1996 Lexus LS400 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other LS400 years
- About as many complaints as other years 4th of 7 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 19 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Lexus LS400. That ranks 4th out of 7 LS400 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (3 complaints, 16%), typically at around 143,000 miles. Complaints mention 4 crashes, 1 fire. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 19owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 4complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Lexus LS400 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 3 | 16% | 143,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 16% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 11% | 116,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 11% | 109,489 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 11% | 116,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 11% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 5% | 116,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 5% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 5% | 83,231 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Lexus LS400 recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:starter assembly
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Due to improper assembly of the terminal for the starter motor magnetic switch, an electrical short circuit can occur if electrically-conductive liquid, such as road splash with deicing salt, enters this area.
Risk: A starter motor no-start condition or an underhood fire can result.
Fix: Dealers will repair the magnetic switch.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Per lexus technical service bulletin eg002-97, which doesn't appear on the nhtsa website but which can be found online by clicking on the link from post #77 at this web page: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/topic/15699-9596-ls400-low-idle-engine-dies-and-jerking-thre/page-6 my '96 ls400 has…
The nhtsa website for reporting/displaying vehicle safety problems for my 96 lexus ls400 (safercar.gov) shows there were only 12 service bulletins, yet in fact there were many many more not shown on the nhtsa site. Going to the site www.alldatadiy.com/tsb/31/96310210.html one can see a complete…
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 lexus ls400. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 116,000. Updated 02/23/16*lj updated 05/04/18*jb *tr
Driving vehicle down freeway started smelling gasoline odor. Drove straight to nearest toyota dealer. To make a long story short, the seams of the fuel tank had split open. Since the fuel tank is located in the trunk the fuel drained into the cabin of the vehicle and also was spilling out on the…
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 lexus ls400. The contact attempted to start the vehicle when the battery caught on fire at the positive post. He stated that he was able to extinguish the fire yet the vehicle would no longer start. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic for the failure where the…
Other Lexus LS400 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 LS400 | 2 | 0 |
| 2000 LS400 | 12 | 0 |
| 1999 LS400 | 22 | 0 |
| 1998 LS400 | 45 | 0 |
| 1997 LS400 | 13 | 1 |
| 1996 | 19 | 1 |
| 1995 LS400 | 39 | 1 |
See all Lexus LS400 problems by year, every Lexus model, or the Lexus VIN decoder.
Similar Lexus models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Lexus LS400?
Owners most often report electrical system, service brakes, hydraulic, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 3 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Lexus LS400?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Lexus LS400 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other LS400 model years, the 1996 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.