AI Damage2008 Lexus GX470: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Lexus GX470 filed 13 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 13
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 54% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 23% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 15% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 5 Equipment 8% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 7 complaints (54% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (23% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 2 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (8% of all).
- Equipment: 1 complaints (8% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 13 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 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.
When I applied the brake, I heard a strange sound and the vehicle jerked violently. The vehicle failed to decelerate, therefore I attempted to re-apply the brakes once more. At this point, the brakes did not seem to be working and the vehicle continued to accelerate beyond my control.
While parking the vehicle and applying the brakes, the vehicle abnormally surged forward resulting in a crash. The vehicle was towed to an authorized lexus dealer to be examined. The failure and current mileages were unknown.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 lexus gx470. While driving various speeds, the vehicle became unstable and swayed back and forth. The vehicle was taken to towson lexus ([address], towson, md) to be diagnosed, but the cause of the failure was undetermined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure.
While driving, the contact heard a clunking noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to herb chambers lexus of hingham (141 derby st, hingham, [ZIP] [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the rear drivetrain and drive shaft needed to be replaced.
I tried to start my car and the key would not turn in the key ignition, I noticed that the steering wheel hadn't locked in place. I tried two other keys and finally the ignition turned and the car started. I drove to my destination and turned off the car and locked the doors.
The consumer stated his son received a mild whiplash from the severe lurching of the vehicle. The consumer stated he has experienced the seizing and releasing of the brakes on several other occasions. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, but they were unable to duplicate the problem.
On march 22, 2010, while backing out of our garage, our lexus gx470 experienced a brake failure. The driver, [xxx], even opened the driver's side door and put her foot down to try to stop the car. Instead the door was also damaged when the car hit a retaining wall.
Lexus told me it was mold build up in ac unit. They said it occurred because I put the air flow on interior air flow only. Me and my 2 children have had asthma attacks and allergic reactions since the vehicle was purchased. They have had to increase their allergy medication and I have been put on a prescription.
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 9,846 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 27% most complained about).
On average one model year of the GX470 has 30 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 13, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Lexus GX470?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, vehicle speed control, air bags. Total complaints: 13. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: jerking, harsh shifts (15%), airbags did not deploy (8%), brake failure (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Lexus GX470?
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 2008 Lexus GX470 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 2008 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 2026-11-06.