What breaks most · 1990 to 2001 model years
Lexus LS400 problems by year
Owners have filed 338 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Lexus LS400 across model years 1990 to 2001. Three years stand out: 1994 for electrical system complaints, 1993 for electrical system complaints and 1998 for speed control and throttle complaints. The quietest years are 1992, 1997 and 1996.
- Years to check closely: 1994, 1993, 1998
- Fewest complaints: 1992, 1997, 1996
- Complaints on file
- 3381990 to 2001, all trims
- Worst year
- 199468 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 515 fires · 134 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 103kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 11Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 6 | 1 | Electrical system (6) | |
| 21 | 6 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (5) | |
| 8 | 2 | 0 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 65 | 5 | 0 | Electrical system (42) | |
| 68 | 3 | 0 | Electrical system (44) | |
| 39 | 4 | 2 | Electrical system (12) | |
| 19 | 4 | 2 | Brakes (hydraulic) (3) | |
| 13 | 2 | 2 | Speed control and throttle (3) | |
| 45 | 7 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (14) | |
| 22 | 7 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (12) | |
| 12 | 3 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (6) | |
| 2 | 2 | 1 | Air bags (1) |
What fails on the 1994 Lexus LS400
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 65% |
44 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1994 Lexus LS400 |
| Interior Lighting | 15% |
10 | 0 | — |
| Seat belts | 9% |
6 | 0 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
| Wheels | 3% |
2 | 0 | — |
| Unknown or other | 3% |
2 | 0 | — |
| Tires | 3% |
2 | 0 | — |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 3% |
2 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 1994 Lexus LS400 |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 3% |
2 | 1 | Shop all powertrain and transmission 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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The instrument panel flickered and then went completely dark. First it would come back on after the car was driven for 10 minutes or more. Now it does not light up at all. I feel this is a safety issue.
-
1993 lexus ls400 cluster light failure resulting in the dashboard lights being completely unreadable. Unable to determine speed, gas level or any warning lights. Read in the lexus forums that this is very common and lexus refuses to recall even though death or injury could result.
-
Stopped at a red light and the car accelerated to the point it was spinning tires. Car was put into park and the car was brought under control. *ak
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 LS400 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1994, 1993, 1998 carry the most filings on the Lexus LS400. The 1994 alone has 68 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Lexus LS400 problem?
On the 1994 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 44 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Lexus LS400 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Lexus LS400 complaints that include mileage is about 103,000 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.