That is still weird, since this guy was supposedly a trained CHP officer. My first reaction, and how I was trained back in the days of driver ed, would be to shift the tranny into neutral, then hit the brakes, and shut off the engine after stopping. Surely he would have been trained that way also. Maybe he just forgot his training, but something still seems strange. I still wonder if maybe the transmission failed somehow, not allowing the driver to shift it into neutral. Admittedly that's speculation as none of us was there when it happened. Hopefully the investigators are looking at that as a possible scenario as to why that car couldn't be brought to a safe stop. Then there's the question of why the car became a runaway to begin with.

In any case, I bet Lexus goes back to the keyed ignition after this episode!

For starters, it wasn't the 500. That was back in the 1970's.

Other plants were not fine either.

Definintely agree with you on this concern.

This constant drive to put new and more complex and complicated systems in cars is bordering on the lunatic at this point in time. Granted this is a luxury product and as well all know the goal is to add as much gadgetry as possible to "entertain" the driver and please the occupants.

I too am just fine with the keyed turn to start method. It has been fine for decades and I see no reason to change it, just to be "trendy".

Speaking as someone who has (and has always had) keyed ignition, I will say that keyed ignition makes absolutely no sense to me. Yes, I'm used to it since I've been using it for my 25+ years of driving, but it makes no sense to me. It's an antiquated and unnecessary mechanical system to activate something which is electronically controlled. 10 years from now the Nintendo generation will be looking at this and wondering 'why on earth do I have to turn a key?'.

If this guy had a keyed ignition and accidentally locked the steering column (a pretty real possibility) a whole other group of people would be talking about the 'dangers of keyed ignition'.

Lastly, not directed at you--but at many of the comments; something seems to have gotten lost here. THE ACCELERATOR NEVER SHOULD HAVE STUCK IN THE FIRST PLACE!! Maybe I should repeat this again: THE ACCELERATOR NEVER SHOULD HAVE STUCK IN THE FIRST PLACE!!

It seems that a lot of judgmental, holier-than-thou folks know exactly how they would have responded under these circumstances. Personally, I like to think I'd have just put the car in neutral--but I'm also aware that hypotheticals are just that: hypotheticals. I have no idea what I'd have done under the circumstances.

I mean, people are blaming the guy because he 'didn't read the owner's manual'?? Seriously??? OK, so you're a)one of the less than 1% who would read the owner's manual when getting a loner car nearly identical to you own, and b)you 'know' this guy didn't read the owner's manual?? c) I looked at my own owner's manual--I didn't see anything about how to safely turn off the engine at highway speeds, d) you 'know' what you'd have done in those circumstances...

Honestly, many of the comments on this thread make me sick, seriously.

I think its a pretty sad state of affairs that more people havn't read their owners manuals. I am not talking about a sit down 1 hour cover to cover read but skim over the document and learn about the stuff you have never seen before.

Outside of firearms, nothing comes close to the automobiles ability to render serious harm on others and so many people treat their vehicles like they are microwave ovens. Seriously if there is something important enough that a casual driver of a car (like this guy renting a vehicle) needs to know, Toyota should have put a warning label on the sun visor or something.

man, we debated the heck out of this on one of the Toyota forums ...

i am amazed at the percentage of people who don't have either the common sense, problem solving acumen, or experience to shift a car that's stuck at WOT into neutral

completely shocked

shift to neutral, steer to safety, apply the brakes ... if you grenade the motor, so what! ... you're alive, your passengers are alive, and no innocents are harmed

gee whiz ...

i listened to the 911 call ... 49 seconds of calling 911 and praying
i got nothing again 911, 'cept it will take them longer than 49 seconds to figure out what you're talking about

i got nothing against praying either, but i'm told the big guy helps those who help themselves

i looked at the console and shift gate on the lexus in question, wouldn't have taken a second to shift it to neutral and end the crisis

man, who cares if you grenade a rental motor versus killing a bunch of folks

Heck even if you could find N, why wouldnt you bang it into park or try any other gear than what you are in (locking it into 1rst would at least limit your speed to redline in 1rst gear.) Definately a driver training issue.

why park?
why turn off the ignition?

why risk locking the transmission?
why risk locking the steering column?

no different than on a standard shift, shifting to neutral eliminates the transfer of power from the motor to the drive train without locking up the steering, without locking the gearbox, without locking the rear end

neutral, apply the brakes, steer to safety

that's all she wrote

Well thats the obvious first answer, but geeze if N wasnt working or I couldnt find it I wouldnt hesitate to throw it into park, its better than a run away to top speed and then killing someone. Nothing good can come from a run away, how is blowing a tranny any more expensive?

Better look up the facts. It was predominantly the Decatur plant. My firm worked on the aftermath. Lots of union sabotage from what I understand. It started with the 500 and the Wilderness brands were the ones on the Explorers that were the problem.

i'm sorry ... but you can't find Neutral? Neutral isn't working? how does Neutral not work ... ? that's the whole point of "neutral." you're disengaging the transmission.

throw it into park ... ?
how fast are you going?
are you strong enough?
is park locked out? because reverse probably is, and you're gonna have to cross reverse to get to park.
what are you going to do when the wheels and transmission lock up and you lose control of the car? ... how fast are you going again?

the selector may be faulty so the transmission could not switch gear. but, unlikely for the two problems to combine.

You seem to imply that my post was stupid yet you are saying well throw it in N, done deal, I think we have to assume that that was done. To do nothing after that did nothing would be stupid.

Ther more I think about this I think the failure was probably at the motor contolling the throttle blade. With fly by wire, the computer will usually not let you do things like a WOT gear change from D to R etc. It should have gone out of WOT with the driver maddly flailing at controls. JMO.

This is what I saw last night and since my dad owns a 2007 Lexus ES350, it does concern me a bit.

I simply don't buy that fact that the car could not be put in Neutral. I think it is driver error. I've been alive for 45 years now and driven for almost 30 years in maybe a thousand vehicles. (worked in various car dealerships and worked on new and used vehicles) The driver likely paniced and failed to apply the brakes and shift the car into Neutral and pull safely off the road. It doesn't matter if the throttle was at WOT you can still stop a car with the brakes at WOT, and of course you can as a last resort use the E brake. This driver FAILED to do ANY of the above reasonable actions to control his car. Clearly a case of a driver who did not know how to operate and control his car.

I hope Toyota fights this tooth and nail.