2013 Lexus LS 450 with Pre-Collision System

Lexus has historically always had a very high level of reliability and luxury, from day one. It remains one of the very, very few manufacturers where we can say we just hardly ever see a lemon. That may change as they break new ground with high tech add-on's to their models that add a new layer of engineering complexity.

The next model year LS 450, while not a major remake of the outside design lines for the model, has a few new techno-improvements under the hood (and elsewhere).

For starters, there is an Advanced Pre-Collision System that they are saying is the most advanced system in the entire motor vehicle industry - capable of bringing a vehicle to a full stop with no driver assist whenever it detects a pedestrian or vehicle in its path. The current version of the systrem only slows it down.

Using an advanced radar sysstem in the front of the car, and a "stereo" camera behind the rear view mirror, it can spot an obstruction in the vehicle's path, front or back. As long as the car is going less than 25 mph, the system will automatically stop the car. It sounds great, frankly, but then again so did the first airbag designs and we saw exploding airbag systems that went off with nothing actually triggering them, causing serious injury to car occupants.

We'll wait and see, but given the Lexus track record, it is likely that the system will experience fewer bugs than we saw when air bags first started being installed in new cars.

But one techie aspect is being pulled on the 2013 Lexus LS model - the parallel-parking system that was such an eye-catcher in the Lexus television commercials. The system could steer a car into an empty parking spot but apparently Lexus owners don't like turning the wheel over to a computer, according to Lexus. In with the new and out with the old.

If your new Advanced Pre-Collision System becomes a problem, return it to the dealer quickly and often. Read our Avvo Legal Guide "Ten Steps to Get Your Lemon Motor Vehicle Repaired Right" by clicking here.

And remember, if you get a lemon and they won't help you, call our Toll Free Lemon Law Hotline, 1.888.331.6422. We know what to do. Not in Ohio or Kentucky or Hawaii? Check the Free Online National List of Lemon Law Lawyers by clicking here.

We sometimes hear car makers blame car problems on the type of fuel being used by the consumer.

It is hardly ever true in our experience, but every once in awhile maybe it is.

BP is recall fuel being sold in northwest Indiana because it is "bad" BP announced yesterday.

Regular unleaded fuel out of the BP Whiting, Indiana, storage facility apparently has been causing hard starting, stalling and other "driveability problems" for BP customers during the last week.

By the end of the day Monday, August 20, BP had shut down the pumps at its stations in the area and the fuel recall was announced. You can learn more at this link by clicking here.

Fuel damage to cars affected by the bad gas is reportedly between $200 and $400. Might be wise to steer clear of the BP sign for awhile.

Federal safety investigators are taking a close look at the 2013 Infiniti JX crossover vehicle after getting reports that the emergency brake system can activate itself while driving down the road - and that's not a good thing, folks.

NHTSA, the federal agency in charge of ordering motor vehicle recalls, has announced that they have launched an investigation into the luxury brand's first 7 seat, 3 row crossover SUV. The vehicle is loaded up with a wide variety of luxury touches and some very advanced safety equipment.

Included in the vehicle's driver assistance package, if you want to call it that, is a so-called intelligent braking assist system that can bring a vehicle to a complete halt if it senses the driver fails to slow down when an obstacle is spotted by the vehicle in front of it at some distance. The automatic system can slam the brakes to a complete halt of the vehicle.

There are two reports of the braking system stopping the Infiniti JX vehicles on a bridge for no apparent reason. Investigators speculate that metal in the bridge itself may have triggered to unexpected braking to a halt.

Either way, it could be dangerous so watch out if you own a 2013 Infiniti JX with the braking assist package, although we wouldn't call it much of a driver assistance package.