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.
Lexus LS400 fuel gauge problems
27 of the 338 owner complaints about the Lexus LS400 describe wrong fuel gauge reading, most of them for the 1993 model year.
- owner complaints
- 27
- worst model year
- 1993
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,600
- typical mileage
- 97,000
By model year
Often reported together
What owners say
Dash functions don't work at times. Speed, fuel level,etc are not indicated when car is at rest or moving. This has been a recurring problem with the result that I fear driving the car and won't sell it as it is now. At around $1800 to repair with no guarantee the replacement is not buggy, I feel betrayed and dismissed by toyota.
S10 appropriate handling - enclosing an agenda report service history may 2014 - may/june 2016 on black 1990 lexus ls 400. *smd the consumer stated each time the repair shop performed services on her vehicle, it LED to another problem(s). A clamp was missing. A wire left dangling, a hose was not placed on correctly or it was the wrong hose and/or a good hose was torn, broken or tattered. A screw was left missing. A part or component was not put in properly. The consumer stated she was afraid to drive the vehicle more than 10 miles, because it would smoke and leak fluid. The starter was replaced, the door would not close completely, the hood would not shut completely, the fuel gauge did not work, despite having a full tank of gas, the defroster did not work. Also, the oil showed a quart low, the interior gauges on the steering panel went haywire, the interior turn switches were not working as they should, the transmission mount needed to be replaced, the transmission stick was loose, the brake hose and ignition cylinder, control arms and window regulators were replaced. *jb updated 04/10/2017*js
While traveling on the interstate at night-time, the lighting on the instrument panel went completely dark and it became impossible to read any of the cars instrumentation such as vehicle speed and warning indicators. At various times since then the gauges in the instrument panel have also become unreliable, these include the fuel level gauge, the speedometer, and the tachometer. At times they will not move from their "0" setting, such as when the vehicle is powered off, until they warm-up or you bang the dash with your hand and at other times they will not work at all. The lighting problem still occurs on the instruments also. The dealer said all they could do was replace the instrument panel and components in the dash at a cost of over $2000 plus labor, so often I just have to guess how fast I am driving or how much fuel is in the car as the repair would be almost as much as I paid for the car (the instruments were working when I purchased the car).
While driving or when first starting the vehicle the whole dash will go dark and not light back up or keep flickering. You are unable to see how fast you are going or any warning lights and the gas gauge does not work when the dash lights go out. Driving alone is unsafe and even with our 2 children makes it very unsafe not knowing how fast you are going and fuel gauge not working so you could run out of fuel and left stranded with kids on the road. Many complaints have been made about this problem and lexus refuses any acknowledgement of this problem and something really needs to be done!
The gauge cluster lighting on my 1993 lexus ls400 does not come on unless it is above 75 degrees or so outside or in the passanger compartment. The lighting of the gauge cluster is not just needed at night. With the gauges being electronicly lit you can't see your speed, revs, engine temp, or fuel level day or night unless the car is fully warmed up or it's hot outside. Needless to say that in the winter even during the day, the lights are no where neer warm enough to light up. Lexus has no suggestions other than replace the unit with an expensive brand new one that will have the same problem in a few years. They have not made any change to the circutry or lighting in order to accomadate for their problem.
Tl*the contact owns a 1993 lexus ls400. While driving approximately 40 MPH on normal road conditions, the instrument cluster failed to display readings for the speedometer, tachometer, and fuel gauge. There were no warnings prior to these failures. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing and it was confirmed that the instrument cluster required replacement. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were unknown.
My instrument cluster lighting does not illuminate when the car is started, but sometimes will come on after several minutes. The problem has just recently started, but seems to be getting worse (taking longer for the lights to come on if at all). No steps have been taken yet to repair, but given the severity of the impact, safety concerns will probably force me to pay a significant service bill at the dealer soon. When I drive at night, the entire instrument cluster and center console is dark. Even during full daylight, I can not tell how fast I am going, the fuel level, etc. The lexus club forum indicates that many others have experienced the same problem and have registered complaints with both lexus and this site.
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 has been heated up to around 70-80f, the tachometer, speedometer, fuel gauge, engine temperature and odometer are not illuminated and not functioning either. Another way of looking at it is this: the odometer is not registering miles, one does not know how fast they're going and does not know how much fuel is available/left all before the instrument cluster has warmed up. There have been times where the instrument cluster never came on despite driving 25 miles for a total time of 20 minutes and the engine fully warmed up. 3. I have done nothing at this time to correct this error, but it has been suggested by the dealership which does acknowledge this is a widespread issue to replace the instrument cluster at a cost of $1000 for parts and $200 for labor. This is a very widespread issue as evidenced by the number of users who have voiced their concerns regarding this issue online. As a california resident, I can only imagine how much worse this problem can be for those who live in colder states.
1993 lexus ls400 malfunctioning front display panel customer is asking for a recall to be done**cc the defective panel at times lights up initially and immediately goes off. The consumer is unable to read odometer, fuel level and temperature gauges.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Lexus LS400 fuel gauge
Which Lexus LS400 years have wrong fuel gauge reading problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1993 (17 complaints), 1994 (9 complaints) and 1990 (1 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix wrong fuel gauge reading on the Lexus LS400?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,600 (median of 12 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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