Lexus LS Problems — All Years, Common Issues & Reliability
Year-by-year breakdown of safety recalls, NHTSA owner complaints, reported deaths, injuries, crashes, and worst problem areas. Updated daily from federal databases.
Own a Lexus LS? Check your specific VIN for a full history report.
Lexus LS — Year-by-Year Problem Comparison
| Year | Verdict | Recalls | Complaints | Crashes | Injuries | Deaths | Top Issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026Best | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2025 | Excellent | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2024 | Excellent | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2023 | Excellent | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2022 | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2021 | Excellent | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | Unknown Or Other | Full report → |
| 2020 | Excellent | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2019 | Good | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | Power Train | Full report → |
| 2018 | Good | 3 | 12 | 1 | — | — | Wheels | Full report → |
| 2017 | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2016 | Excellent | — | 8 | — | — | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2015 | Excellent | — | 3 | — | — | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2014 | Excellent | — | 10 | — | — | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2013 | Good | — | 12 | 1 | — | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2012 | Excellent | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2011 | Excellent | — | 6 | — | — | — | Unknown Or Other | Full report → |
| 2010 | Good | 2 | 20 | 3 | 4 | — | Unknown Or Other | Full report → |
| 2009 | Good | 2 | 18 | — | — | — | Fuel/Propulsion System | Full report → |
| 2008Worst | Avoid | 3 | 88 | 5 | 4 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2007 | Avoid | 3 | 71 | 3 | 1 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2006 | Caution | 1 | 19 | 9 | 9 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | Full report → |
| 2005 | Caution | 2 | 18 | 6 | 6 | 1 | Vehicle Speed Control | Full report → |
| 2004 | Good | 4 | 18 | 1 | — | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2003 | Good | 1 | 13 | 3 | 7 | — | Structure | Full report → |
| 2002 | Caution | 1 | 27 | 4 | 14 | — | Structure | Full report → |
| 2001 | Caution | 1 | 29 | 4 | 15 | — | Structure | Full report → |
26 model years shown. Crashes, injuries, and deaths from NHTSA complaint filings. Click any year for full details.
Most Common Lexus LS Problems
Based on 379 owner complaints filed with NHTSA across all model years.
Recent Safety Recalls — Lexus LS (2022–2026)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Mirai, Lexus LS500, LS500H, 2023-2024 Lexus ES250, ES300H, ES350, 2024 Lexus LC500, and LC500H vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Due to incorrect programming of the parking-assist electronic control unit (ECU) software, the rearview camera image may not immediately display within a couple of seconds after the shifter is placed into reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Dealers will update the parking assist ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 24TA01 and 24LA01.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or display a blank screen when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE25.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Toyota Venza, 2023-2025 RAV4 Prime, RAV4, Highlander, GR Corolla, Crown, 2024-2025 Lexus TX, LS, Toyota Tacoma, Grand Highlander, and 2025 Lexus RX, Toyota Crown Signia, Camry, RAV 4 Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), and 4 Runner vehicles. Due to an error in the instrument panel software at vehicle startup, the instrument panel may fail to display vehicle speed, brake system, and tire pressure warning lights.
Remedy: Dealers will update the instrument panel software over-the-air (OTA) for non-PHEV vehicles, free of charge. For PHEV vehicles, dealers will inspect the instrument panel assembly, and either replace it, or update the software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 5, 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB08 and 25TA08. Lexus' numbers for this recall are 25LB05 and 25LA05.
Showing 3 recalls from 2022–2026 model years. See the full year-specific pages for older recalls.
LS Years to Avoid
Best LS Years to Buy
Lexus LS Problems by Year
Frequently Asked Questions — Lexus LS Reliability
What year LS has the most problems?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2008 Lexus LS had the highest combined complaint and recall count — 88 complaints and 3 safety recalls. See the full 2008 report for specific defects.
Is the Lexus LS reliable?
The Lexus LS has accumulated 379 owner-filed complaints and 32 safety recalls across all model years in NHTSA's database. There have been 1 reported deaths associated with complaints. The 2026 model year shows the fewest reported issues. Always run a VIN check before purchasing any used LS.
What are the most common LS problems?
The most frequently cited problem areas are: Service Brakes (70 reports), Structure (48 reports), Unknown Or Other (35 reports), Vehicle Speed Control (35 reports). Based on NHTSA complaints across all model years.
How do I check if my LS has an open recall?
Use the vehicle's 17-character VIN at VinCheckEngine.com. Our free VIN report pulls the latest NHTSA recall data along with auction history, odometer records, and 30+ intelligence signals.
Check a Specific Lexus LS VIN
Model-level data shows what can go wrong. A VIN-specific report shows what has gone wrong with a particular vehicle — including auction history, odometer discrepancies, open recalls, accident records, and 30+ intelligence signals.
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