NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Defect Petition DP15-005: Low-speed surging
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Defect Petition DP15-005 on July 9, 2015 and closed it on August 19, 2015. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2009 Lexus ES350 for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- DP15-005 (also written DP15005)
- Investigation type
- Defect Petition A petition asking NHTSA to open a defect investigation; NHTSA grants or denies it, and granting one opens an investigation.
- Status
- Closed August 19, 2015
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Toyota Motor Corporation
- Component
- Vehicle Speed Control
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2009 Lexus ES350
A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Defect Petition DP15-005.
The Agency received a petition on June 19, 2015, requesting an investigation into low-speed surging in different models of Toyota automobiles in which the car starts accelerating and the engine RPM increases even when the accelerator pedal is not depressed.
The petition is based upon the petitioner's interpretation of pre-crash Event Data Recorder (EDR) data from a crash his wife experienced in a model year (MY) 2009 Lexus ES350 vehicle and from two other crashes involving a MY 2010 Toyota Corolla and a MY 2009 Toyota Camry.
The petitioner's allegations regarding the three crashes are based upon several misconceptions about the manner in which the EDR samples and records pre-crash data in the ES350, Corolla and Camry vehicles.
In each of the three crashes, the vehicles accelerated as the drivers were attempting to park the vehicles.
All three accelerations occurred as the vehicles were entering the intended parking spaces and in the times and positions where driver braking should be initiated to safely park the vehicles.
No braking was recorded in two of the crash events until the EDR trigger point (t = 0 seconds) and in the third crash no braking was recorded at all.
The crashes are all consistent with pedal misapplications by the driver mistaking the accelerator pedal for the brake when attempting to park the vehicle.
In addition, contrary to the petitioner's assertion regarding previous studies by NHTSA and NASA, the issues raised in the petition are fully within the scope of prior studies which have carefully examined the subject of low-speed sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles equipped with electronic throttle control.
Taking into account the allocation of agency resources, agency priorities, and the likelihood that an additional investigation would not result in a finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists, NHTSA has concluded that further investigation of the issues raised by the petition is not warranted. The agency accordingly has denied the petition.
The official petition denial, as published in the Federal Register, is available in the document file for this defect petition, as well as copies of reference material related to the denial.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Defect Petition DP15-005. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
Lexus
Lexus ES350
What an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Lexus VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for DP15-005
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.