26 of the
424 complaints filed about the Lexus LS400
are about the braking system —
6% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 1991.
THE EVENING OF 3/7/15 MY WIFE AND I DROVE FROM CEDAR RAPIDS, IA. TO OUR HOME IN MUSCATINE, IA. AS WE EXITED I-80 AFTER ALMOST ONE HOUR OF CONSTANT INTERSTATE DRIVING, THE CAR STALLED AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AS WE CAME TO THE STOP SIGN AT THE END OF THE EXIT RAMP. WE LOST POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES AS WELL, CAUSING PANIC. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THE TWO YEARS WE HAVE OWNED THIS CAR. IT SEEMS TO OCCUR AFTER PROLONGED INTERSTATE DRIVING ONLY. IT DID NOT OCCUR THAT MORNING BECAUSE WE BROKE UP THE TRIP TO CR WITH A STOP IN IOWA CITY. THIS IS A HORRIBLY DANGEROUS CONDITION AND AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET LAST NIGHT, A VERY INHERENT PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND YEAR. TOYOTA'S TSB EG003-96 SPEAKS OF IT AND ITS REMEDY, PUBLISHED 10/7/96. THE REMEDY IS TO REPLACE THE FAULTY ECM WITH PART 89661-50224; A VERY EXPENSIVE FIX AND PRESUMABLY THE REASON TOYOTA DID NOT VOLUNTARILY RECALL THE CAR. THERE WAS NO FORCED RECALL EITHER, BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DUE TO THE MANY COMPLAINTS REPORTEDLY SUBMITTED TO THE NHTSA AND POTENTIAL DEADLY CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO FAULTY ECM PROGRAMMING. PLEASE MAKE THIS POSTING AVAILABLE TO ANY POTENTIAL 1995 LS400 OWNERS AND/OR FORCE A RECALL OF THIS VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #10692841 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AS I WAS DRIVING, MY VEHICLE STARTED ACCELERATING ON IT'S OWN. WHEN I HAD PREVIOUSLY CHECKED THE SPEED ODOMETER IT SAID 50. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE STARTED GAINING SPEED. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL AND THE SPEED KEPT ACCELERATING. I PRESSED THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK! THE VEHICLE KEPT ACCELERATING. I SAW A SIDE ROAD AND TURNED ONTO IT. I KEPT TRYING TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND IT KEPT GOING. I THOUGHT TO PULL THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND IT SLOWED THE VEHICLE CONSIDERABLE, BUT IT KEPT MOVING. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I KEPT PUMPING THE BREAKS WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON AND THE CAR WAS STILL MOVING. IT FINALLY STOP, BUT THE ENGINE WAS STILL ACCELERATING. I PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND THE MORE THE ENGINE ACCELERATED. I PUT BACK IN DRIVE AND IT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO OR WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THE VEHICLE. I TOLD MY SONS TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. I TURN THE ENGINE OFF, THE CAR JUMPED AND I RAN AWAY FROM THE CAR. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL SMOKING. I CALLED 911. THE CAR STOPPED SMOKING AND REMAINED IN PLACE. MY HUSBAND CAME AND STARTED THE VEHICLE IT ACCELERATED AND HE PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL AND IT STOPPED. I DROVE THE CAR HOME AND PARKED IT. I AM NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND THIS IS THE REASON THAT I HAVE NOT ENTERED A VIN NUMBER.
NHTSA complaint #10663131 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 LEXUS LS 400. THE CONTACT WAS EXITING A PARKING SPACE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED INTO THE FLOORBOARD ABNORMALLY. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS AT LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE FRACTURED AND HAD CAUSED THE BRAKE FLUID LEAK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE OTHER THAN FILING A COMPLAINT FOR THE CONTACT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,625 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 134,900. UPDATED 08/31/11 *BF UPDATED 09/12/11
NHTSA complaint #10412439 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 LEXUS LS 400. THE CONTACT WAS EXITING A PARKING SPACE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED INTO THE FLOORBOARD ABNORMALLY. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS AT LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE FRACTURED AND HAD CAUSED THE BRAKE FLUID LEAK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE OTHER THAN FILING A COMPLAINT FOR THE CONTACT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,625 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 134,900. UPDATED 08/31/11 *BF UPDATED 09/12/11
NHTSA complaint #10412439 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 LEXUS LS400. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE CONTACTED APPLIED THE BRAKES; HOWEVER, THEY FAILED AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP UNTIL IT CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER. THE DRIVER FRONTAL AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOWING YARD. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 168,000.
NHTSA complaint #10364054 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
A FIRE STARTED IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED VIA LETTER. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT 1 WEEK PRIOR TO THE FIRE, ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED, THE RADIO DIED AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPER DIED, THE PROBLEM WAS THEN DIAGNOSED AS A FAULTY ALTERNATOR. AN INVESTIGATOR CONCLUDED AFTER INSPECTING VEHICLE THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY AN OVERCURRENT AT THE ABS CONTROLLER VOLTAGE CONDUCTOR, THE 10 GAUGE CABLE IS UNPROTECTED AND HAS 12 VOLT, OR BATTERY, POWER POTENTIAL WHEN THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING AND THE ENGINE IS IN THE OFF POSITION, AN OVERCURRENT WILL EVENTUALLY PRODUCE SUFFICIENT HEAT AND METL THE CONNECTOR THAT WAS SECURED TO THE BRACKET ON TOP OF THE CONTROLLER UNIT, ONCE THE PLASTIC MELTS, A DIRECT CONNECTION BETWEEN BATTERY VOLTAGE AND GROUND IS ATTAINED WHICH PRODUCES A SHORT CIRCUIT AND THE RESULTANT FIRE. VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A FRONT BRAKE SHIMMY. VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A ROUGH IDLE. *SLC
NHTSA complaint #8013665 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
A FIRE STARTED IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED VIA LETTER. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT 1 WEEK PRIOR TO THE FIRE, ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED, THE RADIO DIED AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPER DIED, THE PROBLEM WAS THEN DIAGNOSED AS A FAULTY ALTERNATOR. AN INVESTIGATOR CONCLUDED AFTER INSPECTING VEHICLE THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY AN OVERCURRENT AT THE ABS CONTROLLER VOLTAGE CONDUCTOR, THE 10 GAUGE CABLE IS UNPROTECTED AND HAS 12 VOLT, OR BATTERY, POWER POTENTIAL WHEN THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING AND THE ENGINE IS IN THE OFF POSITION, AN OVERCURRENT WILL EVENTUALLY PRODUCE SUFFICIENT HEAT AND METL THE CONNECTOR THAT WAS SECURED TO THE BRACKET ON TOP OF THE CONTROLLER UNIT, ONCE THE PLASTIC MELTS, A DIRECT CONNECTION BETWEEN BATTERY VOLTAGE AND GROUND IS ATTAINED WHICH PRODUCES A SHORT CIRCUIT AND THE RESULTANT FIRE. VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A FRONT BRAKE SHIMMY. VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A ROUGH IDLE. *SLC
NHTSA complaint #8013665 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AT A STOP VEHICLE LURCHED OUT OF CONTROL AND ACCELERATED WITHOUT TOUCHING GAS PEDAL. BRAKES DID NOT STOP VEHICLE, AND REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. DAMAGED HOOD AND GRILL ON VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER AND VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED.
NHTSA complaint #891432 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WHILE MAKING A U-TURN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. DRIVER PUT THE BRAKES ON, AND THE BRAKES SQUEALED AND DID NOT STOP VEHICLE. IT LOST CONTROL AND HIT THE SIDE OF THE WALL. DEALER HAVE BEEN CONTACTED, BUT CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#.
NHTSA complaint #836060 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE PEDAL GETS SOFT, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE DEALER HAS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #827380 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
BRAKES: PULLED OUT OF GARAGE PUT ON BRAKES TURNED TO GO DOWN DRIVEWAY AND THERE WERE NO BRAKES. PUT FOOT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR BUT THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. SUDDEN ACCELERATION ,COULDN'T STOP AND WENT INTO A TREE.
NHTSA complaint #807324 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.