This service and repair manual is tied to the 1998 LS 400 exactly as Lexus built it, down to the 4.0L V8 (1UZ-FE) and the Base trim, so the clearances, torque values and service sequences you work from are the ones written for that build and not a near-match carried over from an adjacent model year.
Engines
- 4.0L V8 GAS Naturally Aspirated
Trims
- Base
Known issues on the 1998 LS 400. One recall is on federal record for this model year, and it covers exterior lighting: certain Pro-A Motors corner lamps, turn signals and headlights sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles. Some of those combination lamps are not equipped with amber side reflectors and fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment. Without the amber reflectors the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning. Owners have filed 46 complaints for the year, and no technical service bulletins are on record for it. The diagnostic and repair procedures behind that lighting system are here.
Whether you are servicing the exterior lighting, chasing one of the concerns owners have reported, or working a scheduled service interval, it holds you to the OEM procedure and the correct specification for this 1998 LS 400.
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements 4.13.2022
POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Lexus. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be available to any custome
Brake Pedal Force Gauge SST for Parking Brake Inspection.
Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset.
Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset
Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset
Auto matic Transmission Replacement kPrecautions
Windshield Wiper Blade Maintenance and cleaning
Showing the 8 most recent of 59 technical service bulletins on file with NHTSA.
AT A STOP VEHICLE LURCHED OUT OF CONTROL AND ACCELERATED WITHOUT TOUCHING GAS PEDAL. BRAKES DID NOT STOP VEHICLE, AND REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. DAMAGED HOOD AND GRILL ON VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER AND VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED.*AK
SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN APPLYING BRAKES TO BRING VEHICLE TO A STOP, CAUSING VEHICLE TO REAR END ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT OF CONSUMER. DRIVER RECEIVED A SPRAINED WAIST. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK *ML
WHILE TRYING TO PARK, VEHICLE SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD AND RAN INTO A STORE BEFORE STOPPING. CONSUMER HAD BRAKES APPLIED. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK JLG
TIME, DATE AND LOCATION: MONDAY, MAY 19 AT APPROXIMATELY 3:30 PM AT THE BLOCKBUSTER PARKING LOT IN STAFFORD, VA VEHICLE: 1998 LEXUS LS400 I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN FRONT OF THE BLOCKBUSTER. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO SLOWLY PULL INTO THE SPACE. SUDDENLY, THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE CAR JUMPED THE CURB AND REPEATEDLY HIT THE FRONT OF THE BLOCKBUSTER. I PUSHED DOWN HARD ON THE BRAKE, BUT IT WOULD NOT RESPOND. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND THE CAR STOPPED. *TR
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 TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE WRONG PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 153,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 160,000. UPDATED 07/22/14 MA
ON SEPTEMBER 27,2005, MY1998 LEXUS LS 400 RAMMED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. MY CAR ACCELERATED NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN THE POLICE AND FIREMEN CAME, THE POLICEMAN STOOD NEXT TO MY WINDOW AND ASKED ME TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL SO THAT THE FIREMEN COULD PUSH THE CAR OUT OF THE ROAD. THE CAR ACCELERATED IN REVERSE AND ALMOST RAN OVER THE FIREMEN. THE POLICEMAN NOTED THIS IN HIS REPORT. I WAS ON AIRPORT BLVD. WI
WHILE PARKING VEHICLE AT 5 MPH, AND WITHOUT WARNING, VEHICLE SUDDENLY LUNGED FOWARD, SLAMMING INTO A WALL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
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 CONTACT PLANNED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 111,000. UPDATED 01/24/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE HYDRAULIC PISTONS WHICH WERE SUPPOSED
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 ATTENTION TO THIS INQUIRY. KIND REGARDS, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
DRIVING AT 25 MPH I HEARD A BEEPING SOUND AND THE VSC OFF LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME UP ALONG WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I BELIEVE MY VEHICLE THEN WENT INTO FAIL SAFE MODE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WOULD NO LONGER ALLOW ME TO ACCELERATE WITH GAS PEDAL. HOWEVER VEHICLE WOULD MOVE APPROXIMATELY 12(MPH) ON ITS OWN WHEN I RELEASE CONSTANT PRESSURE FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL. WHEN I PLACED IN NEUTRAL OR PARK POSITION, RPM'S WOULD RISE TO ABOUT 2000(RPM). TURNED OFF POWER TO VEHICLE AND RESTARTED, STILL VEHICLE
1. VEHICLE HAS TROUBLE STARTING. 2. STARTER FAILURE. HAVE TO TURN IGNITION SEVERAL TIMES (15-20) TO GET THE STARTER TO ROTATE. I KNOW THERE WAS A NHTSA CAMPAIGN 98V016000 ON THE 1995 THROUGH 1997 LEXUS LS400 FOR THE STARTER ASSEMBLY DUE TO IMPROPER ASSEMBLY OF THE TERMINAL FOR THE MAGNETIC SWITCH. MY QUESTION IS CAN MY VEHICLE BE COVERED UNDER THIS CAMPAIGN CONSIDERING THE 1998 LS400 WAS BUILT IN 1997. ALSO CAN THIS CAUSE AN UNDERHOOD FIRE IN MY VEHICLE WHILE I'M CONTINUING TO START MY VEHI
THE TURN SIGNAL STOPS ON TURNING MAKES A VERY LOW CLICK SOUND AND THE SIGNAL ARROW ON DASH BOARD IS NOT VISSIBLE. YH
STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND THE CAR ACCELERATED TO THE POINT IT WAS SPINNING TIRES. CAR WAS PUT INTO PARK AND THE CAR WAS BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL. *AK
THIS HAPPENED WITH NO WARNING. STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO TURN COUNTER CLOCKWISE AND WOULD BIND WHEN TURNED ALMOST ALL THE WAY. I TURNED IT ALL THE WAY AND THERE WAS A LOUD "SNAP" SOUND. I THEN NOTICED THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON IN THE DASH. AFTER THE "SNAP" IT WAS EASIER TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL CLOCKWISE AND COUNTER CLOCKWISE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS WRONG BUT WILL TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO CHECK THIS OUT. *TR
NO SUMMARY
Showing the 15 most serious of 46 complaints filed with NHTSA.
