1994 Lexus LS400

OUR 1994 LEXUS LS400 HAS APPROXIMATELY 85,000 MILES CURRENTLY. ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS BECAME ERRATIC, FREQUENTLY FAILING TO COME ON DURING COLD WEATHER. THIS WOULD REQUIRE THAT WE WAITED WITH THE ENGINE ON UNTIL THE CAR HEATED UP BEFORE BEING DRIVABLE SAFELY. THE LENGTH OF WARM UP TIME HAS GRADUALLY INCREASED TO AN INTOLERABLE LEVEL, WHERE I HAVE HAD TO DRIVE THE CAR WITHOUT INSTRUMENT LIGHTS DUE TO MY WIFE'S EMERGENT MEDICAL CONDITIONS. THIS IS VERY HAZARDOUS, NOT KNOWING VEHICLE SPEED, FUEL SUPPLY, CHARGING STATUS, POSSIBLE ENGINE OVERHEATING ETC., ANY OF WHICH COULD CAUSE VEHICULAR FAILURE OR ACCIDENT. WE ARE RETIRED AND NOT ABLE TO PAY FOR THE EXPENSIVE REPAIRS WHICH I HAVE BEEN LED TO BELIEVE ARE REQUIRED. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

LEXUS INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING FAILURE RESULTS IN DRIVER'S INABILITY TO ACCURATELY DETERMINE VEHICLE SPEED. THE ISSUE HAS BEEN ONGOING IN MY 1994 LEXUS LS400 FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 123000 MILES AND STARTED AT APPROXIMATELY 90000. IN COLDER WEATHER ESPECIALLY, THE DASHBOARD READOUT IS INVISIBLE FOR APPROXIMATELY THIRTY MINUTES. WHEN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT IS SUFFICIENTLY WARM THEY DO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THIS IS A HAZARDOUS CONDITION. TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE THE DEFECTIVE NATURE OF THEIR PRODUCT AND WANTS APPROXIMATELY 1200.00 TO REPLACE THEIR DEFECTIVE PART. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF CONSUMERS WITH EXACTLY THE SAME ISSUE I'VE DESCRIBED ON VARIOUS LEXUS OWNERS WEBSITES. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE RECALL TO CORRECT THE MATTER. *TR

1. TIME AS IN ITS INEVITABLE, COLD START, COLD CONDITIONS. CONDITIONS OF 50F AND A COLD START ARE NEARLY GUARANTEED TO EXHIBIT THIS ISSUE. 2. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GAUGES, ITS ILLUMINATION, THE CENTER CONSOLE & SHIFTER ILLUMINATION FAILS EVERY COLD START BELOW 70F AND CAN OCCUR BELOW 85F. A COLD START IN VERY WARM CONDITIONS OF AROUND 80F WILL TEND TO HIDE THE SYMPTOMS AND OR HAVE THE SYMPTOMS SHORTLY AFTER THE CAR HAS WARMED UP. WHEN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DOES NOT FUNCTION, IT GENERALLY MEANS THE SHIFTER AND CONSOLE FAIL TO ILLUMINATE AT NIGHT WHICH MAKES CHOOSING THE CORRECT GEAR AND SELECTING THE CORRECT CLIMATE CONTROL AT NIGHT A CHALLENGE AND SAFETY HAZARD. DURING A COLD START, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DOES NOT FUNCTION OR HAS LIMITED/SELECTIVE FUNCTIONALITY UNTIL IT IS WARMED UP AND THAT USUALLY OCCURS ONLY WHEN THE CABIN IS BROUGHT TO AN INHOSPITABLE 80-90F. SO UNTIL THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS BEEN HEATED UP TO AROUND 70-80F, THE TACHOMETER, SPEEDOMETER, FUEL GAUGE, ENGINE TEMPERATURE AND ODOMETER ARE NOT ILLUMINATED AND NOT FUNCTIONING EITHER. ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT IT IS THIS: THE ODOMETER IS NOT REGISTERING MILES, ONE DOES NOT KNOW HOW FAST THEY'RE GOING AND DOES NOT KNOW HOW MUCH FUEL IS AVAILABLE/LEFT ALL BEFORE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS WARMED UP. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEVER CAME ON DESPITE DRIVING 25 MILES FOR A TOTAL TIME OF 20 MINUTES AND THE ENGINE FULLY WARMED UP. 3. I HAVE DONE NOTHING AT THIS TIME TO CORRECT THIS ERROR, BUT IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED BY THE DEALERSHIP WHICH DOES ACKNOWLEDGE THIS IS A WIDESPREAD ISSUE TO REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AT A COST OF $1000 FOR PARTS AND $200 FOR LABOR. THIS IS A VERY WIDESPREAD ISSUE AS EVIDENCED BY THE NUMBER OF USERS WHO HAVE VOICED THEIR CONCERNS REGARDING THIS ISSUE ONLINE. AS A CALIFORNIA RESIDENT, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW MUCH WORSE THIS PROBLEM CAN BE FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IN COLDER STATES. *TR

I 'M THE OWNER OF A 1994 LEXUS LS 400. THE REASON I AM PLACING THIS COMPLAINT IS BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN DOING CONSTANT RESEARCH ON THE REASON OR/S MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS GONE OUT. I'M VERY SHOCKED TO FIND OUT THAT A COMPANY WHO PRIDES THEMSELVES ON THE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION HASN'T ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AS AN RECALL.IT IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR ME AND MY FAMILY TO TRAVEL AND HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO DETERMINE THE SPEED, GAS CONSUMPTION LEVEL OR ANY OTHER WARNING INDICATOR LIGHTS TO GIVE US ONGOING KNOWLEDGE OF THE VEHICLE IN OPERATION. BECAUSE THE EXPENSE OF HAVING THIS REPLACE IS EST. AT $1200 THIS IS A VERY BIG INCONVENIENCE. NOT TO SAY PUTTING MY FAMILY AT RISK. I HAVE TRULY ENJOY DRIVING MY LEXUS AND WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE ENJOYING DRIVING IT, I WOULD HOPE LEXUS WOULD BE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND THEIR FAMILIES WHEN THEY OPERATE THEIR VEHICLES ON THESE HIGHWAYS.THIS HAS DISCOURAGED ME TO EVEN PURCHASE ANOTHER LEXUS BECAUSE OF FEAR THAT ANOTHER ISSUE LIKE THIS WILL NOT BE ADDRESS IN A RECALL FOR CONSUMER SAFETY.*CN