LEXUS GS430 · model year

2003 LEXUS GS430

5 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2003LEXUSGS430 carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 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 2003 GS430 is suspension:front with 1 filings, followed by seat belts:rear/other (1) and service brakes, electric (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 2003 GS430. 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.

5
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

5 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SUSPENSION:FRONT1
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER1
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)1

Recent Complaints

20151205ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

WHILE THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SAFETY REACALL BULLETIN REGARDING UN-INTENDED ACCELERATION, MY VEHICLE NO EXHIBITS THE ISSUE THAT, WHILE IN MOTION, THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS CAN BE PUSHED SIMULTANEOUSLY, POSSIBLY CAUSING A VEHICLE ACCIDENT. I FEEL MY VIN SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF THE SAFETY RECALL LIST.

Mileage: 103,333

20100318CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LEXUS GS430. WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH ATTEMPTING TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A CEMENT POLE. THE FRONT FENDER AND HOOD OF THE VEHICLE WERE DAMAGED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DUE TO THE IMPACT HER NECK AND BODY LUNGED FORWARD DURING THE CRASH; HOWEVER, SHE WAS NOT BRUISED. THE POLICE WAS NOTIFIED; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT DID NOT INDICATE WHETHER A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP TO BE INSPECTED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000.

Mileage: 54,000

20100304SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC

TOTAL BRAKES FAILURE TWICE. DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO IDENTIFY PROBLEM THE FIRST TIME AND THE BRAKES WERE WORKING AGAIN AFTER A FEW SHUTOFFS/RESTARTS OF THE ENGINE. THE SECOND TIME, DEALER CLAIMED THAT IT HAS LOCATED AN "OPEN CIRCUIT IN PUMP MOTOR" - MANY PARTS WERE REPLACED AT $2,550.53. *TR

Mileage: 63,144

20040107SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

REAR CENTER AND THE REAR DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WERE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE ONLY WAY THE SEAT BELTS WILL FASTEN IS IF THEY ARE CRISSCROSSED, AND THEN DEPENDING ON WHO FASTENS THE BELT FIRST, WILL DETERMINE WHICH OCCUPANT WILL BE TRAPPED IN SEAT BELT. *AK

20031103SUSPENSION:FRONT

I OWN A 2003 LEXUS GS 430 VEHICLE. DURING THE TIME THAT I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE, I CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE VIBRATION AND BRAKE AND WHEEL WEAR ON THE FRONT END ASSEMBLY. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ALIGNED THE FRONT END AND CHANGED TIRES, BUT THE PROBLEM IS REPEATING. I BELIEVE THAT THE VEHICLE IS IMPROPERLY DESIGNED EITHER TO ACCEPT 17 IN. TIRES OR TO HANDLE A 4.3 LITER ENGINE. THE DEALERSHIP INSISTS THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ROTATE TIRES EVERY 5,000 MILES AND THERE IS NO PROBLEM, BUT THIS IS NOT THE CASE. AS A RESULT OF THE RUN-OUT AND OUT OF BALANCE CONDITION IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKING IS UNREPEATABLE, AND, I BELIEVE, CAUSES A SEVER SAFETY CONCERN. THE PROBLEM HAPPENS WITHIN 3,000 TO 4,000 MILES OF AN ALIGNMENT. I BELIEVE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS ENDEMIC TO LEXUS GS 430'S WITH 17 INCH TIRES AND BELIEVE THAT THE DEALERSHIP IS NOT INTERESTED IN CONFRONTING A DESIGN PROBLEM. I AM ASKING THAT THIS BE INVESTIGATED. I ALSO INTEND TO CONTACT TOYOTA DIRECTLY. *LA

Compare 2003LEXUSGS430 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2003 LEXUS GS430 have?
The 2003 LEXUS GS430 has 5 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 LEXUS GS430?
The most-complained component for the 2003 LEXUS GS430 is SUSPENSION:FRONT with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER and SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC.
Is the 2003 LEXUS GS430 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.