AI Damage1997 Lexus LS400: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Lexus LS400 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
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 23% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 23% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 15% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 15% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 15% of all complaints
- 6 Tires 15% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 8% of all complaints
- 8 Latches, locks, linkages 8% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (23% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (23% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (15% of all).
- Engine: 2 complaints (15% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
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 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
While driving my 1997 lexus ls400 in ca on the 605 fwy, west toward 210 fwy, all systems on the car locked (steering wheel, brakes, gas pedal) as I was changing lanes. I had no control of the car and after spinning several times ran into the center divider.
Vehicle was involved in a driver side front fender collision at 50 mph, and both frontal air bags and side air bags did not deploy. Dealer/manufacturer were notified.
Accident was preceded by numerous instances of lost lateral grip and slipping under normal acceleration in normal driving.
A no start condition exists and a fire can result if the solenoid shorts out. This is a safety issue and needs to be addressed.
I pressed the brakes and the brakes did not work! The vehicle kept accelerating. I saw a side road and turned onto it. I kept trying to stop the vehicle and it kept going. I thought to pull the emergency brake and it slowed the vehicle considerable, but it kept moving. The engine continued to accelerate.
A fire started in engine compartment while vehicle was parked in the garage. Manufacturer was notified via letter. Consumer states that 1 week prior to the fire, all the lights on the instrument panel illuminated, the radio died and the windshield wiper died, the problem was then diagnosed as a faulty alternator.
Left front tire was wearing out. Then, shifted the tire to right front and wearing continued. Consumer took vehicle to dealership for alignment. Mechanic told him that he could do that because balljoints needed to be replaced. The balljoint are made from substance that would wear out at certain mileage.
While driving, consumer applied brakes and heard an extremely loud grinding noise, dealer had to sand rotors to remove rust.
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 9,843 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 27% most complained about).
On average one model year of the LS400 has 28 complaints (12 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.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Lexus LS400?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, vehicle speed control, electrical system. Total complaints: 13. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (31%), rust, corrosion (15%), airbags did not deploy (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 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 1997 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 1997 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.