Total Complaints
1 filings
LEXUS LS · model year
1997 LEXUS LS
1 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997LEXUSLS 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 LS is electrical system 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 3 investigation files overlapping the 1997 LS. 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 | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20090122FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 LEXUS LS. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT START AND A CLICKING SOUND WAS HEARD. SHE ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE A THIRD TIME AND WAS SUCCESSFUL. SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE TO HER DESTINATION AND WHEN SHE PARKED THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OFF. THE CONTACT SMELLED A BURNING ODOR COMING FROM THE ENGINE. FIVE MINUTES LATER, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. SHE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE UNDER THE HOOD AND NOTICED BURNT WIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT WITH THE STARTER MOTOR, WHICH CAUSED THE UNDER HOOD FIRE. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS; THEREFORE, THEY WERE NOT LIABLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,000.
Mileage: 80,000
Compare 1997LEXUSLS to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 LEXUS LS have?▼
The 1997 LEXUS LS has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 LEXUS LS?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 LEXUS LS is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1997 LEXUS LS 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.