THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTS ARE ALL OUT. ONLY THE WARNING AND SHIFT INDICATORS LIGHTS ARE ON. I CAN'T SEE HOW FAST I AM GOING OR HOW MUCH FUEL I HAVE IN THE CAR.
1995 Lexus LS400
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1995 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
20 reports with mileage · 19 unknown
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 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
39 reportsTHE SEAT BELT TENSIONERS ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE WILL NOT RETRACT LEAVING A LARGE AMOUNT OF SLACK WHEN FASTENED CREATING A SAFETY ISSUE IN THE RESULT OF A CRASH. SEAT BELTS WILL NOT RETURN TO THEIR ORIGINAL POSITION WHEN UNFASTENED. UPON DOING A SEARCH ONLINE IT SEEMS THE PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON IN THIS MODEL VEHICLE. O…
Read full complaint
THE SEAT BELT TENSIONERS ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE WILL NOT RETRACT LEAVING A LARGE AMOUNT OF SLACK WHEN FASTENED CREATING A SAFETY ISSUE IN THE RESULT OF A CRASH. SEAT BELTS WILL NOT RETURN TO THEIR ORIGINAL POSITION WHEN UNFASTENED. UPON DOING A SEARCH ONLINE IT SEEMS THE PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON IN THIS MODEL VEHICLE. OWNERS HAVE HAD VARYING DEGREES OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM LEXUS REGARDING REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENTS. SAFETY ISSUES SUCH AS THIS SHOULD BE COVERED REGARDLESS OF AGE OF VEHICLE MUCH LIKE TAKATA AIRBAGS ARE COVERED. THIS WAS A DESIGN FLAW BY THE MANUFACTURER AND COULD BE ARGUED THAT SUCH FLAWS RENDERS THE VEHICLE UNSAFE FOR USE/SALE.
TAKATA RECALL ? WE WERE IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIRBAGS EXPLODED, CAUSING BURNS ON OUR ARMS, NOSE, AND PUSHED UP THE DASHBOARD AND BROKE THE WINDSHIELD. THERE WAS A LOT OF WHITE GREY DUST COMING OUT OF THE EXPLOSION THAT WE THOUGHT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING STRAIGHT ON A CITY STREET AT 30 MPH WHEN ANOTHER CA…
Read full complaint
TAKATA RECALL ? WE WERE IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIRBAGS EXPLODED, CAUSING BURNS ON OUR ARMS, NOSE, AND PUSHED UP THE DASHBOARD AND BROKE THE WINDSHIELD. THERE WAS A LOT OF WHITE GREY DUST COMING OUT OF THE EXPLOSION THAT WE THOUGHT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING STRAIGHT ON A CITY STREET AT 30 MPH WHEN ANOTHER CAR PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF IT. WE SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES BUT UNFORTUNATELY HIT THE CAR THAT HAD PULLED OUT FROM A STOP SIGN RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. THE AIRBAG SAYS SRS ON THE COVER ON THE DASH. IS THIS RELATED TO TAKATA?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 LEXUS LS400. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT ALSO CHANGED THE WIRES TO THE BATTERY CABLES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHI…
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 LEXUS LS400. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT ALSO CHANGED THE WIRES TO THE BATTERY CABLES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 214,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
THE EVENING OF 3/7/15 MY WIFE AND I DROVE FROM CEDAR RAPIDS, IA. TO OUR HOME IN MUSCATINE, IA. AS WE EXITED I-80 AFTER ALMOST ONE HOUR OF CONSTANT INTERSTATE DRIVING, THE CAR STALLED AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AS WE CAME TO THE STOP SIGN AT THE END OF THE EXIT RAMP. WE LOST POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES AS WELL, CAUSING PANIC. …
Read full complaint
THE EVENING OF 3/7/15 MY WIFE AND I DROVE FROM CEDAR RAPIDS, IA. TO OUR HOME IN MUSCATINE, IA. AS WE EXITED I-80 AFTER ALMOST ONE HOUR OF CONSTANT INTERSTATE DRIVING, THE CAR STALLED AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AS WE CAME TO THE STOP SIGN AT THE END OF THE EXIT RAMP. WE LOST POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES AS WELL, CAUSING PANIC. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THE TWO YEARS WE HAVE OWNED THIS CAR. IT SEEMS TO OCCUR AFTER PROLONGED INTERSTATE DRIVING ONLY. IT DID NOT OCCUR THAT MORNING BECAUSE WE BROKE UP THE TRIP TO CR WITH A STOP IN IOWA CITY. THIS IS A HORRIBLY DANGEROUS CONDITION AND AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET LAST NIGHT, A VERY INHERENT PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND YEAR. TOYOTA'S TSB EG003-96 SPEAKS OF IT AND ITS REMEDY, PUBLISHED 10/7/96. THE REMEDY IS TO REPLACE THE FAULTY ECM WITH PART 89661-50224; A VERY EXPENSIVE FIX AND PRESUMABLY THE REASON TOYOTA DID NOT VOLUNTARILY RECALL THE CAR. THERE WAS NO FORCED RECALL EITHER, BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DUE TO THE MANY COMPLAINTS REPORTEDLY SUBMITTED TO THE NHTSA AND POTENTIAL DEADLY CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO FAULTY ECM PROGRAMMING. PLEASE MAKE THIS POSTING AVAILABLE TO ANY POTENTIAL 1995 LS400 OWNERS AND/OR FORCE A RECALL OF THIS VEHICLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 LEXUS LS400. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AND ALSO WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 146,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 LEXUS LS400. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY STALL. IN ADDITION, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATORS WOULD RANDOMLY ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 LEXUS LS400. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN IT SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S DESTINATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDE…
Read full complaint
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 LEXUS LS400. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN IT SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S DESTINATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 172,100 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 172,800.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 LEXUS LS400. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELTS WOULD NOT RETRACT AND THERE WAS ABNORMAL SLACK IN THE BELT. THE DEALER WAS CALLED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO REPLACE ALL THE SEAT BELTS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 170,000.
AFTER DRIVING AT PROLONGED HIGHWAY SPEEDS, UPON EXITING THE FREEWAY AND IN THE PROCESS OF COMING TO A STOP AT AN EXIT RAMP, THE CAR WILL SHUT ITSELF OFF; SUBSEQUENTLY DISABLING THE POWER BRAKES AND STEERING FUNCTIONALITY OF THE VEHICLE MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. ONCE THE VEHICLE HAS COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, PLA…
Read full complaint
AFTER DRIVING AT PROLONGED HIGHWAY SPEEDS, UPON EXITING THE FREEWAY AND IN THE PROCESS OF COMING TO A STOP AT AN EXIT RAMP, THE CAR WILL SHUT ITSELF OFF; SUBSEQUENTLY DISABLING THE POWER BRAKES AND STEERING FUNCTIONALITY OF THE VEHICLE MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. ONCE THE VEHICLE HAS COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, PLACING THE CAR IN PARK OR NEUTRAL AND RESTARTING THE ENGINE WILL RETURN FUNCTIONALITY OF DISABLED SYSTEMS. *TR
Official recalls
198V016000 · Electrical System:starter Assembly
Jan 27, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO IMPROPER ASSEMBLY OF THE TERMINAL FOR THE STARTER MOTOR MAGNETIC SWITCH, AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT CAN OCCUR IF ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE LIQUID, SUCH AS ROAD SPLASH WITH DEICING SALT, ENTERS THIS AREA.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A STARTER MOTOR NO-START CONDITION OR AN UNDERHOOD FIRE CAN RESULT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE MAGNETIC SWITCH.
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.
Illustration