Total Complaints
5 filings
LEXUS LX470 · model year
1998 LEXUS LX470
5 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998LEXUSLX470 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, 2 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 1998 LX470 is service brakes with 2 filings, followed by visibility:power window devices and controls (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (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 1998 LX470. 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
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES | 2 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20180410SERVICE BRAKES
SAFETY ISSUE: INTERMITTENT SUDDEN COMPLETE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAVE A SUDDEN COMPLETELY ABS BRAKING SYSTEM FAILURE ON APRIL 06, 2018. THE VEHICLE CAN NOT STOP WHILE DRIVING ON APRIL 6, 2018. THE DASHBOARD ABS LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT PLUS THE ANNOYING ALARM OUT OF THE BLUE ON APRIL 06, 2018. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO BUTLER LEXUS DEALERSHIP FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION ON APRIL 06, 2018. WITHOUT ANY REPAIRED DONE BY BUTLER LEXUS DEALERSHIP ON APRIL 10, 2018, NOW THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM WORKS AGAIN AND DASHBOARD ABS LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT PLUS ANNOYING ALARM OUT OF THE BLUE GOING AWAY ON APRIL 10, 018 @ BUTLER LEXUS DEALERSHIP PARKING LOT.
Mileage: 240,000
20180408SERVICE BRAKES
SUDDEN COMPLETE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM FAILURE. NO BRAKE AT ALL. VEHICLE CAN NOT STOP WHILE DRIVING.VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM AND DANGEROUS. THE DASHBOARD ABS LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT ABS LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT ON DASH PLUS THE ANNOYING ALARM OUT OF THE BLUE.
Mileage: 240,000
20110719CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 LEXUS LX470. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AN AUDIBLE BRAKE ALARM BEGUN TO SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER SYSTEM, WHICH CAUSED THE ALARM TO SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP UNTIL CRASHING INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, A THIRD VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN THE CRASH. THE POLICE WERE NOTIFIED AND A REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE DRIVERS OF THE TWO OTHER VEHICLES WERE INJURED AND TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL VIA AMBULANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. AN ENGINEER, SENT BY THE MANUFACTURER, EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE NO MANUFACTURING DEFECTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 200,000.
Mileage: 200,000
20000519SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
THE BRAKE PEDAL NEEDS TO BE "PUMPED" TO OBTAIN SATISFACTORY PEDAL HEIGHT. UPON FIRST APPLICATION AT A STOP THE PEDAL TRAVELS FURTHER THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT, IF A SECOND APPLICATION IS GIVEN THE PEDAL HEIGHT WILL BE MUCH HIGHER FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF BRAKING FORCE. THIS CAN CAUSE ABRUPT STOPS FOR ONE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE CAR. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER SAYS " THEY ALL DO THAT". AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THAT IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE ANSWER TO ME. YOUR HELP IS REQUESTED. *AK
20000322VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
AUTOMATIC HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT FAILED. MJS
Compare 1998LEXUSLX470 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 LEXUS LX470 have?▼
The 1998 LEXUS LX470 has 5 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 LEXUS LX470?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 LEXUS LX470 is SERVICE BRAKES with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 1998 LEXUS LX470 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.