Toyota sought to limit repairs on Lexus ES models with “jerky gears,” according to a Los Angeles Times investigation. The company decided repairs “should only be utilized for critical customer complaints,” despite lawsuits and safety complaints about the car’s surge problems, according to internal company records examined by the Times.
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show 49 injuries have been blamed on acceleration problems with 2002-2006 ES models, including one pedestrian death. NHTSA opened three defect investigations into unintended accelerations problems with the sedans, but all three were dismissed.
Problems with sudden acceleration on other Toyota vehicles, and the company’s slowness in notifying safety officials, have led to a $16.4 million fine from the U.S. government. Toyota told the Times that the Lexus ES model’s “drivability” issues were unrelated to these problems. From the Times:
Given the concerns raised by some customers about this drivability issue, we did not meet the very high customer satisfaction standards we set for ourselves,” Toyota said. “However, we fully stand behind the engineering and production quality of the vehicle, as well as our after-sale customer service and technical support.”
