Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Lexus LS430 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TRUNK STRUTS FAILED TO HOLD THE TRUNK IN AN OPEN POSITION, CAUSING THE TRUNK TO FALL AND INJURE A PERSON. MULTIPLE TIMES. TRUNK WAS PROPERLY OPENED AND RAISED TO A FULL OPEN POSITION. *TR
THE PISTON-LIKE AIR STRUTS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO HOLD THE REAR TRUNK LID OPEN ON MY 2003 LEXUS LS 430 (BOUGHT NEW IN DECEMBER 2002) SLOWLY STOPPED FUNCTIONING STARTING AROUND 4 YEARS AGO. NOW THEY DO NOT WORK AT ALL. WHILE THIS IS AN INCONVENIENCE TO HAVE TO OPEN THE TRUNK MANUALLY, THE REAL DANGER IS THAT ARE NO PROVISIONS TO HOLD THE TRUNK LID IN THE OPEN POSITION. THUS, EVEN A LIGHT WIND OR VIBRATION CAUSED BY PASSING VEHICLES WILL CAUSE THE TRUNK TO TEETER OFF THE OPEN POSITION AND SLAM SHUT. THE DOWNWARD MOTION OF THE SHARP AND HEAVY EDGES OF THE TRUNK CAN (AND HAVE) CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY TO HEAD, FINGERS, AND OTHER BODY PARTS - NOT MENTION DAMAGING CARGO. *TR
HYDRAULIC TRUNK SUPPORTS FAILED, WITH HEAVY TRUNK FALLING ON HEAD OF PERSON WORKING IN TRUNK. MAY HAVE CAUSED A CONCUSSION, AT LEAST A GROOVE IN TOP OF HEAD. PERSON STUNNED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. IF THE TRUNK HAD HIT PERSON IN THE BACK WHILE LEANING OVER INTO THE TRUNK, IT MAY HAVE BROKEN A VERTEBRAE. IF IT HAD HIT FINGERS IN LOWER PART OF TRUNK, IT MAY HAVE CHOPPED THEM OFF, PARTICULARLY A CHILD'S. THESE HYDRAULIC SUPPORTS WORE OUT AT AROUND 60-70 THOUSAND MILES. NOT REALIZING THE DANGER, I NEGLECTED CONTACTING LEXUS ABOUT REPLACING THEM. HOWEVER, THIS DANGER SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED OR UNATTENDED TO BY OTHER OWNERS OF LEXUS CARS. WHEN LEXUS WAS CONTACTED AT THIS LATE DATE, THEY OFFERED MINIMAL ASSISTANCE WITH THE PROBLEM, PLUS A BIT OF A RUNAROUND. I SUGGEST CONTACTING AN IMPORTED PARTS DEALER FOR THE EASILY INSTALLABLE PARTS AT A SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED PRICE.
RE: 2003 LEXUS LS 430 THE PISTON SUPPORTS THAT HOLD THE ENGINE HOOD IN PLACE, IN ORDER TO CHECK THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, HAVE DETERIORATED OVER TIME SO THAT THE ENGINE HOOD CAN SUDDENLY SLAM DOWN, SERIOUSLY INJURING ANYONE WHO IS CHECKING THE ENGINE OIL, COOLANT, ETC. I ALMOST WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED WHILE CHECKING THE OIL. IN ADDITION, IT IS THE SAME TYPE OF PISTON SUPPORTS THAT HOLD THE TRUNK OPEN. THESE TOO, ARE ALSO DEFECTIVE. MONTHS AGO I ALMOST LOST A FINGER WHEN THE TRUNK LID SUDDENLY CLOSED. THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT THAT MUST BE INVESTIGATED. *TR
TRUNK LID SUPPORT ON 2003 LEXUS LS430 DOES NOT SUPPORT THE TRUNK LID THEREBY ALLOWING THE LID TO FALL AND STRIKE THE PERSON ON THE HEAD WHILE PLACING OBJECTS IN THE TRUNK. DEALER DOES NOTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *TR
FAILURE OF REAR TRUNK STRUTS CAUSING TRUNK TO COME DOWN SHARPLY ON BACK OF MY HEAD CAUSING PAIN AND BRUISING. THE SAME HAPPENED TO MY WIFE ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS. APPROXIMATE DATES GIVEN BELOW AS FORM DOES NOT CONFORM TO SEVERAL DATES. *TR
TRUNK SUPPORT STRUTS NOT FUNCTIONING APPROPRIATELY, CAUSING TRUNK LID TO ABRUPTLY FALL AND INJURING ANYTHING IN THE PATH OF CLOSURE. WE NOTICED THE INCREASING LACK OF ABILITY TO HOLD THE LID OPEN, NEVER UNDERSTANDING THAT IT ACTUALLY WAS SUPPOSE TO ALSO LIFT THE LID (IT NEVER DID LIFT THE LID AND WE HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR FOUR YEARS/ 45,000 MILES) AND COULD HAVE BEEN POTENTIALLY REPLACED DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD (SEEMS LIKE EARLY LIFE FAILURE). WHEN ASKING THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE ADVISOR HE SAID, YES THESE DO SEEM TO WEAKEN OFTEN AND THEY COULD BE REPLACED FOR $500. THE CONSEQUENCE PRIOR TO THE DEALERSHIP VISIT WAS THE TRUNK LID FALLING AND HITTING MY BACK CAUSING BRUISING. SINCE MY SHOULDER HELPED TO ELIMINATE THE BLOW IT CERTAINLY COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE. POTENTIALLY SOMEONE WHO HAD THEIR HANDS AT THE BASE OF THE TRUNK COULD EITHER HAVE SEVERE DAMAGE OR POTENTIAL LOSS OF LIMB. FOR A HIGH-END VEHICLE, LET ALONE ANY VEHICLE, THIS EARLY LIFE FAILURE AND THE DANGER IT POSES TO ANYONE IN THE WAY OF THE FALLING TRUNK LID IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. LEXUS/TOYOTA CORPORATION SHOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND PROVIDE THE UPDATED TRUNK STRUT FOR THE SAFETY OF LS430 OWNERS, FRIENDS, FAMILIES, AND AUTO SERVICE PERSONNEL. *TR
TRUNK STRUT FAILED AFTER ONLY ABOUT 3 YEARS. MY DAD GAVE ME THE CAR AND HE WAS JUST WILLING TO LIVE WITH IT, AS HE IS VERY ILL THE CAR HAD PASSED THE 4-YEAR, 50,000 MILE POINT, BUT I WAS STRUCK BY THE FALLING TRUNK AND WISH IT REPAIRED. *TR
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.
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