1999 Lexus LS400 Owner Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 LEXUS LS400. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, HE APPLIED THE BRAKE DUE TO TRAFFIC. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY AND CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CRASH CAUSED DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES AS WELL AS AN INJURED KNEE OF THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE THAT WAS STRUCK. THE FAILURE HAD RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND HE WAS INFORMED THE THROTTLE BODY WOULD PROBABLY NEED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, HE WAS INFORMED THAT DUE TO THE TYPE OF FAILURE HE WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT WOULD HAVE TO BE NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO OTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 145,000. UPDATED 02/19/13

NHTSA ID

10487438

Incident

Sep 4, 2012

Mileage

130,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 LEXUS LS400. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE WORKING UNDER THE HOOD IT STARTED CLOSING CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY A LOCAL MECHANIC. TOYOTA WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

NHTSA ID

10353316

Incident

Aug 20, 2007

Mileage

100,000 mi

OUR 1999LS400 LEXUS IS EXPERIENCING MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE ELECTRONICS IN THE DASH. THE ODOMETER AND THE SPEEDOMETER ARE WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. LEXUS WANTS 1200.00 TO PULL OUT DASH AND SEND AWAY TO REPAIR. I AM CONCERNED THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. I DON'T KNOW WHOSE REPLACING WHAT AND ARE THEY CERTIFIED LEXUS MECHANICS??? ARE THESE EARLY MODEL LS400'S HAVING ELECTRONICS PROBLEMS OR IS THIS JUST A SINGLE CASE? PLEASE LET ME KNOW. *TR

NHTSA ID

10339955

Incident

Jun 10, 2010

I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE IT MIGHT PROVIDE A CLUE TO THE TOYOTA RACING ENGINE PROBLEM. ON EACH OF TWO DAYS BEFORE I TOOK MY 1999 LEXUS 400 TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS, THE ENGINE WOULD RACE AT AN ESTIMATED 4,000+ RPMS AND EMITTED A GRINDING SOUND AS THE CAR WAS STARTED. AFTER TURNING OFF THE ENGINE WITH THE KEY, THE CAR WOULD RESTART WITHOUT A PROBLEM. STRANGELY, THE DEALER DID NOT RECORD THIS PARTICULAR COMPLAINT, BUT STATED THAT DIAGNOSIS REVEALED THAT STARTER WAS FAILING. I WAS CHARGED $990 FOR REPLACEMENT AND REPAIRS. I COULD NOT GET A SATISFACTORY ANSWER AS TO WHY A FAULTY STARTER WOULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO RACE. I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR OVER 10,000 MILES SINCE THEN WITHOUT A PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10319258

Incident

Sep 11, 2008

Mileage

91,080 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 LEXUS LS400. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE SHE NOTICED THAT THE DASHBOARD PANEL WOULD NO LONGER FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD PANEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 90000. UPDATED 07/07/10.*JB

NHTSA ID

10315079

Incident

Dec 22, 2009

Mileage

90,000 mi

1999 400LS LEXUS DASH PANEL DEFECTIVE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10315075

Incident

Dec 20, 2009

Mileage

90,000 mi

I'M WRITING THIS IN THE HOPES THAT IT MAY BE OF SOME HELP IN TOYOTAS BRAKE PROBLEM. MY 1999 LEXUS LS400 WOULD LOOSE THROTTLE CONTROL, THE ENGINE SPEED WOULD DROP TO IDLE REGARDLESS OF WHAT WAS DONE TO THE THROTTLE ITSELF. AFTER 3 TRIPS TO THE DEALER, THEY FOUND THAT THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR WOULD NOT WORK IF IT HAD BECOME WET. THEY REPLACED THE TPS AND THAT CURED THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10310746

Incident

Mar 15, 2000

Mileage

10,000 mi

1999 LEXUS LS 400. SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10304673

Incident

May 15, 2002

Mileage

50,000 mi

THE SEAT BELTS ON MY CAR DO NOT RETRACT OR STAY TIGHT ON ME ANYMORE. THEY CONTINUE TO LOOSEN AS I DRIVE. THEY ARE STIFF ALMOST BRITTLE. THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT MOVE OUT LIKE IT USED TO. NOW IT MOVES AWAY FROM THE DASH IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION TOWARD MY FACE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10229242

Incident

Jan 2, 2005

Mileage

80,000 mi

WE HAVE OWNED 3 LEXUS AND ALL 3 OF THEM HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE DIGITAL RADIO PRINT OUT. WE TOOK IT TO A DEALER AND THEY WOULD REPLACE IT FOR OVER $500.00. WE ALSO CONTACTED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPT. AND THEY WOULD DO NOTHING TO REPLACE IT. IT SEEM TO ME THAT SUCH AN EXPENSIVE VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE A RADIO THAT WORKS.

NHTSA ID

10181244

Incident

Apr 25, 1999

WHILE SLOWLY PULLING INTO A SHOPPPING CENTER PARKING PLACE THAT WAS PERPENDICULAR TO THE STREET, I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND LUNGED OVER THE CURB AND ACROSS THE SIDEWALK INTO A BUILDING. LEXUS HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND INTIMATED THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10133046

Incident

Aug 13, 2005

Mileage

39,121 mi

LEXUS LS 400 1999 MODEL. DANGEROUS HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION. FURTHER AFTER DRIVING THIS CAR FOR TWO YEARS, I HAVE NECK PAINS FROM THE DAILY WHIPLASH. TOYOTA IS IGRNORING THIS SYSTEM WIDE. IT IS AN OUTRAGE. ITS DAMAGING PEOPLES NECKS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. THEY WILL NOT FIX IT - THEY CLAIM ITS NORMAL. OTHER DEALERS ARE TELLING CUSTOMERS ABOUT IT - - MY WIFE REFUSES TO DRIVE MY CAR - IT'S DANGEROUS!

NHTSA ID

10129899

Incident

Jul 24, 2005

Mileage

46,000 mi

WHILE WORKING ON THE VEHICLE, THE HOOD FELL DOWN ON THE CONSUMER. *JB THE PISTONS IN THE HOOD WERE NOT SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO HOLD THE WEIGHT OF THE HOOD. *SC

NHTSA ID

10092433

Incident

Sep 16, 2004

Mileage

89,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, SLOWLY, WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, WENT OVER THE CURB AND INTO THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10083578

Incident

Jul 20, 2004

Mileage

65,869 mi

PETITION SEEKING NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THE LEXUS VEHICLES MODEL YEARS 1997 TO 2000 WHICH HAVE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH SPEED CONTROL LINKAGES RESULTING IN SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *MR THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO REAR END THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF HIS. AS A RESULT THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A POLICE CITATION. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM (ODI# 760680). *SCC *NLM

NHTSA ID

10021804

Incident

Apr 17, 2003

RIGHT REAR TIRE HAD A BLOWOUT WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH ON A 1999, LEXUS LS400. ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, TIRE SIZE P225/60R16, DOT# ELA6 CBC528. MANUFACTURER AND TIRE DEALER WERE NOTIFIED.*AK *YH

NHTSA ID

8017706

Incident

Aug 21, 2002

ENGINE REVS TO EXTREMELY HIGH RPM ( ~5000 ) WITH NO THROTTLE INPUT FROM DRIVER. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED TWICE ON THIS VEHICLE RECENTLY . THE SECOND TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS AFTER ENGAGING REVERSE GEAR. FORTUNATELY THE BREAKS WERE ABLE TO RESTRAIN THE VEHICLE. IN NEITHER INCIDENT WAS MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR.*AK

NHTSA ID

760680

IT WAS RAINING AND I WAS ENTERING HIGHWAY, I HAD MY LEFT TURN SIGNAL ON AND STARTED TO ACCELERATE. THE CAR STARTED TO FISH TAIL AND WHEN INTO A 360 DEGREE SPIN, MAYBE TWICE, AT LEAST 1 1/2 TIMES. WHEN I CAME OUT OF SPIN I CRASHED INTO THE CEMENT MEDIAN. AT NO TIME DID THE VSC (VEHICLE SKID CONTROL) ACTIVATE. IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN'T MISS. A LOUND WARNING SOUND COMES ON AND THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS UP WITH A SKID WARNING. IT HAD HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE IN THE SNOW.*AK

NHTSA ID

753195

Incident

Oct 6, 2001

THE THROTTLE SENSOR FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY STOP WHILE DRIVING OR CAUSING IT TO START BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT REV WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE GREASE FROM THE THROTTLE CABLE ASSEMBLY CAN MIGRATE DOWN ONTO THE THROTTLE SENSOR INTERFERING WITH ITS OPERATION. NLM

NHTSA ID

785593

Incident

May 12, 2001

FIRESTONE TURANZA ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A LEXUS LS400 1999. WHILE DRIVING 75MPH RIGHT REAR TIRE'S AIR WENT OUT. TREAD WAS STILL ON THE TIRE, BUT SIDEWALL WAS GONE. *AK THE TIRE IS DOT ELA6 (CBC 218) # 035629 MADE IN JAPAN. IT FAILED DUE TO POOR MATERIAL, POOR ADHESIVE AND WORKMANSHIP. *YH

NHTSA ID

866810

Incident

Nov 16, 1998

WHEN SKID CONTROL LIGHT IS ON THROTTLE DISABLES, CAUSING VEHICLE NOT TO ACCELERATE AT ANY SPEED, AND VEHICLE STILL IDLES. DRIVER HAS TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

857304

Incident

Nov 1, 1999

WHILE MAKING A U-TURN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. DRIVER PUT THE BRAKES ON, AND THE BRAKES SQUEALED AND DID NOT STOP VEHICLE. IT LOST CONTROL AND HIT THE SIDE OF THE WALL. DEALER HAVE BEEN CONTACTED, BUT CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#.

NHTSA ID

836060

Incident

Mar 12, 1999