1994 LEXUS LS400 Electrical System Problems

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...

THE DASHBOARD PANEL GOES "BLACK" AND ALL INSTRUMENTATION FAILS AND THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME THREE TIMES SINCE I HAVE HAD THE CAR. THEN SECOND TIME AT ABOUT 115000 AND THEN AGAIN AT APPROX 129500. WHEN THIS OCCURS THE CAR IS NOT LEGALLY DRIVABLE AS THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW EXACT SPEED ETC. THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IS NOT UNCOMMON I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY REPAIR SHOPS AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED TO VERIFY THE REAL UNREPORTED BY OWNERS TIMES IT HAS OCCURRED. IT IS A VERY POTENTIAL NOT TO MENTION EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR BOTH IN TIME AND DOLLARS, OUT OF SERVICE APPROX. 10 DAYS AND COSTS OVER $1,150.00 UNTIL TODAY WHEN I HEARD ABOUT YOUR SITE I DID NOT KNOW IT EXISTED OR I WOULD HAVE REPORTED EACH INCIDENT AS IT HAPPENED. NOTE INCIDENT DATE ABOVE INACCURATE BUT IT WAS THE ONLY DATE THE COMPUTER WOULD INPUT SO THAT...

THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FLICKERED AND THEN WENT COMPLETELY DARK. FIRST IT WOULD COME BACK ON AFTER THE CAR WAS DRIVEN FOR 10 MINUTES OR MORE. NOW IT DOES NOT LIGHT UP AT ALL. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COLD, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DOES NOT LIGHT UP. IT TAKES ABOUT AN HOUR OF DRIVING TO "WARM UP" THE DASHBOARD AND WILL EVENTUALLY FLICKER. THIS HAPPENS CONSTANTLY AND SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH ALL LEXUS LS400S. I AM ALSO HAVING AN ISSUE WITH THE POWER STEERING LEAKING. THE LEAKAGE HAS CAUSED MY ALTERNATOR TO GO BAD. I HAVE SINCE REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR, STEERING PUMP AND STEERING RACK. THE ISSUE ALSO SEEMS TO BE FOR ALL LEXUS LS400S. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 LEXUS LS400. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS DEFECTIVE AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO SEE ANY OF THE GAUGES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 122,000.

1994 LEXUS LS400..DASH LIGHTS AND INSTRUMENT GAUGES WORK INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMP IS IN THE 60'S OR BELOW..WHEN THE CAR WARMS, THE LIGHTS AND GAUGES WILL FLICKER ON AND OFF TIL THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS WARMED COMPLETELY, USUALLY 5-7MINS..HOWEVER, IF THE OUTSIDE IS 45DEGREES OR BELOW, THE WARM UP TIME FOR THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER TO BE FUNCTIONAL IS GREATLY INCREASED 2 AS MUCH AS 20MINS IN MY EXPERIENCE.. THIS CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, AS YOU ARE UNABLE TO SEE THE GAUGES, MORE SO @ NIGHT..I EMAILED LEXUS CORP AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS AN ISSUE W/THIS ITEM BECAUSE THERE WEREN'T ANY COMPLAINTS BY THE DEALERSHIPS OR CONSUMERS(THAT IS NOT TRUE OBVIOUSLY)..THEY INSTRUCTED ME THAT ANY OF THEIR DEALERS ARE CAPABLE OF MAKING THE REPAIR AND INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT ONE..AFTER SPEAKING TO SERVICE @MY LOCAL LEXUS DEALERSHIP,I FOUND THIS IS A $1,300 PARTS AND LABOR REPAIR...

THE DASH BOARD LIGHTS JUST FLICKER AWHILE BEFORE COMING ON. I HAVE TRIED TO GET LEXUS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT IT IS NOT ON WARRANTY. THEY WOULD FIX IT FOR 1400.00. IT IS NOW WORSE AND DO NOT LIGHT UP. *KB

I HAVE A 1994 LEXUS LS 400, ON DAYS WHEN THE TEMP IS BELOW 70 DEGREES THE CLUSTER LIGHTS DO NOT COME ON. WHEN THE VEHICLE WARMS UP, WHICH THE TIME VARIES, THE CLUSTER LIGHTS FLICKER FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AND THEN THEY GO ON. WHEN ITS COLDER THEY DON'T GO ON AT ALL. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE AT NIGHT TO SEE ANY GAUGES. NOT SURE WHY NOTHING IS BEING DONE WITH LEXUS ON THIS. *TR

OUR 1994 LEXUS LS400 HAS APPROXIMATELY 85,000 MILES CURRENTLY. ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS BECAME ERRATIC, FREQUENTLY FAILING TO COME ON DURING COLD WEATHER. THIS WOULD REQUIRE THAT WE WAITED WITH THE ENGINE ON UNTIL THE CAR HEATED UP BEFORE BEING DRIVABLE SAFELY. THE LENGTH OF WARM UP TIME HAS GRADUALLY INCREASED TO AN INTOLERABLE LEVEL, WHERE I HAVE HAD TO DRIVE THE CAR WITHOUT INSTRUMENT LIGHTS DUE TO MY WIFE'S EMERGENT MEDICAL CONDITIONS. THIS IS VERY HAZARDOUS, NOT KNOWING VEHICLE SPEED, FUEL SUPPLY, CHARGING STATUS, POSSIBLE ENGINE OVERHEATING ETC., ANY OF WHICH COULD CAUSE VEHICULAR FAILURE OR ACCIDENT. WE ARE RETIRED AND NOT ABLE TO PAY FOR THE EXPENSIVE REPAIRS WHICH I HAVE BEEN LED TO BELIEVE ARE REQUIRED. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

1994 LEXUS LS 400 DASH LIGHTS DO NOT COME ON. WHERE AS YOU CANNOT TELL HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING. ALSO THE GAUGES DO NOT WORK. IF THE ENGINE GETS OVER HEATED , THERE'S NO WAY TO KNOW. AS I AM 74 YEARS OLD WITH THE GAUGES NOT WORKING I HAVE RUN OUT MANY TIMES. I FEEL LEXUS SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM. THIS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

1. TIME AS IN ITS INEVITABLE, COLD START, COLD CONDITIONS. CONDITIONS OF 50F AND A COLD START ARE NEARLY GUARANTEED TO EXHIBIT THIS ISSUE. 2. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GAUGES, ITS ILLUMINATION, THE CENTER CONSOLE & SHIFTER ILLUMINATION FAILS EVERY COLD START BELOW 70F AND CAN OCCUR BELOW 85F. A COLD START IN VERY WARM CONDITIONS OF AROUND 80F WILL TEND TO HIDE THE SYMPTOMS AND OR HAVE THE SYMPTOMS SHORTLY AFTER THE CAR HAS WARMED UP. WHEN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DOES NOT FUNCTION, IT GENERALLY MEANS THE SHIFTER AND CONSOLE FAIL TO ILLUMINATE AT NIGHT WHICH MAKES CHOOSING THE CORRECT GEAR AND SELECTING THE CORRECT CLIMATE CONTROL AT NIGHT A CHALLENGE AND SAFETY HAZARD. DURING A COLD START, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DOES NOT FUNCTION OR HAS LIMITED/SELECTIVE FUNCTIONALITY UNTIL IT IS WARMED UP AND THAT USUALLY OCCURS ONLY WHEN THE CABIN IS BROUGHT TO AN INHOSPITABLE 80-90F. SO UNTIL THE...

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND CLIMATE CONTROL LCD FAILURES. *TR

I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ON THE LEXUS LS400. IT SEEMS TO BE MORE THAN JUST A RANDOM FEW, AS I HAVE READ MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS OF THIS HAPPENING AND BEING A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT LEXUS REFUSES TO ADDRESS. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND FIXED AT THE EXPENSE OF LEXUS. *NM

1994 LS 400, DASH WILL NOT COME ON FOR ABOUT THE FIRST 20-30 MINUTES OF DRIVING EACH MORNING THEN FLICKERS FOR AWHILE THEN COMES ON. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY A DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL. UPDATED 05/03/06. *JB

INSTRUMENT CLUSTERING LIGHTING. THE INSTRUMENT WAS DESIGNED IN A WAY IN WHICH IT NEEDED TO BE LIGHTED DAY OR NIGHT. THE INSTRUMENT LIGHTS IN THE CONSUMER VEHICLE STARTED TO MALFUNCTION ABOUT A YEAR AGO. THEY WOULD NOT COME IN COLD WEATHER UNTIL THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR AT LEAST 10 MINUTES. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND IT WOULD COST $1000.00 TO FIX IT. THE DEALER STATED IF THE CONSUMER DID NOT GET IT FIXED, EVENTUALLY THE LIGHTS WOULD GO OUT PERMANENTLY. *JB

I HAVE 1994 LS400. THE WHOLE DASH WILL NOT LIGHT UP WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD, CAUSING DRIVER NOT TO SEE ANY OF THE WARNING LIGHTS, SPEED, OR FUEL LEVEL. I BELIEVE THIS LEAVES THE CAR OCCUPANTS IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE LEXUS DEALER WANTS AN ABSURB AMOUNT OF MONEY ($1200) TO FIX PROBLEM, WHICH I BELIEVE IS A FACTORY DESIGN FLAW AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. *AK

INSTRUMENT PANEL DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY. SPEEDOMETER/ GASOLINE/ OIL PRESSURE GAUGE NOT WORKING AT ALL. ALSO THERE IS NO LIGHT AT INSTRUMENT PANEL. . DEALER NOTIFIED WILL COST TO FIX $950.OO.*AK *NLM

THE SPEEDOMETER AND THE DASH LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE. *JB

INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS DO NOT LIGHT ON COLD/COOL MORNINGS. THEY WILL COME ON AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME IN WARM MONTHS, THEY DO NOT COME ON AT ALL DURING COLD WEATHER. THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THE 1994 LEXUS LS400. POSSIBLY A DEFECTIVE UNIT. DEALER WANTS 1200 TO CORRECT WHAT I BELIEVE IS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. THE INCIDENT DATE GIVEN IS DATE OF THIS SUBMISSION. THE INCIDENT HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR YEARS. *JB

I OWNED A LEXUS 1994 LS400 CAR. I HAD A SAFETY COMPLAINT AGAINST LEXUS FOR PRODUCING FAULTY INSTRUMENT COCKPIT. WHEN I START THE CAR IN THE MORNING, THE INSTRUMENTATION COCKPIT IS COMPLETELY DARK IE NO ILLUMINATION. I HAVE TO DRIVE THE CAR WITHOUT ANY IDEA ON SPEED, OR MILEAGE, OR FUEL TANK LEVEL OR WHATEVER INDICATORS. THIS IS A KNOWN DESIGN DEFECT AND A LOT OF OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM. *NLM

1994 LEXUS MODEL LS400. INSTRUMENT PANEL WILL NOT LIGHT UP IN COLD WEATHER. CANNOT SEE SPEEDOMETER AND GAUGES DO NOT WORK. THIS DEFECT DID NOT MANIFEST ITSELF UNTIL I MOVED FROM CALIF TO IOWA WHERE THE WEATHER IS COLD. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD AND LEXUS WILL NOT ADMIT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM BUT SAY THEY CAN FIX IT FOR $2000+. I THINK THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE RECALLED TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. *JB

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTS AND NEEDLES INDICATORS WENT BAD. NO SPEED DISPLAYED