Lexus LS400
Registered from 1990 to 2000.
About this model
The Lexus LS is a series of full-size luxury sedans that have served as the flagship model of Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota, since 1989. For the first four generations, all LS models featured V8 engines and were predominantly rear-wheel-drive. In the fourth generation, Lexus offered all-wheel-drive, hybrid, and long-wheelbase variants. The fifth generation changed to using a V6 engine with no V8 option, and only one length was offered.
From the Wikipedia article Lexus LS, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What fails its inspection
Great Britain's MOT record for the 1998 4.0 petrol. 50 of 287 tests failed, 17%.
Better than 84% of 1998 cars. The typical one fails 25%, across 269 models with enough tests behind them to say.
| Where | Share of failures | Failed tests |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 48% | 24 |
| Brakes | 40% | 20 |
| Lights and electrics | 40% | 20 |
| Visibility | 20% | 10 |
| Body and structure | 18% | 9 |
| Tyres and wheels | 18% | 9 |
The defects inspectors cite
- The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
- Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
- The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired
- Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
- Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- Suspension — 48% of its failures
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
- The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired
- A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
- Brakes — 40% of its failures
- Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
- Tyres and wheels — 18% of its failures
- Lights and electrics — 40% of its failures
- Visibility — 20% of its failures
- Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
- Body and structure — 18% of its failures
- Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
- The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired
When it starts failing
At 160–180k miles this one fails 18% of its inspections, against the 29% an ordinary car of the same age fails.
| Odometer | Failure rate | Rate | Its age | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100–120k miles | 13% | 26% | 32 | |
| 120–140k miles | 21% | 27% | 48 | |
| 140–160k miles | 21% | 26% | 48 | |
| 160–180k miles | 18% | 29% | 39 | |
| 200k+ miles | 24% | — | 41 |
208 British inspections, grouped by the odometer reading recorded at the test.
Half of these have more than 140k miles on them. That is how far people drive this car, not how long it lasts.