NHTSA Complaint #11002430 — 1994 LEXUS LS400

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ILLUMINATION FAILS, LEAVING INSTRUMENTS INVISIBLE DUE TO INSTRUMENT DESIGN. AT THE SAME TIME, THE FUEL GAUGE STOPS INDICATING FUEL LEVEL. ON MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE, THIS HAPPENS WHEN OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE EXCEEDS 75 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. IN COOLER TEMPERATURES, THE ILLUMINATION AND FUEL GAUGE RESUME FUNCTION. ALSO, OCCASIONALLY THE TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER NEEDLES WILL STICK AT ZERO, WILL RESUME FUNCTION WHEN HITTING THE DASH OVER TOP OF THE GAUGES HARD WITH FIST. THE SPEEDOMETER INDICATOR NEEDLE HAS STOPPED ILLUMINATING UNDER ALL CONDITIONS. CAR HAS 159K MILES AND JUST PURCHASED 4 DAYS AGO. I HAVE READ THAT THESE ARE VERY COMMON AND EXPENSIVE PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. I REALIZE THE CAR IS NOW 23 YEARS OLD, BUT THERE SHOULD BE AN INEXPENSIVE SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS, OR AT LEAST SOME COMPENSATION OR CO-PAYMENT FROM THE MANUFACTURER DUE TO THE EXPENSE OF THESE REPAIRS. REPAIR COST WOULD BE 30% OF WHAT I PAID FOR THE CAR.