What breaks most · 1994 to 2025 model years
Lexus LS problems by year
Owners have filed 215 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Lexus LS across model years 1994 to 2025. Three years stand out: 2007 for brakes complaints, 2008 for brakes complaints and 2006 for speed control and throttle complaints. The quietest years are 1996, 1997 and 2000.
- Years to check closely: 2007, 2008, 2006
- Fewest complaints: 1996, 1997, 2000
- Complaints on file
- 2151994 to 2025, all trims
- Worst year
- 200745 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 162 fires · 21 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 75kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 24Across 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 | Seat belts (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (1) | |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (3) | |
| 1 | 0 | 2 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 2 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 7 | 0 | 2 | Body and structure (4) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Body and structure (1) | |
| 8 | 1 | 2 | Air bags (2) | |
| 5 | 0 | 2 | Unknown or other (2) | |
| 17 | 6 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (5) | |
| 45 | 3 | 1 | Brakes (19) | |
| 43 | 0 | 1 | Brakes (17) | |
| 13 | 0 | 0 | Engine (4) | |
| 8 | 0 | 0 | Unknown or other (2) | |
| 9 | 1 | 0 | Brakes (6) | |
| 5 | 2 | 0 | Air bags (2) | |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (4) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Forward collision system (1) | |
| 5 | 1 | 0 | Unknown or other (1) | |
| 14 | 0 | 2 | Electrical system (3) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Engine (1) | |
| 5 | 0 | 1 | Wheels (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 2 | Seats (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 2 | Air bags (1) |
What fails on the 2007 Lexus LS
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 42% |
19 | 0 | Shop all brakes parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 13% |
6 | 0 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 11% |
5 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 11% |
5 | 2 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Stability controlABS and wheel speed sensors | 9% |
4 | 0 | Shop all stability control parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 9% |
4 | 0 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 7% |
3 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 7% |
3 | 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.
-
The brake actuator is a well known failure component with these cars and yet no recall has been issued. It's almost $4,000 to repair this defective component.
-
These Vehicles have a ongoing problem with the brake actuator. Lexus I'm sure Is aware of the problem I believe they should take care of it. It's a really expensive fix that we as customers shouldn't have to be responsible for. This issue makes driving the vehicle very uncomfortable.
-
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.
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 6, 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, 2007, 2008, 2006 carry the most filings on the Lexus LS. The 2007 alone has 45 complaints, led by brakes.
What is the most common Lexus LS problem?
On the 2007 model year, the most-reported component is brakes with 19 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 75,000 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.