Total Complaints
1 filings
LEXUS LEXUS · model year
1997 LEXUS LEXUS
1 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997LEXUSLEXUS carries 1 consumer safety complaint in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 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 1997 LEXUS is electrical system:wiring:front underhood with 1 filings. 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 2 investigation files overlapping the 1997 LEXUS. 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.
1
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020116FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED AND I STEPPED ON THE GAS, I NOTICED A HESITATION THAT WAS NEW. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AND VIRTUALLY SIMULTANEOUSLY, I SAW A FLAMING OBJECT IN THE STREET BEHIND ME IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR, AND ANOTHER DRIVER YELLED THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. I LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO PULL IMMEDIATELY INTO AN EMPTY PARKING LOT. WHEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES, THE BRAKES WERE GONE. THE CAR COASTED TO A STOP, I PUT IT IN PARK, GOT OUT, GOT MY DOG OUT, AND CALLED 911. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, THE ENTIRE ENGINE WAS IN FLAMES. TWO FIRE ENGINES RESPONDED, AND ONE OF THEM PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE CAR WAS REMOVED BY A WRECKER. WHEN I WENT TO SEE THE CAR IN THE WRECING YARD THE NEXT DAY, IT APPEARED THAT THE FIRE HAD BEEN CONCENTRATED ON THE LEFT SIDE -- THAT HEADLIGHT HAD BEEN MELTED OUT, AND THE FIRE HAD PENETRATED THE DASH ON THE LEFT SIDE. THE CAR APPEARS TO BE A TOTAL LOSS. I HAD NO WARNING THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, AND I THINK I WOULD HAVE NOTICED, N
Compare 1997LEXUSLEXUS to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 LEXUS LEXUS have?▼
The 1997 LEXUS LEXUS has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 LEXUS LEXUS?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 LEXUS LEXUS is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1997 LEXUS LEXUS 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.