The 2000 Lexus LS400 has 1 safety recall and 12 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is vehicle speed control (6 complaints).
Recalls1safety recalls
Complaints12filed by owners
Crashes · fires3 · 0reported in complaints
Injuries · deaths2 · 0reported in complaints
Safety recalls
Exterior lighting
NHTSA recall 06E026000 · Mar 23, 2006 · 61,944 vehicles · opened after NHTSA action (OVSC)
Problem: CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
Risk: WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
Fuel economy
LS 400
19mpg combined
City / highway
16 / 23 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
4 L · 8 cyl · Automatic 5-spd · Rear-Wheel Drive · about $4,350/year to fuel
EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.
What owners report
Problem area
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Typical mileage*
Vehicle speed control
6
3
0
2
55,361 mi
Power train Automatic transmission
3
0
0
0
—
Electrical system Ignition
3
0
0
0
101,309 mi
Latches/locks/linkages Doors › Latch
1
0
0
0
—
Service brakes, hydraulic Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
1
0
0
0
—
Equipment
1
0
0
0
—
Tires
1
0
0
0
—
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
Jun 12, 2006 · 101,309 milesElectrical system OWNER WAS DRIVING AN A BUSY STREET AT 25 MILES PER HOUR AND NOTICED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS NOT WORKING. OWNER DROVE VEHICLE INTO A PARKING LOT. VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BEGAN TO FUNCTION AGAIN. OWNER DROVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE PARKING LOT, HIT A SMALL POTHOLE. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED AGAIN. OWNER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, CIRCUIT BOARD AND GAUGE KIT WERE REPLACE AT A COST OF $1335.02. *TR
Apr 21, 2014 · 102,213 milesPower train VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR MASTER KEY ADDITION . MASTER KEY WAS MADE BY DEALER AND WAS DEFECTIVE CAUSING DAMAGE TO IGNITION. (21 APRIL 2014) AT INTERVALS KEY COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM IGNITION. IGNITION WOULD LOCK. DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE KEY OR TO REFUND $186.00 PAID BY OWNER FOR ADDITIONAL MASTER KEY. TIRES 4-03-2014 AS APART OF THE VEHICLE INSPECTION TIRES WERE CHECKED BY TECHNICIAN, DEEMED TO BE SAFE. CRACKS BECAME NOTICEABLE IN THE SIDE WALLS OF THE TIRES ON 6-17-2014. NEW TIRES WERE PLACED ON VEHICLE BY DIFFERENT COMPANY ON 6-17-2014 THIS COMPANY DETERMINED ALL FOUR OF THE TIRES TO BE ROTTEN AND NOT SAFE TO BE USED AS A SPARE. OLD ROTTEN TIRES REMAIN IN THE POSSESSION OF THIS…
May 23, 2014 · 104,000 milesEquipment TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 LEXUS LS400. THE CONTACT HAD A NEW KEY MADE FOR HER VEHICLE, WHICH CAUSED THE IGNITION TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL AND THE CONTACT WOULD BE UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000. UPDATED 09/16/14*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE THE KEY OR REFUND THE COST OF THE BATTERIES. THE DEALER FAILED TO DETERMINE THAT THE TIRES WERE ROTTEN DURING SERVICE CHECK, FAILED TO PROVIDE WORKING BATTERIES FOR KEYS AND ORIGINAL COPY OF KEY. THERE WAS AN OVERFLOW OF TRANSMISSION FLUID FOUR TIMES. UPDATED 1/16/2015 *JS
Jun 21, 2012 · 100,000 miles · crashVehicle speed control TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 LEXUS LS400. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SLOWLY PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A WALL AND THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 100,000.
May 20, 2007 · 44,000 milesElectrical system TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 LEXUS LS400. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER DIAL REMAINED ON ZERO AND NEVER REGISTERED THE SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE SPEEDOMETER COULD NOT BE REPAIRED UNTIL THE ENTIRE CLUSTER FAILED. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $1,500. THE SPEEDOMETER IS CURRENTLY WORKING AGAIN WITHOUT BEING REPAIRED; HOWEVER, IT COULD FAIL AGAIN AT ANY MOMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,073.
Sep 1, 2006Vehicle speed control 2000 LEXUS LS400 LURCHED FORWARD NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. *KB *NM
Sep 29, 2004 · 63,000 miles · crash · 1 injuryVehicle speed control DT: THE CALLER SAID WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO A FASTER SPEED VERY QUICKLY. THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT. THE CALLER SUSTAINED INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE CALLER SAID THE VEHICLE WAS ACCELERATING WITHOUT WARNING FOR ABOUT A YEAR. THE CALLER CALLED THE MANUFACTURER THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM. DEALER SAID THEY WOULD GET BACK TO HIM. HE WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AFTER THE ACCIDENT, AND THEY SAID THEY WILL SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 AT 8:00 AM, MANUFACTURER SAID THEY WOULD CALL IN TWO DAYS. THIS WAS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.…
Nov 15, 2004 · 43,000 miles · crash · 1 injuryVehicle speed control AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A HIGH SPEED. THE CONDITION CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO HIT THREE PARKED VEHICLES AND ONE VEHICLE IN MOTION. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES TO HER FACE DUE TO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. THE OTHER DRIVER AND PASSENGER OF THE OTHER VEHICLES APPEARED TO SHOW NO INJURY. *JB
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.
NHTSA defect investigations
DP03003 · opened Jul 17, 2003 · closed Sep 23, 2003UNINTENDED ENGINE SPEED INCREASE/SA ON MAY 13, 2003 THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) RECEIVED AN APRIL 25, 2003 LETTER FROM MR. PETER BODDAERT PETITIONING THE AGENCY TO CONDUCT A PETITION ANALYSIS OF CERTAIN 1997 THROUGH 2000 MODEL YEAR LEXUS 300 AND 400 SERIES VEHICLES FOR PROBLEMS OF VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL LINKAGES WHICH RESULTS IN SUDDEN, UNEXPECTED EXCESSIVE (VEHICLE) ACCELERATION EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO PRESSURE [SIC]APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL.IN SUPPORT OF HIS PETITION, MR. BODDAERT CITES A NUMBER OF ODI REPORTS CONCERNING VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL LINKAGES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.INCLUDED AMONGST THE THIRTY-SIX REPORTS HE CITES IS ONE INVOLVING A LEXUS THAT COLLIDED WITH FIVE OTHER CARS IN THE SPACE OF ONE-HALF MILE BEFORE IT COULD BE STOPPED.ODI FOUND NO DATA INDICATING THE EXISTENCE OF A DEFECT TREND RELATED TO THE PETITIONER'S ALLEGATIONS AT THIS TIME.THEREFORE, THERE IS NO REASONABLE…