1994 Lexus LS400

I HAD A 1994 LS400. EVERY MORNING, UPON A COLD START FIRST TIME, MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DOES NOT LIGHT UP IMMEDIATELY. THE FOLLOWING INSTRUMENTS ARE COMPLETELY DARK:- TACHOMETER (NEEDLE IS MOVING) SPEEDOMETER (NEEDLE IS MOVING) OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE (DEAD) FUEL LEVEL INDICATOR (DEAD) ODOMETER (DEAD IE NO MILEAGE INCREMENTING) D, 2, L GEAR POSITION NOT SHOWING (P, R, N IS OK) CRUISE, POWER EC INDICATORS NOT SHOWING USUALLY AFTER 15 MINUTES OF CONTINUOUS DRIVING, THE LIGHTS WILL FLICKER FOR A MINUTE AND THEN COME ON FOR THE REST OF THE DRIVE. THE PROCESS IS REPEATABLE EVERY DAY. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN AS I HAVE NO IDEA AT WHAT SPEED I AM DRIVING AT OR THE AMOUNT OF GASOLINE THAT IS IN MY CAR. MY WIFE IS AFRAID TO DIRVE THE CAR WITH THIS PROBLEM AS SHE MAY BE STRANDED ANYTIME. *AK

I HAVE A '94 LEXUS LS400 THAT HAS INTERMITTENT DASH LIGHT PROBLEMS. FROM WHAT I'VE READ ON THE INTERNET, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. WHEN THE WEATHER IS COOL THERE ARE NO DASH LIGHTS MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO READ THE SPEEDOMETER, GAS GAUGE, ETC. THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $2,400. TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND VERY COMMON TO SEVERAL YEARS AND MODELS OF LEXUS. THANKS FOR ANY HELP.*AK

I HAVE 1994 LS400. THE WHOLE DASH WILL NOT LIGHT UP WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD, CAUSING DRIVER NOT TO SEE ANY OF THE WARNING LIGHTS, SPEED, OR FUEL LEVEL. I BELIEVE THIS LEAVES THE CAR OCCUPANTS IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE LEXUS DEALER WANTS AN ABSURB AMOUNT OF MONEY ($1200) TO FIX PROBLEM, WHICH I BELIEVE IS A FACTORY DESIGN FLAW AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. *AK

ON COLD MORNINGS DASH CLUSTER WILL NOT LIGHT UP. AFTER A WHILE WHEN CAR WARMS UP LIGHTS WILL START TO FLICKER AND THEN WORK FOR REST OF DAY. WHEN CLUSTER DOES NOT LIGHT UP NOTHING IS VISIBLE ON DASHBOARD. APPARENTLY THIS IS COMMON ENOUGH THAT THERE ARE TWO ENGINEERS ON EBAY SELLING REPAIRS. LOOK ON EBAY UNDER LEXUS CLUSTER REPAIR.PARTIAL COPY OF AD IF YOU OWN A 1993 OR 1994 LEXUS LS400 YOU ARE PROBABLY HAVING TROUBLE WITH YOUR DASH LIGHTS OR SOON WILL HAVE. LEXUS IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT WON'T WARRANTY IT SINCE THESE CARS ARE NOW 10 YEARS OLD. THE LEXUS DEALER WILL CHARGE YOU FROM $1400 TO $2000 TO REPAIR YOUR INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTS. ACTUALLY, THEY REPLACE 2 CIRCUIT BOARDS LOCATED BEHIND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THEY THEN THROW YOUR OLD BOARDS AWAY, THEY DON'T REPAIR THEM. THE NEW BOARDS THAT YOU JUST PURCHASED FROM LEXUS HAVE THE SAME BUILT-IN DESIGN FLAW AS THE ORIGINALS AND ARE DOOMED TO FAIL AS WELL. I'M AN ELECTRONICS ENGINEER AND I HAVE REVERSE ENGINEERED THEIR BOARDS AND HAVE FOUND THIS DESIGN FLAW. I HAVE REPAIRED MY OWN AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS. I GUARANTEE MY WORK FOR AS LONG AS YOU OWN THE CAR.WHEN YOU FIRST START YOUR 1993 OR19 94 LS400 ESPECIALLY ON COLD MORNINGS, THE DASH LIGHTS WON'T COME ON AND THE FUEL GAUGE SHOWS EMPTY. THEN AS THE CAR WARMS UP, THE LIGHTS BEGIN TO FLICKER ON AND OFF RAPIDLY AND THE FUEL GAUGE SWINGS FROM EMPTY TO WHATEVER AMOUNT OF FUEL THAT YOU HAVE. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES, THEY WILL FINALLY COME ON AND STAY ON FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. THE FUEL GAUGE ALSO WORKS. AS MONTHS GO BY THE PROBLEM WILL ONLY GET WORSE UNTIL THE LIGHTS WILL REFUSE TO COME ON AT ALL. THE FUEL GAUGE WON'T WORK, AND YOU CAN'T SEE THE SPEEDOMETER OR THE ODOMETER, NOT TO MENTION THE TIME AND TEMP LCD ABOVE THE RADIO! THIS IS A DANGEROUS MALFUNCTION AND OBVIOUSLY IS NOT A HAPHAZARD EVENT. IT IS COMMON ENOUGH THAT REPAIR IS BEING OFFERED ON EBAY. THIS SHOULD WARRANT AN INVESTIGATION. *AK

MY SITUATION DEALS WITH TWO OF BRIDGESTONES POORLY CONSTRUCTED TIRES WHICH I HAD PURCHASED NOT TOO LONG AGO. BELOW, I HAVE INCLUDED THE LETTER I HAD WRITTEN TO BRIDGESTONE. I TOOK MANY PICTURES OF THE TIRES THE DAY I DISCOVERED THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL CRACKS. THE TIRES ARE CURRENTLY IN MY GARAGE AND ARE STILL MOUNTED ON THE RIMS I HAD TAKEN OFF. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE PICTURES. THANK YOU. MARCUS LO 1381 SAN MARINO AVE SAN MARINO, CA 91108 (626)318-5322 -----ORIGINAL MESSAGE----- FROM: "MARCUS LO" <MOLOFO33@HOTMAIL.COM> SENT: 24 NOV 03 01:34 TO: FIRESTONE_CONSUMER_AFFAIRS@FANEUIL.COM DEAR BRIDGESTONE, I BOUGHT A PAIR OF BRIDGESTONE S-03 245/35ZR19 TIRES IN SEPTEMBER 2002 AT 67,731 MILES. AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE ALL FOUR WHEELS WERE ALIGNED. NOW AT 75,000 MILES, THESE TIRES HAVE DEVELOPED CIRCUMFERENTIAL CRACKS AROUND THE INNER SIDEWALLS ADJACENT TO THE TREADS. I WAS SHOCKED AND SCARED TO FIND THESE CRACKS EARLIER TODAY. I HAD THOUGHT BRIDGESTONE MADE GOOD TIRES, BUT THESE CRACKED TIRES PROVE THAT I WAS WRONG. CRACKS LIKE THESE WILL DEFINITELY LEAD TO TIRE TREAD SEPARATION AT ANY TIME AND IT WILL BE DISASTROUS. I FEEL REALLY FORTUNATELY THAT I DISCOVERED THEM BEFORE I GOT KILLED. I CANNOT IMAGINE ANY TIRE MANUFACTURER WILL MAKE SUCH INFERIOR AND DANGEROUS PRODUCTS. THESE ARE NOT INEXPENSIVE TIRES- I PAID MORE THAN $500 FOR THEM, AND THEY HAVE NOW FAILED AFTER ONLY 7200 GENTLE MILES. ATTACHED ARE DIGITAL PHOTOS SHOWING THE CRACKS. I AM WRITING TO DEMAND A FULL REFUND FROM BRIDGESTONE. AT THIS TIME I AM CONSIDERING MAKING THIS KNOWN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THROUGH THE MEDIA. I MAY ALSO NOTIFY THE NHTSA SO THEY MAY START AN INVESTIGATION. MARCUS LO

1994 LS400 DASHLIGHT PROBLEM,WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COLD NONE OF THE DASHLIGHTS WORK...???? WHAT IS GOING ON? THIS OCCURS DAILY, AND IS GETTING WORSE. I HAVE CALLED LEXUS ON THIS PROBLEM (ALONG WITH THE PEELING PAINT) AND THEY REFUSE TO FIX THE PAINT (VEHICLE ALWAYS GARAGED) UNLESS I PAY THEM $8000.00, AND INFORMED ME THAT THE DASHLIGHT PROBLEM CAN BE FIXED FOR $3000.00. I THOUGHT I BOUGHT A LEXUS, NOT A CHEVROLET. VERY UNSATISFIED CUSTOMER.*AK