LEXUS GS · model year

1999 LEXUS GS

9 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1999LEXUSGS carries 9 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1999 GS is structure:body with 2 filings, followed by seat belts (1) and wheels (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 1999 GS. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

9
Complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

9 filings

Crashes Reported

4 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STRUCTURE:BODY2
SEAT BELTS1
WHEELS1
ENGINE1
POWER TRAIN1
AIR BAGS1
SERVICE BRAKES1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1

Recent Complaints

20210712SERVICE BRAKES

The contact owns a 1999 Lexus GS400. The contact stated while driving at 1 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently. The brakes failed to engage while depressed on the brake pedal almost causing a collision. The contact informed the independent mechanic of the failure, but the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,000.

Mileage: 67,000

20210712VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

The contact owns a 1999 Lexus GS400. The contact stated while driving at 1 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently. The brakes failed to engage while depressed on the brake pedal almost causing a collision. The contact informed the independent mechanic of the failure, but the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,000.

Mileage: 67,000

20140903CrashSTRUCTURE:BODY

IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING A U-TURN ON A PRIVATE NARROW STREET THE AUTOMOBILE RPM JUMPED FROM AN ALMOST IDLE CONDITION TO OVER 3000 RPM. EVERY EFFORT TO BRAKE THE CAR AND SHIFT TO NEUTRAL PROVED INEFFECTIVE WITHIN THE DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET. THE AUTOMOBILE JUMPED THE CURB AND STRUCK A LOW GARDEN WALL FORCING AN ENGINE STOP. THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. MY ESTIMATE OF THE SPEED WHEN STRIKING THE WALL WAS 30 TO 35 MPH. I HAVE PICTURES WHICH SHOW THE BRAKE STREAKS AS WELL AS TOTAL DAMAGE SCENE. IN ADDITION A NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR HEARD THE ENTIRE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AND CAN VERIFY THE EXTENT OF THE BRAKING EFFORT. TO DATE LEXUS HAS STATED THAT IT WAS NOT AN AUTOMOBILE DEFECT. I AM LOOKING INTO APPROPRIATE LEGAL ACTION. THE 1999 GS300 IS IDENTIFIED AS A CANDIDATE FOR UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATIONS IN THE RECENTLY COMPLETE TOYOTA UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION CLASS ACTION SUITE BUT MY EVENT IS CLOSED OUT DUE TO THE DATE OF OCCURRENCE. *TR

Mileage: 80,000

20140903CrashENGINE

IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING A U-TURN ON A PRIVATE NARROW STREET THE AUTOMOBILE RPM JUMPED FROM AN ALMOST IDLE CONDITION TO OVER 3000 RPM. EVERY EFFORT TO BRAKE THE CAR AND SHIFT TO NEUTRAL PROVED INEFFECTIVE WITHIN THE DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET. THE AUTOMOBILE JUMPED THE CURB AND STRUCK A LOW GARDEN WALL FORCING AN ENGINE STOP. THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. MY ESTIMATE OF THE SPEED WHEN STRIKING THE WALL WAS 30 TO 35 MPH. I HAVE PICTURES WHICH SHOW THE BRAKE STREAKS AS WELL AS TOTAL DAMAGE SCENE. IN ADDITION A NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR HEARD THE ENTIRE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AND CAN VERIFY THE EXTENT OF THE BRAKING EFFORT. TO DATE LEXUS HAS STATED THAT IT WAS NOT AN AUTOMOBILE DEFECT. I AM LOOKING INTO APPROPRIATE LEGAL ACTION. THE 1999 GS300 IS IDENTIFIED AS A CANDIDATE FOR UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATIONS IN THE RECENTLY COMPLETE TOYOTA UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION CLASS ACTION SUITE BUT MY EVENT IS CLOSED OUT DUE TO THE DATE OF OCCURRENCE. *TR

Mileage: 80,000

20140903CrashPOWER TRAIN

IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING A U-TURN ON A PRIVATE NARROW STREET THE AUTOMOBILE RPM JUMPED FROM AN ALMOST IDLE CONDITION TO OVER 3000 RPM. EVERY EFFORT TO BRAKE THE CAR AND SHIFT TO NEUTRAL PROVED INEFFECTIVE WITHIN THE DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET. THE AUTOMOBILE JUMPED THE CURB AND STRUCK A LOW GARDEN WALL FORCING AN ENGINE STOP. THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. MY ESTIMATE OF THE SPEED WHEN STRIKING THE WALL WAS 30 TO 35 MPH. I HAVE PICTURES WHICH SHOW THE BRAKE STREAKS AS WELL AS TOTAL DAMAGE SCENE. IN ADDITION A NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR HEARD THE ENTIRE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AND CAN VERIFY THE EXTENT OF THE BRAKING EFFORT. TO DATE LEXUS HAS STATED THAT IT WAS NOT AN AUTOMOBILE DEFECT. I AM LOOKING INTO APPROPRIATE LEGAL ACTION. THE 1999 GS300 IS IDENTIFIED AS A CANDIDATE FOR UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATIONS IN THE RECENTLY COMPLETE TOYOTA UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION CLASS ACTION SUITE BUT MY EVENT IS CLOSED OUT DUE TO THE DATE OF OCCURRENCE. *TR

Mileage: 80,000

20140903CrashAIR BAGS

IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING A U-TURN ON A PRIVATE NARROW STREET THE AUTOMOBILE RPM JUMPED FROM AN ALMOST IDLE CONDITION TO OVER 3000 RPM. EVERY EFFORT TO BRAKE THE CAR AND SHIFT TO NEUTRAL PROVED INEFFECTIVE WITHIN THE DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET. THE AUTOMOBILE JUMPED THE CURB AND STRUCK A LOW GARDEN WALL FORCING AN ENGINE STOP. THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. MY ESTIMATE OF THE SPEED WHEN STRIKING THE WALL WAS 30 TO 35 MPH. I HAVE PICTURES WHICH SHOW THE BRAKE STREAKS AS WELL AS TOTAL DAMAGE SCENE. IN ADDITION A NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR HEARD THE ENTIRE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AND CAN VERIFY THE EXTENT OF THE BRAKING EFFORT. TO DATE LEXUS HAS STATED THAT IT WAS NOT AN AUTOMOBILE DEFECT. I AM LOOKING INTO APPROPRIATE LEGAL ACTION. THE 1999 GS300 IS IDENTIFIED AS A CANDIDATE FOR UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATIONS IN THE RECENTLY COMPLETE TOYOTA UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION CLASS ACTION SUITE BUT MY EVENT IS CLOSED OUT DUE TO THE DATE OF OCCURRENCE. *TR

Mileage: 80,000

20140308WHEELS

I WAS DRIVING GOING HOME FROM THE STORE AND MY LOWER BALL JOINT FAILED AND DAMAGE MY WHEELS, FENDER AND DRIVER SIDE DOOR WON'T OPEN ALL THE WAY DUE TO THE DAMAGE ON THE FENDER. THANK GOD I WASN'T IN THE FREEWAY OR WITH MY KIDS WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *TR

Mileage: 123,000

20140308STRUCTURE:BODY

I WAS DRIVING GOING HOME FROM THE STORE AND MY LOWER BALL JOINT FAILED AND DAMAGE MY WHEELS, FENDER AND DRIVER SIDE DOOR WON'T OPEN ALL THE WAY DUE TO THE DAMAGE ON THE FENDER. THANK GOD I WASN'T IN THE FREEWAY OR WITH MY KIDS WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *TR

Mileage: 123,000

20131230SEAT BELTS

I FOUND OUT THAT I COULDN'T EXTEND THE BACK SEAT BELTS (PASSENGER). *TR

Mileage: 86,000

Compare 1999LEXUSGS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1999 LEXUS GS have?
The 1999 LEXUS GS has 9 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 LEXUS GS?
The most-complained component for the 1999 LEXUS GS is STRUCTURE:BODY with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS and WHEELS.
Is the 1999 LEXUS GS safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.