provided to reassure owners that Lexus stands behind the reliability of our vehicles

CSP: Takata CSP Coverage Job Aid - published 7.28.2022

Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements 4.13.2022

TSB: This Service Bulletin includes procedures to replace damaged or loose front carpet floor retainer(s) without replacing the carpet assembly. Follow the Repair Procedure in this bulletin to replace the loose or damaged carpet floor retainer(s).

TSB: Some 2005 ? 2022 model year Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty smell is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this service bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This service bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare the interior of the vehicle prior to an odor remediation being performed, as well as contact information for an approved vendor who will arrange the remediation, and instructions on how to prepare the interior of the vehicle for reassembly once the remediation has been completed. Refer to all model and model year specific Repair Manuals and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website for the most up-to-date safety and precautionary guidelines. This service bulletin is to provide a general overview and direction for the odor remediation process.

POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Lexus. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be available to any customer that requests it. Customers can find this information on the Owner?s section of Lexus.com. Dealers can locate a copy of this guide on the Claims Processing & Resource Center in Dealer Daily as well.