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Model file · LexusUpdated · 16 sources

Selling a broken or junk Lexus LS

No LS model years draw more owner complaints than the 2007 and 2008, at 139 apiece in NHTSA's file. Together that is 278, and 94 of them name the service brakes.

A black Lexus LS sedan with a large chrome mesh grille, parked beside a dark SUV, its paint reflecting the buildings around it
Photo: Dinkun Chen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Complaints to NHTSA
978
Years with the most complaints
2007 and 2008 (139 each)
Service brake complaints
140
Recall campaigns
19
Built at
Tahara, Aichi, Japan
US run ends
2026 Heritage Edition

A flagship sedan with tired brakes, a dead hybrid pack or a seized V8 still has a buyer. We buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

LS complaints and recalls by model year

Tallies reflect the October 10, 2026 download. Thin stretches share a row, split at generation changes. A campaign covering three LS years is listed under all three. The 2020, 2022, 2024 and 2026 model years have no complaints in the file, and the newest LS 500s have had little road time in which owners could report.

YearsComplaintsRecall campaignsMost-named component
1990-1992530-1 a yearAir bags (5) on the 1990
1993650Electrical system (40)
1994720Electrical system (44)
1995-20001600-1 a yearVehicle speed control (15) on the 1998 and 1999
2001-20061970-3 a yearStructure (12, 13, 7) on 2001-2003
20071393Service brakes (45)
20081393Service brakes (49)
2009-20171180-2 a yearService brakes on most years
2018-2025352-4 a yearWheels and electrical (3 each) on the 2018

Five LS generations, briefly

1990-1994: the LS 400 (XF10)

Wikipedia lists one engine for the first LS, the 3,968 cc 1UZ-FE V8, paired with a four-speed A341E automatic. Wikipedia also records that in December 1989, shortly after launch, Lexus voluntarily recalled the 8,000 cars sold so far over two customer complaints about wiring and an overheated brake light. NHTSA lists recall 89V212 on the 1990 for a high-mounted stop lamp housing that could distort under heat.

The electrical system dominates the 1993 and 1994: 84 of their 137 complaints.

1995-2000: the second LS 400 (XF20)

These six years hold 160 complaints. Wikipedia lists a 4-speed and later a 5-speed automatic. Recall 98V016 repaired the starter's magnetic switch on 1995-1997 cars, which could short if road splash with deicing salt got in. Vehicle speed control is the top component on the 1998 and 1999.

2001-2006: the LS 430 (XF30)

Its engine was the 4,292 cc 3UZ-FE V8, per Wikipedia, first with a five-speed automatic and later a six-speed. There are 197 complaints across these years. Two 2004 recalls stand out for anyone with a non-running car: 04V295 replaced the fuel pump on some 2004s, and 04V317 had dealers replace the automatic transmission on some 2004s where a small metal piece could break loose inside it.

2007-2017: the LS 460 and LS 600h L (XF40)

Wikipedia lists a 4,608 cc V8 with an eight-speed automatic, and a 4,969 cc V8 hybrid for the LS 600h L. These years hold 396 complaints, 278 of them on the 2007 and 2008. Brakes lead each year from 2007 to 2015 except the 2012, where air bags edge them 3 to 2.

Recalls on these cars include aluminum fuel rails (09V020, 2007-2008), valve springs (10V309, 2007-2008), the fuel pressure sensor mounting (14V647, 2007-2010) and, on 3,800 2009-2010 LS 460 and LS 600 cars, the steering control computer (10V218). The fuel rail campaign of 214,570 also covered the IS and GS.

2018 on: the LS 500 (XF50)

The LS 500 uses a 3,444 cc V35A-FTS twin-turbo V6 and a ten-speed Aisin automatic, per Wikipedia; the hybrid carries a 310.8V lithium-ion pack. Only 35 complaints so far. Recalls cover run-flat tires (19V134, 2018), the brake booster pump (19V544, 2019), skid control software on 2021-2022 LS 500h models (22V239) and the passenger seat on 509 Executive Package cars from 2018-2021 (24V275). Wikipedia says the LS ends in the US after 36 years, with a limited 2026 Heritage Edition.

Repair or sell the LS?

  • Run the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup before anything else.
  • Brake trouble on a 2007-2008? That is the complaint pattern for these years. Get a written quote, and see bad or seized brakes.
  • Hybrid warning on an LS 600h L or LS 500h? The hybrid battery guide covers what to weigh.
  • Price it out: if fixing the LS costs nearly what a driving example of that year brings, sell the whole car as it sits instead.

Selling an LS whole

  1. Have the VIN, mileage and version (LS 400, 430, 460, 600h L or 500) on hand, plus what's wrong.
  2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Flag the tricky parts: a long sedan wedged into a tight garage, or wheels that will not turn. Free pickup anywhere in the US covers it.
  4. Keep it complete. Wheels, converters and any hybrid pack stay on; tell us if something is already off.
  5. Title in hand: sign it over when the driver arrives. For your LS, each state's plate and insurance steps are in after you sell.

More big Lexus models: the GS, ES and LX, or the full Lexus list.

Questions people ask

Which Lexus LS years have the most NHTSA complaints?
The 2007 and 2008 tie at 139 apiece in the October 10, 2026 file. The 1994 (72), 1993 (65) and 2001 (57) trail them. LS 500s built since December 2017 show tiny counts, partly because their owners have had fewer years to file.
What are the 2007-2008 LS brake complaints about?
NHTSA's file shows the service brakes as the top component on both years, 45 complaints on the 2007 and 49 on the 2008. The file counts components; it does not by itself say what went wrong on each car. A Lexus dealer or a brake inspection can tell you what is wrong with yours.
Will you buy an old LS 400 that has not run in years?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Lots of LS 400s have sat for years. Say if yours has seized brakes and if it's kept in a garage or outside.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), Lexus LS, downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  2. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  3. EPA fuel economy data: Lexus LS model years and versions fueleconomy.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 89V212: high-mounted stop lamp housing, 1990 nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 98V016: starter magnetic switch, 1995-1997 nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 04V295: fuel pump impeller, 2004 nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 04V317: automatic transmission, 2004 nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 09V020: aluminum fuel rails, 2007-2008 nhtsa.gov
  9. NHTSA recall 10V218: steering control ECU, 2009-2010 nhtsa.gov
  10. NHTSA recall 10V309: valve springs, 2007-2008 nhtsa.gov
  11. NHTSA recall 14V647: fuel pressure sensor mounting, 2007-2010 nhtsa.gov
  12. NHTSA recall 19V134: run-flat tires, 2018 nhtsa.gov
  13. NHTSA recall 19V544: brake booster pump, 2019 nhtsa.gov
  14. NHTSA recall 22V239: skid control software, 2021-2022 nhtsa.gov
  15. NHTSA recall 24V275: passenger seat, Executive Package, 2018-2021 nhtsa.gov
  16. Wikipedia: Lexus LS (generations, engines, 1989 recall, US discontinuation) en.wikipedia.org