The 1996 Lexus Ls400 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 47,525 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 24 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
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.
A STARTER MOTOR NO-START CONDITION OR AN UNDERHOOD FIRE CAN RESULT.
DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE MAGNETIC SWITCH.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“Sudden acceleration. *ak”
“There was a strong fuel smell inside vehicle. Vehicle was inspected by dealer 5 times before fuel tank was replaced.*ak”
“The brake rotors are experiencing premature warping. *mjs”
“The brake rotors are experiencing premature warping. *mjs”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1996 Lexus Ls400 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.