RoadVitals

2008 Lexus LS460

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
79
Latest Mar 27, 2023
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
2
Latest Oct 15, 2014
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
6
4 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 79 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2008 Lexus LS460, most frequently naming the brakes, driver assistance and engine categories. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 163 manufacturer communications are on file.

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

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

2 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

Oct 15, 2014
422,509 units potentially affected
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Lexus LS vehicles manufactured May 9, 2006, to July 20, 2010, 2006-2011 Lexus GS vehicles manufactured January 6, 2005, to September 10, 2010, and 2006-2011 Lexus IS vehicles manufactured August 30, 2005, to September 10, 2010. Due to anti-corrosion plating remnants, fuel may leak from where the fuel pressure sensor is attached to the fuel delivery pipe.
The risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will clean and reseal the fuel pressure sensor mounting area, free of charge. The recall began March 3, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Toyota Motor Engineering & ManufacturingView on NHTSA.gov

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

Jul 6, 2010
138,874 units potentially affected
The defect: TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006 THROUGH 2008 LEXUS PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 26, 2005 THROUGH AUGUST 4, 2008. MICRO-FOREIGN OBJECTS IN THE MATERIAL OF THE VALVE SPRING MAY DEGRADE THE STRENGTH OF THE VALVE SPRING, POSSIBLY CAUSING THE SPRING TO BREAK.
The risk: THE ENGINE COULD FAIL AND STOP SUDDENLY WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
The remedy: TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.
TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.Manufacturer number ALEView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Brakes
Filed Mar 27, 2023

The contact owns a 2008 Lexus LS460. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the message "VSC Brake Malfunction. ABS Needs Services. Contact Dealer" was displayed. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the actuator needed to be replaced. The part was replaced; however, the failure recurred. An unknown dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the extended warranty coverage for the failure had expired. The failure mileage was 69,000.

NHTSA ID
11514068
Incident
Mar 22, 2023
Mileage
69,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Sep 13, 2022

The contact owns a 2008 Lexus LS460. The contact stated that the vehicle would erroneously start without anyone being near the vehicle with the starter button not being pressed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the starter however, the failure persisted. The contact indicated that the starter had been replaced on four separate occasions for the same failure. In addition, while driving approximately 40 MPH, a message to "Turn Off Vehicle and Contact Dealer" was displayed and the brake pedal became difficult to depress causing the braking distance to be extended. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the brake actuator was faulty and needed to be replaced. The actuator was replaced and the failure was corrected. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 94,000.

NHTSA ID
11484213
Incident
Sep 1, 2021
Mileage
94,000 mi
Interior & seatsVisibility
Filed Aug 30, 2021

The contact owns a 2008 Lexus LS460. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he noticed that there was a shiny glare coming from the dashboard that obstructed his visibility. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the manufacturer's recall for the dashboard had expired in March 2021. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 279,000.

NHTSA ID
11431104
Incident
Aug 15, 2021
Mileage
279,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Jul 12, 2021

The contact owns a 2008 Lexus LS460. The contact stated that a day after purchasing the vehicle, he noticed that there were cracks on the instrument panel near the radio, and between the dashboard and passenger’s and driver’s side doors. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic nor dealer. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

NHTSA ID
11424372
Incident
Jul 11, 2021
Mileage
55,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Jun 24, 2019

WHILE IN MOTION, BRAKES STARTED PULSATING AND "CLICKING", THEN BRAKE PEDAL FEEL GOT VERY FIRM AND HAD DIFFICULTY STOPPING, ALMOST RESULTING IN ACCIDENT. TOYOTA HAS RELEASED WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM FOR THE BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY, BUT MY VEHICLE IS JUST BEYOND THE 10YR/150K MILE PERIOD. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY MATTER AND NHTSA SHOULD HAVE WORKED WITH TOYOTA ON A SAFETY RECALL REMEDY. IF BRAKES FAIL, THE CONSUMERS WILL BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR DIE. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 60K MILES AND THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT!

NHTSA ID
11222213
Incident
Jun 7, 2019
Mileage
59,500 mi
Filed Jun 18, 2019

ALL FOUR INTERIOR DOOR TRIM PANELS, CENTER CONSOLE, AND DASH ON MY 2008 LEXUS LS460 ARE MELTING, CRACKING AND ADMITTING A FOUL ODOR CAUSING NAUSEA. TOYOTA ISSUED A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT BULLETIN COVERED BY THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM ZE6 BUT ONLY INCLUDED THE 2007 LS460. HAVING DONE RESEARCH, OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME 2008 LS460 MODEL THROUGH THE 2014 LS460 MODELS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. TOYOTA IS REFUSING TO COVER THE REPAIRS AS "NOT ENOUGH COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED". MY VEHICLES IN USE DATE WAS SEPTEMBER 23, 2008. I WAS TOLD IN EARLY JUNE 2018 BY A LOCAL DEALERSHIP SERVICE EMPLOYEE MY CAR WOULD HAVE THE TRIM PANELS, CENTER CONSOLE AND DASH REPLACED BUT WHEN I CALLED LEXUS CARE I WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT INCLUDED AND WOULD NOT BE COVERED AS "NOT ENOUGH CLAIMS HAVE BEEN FILED FOR MY YEAR MODEL". SEEING AS HOW TOYOTA REPLACED THEM ON THE 2007 MODELS, THEY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THE REMAINING YEAR MODELS THAT ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES.

NHTSA ID
11220985
Incident
Jun 4, 2018
Mileage
132,000 mi
Filed Jun 12, 2019

I PUT MY 2 YEAR OLD IN THE CAR SEAT, STRAPPED HER IN, PUT MY BAG (WITH THE KEY FOB) ON THE BACKSEAT AND AFTER VISUALLY CONFIRMING THAT THE DRIVERS DOOR IS UNLOCKED CLOSED THE BACK DOOR WITH MY CHILD INSIDE. IN THE TIME IT TOOK ME TO WALK AROUND THE CAR TO THE DRIVER'S SEAT ALL FOUR DOORS SOMEHOW LOCKED DOWN. WITH BOTH THE KEY FOB AND MY CHILD INSIDE THE CAR; IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER IN TEXAS. LEXUS IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A SAFE LOCK FEATURE THAT PREVENTS THE CAR LOCKING WHILE KEYS ARE INSIDE BUT THIS CLEARLY FAILED. LUCKILY WE WERE PARKED IN A GARAGE AND MY HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO COME IN 20 MIN WITH THE SPARE KEY; OTHERWISE TIT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE.

NHTSA ID
11219624
Incident
Jun 12, 2019
Mileage
150,000 mi
Brakes
Filed May 19, 2019

THE ABS/BRAKE/VSC/ LIGHT CAME ON, MAKING BEEPING NOISE AND HARD TO BRAKE

NHTSA ID
11208522
Incident
Jan 15, 2019
Mileage
128,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

Safety Recall 22

EQUIPMENT

Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements 4.13.2022

L-SB-0006-22

EQUIPMENT

TSB: This Service Bulletin includes procedures to replace damaged or loose front carpet floor retainer(s) without replacing the carpet assembly. Follow the Repair Procedure in this bulletin to replace the loose or damaged carpet floor retainer(s).

L-SB-0004-22

AIR BAGS

TSB: Some 2005 ? 2022 model year Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty smell is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this service bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This service bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare the interior of the vehicle prior to an odor remediation being performed, as well as contact information for an approved vendor who will arrange the remediation, and instructions on how to prepare the interior of the vehicle for reassembly once the remediation has been completed. Refer to all model and model year specific Repair Manuals and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website for the most up-to-date safety and precautionary guidelines. This service bulletin is to provide a general overview and direction for the odor remediation process.

Lexus PRO19-02 -

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL; TIRES; WHEELS

POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Lexus. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be available to any customer that requests it. Customers can find this information on the Owner?s section of Lexus.com. Dealers can locate a copy of this guide on the Claims Processing & Resource Center in Dealer Daily as well.

L-SB-0046-21

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: RADAR; FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: SENSING SYSTEM: RADAR; LANE DEPARTURE: SENSING SYSTEM: RADAR

TSB: For proper calibration of the millimeter wave radar sensor, the vehicle and radar target must be on a level surface with a consistent plane. If a level surface with a consistent plane is not available, use the Floor Slope Compensation Procedure in this service bulletin in conjunction with the appropriate model and model year Repair Manual instructions when adjusting the millimeter wave radar sensor.

L-SB-0018-14 Obs

EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

OBSOLETE NOTICE July 26, 2021: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0024-21.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Lexus LS460 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2017200
2016100
2015410
2014810
2013910
2012300
2011500
2010172052.5
2009102039.9
2008Viewing792045.8
2007742044.6

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.