Problems · NHTSA complaints

1996 Lexus LS400 problems

Owners filed 19 complaints about the 1996 Lexus LS400 with NHTSA between May 1996 and Dec 2015. The most-cited component is electrical system (3).

Complaints
19
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system3
  2. Engine and engine cooling2
  3. Fuel system, gasoline2
  4. Visibility2
  5. Service brakes, hydraulic2
  6. Engine1
  7. Seat belts1
  8. Vehicle speed control1
  9. Tires1
  10. Steering1
  11. Wheels1
  12. Exterior lighting1
  13. Other / unknown2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19962
19974
19980
19993
20002
20010
20021
20030
20042
20050
20060
20070
20080
20090
20100
20111
20120
20131
20140
20153

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Electrical system

3 reports1 fire1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 LEXUS LS400. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,000. UPDATED 02/23/16*LJ UPDATED 05/04/18*JB *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 7, 2015Electrical system, EngineODI 10808803

Engine and engine cooling

2 reports1 crash
“PER LEXUS TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN EG002-97, WHICH DOESN'T APPEAR ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE BUT WHICH CAN BE FOUND ONLINE BY CLICKING ON THE LINK FROM POST #77 AT THIS WEB PAGE: HTTP://US.LEXUSOWNERSCLUB.COM/FORUMS/TOPIC/15699-9596-LS400-LOW-IDLE-ENGINE-DIES-AND-JERKING-THRE/PAGE-6 MY '96 LS400 HAS THE SAME ENGINE-STALL-AT-IDLE-AFTER-CONTINUOUS-LONG-DRIVE PROBLEM AS EVERY OTHER EARLY PRODUCTION CAR MADE WITH VINS BEFORE [XXX]. GO ON THE HIGHWAY, DRIVE 50 MILES, EXIT, THE CAR IDLE SPEED DROPS TO WHERE THE CAR STALLS OUT. PUT IT INTO NEUTRAL, TURN THE KEY, IT STARTS RIGHT BACK UP, NO MORE PROBLEM. OR, DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY, DRIVE 50 MILES, ENCOUNTER STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC, THE IDLE SPEED DROPS TO WHERE THE CAR STALLS OUT. PUT IT INTO NEUTRAL, TURN THE KEY, IT STARTS RIGHT BACK UP, NO MORE PROBLEM. I GOT TAPPED BY THE CAR BEHIND ME WHEN AT 1 MPH I WAS COMING TO A RED LIGHT EXITING THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR DIED, THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND IT TOOK ME A FRANTIC MOMENT TO TRY PUTTING THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND RESTARTING IT WHILE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THIS IS A CLEAR SAFETY ISSUE THAT LEXUS CLEARLY KNOWS ABOUT (SEE EG002-97) BUT WHICH THE NHTSA HAS DONE NOTHING…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 27, 2015Engine and engine coolingCrash reportedODI 10836184

Fuel system, gasoline

2 reports
“DRIVING VEHICLE DOWN FREEWAY STARTED SMELLING GASOLINE ODOR. DROVE STRAIGHT TO NEAREST TOYOTA DEALER. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, THE SEAMS OF THE FUEL TANK HAD SPLIT OPEN. SINCE THE FUEL TANK IS LOCATED IN THE TRUNK THE FUEL DRAINED INTO THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE AND ALSO WAS SPILLING OUT ON THE DRIVE OF THE DEALERSHIP WHEN I ARRIVED. TEJAS TOYOTA IN HUMBLE, TX. THE DEALER PERSONNEL IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REMOTE LOCATION ON THEIR LOT DUE TO THE GREAT POSSIBILITY OF AN EXPLOSION. I CONTACTED LEXUS TO NOTIFY OF THE SITUATION, RECEIVED AN INCIDENT NUMBER. CAR WAS REPAIRED, WHEN COMPLETE I NOTIFIED LEXUS, THEY SEEMED NOT TO CARE MUCH, OFFERED TO MAKE ME AN APPOINTMENT AT A LEXUS DEALERSHIP TO VERIFY THE TOYOTA DEALER HAD INSTALLED THE NEW PARTS CORRECTLY FOR A CHARGE. THAT IS AFTER PAYING OVER $2,300.00 FOR A NEW FUEL TANK. THEY CLOSED THE INCIDENT REPORT MUCH TO MY DISMAY. THE MONEY IS NOT THE ISSUE BUT MY CONCERN THAT THIS MIGHT BE AN AGE ISSUE THAT COULD AFFECT OTHERS. I HAD PUT OUT A CIGARETTE JUST BEFORE A FULL TANK OF FUEL EMPTIED INTO THE VEHICLE. OH AND YES I HAD FILLED THE TANK JUST BEFORE THE INCIDENT. I DO POSSESS THIS ORIGINAL DEFECTIVE TANK.…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 5, 2013Fuel system, gasolineODI 10515276

Visibility

2 reports
“AS HIGHWAY SPEED IS INCREASED FRONTAL/SIDE WIND OFF WINDSHIELD CAUSED AT TWO DIFFERENT TIMES FOR ME TO HAVE TO REALIGN THE CAR ON THE ROADWAY DUE TO THIS PROBLEM, ALSO AS THE SPEED INCREASES THE INSIDE OF THE CAR IS NOISY.*AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 9, 2000VisibilityODI 737558

Service brakes, hydraulic

2 reports
“THE BRAKE ROTORS ARE EXPERIENCING PREMATURE WARPING. *MJS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 5, 2000Service brakes, hydraulicODI 558282

Engine

1 report
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.