RoadVitals

2002 Lexus LS430 Body & structure Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Body & structure reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
10
Latest Apr 19, 2013
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
33%
of 30 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
7

What this page shows

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Lexus LS430 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming body or structure

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Body & structureDriver assistance
Filed Apr 19, 2013
Crash reported

AS I WAS TURNING ONTO A ROAD FROM A PRIVATE DRIVEWAY THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED CAUSING THE CAR TO CROSS OVER BOTH LANES OF THE ROAD AND CRASH INTO A MAILBOX. THE RESULT WAS DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF MY CAR AND A BROKEN MAILBAX POST. *TR

NHTSA ID
10508825
Incident
Aug 15, 2012
Mileage
46,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Apr 10, 2012
1 injury reported

I OWN A 2002 LEXUS LS IN DEC. 2010, WHILE I WAS TAKING THE GROCERIES OUT OF MY TRUNK, THE TRUNK FELL ON MY HEAD AND CREATED AN INJURY TO MY EYES, I HAD TWO SURGERIES, THE TRUNK UNEXPECTEDLY JUST CRASH ON MY HEAD, IT WAS VERY PAINFUL, I ALMOST PASSED OUT,APPARENTLY THE SPRINGS WORE OUT, THERE WAS NO WARNING, I AM STILL HURTING AND GET SEVERE HEADACHES, I WROTE TO LEXUS, THEY JUST IGNORED ME COMPLETELY, IN MY OPINION, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE DEALT WITH ACCORDINGLY. I AM ASKING FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION I SAVED THE OLD SPRINGS FOR REVIEW. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID
10454698
Incident
Dec 23, 2010
Mileage
65,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Nov 7, 2011
1 injury reported

FAILED COMPONENT: 2 HYDRAULIC SUPPORTERS ON TRUNK LID. COMPLAINTS: THE 2 HYDRAULIC SUPPORTERS ON TRUNK LID WERE COMPLETELY FAILED. I WAS INJURED ON OCTOBER 29, 2011 WHEN THE LID FELLED DOWN (CLOSED) ON ITS OWN WEIGHT AND HIT MY HEAD AND THEN MY RIGHT ARM. THE SUPPORTERS ARE VERY WEAK AS COMPARED TO THE TRUNK LID HEAVY DUTY STEEL STRUCTURE. I HARDLY DRIVE THE CAR WHICH REGISTERS ONLY 30K MILES. THE WEAK HYDRAULIC SUPPORTERS STARTED TO SHOW FATIGUE ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO. EVENTUALLY, IT CAUGHT ME AFTER SEVERAL YEARS LATER. I AM PRETTY SURE THAT THIS TYPE DEFECTS ARE COMMON FOR MANY VEHICLES OF SIMILAR YEARS AND MODEL. IT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY IF ONE IS NOT CAREFUL, PARTICULARLY WHEN PARKING ON A SLOPED DRIVEWAY. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR LEXUS TO USE SUCH CHEAP PARTS OF WHICH REPUTATION EMPHASIZING SAFETY AND QUALITY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10434818
Incident
Oct 29, 2011
Body & structure
Filed Mar 2, 2011
1 injury reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LEXUS LS430. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A PASSENGER WAS STRUCK ABRUPTLY IN THE HEAD BY THE TRUNK HATCH AND SUSTAINED SEVERAL ABRASIONS TO THE HEAD. THE TRUNK LATCH FAILED AND WOULD NOT REMAIN OPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000. UPDATED 03/24/11*LJ UPDATED 1/5/12 *CN

NHTSA ID
10386220
Incident
Oct 30, 2010
Mileage
120,000 mi
Body & structureInterior & seats
Filed Feb 25, 2011
1 injury reported

THE TRUNK LID OF MY 2002 LEXUS LS 430 HAS TWO PNEUMATIC STRUTS WHICH PROVIDE LIFT AND KEEP THE LID UP IN THE OPEN POSITION. NOW, OVER TIME THE STRUTS SLOWLY FAILED TO KEEP THE TRUNK LID OPEN, AND IN A GENTLE BREEZE, THE LID WILL COME DOWN WITH GUILLOTINE FORCE. IT HAS HIT MY HEAD SEVERAL TIMES WITH PAINFUL RESULTS AND NOW I AM AFRAID TO LOAD ITEMS IN MY TRUNK WITHOUT ANOTHER PERSON THERE TO HOLD IT OPEN. I THINK THAT THE "LIFT ASSIST" OF THE PNEUMATICS SHOULD BE ONLY AUXILIARY TO A MECHANISM THAT HOLDS THE TRUNK IN A FULL OPEN POSITION. I HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE WHOSE TRUNK LID DID NOT STAY IN THE OPEN POSITION ONCE LIFTED, REGARDLESS OF AGE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10384496
Incident
Feb 24, 2011
Mileage
40,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Nov 1, 2010
1 injury reported

THE TRUNK LID OF A 2002 LEXUS LS430 LANDED ON MY WIFE'S HEAD CAUSING INJURY AND BLEEDING. GAS CYLINDERS ARE USED TO HOLD TRUNK LID UP WHICH FAILED. I COMPLAINED ABOUT GAS CYLINDERS HOLDING HOODS UP ON LEXUS AUTOMOBILES IN THE PAST AND YOU PEOPLE DID NOTHING ABOUT IT. I EVEN CONTACTED LEXUS ABOUT IT BUT WENT UNACKNOWLEDGED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10363481
Incident
Oct 30, 2010
Mileage
120,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Oct 26, 2010
1 injury reported

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LEXUS LS430. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRUNK LID IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY FALL DOWN OWN ITS OWN. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES AND THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE CAUSED THE CONTACT TO SUSTAIN A CONCUSSION. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PISTONS THAT HELD UP THE TRUNK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE PISTONS REPLACED AT HIS EXPENSE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 59,000.

NHTSA ID
10362503
Incident
Sep 22, 2010
Mileage
59,000 mi
Body & structureInterior & seats
Filed Jun 14, 2010

THE TRUNK LID KEEPS FALLING DOWN ON MY 2002 LEXUS LS430. SEVERAL PERSONS HAVE BEEN HIT IN THE HEAD AND SHOULDERS WITH THE HEAVY LID. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME NOW. *TR

NHTSA ID
10336268
Incident
May 21, 2010
Mileage
80,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Jun 14, 2010
1 injury reported

ON DEC. 27, 2009 ,FULLY OPENED THE TRUNK LID OF MY LS430 & WITHIN SECONDS IT CRASHED DOWN ON MY NECK AS I WAS LEANING IN TO GET SOMETHING. THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A FLUKE. AGAIN ON MARCH 3,2010, IT HAPPENED AGAIN , HITTING ME ON MY HEAD. THE 3RD TIME WAS ON MEMORIAL DAY, MAY 31, 2010, AGAIN ON MY HEAD. NOW I WILL ONLY OPEN MY TRUNK LID WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS PRESENT TO HOLD IT OPEN FOR ME SO IT WON'T FALL ON ME AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10336124
Incident
Dec 12, 2009
Mileage
100,000 mi
Body & structureInterior & seats
Filed Oct 22, 2008

I HAD OPENED THE TRUNK ON MY LEXUS LS-430 (2002) FOR MY 11 YRS OLD SON TO TAKE HIS SPORTS GEARS OUT OF THE TRUNK. HE WAS LEANING DOWN INSIDE THE TRUNK WHEN SUDDENLY THE TRUNK LID CAME CRASHING DOWN STRIKING ON HIS HIPS, IT WAS GOOD IT DID" HURT HIS BACK. THE INJURY RESULTED IN TREMENDOUS PAIN .AFTER THE INCIDENT I INSPECTED THE TRUNK AND FOUND THEIR WAS NO RESISTANCE WHILE GOING UP AND DOWN WITH THE TRUNK AND FOUND THAT THE HYDRAULIC TRUNK STRUTS NECESSARY FOR THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE TRUNK HAD BOTH FAILED. .SEVERAL TIMES CONTACTED THE LEXUS DEALER AND LEXUS CORPORATION TO FIX THE SHOCKS. BUT THEY DECLINED, AS THEY STATED THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANT PERIOD MY CAR HAS ONLY 32000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10246299
Incident
Oct 1, 2008
Mileage
32,000 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .