1998 Lexus Ls400 Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1998 Lexus Ls400. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 52 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the vehicle speed control. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 lexus ls400. While stationary, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the vehicle started after several attempts were made. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the starter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not…”
“Twice, with two different drivers, this vehicle has accelerated/surged at a stop. The vehicle was able to be held steady by pressing the brake as hard as possible, but vehicle still surged and tried to move forward. On the first incident, the vehicle was put in neutral and continued to rev…”
“Twice, with two different drivers, this vehicle has accelerated/surged at a stop. The vehicle was able to be held steady by pressing the brake as hard as possible, but vehicle still surged and tried to move forward. On the first incident, the vehicle was put in neutral and continued to rev…”
“The airbags in the front of the car dropped and it weighs the front of the car down so I need to warm up the car so that the front engine rises and doesn't scrape when you turn the wheel. Please advise if this can be checked by lexis for safety reasons free of charge. Thank you for your prompt…”
“The airbags in the front of the car dropped and it weighs the front of the car down so I need to warm up the car so that the front engine rises and doesn't scrape when you turn the wheel. Please advise if this can be checked by lexis for safety reasons free of charge. Thank you for your prompt…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 lexus ls400. The contact stated that the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. The vehicle traveled into a residential garage and crashed into a wall. A police report was not filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The shop…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1998 lexus ls400. The contact stated that the hood of the vehicle was fully opened in a secured position and without warning, it suddenly released in a downward position and closed. The hood released on the contacts left hand and caused injury to the middle finger. The…”
“Acceleration stuck, rpms lock in at about 2000. Failure occurs about once or twice day, but usually only if the air condition is turned off. This has been going on for years now with my vehicle. I turn off vehicle and restart it to correct the problem and regain control of the accelerator, it…”
Defect investigations
UNINTENDED ENGINE SPEED INCREASE/SA
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…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1998 Lexus Ls400 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.