1994 Lexus LS400 Problems

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ILLUMINATION FAILS, LEAVING INSTRUMENTS INVISIBLE DUE TO INSTRUMENT DESIGN. AT THE SAME TIME, THE FUEL GAUGE STOPS INDICATING FUEL LEVEL. ON MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE, THIS HAPPENS WHEN OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE EXCEEDS 75 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. IN COOLER TEMPERATURES, THE ILLUMINATION AND FUEL GAUGE RESUME FUNCTION. ALSO, OCCASIONALLY THE TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER NEEDLES WILL STICK AT ZERO, WILL RESUME FUNCTION WHEN HITTING THE DASH OVER TOP OF THE GAUGES HARD WITH FIST. THE SPEEDOMETER INDICATOR NEEDLE HAS STOPPED ILLUMINATING UNDER ALL CONDITIONS. CAR HAS 159K MILES AND JUST PURCHASED 4 DAYS AGO. I HAVE READ THAT THESE ARE VERY COMMON AND EXPENSIVE PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. I REALIZE THE CAR IS NOW 23 YEARS OLD, BUT THERE SHOULD BE AN INEXPENSIVE SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS, OR AT LEAST SOME COMPENSATION OR CO-PAYMENT FROM THE MANUFACTURER DUE TO THE EXPENSE OF THESE REPAIRS. REPAIR COST WOULD BE 30% OF WHAT I PAID FOR THE CAR.

THE DASHBOARD PANEL GOES "BLACK" AND ALL INSTRUMENTATION FAILS AND THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME THREE TIMES SINCE I HAVE HAD THE CAR. THEN SECOND TIME AT ABOUT 115000 AND THEN AGAIN AT APPROX 129500. WHEN THIS OCCURS THE CAR IS NOT LEGALLY DRIVABLE AS THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW EXACT SPEED ETC. THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IS NOT UNCOMMON I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY REPAIR SHOPS AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED TO VERIFY THE REAL UNREPORTED BY OWNERS TIMES IT HAS OCCURRED. IT IS A VERY POTENTIAL NOT TO MENTION EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR BOTH IN TIME AND DOLLARS, OUT OF SERVICE APPROX. 10 DAYS AND COSTS OVER $1,150.00 UNTIL TODAY WHEN I HEARD ABOUT YOUR SITE I DID NOT KNOW IT EXISTED OR I WOULD HAVE REPORTED EACH INCIDENT AS IT HAPPENED. NOTE INCIDENT DATE ABOVE INACCURATE BUT IT WAS THE ONLY DATE THE COMPUTER WOULD INPUT SO THAT IS WHY IT IS WHAT IT IS. *TR

1994 LEXUS LS400 INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS NOT WORKING WHEN COLD, AND NOW EVEN IN THE SUMMER IT TAKES LONGER FOR THE LIGHTS TO COME ON. IN COLDER WEATHER MY LIGHTS DON'T GO ON UNTIL THE CAR IS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES. I CANNOT SEE HOW FAST I AM GOING, AND THE SAFETY OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION WORKERS IS A HUGE ISSUE AND I WANT TO MAINTAIN A SAFE THE SAFE LEGAL SPEED. THE ODOMETER DOESN'T REGISTER, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE,. THIS CONTINUES TO WORSEN AND MY FEAR IS THAT EVENTUALLY I WILL HAVE NO LIGHTS AT ALL. HAVE CHECKED INTO MANY WEB SITES AND SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE, VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. *TR

1994 LEXUS LS400 INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS NOT WORKING WHEN COLD, AND NOW EVEN IN THE SUMMER IT TAKES LONGER FOR THE LIGHTS TO COME ON. IN COLDER WEATHER MY LIGHTS DON'T GO ON UNTIL THE CAR IS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES. I CANNOT SEE HOW FAST I AM GOING, AND THE SAFETY OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION WORKERS IS A HUGE ISSUE AND I WANT TO MAINTAIN A SAFE THE SAFE LEGAL SPEED. THE ODOMETER DOESN'T REGISTER, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE, THE MILEAGE IS INCORRECT. THIS CONTINUES TO WORSEN AND MY FEAR IS THAT EVENTUALLY I WILL HAVE NO LIGHTS AT ALL. HAVE CHECKED INTO MANY WEB SITES AND SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE, VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. *TR

BOTH SEAT BELTS ON DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE DO NOT RETRACT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 LEXUS LS400. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT SEAT BELTS FAILED TO RETRACT AND THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT FIT SNUG AROUND A PERSON. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO BE EQUIPPED WITH THREE SEAT BELTS IN THE REAR SEAT. THE FAILURE HAS CONTINUED TO RECUR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 219,950.

TRAVELING AT ABOUT 40 MPH, I REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. MY FRONT END WAS DESTROYED. *TR

NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAG IN AN ACCIDENT.

I HAVE A 1994 LEXUS LS 400, ON DAYS WHEN THE TEMP IS BELOW 70 DEGREES THE CLUSTER LIGHTS DO NOT COME ON. WHEN THE VEHICLE WARMS UP, WHICH THE TIME VARIES, THE CLUSTER LIGHTS FLICKER FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AND THEN THEY GO ON. WHEN ITS COLDER THEY DON'T GO ON AT ALL. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE AT NIGHT TO SEE ANY GAUGES. NOT SURE WHY NOTHING IS BEING DONE WITH LEXUS ON THIS. *TR

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

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE WHEEL RIMS SPLIT, LETTING THE AIR OUT, CAUSING THE TIRE TO GO FLAT, WITHOUT WARNING OR CAUSE. THIS IS A SILVER ANNIVERSARY RIM. MR

CHROME DELAMINATED FROM ALLOY WHEEL, SAFETY ISSUE IN THAT TIRE DEFLATES. CASUAL CONVERSATION WITH TIRE STORE INTICATED THAT CHROME DELAMINATION IS NOT UNIQUE TO THIS AUTOMOBILE, BUT HAD BEEN SEEN BY TIRE STORE BEFORE.*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" <[email protected]> SENT: 24 NOV 03 01:34 TO: [email protected] 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

CONSUMER WENT TO A TIRE SHOP AND TECHNICIAN INFORMED HIM THAT CHROME PLATING OF TIRE WAS CAUSING CHROME TO PEEL OFF/ BREAK SEAL, AND AIR STARTED TO LEAK FROM WHEEL. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

INDICATOR LEVER STICKS IN NEUTRAL WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK TO DRIVE. NO RESPONSE FROM ABS. *AK

SHIFTED GEAR SELECTOR, IT STICKS IN NEUTRAL POSTION. *AK

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COLD, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DOES NOT LIGHT UP. IT TAKES ABOUT AN HOUR OF DRIVING TO "WARM UP" THE DASHBOARD AND WILL EVENTUALLY FLICKER. THIS HAPPENS CONSTANTLY AND SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH ALL LEXUS LS400S. I AM ALSO HAVING AN ISSUE WITH THE POWER STEERING LEAKING. THE LEAKAGE HAS CAUSED MY ALTERNATOR TO GO BAD. I HAVE SINCE REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR, STEERING PUMP AND STEERING RACK. THE ISSUE ALSO SEEMS TO BE FOR ALL LEXUS LS400S. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 LEXUS LS400. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO JERK VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

CONSUMER NOTICE AFTER STARTING VEHICLE ALL INDICATION LIGHT WOULD NOT LIGHT DUE TO COLD WEATHER. DEALER AND MANUFACTURE HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS *DT

I HAVE A '94 LEXUS LS400 ON WHICH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DISPLAY DOES NOT FUNCTION AT LOW TEMPERATURES. IT WILL TAKE UP TO AN HOUR OF DRIVING BEFORE THE INSTUMENT PANEL LIGHTS UP AND THE GAGES BECOME VISIBLE. ONE HAS TO NOTE THAT THIS IS A NEON-LIT INSTRUMENT PANEL WHICH WILL BE TOTALLY DARK DAY OR NIGHT WHEN THE LIGHTING DOES NOT WORK. THE USER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SEE ANY WARNING LIGHTS, VEHICLE SPEED AND FUEL LEVEL. THIS IS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM WITH "90 TO '94 MODEL YEARS AND POSSIBLY LATER ONES ALSO ( I PERSONALLY KNOW OF AT LEAST 10 CASES). LEXUS IS QUOTING $1,200 TO $1,600 TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT. BASED ON THE PRICE TAG, MANY PEOPLE WILL BE RELUCTANT TO HAVE IT REPAIRED AND CONSEQUENTLY THERE WILL BE MOTORISTS ON THE ROAD WHO WILL NOT KNOW WHAT SPEED THEY ARE GOING OR WHETHER THEY WILL RUN OUT OF GAS. I BELIVE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE CORRECTED BY THE MANUFACTURER THROUGH A RECALL.