What breaks most · 1994 to 2012 model years
Lexus LS problems by year
Owners have filed 78 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Lexus LS across model years 1994 to 2012. Three years stand out: 2006 for speed control and throttle complaints, 2008 for brakes complaints and 2007 for steering complaints. The quietest years are 1997, 2003 and 1995.
- Years to check closely: 2006, 2008, 2007
- Fewest complaints: 1997, 2003, 1995
- Complaints on file
- 781994 to 2012, all trims
- Worst year
- 200614 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 92 fires · 16 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 61kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 14Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (3) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (1) | |
| 2 | 2 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | Latches and locks (1) | |
| 7 | 0 | 2 | Body and structure (4) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Body and structure (1) | |
| 5 | 1 | 2 | Air bags (2) | |
| 4 | 0 | 2 | Wheels (1) | |
| 14 | 5 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (4) | |
| 11 | 1 | 1 | Steering (2) | |
| 14 | 0 | 1 | Brakes (4) | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Engine (2) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Unknown or other (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (1) |
What fails on the 2006 Lexus LS
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 29% |
4 | 4 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Tires | 21% |
3 | 0 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 14% |
2 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 14% |
2 | 1 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Wheels | 7% |
1 | 0 | — |
| Wipers and visibilityWiper motors and blades | 7% |
1 | 0 | Shop all wipers and visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 7% |
1 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 7% |
1 | 0 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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Lexus ls 430 brakes failed moving into a parking space. Pressed on the breaks the surged forward went over a bump, curb, handicap sign and into the building. Was pressing on the brakes and the car just took off.
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While driving the car, car warnings on my instrument panel began flashing stating "check ABS", "check vsc", "check brake system", and "stop the vehicle in a safe place immediately. Contact a dealer".
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I'm getting a loss of power on acceleration.. Happens of and on every other day.... I read alot about this issue online, but lexus has no real fix for it... I have all tyhe recall the related to this issue, but the problems continues...
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Lexus LS years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2006, 2008, 2007 carry the most filings on the Lexus LS. The 2006 alone has 14 complaints, led by speed control and throttle.
What is the most common Lexus LS problem?
On the 2006 model year, the most-reported component is speed control and throttle with 4 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Lexus LS problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Lexus LS complaints that include mileage is about 61,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.