IllustrationTHE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED WITH ALTERED PAPER AND THE REAR PASSENGER PANEL WAS SCRAPED BEHIND THE TIRE. IT APPEARED AS THOUGH THIS DAMAGE WAS PRE-EXISTING. *BF THE DAMAGES OCCURRED WHILE BEING SIPPED FROM FLORIDA TO NEW JERSEY. *SC
1998 Lexus LS400
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 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 45 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.
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
45 reportsDRIVING AT 25 MPH I HEARD A BEEPING SOUND AND THE VSC OFF LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME UP ALONG WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I BELIEVE MY VEHICLE THEN WENT INTO FAIL SAFE MODE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WOULD NO LONGER ALLOW ME TO ACCELERATE WITH GAS PEDAL. HOWEVER VEHICLE WOULD MOVE APPROXIMATELY 12(MPH) ON ITS OWN WHEN I RELEASE CONSTANT…
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DRIVING AT 25 MPH I HEARD A BEEPING SOUND AND THE VSC OFF LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME UP ALONG WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I BELIEVE MY VEHICLE THEN WENT INTO FAIL SAFE MODE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WOULD NO LONGER ALLOW ME TO ACCELERATE WITH GAS PEDAL. HOWEVER VEHICLE WOULD MOVE APPROXIMATELY 12(MPH) ON ITS OWN WHEN I RELEASE CONSTANT PRESSURE FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL. WHEN I PLACED IN NEUTRAL OR PARK POSITION, RPM'S WOULD RISE TO ABOUT 2000(RPM). TURNED OFF POWER TO VEHICLE AND RESTARTED, STILL VEHICLE WOULD ONLY MOVE 12(MPH) ON ITS OWN. AGAIN POWERED DOWN VEHICLE AND RESTARTED THEN TURNED OFF THE VSC BEFORE THE CAR WOULD SCAN FOR TROUBLE AND THIS ACTION RETURNED TO ME CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. I NOTICED THE GS300 AND GS400 LEXUS WAS RECALLED APRIL 16, 1998-NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 98V080000. MY QUESTION IS IF THE SAME VSC SYSTEM IS ON THE LS400, I BELIEVE IT SHOULD RECEIVE EQUAL TREATMENT IF PERHAPS THIS PROBLEM IS RELATED IN SOME ODD WAY TO THE YAW RATE SENSOR.*AK
STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND THE CAR ACCELERATED TO THE POINT IT WAS SPINNING TIRES. CAR WAS PUT INTO PARK AND THE CAR WAS BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL. *AK
CONSUMER STATES WHILE APPLYING BRAKES SUUDENLY VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
WHILE TRYING TO PARK, VEHICLE SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD AND RAN INTO A STORE BEFORE STOPPING. CONSUMER HAD BRAKES APPLIED. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK JLG
WHILE PARKING VEHICLE AT 5 MPH, AND WITHOUT WARNING, VEHICLE SUDDENLY LUNGED FOWARD, SLAMMING INTO A WALL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
AT A STOP VEHICLE LURCHED OUT OF CONTROL AND ACCELERATED WITHOUT TOUCHING GAS PEDAL. BRAKES DID NOT STOP VEHICLE, AND REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. DAMAGED HOOD AND GRILL ON VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER AND VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED.*AK
DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, TRACTION CONTROL WARNING BEEPER AND LIGHT WOULD COME ON, CAR WOULD SWERVE AS BRAKES AND ACCELLERATOR WOULD ACTUATE WITHOUT INPUT FROM DRIVER. THIS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR. EACH TIME CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP. THEY SAY THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM SO TAKE CAR BACK AND BRING…
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DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, TRACTION CONTROL WARNING BEEPER AND LIGHT WOULD COME ON, CAR WOULD SWERVE AS BRAKES AND ACCELLERATOR WOULD ACTUATE WITHOUT INPUT FROM DRIVER. THIS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR. EACH TIME CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP. THEY SAY THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM SO TAKE CAR BACK AND BRING IT IN WHEN IT DOES IT AGAIN. WE HAVE DONE THAT 4 TIMES NOW. PROBLEM DOES NOT GET FIXED. WHILE WE CAN'T PREDICT WHEN IT WILL OCCUR, THE SWERVING WAS MORE PRONOUNCED ON THIS LAST EPISODE AND ALMOST CAUSED VEERING INTO ON-COMING TRAFFIC. THIS CAR IS NOW IN THE DANGEROUS LIVES THREATENING PROBLEM CATEGORY. WHILE EVERYONE AT LEXUS WE HAVE CONTACTED IS POLITE, ETC. THE PROBLEM DOES NOT GET SOLVED AND THEY WANT US TO TAKE THE CAR BACK AND, "BRING IT IN WHEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN." THAT IS NOT A SOLUTION, IT IS A HAND BACK THE PROBLEM TO THE CUSTOMERACTION. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT PROBLEM WILL CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, ANT THINK THAT THE MAUFACTURER SHOULD TAKE THE CAR BACK, CHANGE OUT EVERY COMPUTER, SENSOR, AND CHIP RELATED TO ANY SYSTEM THAT COULD ACTUATE THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM PHENOMENA WE ARE EXPERIENCING. WE HAVE CONTACTED LEXUS OF US IN TORRANCE, CA. AND THE DEALERSHIP HERE IN MELBOURNE F WE ALSO CONTACTED NHTSA BY PHONE AND SPOKE TO A REP WHO ASSIGNED AN ID# 607064 AND SAID FORMS WOULD BE SENT TO US BY MAIL. WE HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED ANYTHING. THIS IS TO ASK FOR HELP IN GETTING THIS PROBLEM FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED.L.TEM THAT. *AK
AUTOMATIC TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON, THERE IS A BEEPING SOUND, AND VEHICLE SWERVES LIKE IT IS GOING INTO A CURVE, USUALLY TO LEFT. PROBLEM WILL OCCUR RANDOMLY OVER 40 MPH, WEATHER CONDITIONS DO NOT PLAY A FACTOR IN DEFECT. *AK CONSUMER STATES WHEN PROBLEM OCCURS, THE ACCELERATOR, BRAKES, AND STEERING ARE ACTUATE…
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AUTOMATIC TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON, THERE IS A BEEPING SOUND, AND VEHICLE SWERVES LIKE IT IS GOING INTO A CURVE, USUALLY TO LEFT. PROBLEM WILL OCCUR RANDOMLY OVER 40 MPH, WEATHER CONDITIONS DO NOT PLAY A FACTOR IN DEFECT. *AK CONSUMER STATES WHEN PROBLEM OCCURS, THE ACCELERATOR, BRAKES, AND STEERING ARE ACTUATED WITHOUT ANY INPUT FROM THE DRIVER AND PROBLEM IS NOT WEATHER RELATED, DEALER HAS KEPT VEHICLE LONG PERIODS OF TIME, ONE INSTANCE FOR ALMOST 1 MONTH, ALWAYS COMES BACK AND CAN NOT FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM, CONSUMER FEELS THE PROBLEM IS RELATED TO COMPUTER OR SENSOR DEFECT. *SLC
THE BRIDGESTONE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TWO FLATS ON BOTH RIGHT REAR AND LEFT REAR WITHIN 4 MONTHS, CONSUMER REPLACED ALL THE BRIDGESTONE TIRES DUE TO PROBLEMS, TIRES WERE REPLACEMENT TIRES NOT ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. *MJS
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
1DP03003 · Unintended Engine Speed Increase/sa
Opened Jul 17, 2003 · Closed Sep 23, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
ON MAY 13, 2003 THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) RECEIVED AN APRIL 25, 2003 LETTER FROM MR. PETER BODDAERT PETITIONING THE AGENCY TO CONDUCT A PETITION ANALYSIS OF CERTAIN 1997 THROUGH 2000 MODEL YEAR LEXUS 300 AND 400 SERIES VEHICLES FOR PROBLEMS OF VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL LINKAGES WHICH RESULTS IN SUDDEN, UNEXPECTED EXCESSIVE (VEHICLE) ACCELERATION EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO PRESSURE [SIC]APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL.IN SUPPORT OF HIS PETITION, MR. BODDAERT CITES A NUMBER OF ODI REPORTS CONCERNING VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL LINKAGES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.INCLUDED AMONGST THE THIRTY-SIX REPORTS HE CITES IS ONE INVOLVING A LEXUS THAT COLLIDED WITH FIVE OTHER CARS IN THE SPACE OF ONE-HALF MILE BEFORE IT COULD BE STOPPED.ODI FOUND NO DATA INDICATING THE EXISTENCE OF A DEFECT TREND RELATED TO THE PETITIONER'S ALLEGATIONS AT THIS TIME.THEREFORE, THERE IS NO REASONABLE POSSIBILITY THAT AN ORDER CONCERNING THE NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY OF A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT WOULD BE ISSUED AS A RESULT OF GRANTING MR. BODDAERT'S PETITION.CONSEQUENTLY, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE NHTSA'S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY'S SAFETY MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED.