Owners have filed 40 complaints on the Lexus LS, covering 1994–2021. The system named most often is Electrical System (9 reports). Worst years by volume: 2018, 2021, 2013; cleanest: 1996, 1997, 2000. 1 reports describe a crash, 1 a fire. On average the car was 7.7 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Lexus LS
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 40 LS complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Electrical System 9 Read
The contact owns a 1997 lexus ls. When the contact attempted to start the vehicle, it would not start and a clicking sound was heard. She attempted to start the vehicle a third time and was successful. She drove the vehicle to her destination and when she parked the vehicle, the engine would not turn off. The contact…
The collision avoidance system blows fuses and stops working, but the light on the dash continues to indicate that everything is working. In other words, there is no way to learn that the collision system is offline unless you're willing to simulate a near certain collision (which I did with the dealer in my car and…
The contact owns a 2018 lexus ls. The contact stated that the vehicle was equipped with a pre-collision system, which was supposed to aid in preventing a crash. In the event of a crash, it released the hood of the vehicle. While driving approximately 45 mph, the contact was cut off by another vehicle. The contact…
Service Brakes 8 Read
A known issue with the Brake Actuator failing. Lexus/Toyota will not fix. Family driven vehicle that Im afraid could result in accident
The contact owns a 2015 Lexus LS 460. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS, and the Pre-Collision System (PCS) warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed…
The contact owns a 2014 Lexus LS 460. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the ABS and several other warning lights illuminated, with a message to “Stop Driving Vehicle” displayed. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the ABS…
Engine 4 Read
My vehicle has the V6 twin turbo engine that’s been recalled on other years and models and was diagnosed with an internal engine failure. The mechanic at the dealership couldn’t figure out the problem so an expert TAS Lexus specialist was called in and couldn’t figure out the problem either. They’ve had the car for 3…
The contact owns a 2019 Lexus LS500. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 20 MPH and made a knocking sound. The contact was able to drive 15 MPH and pulled over off the roadway. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then to the…
1. Component is a sealant on the valley plate that covers a coolant passage, discovered when cabin heat not providing heat. 2. Coolant valley leak can lead to severe engine damage and mechanical failure, potentially causing the vehicle to stop working and increasing the risk of accidents. 3. Open sources appear a…
Vehicle Speed Control 3 Read
I was driving and the vehicle in front of me stopped. I took my right foot off the accelerator and placed in on the break. When I applied pressure to the break, the car continued to accelerate and hit the car in front of me. The damage to my car is probably in the $10,000 range
While slowly making a turn with my foot on the brake my car surged forward. I tried to control the car by pushing my foot on the brake as hard as I could without success. I was able to stop the car from moving only by putting it on park. The surge was very sudden and uncontrollable. This is second time it happened.…
When trying to stop my 1998 lexus ls 400 in my garage this morning, the car surged forward. I slammed the brakes on even harder and the car surged even more forward. The wheels were spinning and I finally got the car totally stopped. I took it to the dealer after the incident and they were unable to find anything wrong
Tires 2 Read
OEM Bridgestone Turanza EL440 RFT 245/45 R20 These tires have not retained recommended air pressure for more than a few weeks at a time since new. Inspection earlier this year by a Bridgestone dealer found no problem with a tire that had lost 5 psi in a week. The tire subsequently began making a rotational noise that…
I am filing this complaint today with lexus corporation because both my dealership, new country lexus of latham, and lexus corporation have chosen to ignore the danger they have placed myself and my family. I have purchased three lexus' over the years from new country lexus and am very disappointed in the service from…
Wheels 2 Read
The car slipped because of tread wear on the inner side of all four tires. Car has manufacturer installed tires
All 4 tires have tread wear on the inner side. Took it to lexus they said no remedy is available ended up selling the car. May cause slip and accident
Power Train 2 Read
The contact owns a 2018 lexus ls 500. The contact stated that while driving at 70 mph, the vehicle shifted from tenth gear to fourth gear without warning. The rpms revved up and the contact flicked the switch on the steering wheel to go back to the tenth gear. The failure recurred 6 times. The vehicle was taken to…
I brought my car to Kendall Lexus for repairs as well as a recall on the starter solenoid. They charged me about $1,200 for these repairs, including the installation of a new starter. Unfortunately, the newly installed starter failed within a month of its replacement, causing significant inconvenience and safety…
Seat Belts 2 Read
Seat belts:front:retractor
The contact owns a 1994 lexus ls. The contact stated that the front passenger seat belts would not retract back into position. The contact took his vehicle into his local dealer who advised him that the repair cost was at his expense for $502.00 . The failure mileage was 75,000
LS years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Engine | — | — | |
| 2019 | Engine | — | — | |
| 2018 | Electrical System | — | — | |
| 2015 | Service Brakes | — | — | |
| 2014 | Engine | — | — | |
| 2013 | Engine | — | — | |
| 2001 | Electrical System | — | — | |
| 2000 | Electrical System | — | — | |
| 1999 | Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | — | |
| 1998 | Electrical System | — | — | |
| 1997 | Electrical System | — | 1 | |
| 1996 | Power Train,electrical System,engine | — | — | |
| 1995 | Electrical System | — | — | |
| 1994 | Electrical System | — | — |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 37 |
| Average complaints per series | 1.1 |
| Worst single series | 2 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 7.7 years |
A model average of 1.1 hides a worst series at 2. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the LS?
By complaint volume, 2018, 2021, 2013 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which LS years are the cleanest?
1996, 1997, 2000 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Lexus LS have?
40 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 1994–2021. Of those, 1 describe a crash and 1 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.