AI Damage1998 Lexus GS300: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Lexus GS300 filed 60 complaints with NHTSA, most often about vehicle speed control and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 60
- involving a crash
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Vehicle speed control 42% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 17% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
- 4 Tires 8% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 6 Electronic stability control 7% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 7% of all complaints
- 8 Engine and cooling 5% of all complaints
- Vehicle speed control: 25 complaints (42% of all).
- Suspension: 10 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 7 complaints (12% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 5 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (7% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 60 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle speed control | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Tires | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Was on the freeway driving about 60 miles per hour, hit a pot hole, car dropped apparently the ball joint broke on the right side. But this happened on the left side a few months ago in december. That time I was not on the freeway.
The contact stated that while trying to move into the right lane the vehicle starting going back and forth across the road and the power steering failed. The contact stated that this was on a clear night and, that when she applied the brakes the vehicle was more difficult to steer.
All four tires were flat, my abs system didn't work and my airbags didn't deploy. Myself and another passenger was hurt very badly.
Advised dealer that I was experiencing a frontend shudder at higher speeds or upon acceleration. Dealer rotated tires and found no shudder. 5/14/99:after getting on freeway, experienced a loud humming and thumping noise from fron-end and a vibration in the steering wheel. Braking increased vibration.
The contact stated that the vehicle began to shake while driving. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who stated that the two front tire sidewalls were cracked from the inside. The contact purchased the tires at walmart. The contact replaced the tires at his own expense.
Purchased a 98 gs300 six months ago and my vsc, abs, brake light and check engine warning gauges came up and will not go away. Did some research and found out the brake master cylinder, throttle position sensor and throttle position actuator were the problems.
While attempting to park in a residential driveway, the vehicle began to jerk and accelerated independently. The dealer was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure and stated that the vehicle was safe to drive. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired.
While driving approximately 40 mph, the contact noticed the check engine and the vsc warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle would not accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal and the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 4,840 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 13% most complained about).
On average one model year of the GS300 has 16 complaints (21 years in the data). This year has 60, above average.
What to check before buying
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Lexus GS300?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: vehicle speed control, suspension, service brakes. Total complaints: 60. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: jerking, harsh shifts (8%), unintended acceleration (8%), vibration (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Lexus GS300?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1998 Lexus GS300 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1998 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.