Your vehicle report
1998 Lexus GS400
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 31
- Received Dec 1998 to May 2019
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbags fail to deploy in crashes6 complaints · 19% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Unintended acceleration despite braking5 complaints · 16% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #98V080000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Due to a manufacturing defect of the yaw rate sensor for the vehicle stability control (vsc), the vsc can operate improperly if the sensor is affected by certain electromagnetic waves, such as from a cellular phone.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 14 crashes, 0 fires, 11 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 2 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 1 |
| 1999 | 7 |
| 2000 | 3 |
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2002 | 2 |
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 4 |
| 2005 | 2 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 31 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 6 | 19% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 5 | 16% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #98V080000April 17, 199814,855 vehicles affected
electronic stability control: automatic (asc)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Due to a manufacturing defect of the yaw rate sensor for the vehicle stability control (vsc), the vsc Can operate improperly if the sensor is affected by certain electromagnetic waves, such as from a cellular phone.
Should this occur, the brake may operate unexpectedly, affecting steering and speed control, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the yaw rate sensor.
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1998 Lexus GS400.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN