IllustrationWHILE SLOWLY PULLING INTO A SHOPPPING CENTER PARKING PLACE THAT WAS PERPENDICULAR TO THE STREET, I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND LUNGED OVER THE CURB AND ACROSS THE SIDEWALK INTO A BUILDING. LEXUS HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND INTIMATED THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE. *NM
1999 Lexus LS400
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 Lexus LS400 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 21.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all LS400 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 12 of 22 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
22 reportsLEXUS LS 400 1999 MODEL. DANGEROUS HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION. FURTHER AFTER DRIVING THIS CAR FOR TWO YEARS, I HAVE NECK PAINS FROM THE DAILY WHIPLASH. TOYOTA IS IGRNORING THIS SYSTEM WIDE. IT IS AN OUTRAGE. ITS DAMAGING PEOPLES NECKS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. THEY WILL NOT FIX IT - THEY CLAIM ITS NORMAL. OTHER DEALERS ARE TELL…
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LEXUS LS 400 1999 MODEL. DANGEROUS HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION. FURTHER AFTER DRIVING THIS CAR FOR TWO YEARS, I HAVE NECK PAINS FROM THE DAILY WHIPLASH. TOYOTA IS IGRNORING THIS SYSTEM WIDE. IT IS AN OUTRAGE. ITS DAMAGING PEOPLES NECKS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. THEY WILL NOT FIX IT - THEY CLAIM ITS NORMAL. OTHER DEALERS ARE TELLING CUSTOMERS ABOUT IT - - MY WIFE REFUSES TO DRIVE MY CAR - IT'S DANGEROUS!
WHILE WORKING ON THE VEHICLE, THE HOOD FELL DOWN ON THE CONSUMER. *JB THE PISTONS IN THE HOOD WERE NOT SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO HOLD THE WEIGHT OF THE HOOD. *SC
WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, SLOWLY, WITH HIS F…
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WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, SLOWLY, WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, WENT OVER THE CURB AND INTO THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING. *SC *JB
PETITION SEEKING NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THE LEXUS VEHICLES MODEL YEARS 1997 TO 2000 WHICH HAVE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH SPEED CONTROL LINKAGES RESULTING IN SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *MR THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO REAR END THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF HIS. AS A RESULT THE CONSUMER RECEIVED…
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PETITION SEEKING NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THE LEXUS VEHICLES MODEL YEARS 1997 TO 2000 WHICH HAVE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH SPEED CONTROL LINKAGES RESULTING IN SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *MR THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO REAR END THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF HIS. AS A RESULT THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A POLICE CITATION. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM (ODI# 760680). *SCC *NLM
RIGHT REAR TIRE HAD A BLOWOUT WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH ON A 1999, LEXUS LS400. ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, TIRE SIZE P225/60R16, DOT# ELA6 CBC528. MANUFACTURER AND TIRE DEALER WERE NOTIFIED.*AK *YH
ENGINE REVS TO EXTREMELY HIGH RPM ( ~5000 ) WITH NO THROTTLE INPUT FROM DRIVER. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED TWICE ON THIS VEHICLE RECENTLY . THE SECOND TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS AFTER ENGAGING REVERSE GEAR. FORTUNATELY THE BREAKS WERE ABLE TO RESTRAIN THE VEHICLE. IN NEITHER INCIDENT WAS MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR.*AK
IT WAS RAINING AND I WAS ENTERING HIGHWAY, I HAD MY LEFT TURN SIGNAL ON AND STARTED TO ACCELERATE. THE CAR STARTED TO FISH TAIL AND WHEN INTO A 360 DEGREE SPIN, MAYBE TWICE, AT LEAST 1 1/2 TIMES. WHEN I CAME OUT OF SPIN I CRASHED INTO THE CEMENT MEDIAN. AT NO TIME DID THE VSC (VEHICLE SKID CONTROL) ACTIVATE. IT IS SOMETHING THAT…
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IT WAS RAINING AND I WAS ENTERING HIGHWAY, I HAD MY LEFT TURN SIGNAL ON AND STARTED TO ACCELERATE. THE CAR STARTED TO FISH TAIL AND WHEN INTO A 360 DEGREE SPIN, MAYBE TWICE, AT LEAST 1 1/2 TIMES. WHEN I CAME OUT OF SPIN I CRASHED INTO THE CEMENT MEDIAN. AT NO TIME DID THE VSC (VEHICLE SKID CONTROL) ACTIVATE. IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN'T MISS. A LOUND WARNING SOUND COMES ON AND THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS UP WITH A SKID WARNING. IT HAD HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE IN THE SNOW.*AK
THE THROTTLE SENSOR FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY STOP WHILE DRIVING OR CAUSING IT TO START BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT REV WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE GREASE FROM THE THROTTLE CABLE ASSEMBLY CAN MIGRATE DOWN ONTO THE THROTTLE SENSOR INTERFERING WITH ITS OPERATION. NLM
FIRESTONE TURANZA ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A LEXUS LS400 1999. WHILE DRIVING 75MPH RIGHT REAR TIRE'S AIR WENT OUT. TREAD WAS STILL ON THE TIRE, BUT SIDEWALL WAS GONE. *AK THE TIRE IS DOT ELA6 (CBC 218) # 035629 MADE IN JAPAN. IT FAILED DUE TO POOR MATERIAL, POOR ADHESIVE AND WORKMANSHIP. *YH
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP03003 · Unintended Engine Speed Increase/sa
Opened Jul 17, 2003 · Closed Sep 23, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
ON MAY 13, 2003 THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) RECEIVED AN APRIL 25, 2003 LETTER FROM MR. PETER BODDAERT PETITIONING THE AGENCY TO CONDUCT A PETITION ANALYSIS OF CERTAIN 1997 THROUGH 2000 MODEL YEAR LEXUS 300 AND 400 SERIES VEHICLES FOR PROBLEMS OF VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL LINKAGES WHICH RESULTS IN SUDDEN, UNEXPECTED EXCESSIVE (VEHICLE) ACCELERATION EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO PRESSURE [SIC]APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL.IN SUPPORT OF HIS PETITION, MR. BODDAERT CITES A NUMBER OF ODI REPORTS CONCERNING VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL LINKAGES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.INCLUDED AMONGST THE THIRTY-SIX REPORTS HE CITES IS ONE INVOLVING A LEXUS THAT COLLIDED WITH FIVE OTHER CARS IN THE SPACE OF ONE-HALF MILE BEFORE IT COULD BE STOPPED.ODI FOUND NO DATA INDICATING THE EXISTENCE OF A DEFECT TREND RELATED TO THE PETITIONER'S ALLEGATIONS AT THIS TIME.THEREFORE, THERE IS NO REASONABLE POSSIBILITY THAT AN ORDER CONCERNING THE NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY OF A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT WOULD BE ISSUED AS A RESULT OF GRANTING MR. BODDAERT'S PETITION.CONSEQUENTLY, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE NHTSA'S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY'S SAFETY MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED.