1995 Lexus LS400

SEAT BELT RETRACT ASSEMBLY FAILED. SEATBELT RETRACT ASSEMBLY, IS COVERED UNDER THE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS, PART 571.209, AND STANDARD NO. 209. SPECIFICALLY, THE RETRACT ASSEMBLY IS ADDRESSED IN STANDARD 209, PARAGRAPH S5.2, (K), . THE INSTALLED SEAT BELTS FAILED TO MEET OR EXCEED THE CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT FOR THE RETRACT ASSEMBLY. DURING THE REQUIRED TESTS THE RETRACT ASSEMBLY IS SUBJECTED TO THE FOLLOWING CYCLES OF RETRACTION: CORROSION TEST:2500 CYCLES ,TEMPERATURE RESISTANCE TEST:2500 CYCLES, DUST TEST:2500 CYCLES, AUTO LOCKING RETRACTOR TEST:5000 CYCLES, EMERGENCY LOCKING RETRACTOR:45000 CYCLES, TOTAL TEST CYCLES REQUIRED FOR DESIGN CERTIFICATION:57500 CYCLES THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION IS 16 YEARS OLD AND HAS APPROXIMATELY 150K MILES ON THE ODOMETER. TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE AGE AND USE OF THE VEHICLE, FOR SAKE OF PRESENTATION, WE WILL ASSUME THE CAR IS USED EVERY DAY FOR EACH OF THE SIXTEEN (16) YEARS IN SERVICE: 16 YEARS X 365 DAYS PER YEAR = 5840 DAYS ASSUMING THE CAR IS USED TWICE (2) PER DAY = 11680 CYCLES IN THIS EXAMPLE, THE SEATBELT RETRACT ASSEMBLY FAILED AT 20% OF ITS CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT. (57500 CYCLE CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT) ASSUMING CAR IS DRIVEN THREE (3) TIMES PER DAY = 17520 CYCLES IN THIS EXAMPLE, THE SEATBELT RETRACT ASSEMBLY FAILED AT 30% OF ITS CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT. (57500 CYCLE CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT) ASSUMING THE CAR IS DRIVEN FOUR (4) TIMES A DAY = 23360 CYCLES IN THIS EXAMPLE, THE SEATBELT RETRACT ASSEMBLY FAILED AT 40% OF ITS CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT. (57500 CYCLE CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT) LEXUS HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND HAS REPLACED THE BELTS AND COVERED PARTS BUT NOT LABOR. THIS ISSUE APPEARS TO BE COMMON AMONG TOYOTA AND LEXUS VEHICLES. SHOULD BE A SUBJECT OF A RECALL CAMPAIGN. PLEASE RESPOND IN WRITING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 LEXUS LS400. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE STARTER. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT OF A POTENTIAL RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 98V016000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY) YET THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO OPEN RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 116,000.

WHILE DRIVE AT ANY SPEED OVER 40MPH, IF YOU LET OFF THE GAS THE CAR WILL BUCK OR JERK AND HAS ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION SENT THE REAR END OF THE CAR SLIDING OUT ON ME. THIS CAR HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LONG TIME AND HAS BEEN DEALER MAINTAINED SINCE DAY ONE, AND DRIVEN BY THE SAME(OLDER LADY AND FAMILY FRIEND) AND THEY NEVER MENTIONED THIS WAS ABNORMAL UNTIL I DID SOME RESEARCH (AND DROVE THE CAR MYSELF) AND FOUND THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE AND HAS A TSB ON IT. TSB#EG00396. THIS IS NOW A $4000+ DOLLAR FIX AND LEXUS WON?T COVER IT NOW BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY FOR THE TSB'S 5 YEAR 40,000 MILE WARRANTY ON THIS ISSUE. IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN THIS CONDITION BECAUSE THE JERK IS SO SEVER IT SOMETIMES CAUSES LOSS OF TRACTION ON THE REAR WHEELS. *TR

I WAS STOP A LIGHT WAITING TO GO TO GET ON THE HIGHWAY SOMETHING I DO EVERY MORNING I KNOW IT IS A BAD TURN SO I ALWAYS GO SLOWLY ALL OF SUDDEN MY CAR TAKES OFF MY WHEEL BECOME VERY HARD MY BRAKES STIFFEN MY BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON MY SLIPPERY WHEN WET CAME ON MY DASH WAS READING ABOUT 100 I HIT A WALL BOUNCE BACK BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED MY CAR WAS NO LONGER MOVING BUT IT SOUNDED LIKE I HAD MY FOOT ALL THE WAY ON THE GAS EVEN AFTER I GOT MY FAMILY OUT OF THE CAR IT WAS STILL GOING UNTIL I WENT AND SHUT IT OFF I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPEN MY CAR IS A LEXUS LS 400 95. *TR

THE FRONT SEAT BELT RETRACTOR IN MY 1995 LEXUS LS-400 WILL NOT RETRACT THE SEATBELT. EVERYDAY WHEN I PULL IT OUT AND BUCKLE IT WONT RETRACT SO THAT IT IS SNUG AGAINST THE BODY, ITS LOOSE WHICH IN AN ACCIDENT COULD RESULT IN INJURY BECAUSE THE SEATBELT COULDN'T DO ITS JOB. LEXUS DEALER REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ACCEPT REPLACE THE WHOLE SYSTEM WHICH IS OVER $250 (PER SEAT) WHICH WAS A FAULTY DESIGN FROM THE FACTORY. *TR

FRONT SEAT BELTS BECOME LOOSE AND DO NOT HUG CLOSE TO YOUR CHEST ONCE THE CAR IS STARTED. I HAVE CHECKED LEXUS FORUMS AND HAVE FOUND OTHER LEXUS OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. IT APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW IN THAT THE RETRACTOR SYSTEM IS A DUAL RECOIL SYSTEM THAT IS ACTUATED BY A SECONDARY RELAY ONCE THE CAR IS STARTED. THE SECONDARY RETRACTOR IS SUPPOSED TO GIVE YOU MORE FREEDOM WHEN THE CAR IS RUNNING BUT SEEMS TO BECOME EXCESSIVELY LOOSE TO THE POINT OF HANGING DOWN AWAY FROM YOUR BODY. I FEAR IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT THE SEAT BELTS WILL BE OF NO USE AND THUS THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 LEXUS LS400. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STARTER IN THE VEHICLE CLICKS. HE HAD TO MAKE APPROXIMATELY 15 ATTEMPTS IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO START. THE FAILURE WAS IDENTICAL TO WHAT WAS LISTED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 98V016000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY); HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 128,000.