IllustrationINSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS DON'T WORK (SPEEDOMETER) ON 90 LEXUS LS400. APPARENTLY IT'S HAPPENED TO ALL OF THEM OR IS HAPPENING TO ALL OF THEM. COST $2000 TO REPAIR! NOT SAFE DRIVING WITHOUT SEEING SPEED. (ENTIRE CLUSTER IS ELECTRONIC SO CAN'T SEE EVEN IN DAYLIGHT.*AK
1990 Lexus LS400
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1990 Lexus LS400 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 21.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all LS400 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 10 of 24 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Latches/locks/linkages. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports1 fire reports6 injury reports
What owners actually said
24 reportsPASSENGER DOOR LOCK MECHANISM ON MY 1990 LEXUS LS400 HAS FAILED TO THE POINT WHERE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM OUTSIDE NOR INSIDE. LEXUS DEALER WANTS $800 TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGING DOOR PANEL AND SCRATCHING WINDOW. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY HAZARD THAT LEXUS (TOYOTA) SHOULD PAY FOR. I HAVE ASKED THEM TO PA…
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PASSENGER DOOR LOCK MECHANISM ON MY 1990 LEXUS LS400 HAS FAILED TO THE POINT WHERE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM OUTSIDE NOR INSIDE. LEXUS DEALER WANTS $800 TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGING DOOR PANEL AND SCRATCHING WINDOW. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY HAZARD THAT LEXUS (TOYOTA) SHOULD PAY FOR. I HAVE ASKED THEM TO PAY FOR IT THEY REFUSED. I AM ALSO ADDING THE FACT THAT THE DEALERSHIP HAS HAD OTHER LS400'S THAT THEY'VE FIXED FOR THIS SPECIFIC SAFETY PROBLEM.
WHILE DRIVING 30MPH ANOTHER VEHICLE PULLED IN FRONT OF CONSUMER, AND CONSUMER REARENDED VEHICLE. CONSUMER'S AIRBAG DIDNOT DEPLOY.*AK
THE WIRING HARNESS ALONG THE TRUNK KEEPS BREAKING. DEPENDING ON WHICH WIRE BREAKS EACH TIME, THE EFFECTS RANGE FROM LOSS OF REAR TAILIGHT FUNCTIONS TO JERKING OF CAR WHEN TOUCHING THE BRAKES TO SUDDEN JUMP IN RPM WHEN MOVING GEARSHIFT. I HAVE HAD THE HARNESS REPAIRED. *AK
INSTRUMENT GAUGE LIGHTING (NEEDLES AND GAUGE FACE) STARTED TO FAIL IN NOV. NOW I HAVE NO GAUGE LIGHTING AT ALL! PANEL IS WHAT I THINK IS CALLED ELECTROLLUMINESCENT. LEXUS WANTS APPROXIMATELY $1500.00 TO FIX. I FEEL THAT THIS IS AN EXTEMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION, SINCE I CAN NOT SEE HOW FAST I AM TRAVELING. I FEEL THAT THE MANU…
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INSTRUMENT GAUGE LIGHTING (NEEDLES AND GAUGE FACE) STARTED TO FAIL IN NOV. NOW I HAVE NO GAUGE LIGHTING AT ALL! PANEL IS WHAT I THINK IS CALLED ELECTROLLUMINESCENT. LEXUS WANTS APPROXIMATELY $1500.00 TO FIX. I FEEL THAT THIS IS AN EXTEMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION, SINCE I CAN NOT SEE HOW FAST I AM TRAVELING. I FEEL THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD COVER THE EXPENSE OF REPAIR, AT LEAST PARTIALLY, IF NOT TOTALLY. *AK
SPEED WAS ABOUT 20-35 MPH. ENGINE RACED AND CAR SURGED FORWARD INTO CAR AH EAD, PUSHING THE CAR AHEAD FORWARD. BRAKING WAS VERY DIFFICULT. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. MY MECHANIC INSPECTED THE CAR AND FOUND THAT THE TRANSMISSION MOUNT BRACKET WAS SHEARED IN TWO WHICH CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT FORWARD ACCELERATING TH…
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SPEED WAS ABOUT 20-35 MPH. ENGINE RACED AND CAR SURGED FORWARD INTO CAR AH EAD, PUSHING THE CAR AHEAD FORWARD. BRAKING WAS VERY DIFFICULT. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. MY MECHANIC INSPECTED THE CAR AND FOUND THAT THE TRANSMISSION MOUNT BRACKET WAS SHEARED IN TWO WHICH CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT FORWARD ACCELERATING THE CAR.
WHEN DRIVER SWERVED TO AVOID HITTING A ANIMAL IN THE ROAD, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TELEPHONE POLE HEAD-ON, AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED. *AK
THE TWO FRONT SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT PROPERLY AGAINST THE BODY AND HANG LOOSELY. PROBLEM NOT CORRECTED AT THIS TIME. *AK
BOTH FRONT SEAT BELTS DO NOT FULLY RETRACT.
BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT. *SD
Official recalls
189V212000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
Dec 4, 1989
LAMP HOUSING OF CENTER HIGH MOUNTED STOP LAMP COULD BECOME DISTORTED AFTER PROLONGED ILLUMINATION, PARTICULARLY UNDER HIGH TEMPERATURES.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Not supplied
Remedy: REPLACE LAMP HOUSING WITH ONE OF HIGHER TEMPERATURE RESISTANT MATERIAL.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.