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Lexus LS400Model year report

1993 Lexus LS400 Problems

Complaints
65filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
107,500miles, 38 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
18 mpgcombined, 4.0L 8-cyl RWD · 16 city / 22 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 1993 Lexus LS400 (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year complain overwhelmingly about the instrument cluster: dash backlighting and gauges (speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge) that stay dark or dead until the car warms up, often for 20-45 minutes, and especially in cold weather. A smaller set of complaints describes fuel-system odours and engine bay smoke, speed-control surging, and hood support struts that no longer hold the hood open.

  1. Electrical system

    Instrument cluster lights and gauges fail until the car

    • 44 complaints (68%)
    • median 105,000 mi at 13.1 yrs old (28 state mileage)
    • owner-quoted repair $1,650 (median of 8 quotes)
    • filed 2002–2016

    Owners describe the dashboard lighting going dark or flickering, sometimes with the speedometer, tachometer and fuel gauge stuck at zero, until the car has been running for 20 minutes or more. Many say the problem is worse in cold or damp mornings and that the display becomes readable only once the interior warms up. Dealers reportedly quoted replacement of the cluster or its circuit board, in some cases around $1,000-$3,000, and several owners say the unit was replaced and the problem returned. Reported from roughly 40,000 to over 200,000 miles, most often on cold starts and in cool weather.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Start the car cold, ideally on a cool morning, and watch whether the dash lights and gauges come up immediately. Ask whether the cluster or its circuit board has been replaced and whether the repair held.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Dash functions don't work at times. Speed, fuel level,etc are not indicated when car is at rest or moving. This has been a recurring problem with the result that I fear driving the car and won't sell it as it is now. At around $1800 to repair with no guarantee the replacement is not buggy, I feel betrayed and dismissed by toyota.”

    NHTSA complaint #10934343, filed 2016-12, 160,000 miles

    “The instrument cluster in my '93 Lexus LS400 goes dead intermittently. When this happens, every indicator stops working. I believe that this is a safety issue because the speedometer and fuel gauges do not operate. This has caused 2 close calls recently for my wife. She ran out of gas in heavy traffic once. She just got a speeding ticket this week for 45mph in a 35mph zone. Ts”

    NHTSA complaint #10002838, filed 2003-01, 93,000 miles
  2. Vehicle speed control

    Speedometer and odometer needles stuck or intermittent

    • 18 complaints (28%)
    • median 100,500 mi at 12.3 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
    • owner-quoted repair $2,000 (median of 5 quotes)
    • filed 2000–2014

    Some owners report the speedometer and odometer needles resting at zero or jumping to life only occasionally, separate from the lighting problem. Others describe the white needle pointer burning out so speed is hard to read at night. Complaints say dealers usually recommend replacing the whole cluster rather than repairing it. Reported across a wide mileage range, with several cases under 100,000 miles.

    What to check: On a test drive, confirm the speedometer and odometer advance smoothly, and check the needle illumination at night or in a garage.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “To whom it may concern: I have a '93 Lexus LS400. Apparently, 80% of these cars in this year have faulty instument panels. The speedometer and tach needles do not work, gas gauge is hardly responsive, and at night the lights fail to turn on leaving the driver in a dangerous situation. This of course is a safety issue and I believe is a direct result of a factory design flaw, which Lexus should help resolve. The problem has been lingering for over 6 years now because Lexus has quoted me at $1500 to replace the circuit board!!!! …”

    NHTSA complaint #10067776, filed 2004-04, 65,000 miles

    “I have a 93 Lexus LS400 with 76,000 miles. The white LED speedometer pointer has burned out. The hendrick Lexus service department said I would need a new speedometer cluster costing over $200 plus about $160 in labor. This seems terribly wrong to me. With the speedometer pointer burned out, it is impossible to determine the speed of the vehicle when driving at night. It is likewise very difficult to tell how fast you are driving during the day.”

    NHTSA complaint #717301, filed 2000-01
  3. Interior lighting

    Dashboard lighting failures affecting interior and exterior

    • 15 complaints (23%)
    • median 103,440 mi at 12.3 yrs old (13 state mileage)
    • filed 2003–2013

    Owners link the cluster fault to wider lighting trouble, describing flickering or complete loss of interior and dash illumination and, in some accounts, headlights that would not stay lit. Several complaints note that the fuel gauge stops reading while the lights are out, and one owner described running out of fuel as a result. Reported from about 55,000 to 155,000 miles, often noticed first at night or on cold starts.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: With the engine running, switch on the headlights and dash lighting and watch for flicker over several minutes; confirm the fuel gauge reads steadily.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Instrument panel lights does not turn on in the morning, an it takes 30-45 min to flicker and light up. The cost to install at the Lexus dealership for new motherboard and labor is ~$1,100. This should be a major recall item by Lexus. I would like to know what other owners have done with similar complaints to mitigate this issue.”

    NHTSA complaint #10041121, filed 2003-10, 105,000 miles

    “While driving the vehicles dash lights started to flicker then all the lights inside vehicle went out. The consumer was unable to tell how much fuel was in the vehicle. The technician stated that the entire dash needed to be replacing.”

    NHTSA complaint #10017414, filed 2003-04, 93,000 miles

Buying note. The instrument cluster is the main thing to inspect on this model year, so test it from a cold start and ask for records of any cluster or circuit board repair. Also budget for age-related electrical work on a car of this vintage, and check the fuel and speed-control behaviour during a longer drive.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 53 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 65 consumer complaints for the 1993 Lexus LS400. 38 of the complaints include a mileage, and 3% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 107,500 miles. Of all complaints, 5 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 3 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 21 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Brakes (1), Electronic stability control (1), Engine cooling (1), Equipment (1), Latches, locks and linkages (1), Seat belts (1).

Example complaints

Electrical system: “My 1993 Lexus LS400 dashlights went out while driving from atlanta, ga to miami, fl on january 8th, 2011. I could not see the speedometer or any gauges! I have sent the circuit boards to a licensed electrical engineer to get it fixed. Everything is good now but almost crashed at night and almost got a ticket because I could not see the gauges!”

NHTSA complaint #10377111, filed 2011-01, 221,000 miles

Fuel system: “Recently the car began to stumble under acceleration while driving up a hill or merging into traffic or maintaining speed while driving on the interstate. I initially thought it was a fuel supply issue so I changed out the fuel filter, without any improvement in the problem. I was going to change the fuel pump also and while researching on the internet I learned of a problem with bad electrolytic capacitors inside the car's ecu (engine computer) which can mimic a fuel supply problem. …”

NHTSA complaint #10583578, filed 2014-04, 155,000 miles

Body and structure: “My complaint is about the Lexus autos that I own and owned in the past. It involves the gas cylinder that holds the hood up. After a few years the gas leaks out making the hood a hazard by coming down on your head unexpectedly. If it is a warm day, it stays up a little longer than a cold day. I have to use a paper clamp to hold the hood up. I took this problem up with the Lexus company with no interest. So I am taking it up with you people. Why don't they use springs like the older cars use. They never come down unexpectedly.”

NHTSA complaint #10165699, filed 2006-08, 80,000 miles

Vehicle speed control: “The first time my ecu failed was when I was parked I want to drive and the engine would not go above 1000rmps. I got the ecu replaced this was around 2013. The second time was a month ago. I was driving home from work had a huge thud in the engine and the same thing my car could no longer go above 1000rpms and couldn't get threw the intersection. The car behind me had to slam on there breaks because my car had lost all power. I made it home and was able to get a tow truck. By the time the tow truck arrived the car would start but then completely die. …”

NHTSA complaint #10957724, filed 2017-02, 165,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

3% of the 38 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 80,500 and 150,000 miles.

0%0–100%10–253%25–5013%50–7521%75–10037%100–15026%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (38 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 107,500 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

’99’0213’06’09’13’17
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 1993 Lexus LS400 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
LS 400 RWD4.0L 8-cyl4-speed automatic162218$4,550

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 1993 Lexus LS400 in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 21 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 21 bulletins →

Other model years of the Lexus LS400

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20001281,5000—19—Not enough data
19992284,5000—19—Stable
199845110,1660—19Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199713111,5001—19—Not enough data
199619116,0001—19—Stable
199539118,0001—19Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19946890,0000—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199365107,5000—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1992875,0000—18—Not enough data
199121119,8120—18—Stable
199024125,0001—18—Stable

All Lexus LS400 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 1993 Lexus LS400?

Owners of this model year complain overwhelmingly about the instrument cluster: dash backlighting and gauges (speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge) that stay dark or dead until the car warms up, often for 20-45 minutes, and especially in cold weather. The issues reported most often: Instrument cluster lights and gauges fail until the car; Speedometer and odometer needles stuck or intermittent; Dashboard lighting failures affecting interior and exterior.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 1993 Lexus LS400 have?

NHTSA recorded 65 consumer complaints for the 1993 Lexus LS400 as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 1993 Lexus LS400 is reported most often?

Electrical system is named most often, in 42 complaints (65% of the total), followed by fuel system with 6.

Has the 1993 Lexus LS400 been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 1993 Lexus LS400 get?

The EPA rates the 1993 Lexus LS400 (LS 400, 4.0L 8-cyl) at 18 mpg combined, 16 city and 22 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,550 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 1993 Lexus LS400 reported?

Among the 38 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 107,500 miles and the middle half falls between 80,500 and 150,000 miles; 3% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.