AI Damage1994 Lexus LS400: common problems
Owners of the 1994 Lexus LS400 filed 68 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and seat belts. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 68
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 65% of all complaints
- 2 Seat belts 9% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 3% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 3% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 3% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 3% of all complaints
- 7 Tires 3% of all complaints
- 8 Wheels 3% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 44 complaints (65% of all).
- Seat belts: 6 complaints (9% of all).
- Air bags: 2 complaints (3% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 2 complaints (3% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (3% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 68 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 44 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 12 | 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.
Traveling at about 40 mph, I rear ended the vehicle in front of me. The air bags never deployed. My front end was destroyed.
Indicator lever sticks in neutral when shifting from park to drive. No response from abs.
At the same time, the fuel gauge stops indicating fuel level. On my particular vehicle, this happens when outside temperature exceeds 75 degrees fahrenheit. In cooler temperatures, the illumination and fuel gauge resume function.
The contact stated that the front seat belts failed to retract and the seat belts did not fit snug around a person. The vehicle failed to be equipped with three seat belts in the rear seat. The failure has continued to recur. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnostic testing.
I am also having an issue with the power steering leaking. The leakage has caused my alternator to go bad. I have since replaced the alternator, steering pump and steering rack. The issue also seems to be for all lexus ls400s.
The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the vehicle started to jerk violently. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 115,000.
1994 lexus ls400..dash lights and instrument gauges work intermittently when the outside temp is in the 60's or below..when the car warms, the lights and gauges will flicker on and off til the instrument cluster has warmed completely, usually 5-7mins..however, if the outside is 45degrees or below, the warm up time for…
All of the seat belts in the vehicle do not retract back, making the seat belt loose. This can be dangerous if the driver and passengers were to be in an accident. Manufacturer will be notified by consumer.
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 4,491 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).
On average one model year of the LS400 has 28 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 68, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1994 Lexus LS400?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, seat belts, air bags. Total complaints: 68. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (21%), seat belts (9%), fuel system, fuel smell (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1994 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 1994 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 1994 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.