AI Damage1991 Lexus LS400: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Lexus LS400 filed 21 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 21
- involving a crash
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 24% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 14% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 10% of all complaints
- 5 Tires 10% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 10% of all complaints
- 7 Wheels 10% of all complaints
- 8 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (24% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 3 complaints (14% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (10% of all).
- Steering: 2 complaints (10% of all).
- Tires: 2 complaints (10% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 21 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 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 3 | 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.
Stopped at a toll booth on route 355 and north aveue, and was rear ended by a geo metro traveling 50mph. Upon impact, neither airbags deployed. Insurance company has refused to pay for repairs. Consumer has spent over $5,000. For the necessary repairs. Didn't contact the dealer or manufacturer.
Parked car-put in reverse and vehicle took off full throttle, brakes did not work-totaled car.
Shiifted gear selector in reverse the vehicle suddenly surged rearward, resulting in an accident.
Consumer was in an accident and the driver side air bag didn't deploy . Tt
Consumer was driving pulling into a parking space and anti-lock brake failed caused an accident hit a tree . Tt
This lexus ls400 caught on fire during smog check and both new catalytic converters were on fire and 2 fire extinguishers were used. The car is still drive-able and only take very short short "stop and go" trips if you really want it go from point a to b.
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.
1 - seat belts to not fully automatically retract by themselves in cool weather.
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 8,077 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).
On average one model year of the LS400 has 28 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 21, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1991 Lexus LS400?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, air bags, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 21. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (19%), smoke, burning smell, fire (19%), unintended acceleration (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Lexus LS400?
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 1991 Lexus LS400 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 1991 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.