Top 5 Most Memorable Lexus Triumphs & Tragedies

Intro

The Lexus brand was launched in 1989 with two sedans, the LS 400 and ES 250. In the nearly 35 years since that launch, the brand has expanded to include a full line of sedans, SUVs, coupes, and performance cars. To say Lexus has been a success would be an understatement. But how did they get here? That is part of what we are looking at today. We picked out five of the greatest triumphs in Lexus history. However, not even a company like Lexus is perfect. They have had some failures as well. So, to balance things out we also picked out five of the biggest failures in Lexus history. To be honest, trying to find Lexus failures is not easy but we managed. Let’s take a look now at the greatest triumphs and failures in Lexus history.

Tragedy #5 – 2002 – 2010 SC 430

The Lexus SC 430 debuted at the Paris Auto Show in 2000. It was a hardtop convertible with a 4.3L V8 engine that could push the car to nearly 150 mph. That doesn’t sound like a bad recipe. And in the interest of full disclosure, I personally like this car. But when this car was new it had a bit of an identity crisis. Was it a sporty car? If you went into it with that expectation, you would be disappointed. It was more of a cruiser. And an expensive one at that. Top Gear UK famously called the Lexus SC 430 the worst car in the world. But that is way overblown. It is not a terrible car, but in the history of Lexus, it is not one of their best efforts.

Triumph #5 – CPO Program Launched in 1993

In 2023 just about every auto manufacturer offers some sort of certified preowned program. But Lexus was one of the very first to offer it back in 1993. And while other companies now offer it, the details of the program differ from company to company. And the Lexus program has always been one of the best. In fact, it won the U.S. News & World Report Best CPO Program award for 2023. That marks the sixth year in a row it has taken that honor. The program adds 2 years and unlimited miles to the end of the new car warranty. But the benefits don’t stop there. You get complimentary maintenance, roadside assistance, trip protection and more.

Tragedy #4 – Sticky Dash

There are certain Lexus models that are notorious for developing sticky or melting dashboards. Even if you store your car in a climate-controlled garage it can still develop this problem. The issue is that the dash and the door panels can become sticky to the touch which is gross. But even worse the trim can become brittle and break. Various models from 2004 through 2018 are susceptible to this so it has been going on for a long time. Lexus has launched a couple of warranty enhancement programs to cover owners that experience the problem. But the fact that hundreds of thousands of vehicles over the course of nearly two decades have the potential issue is embarrassing.

Triumph #4 – In 1991 Lexus Becomes Best-Selling Luxury Import

In 1991 Lexus became the best-selling luxury import brand in the United States. Lexus sold more cars than Mercedes-Benz and BMW. And Lexus was only three years old! To think that an upstart Japanese brand could beat the established German brands so quickly bogles the mind. But what this did was make us all winners. The other brands saw what Lexus was doing and realized they needed to step up their game. So, even if you are a fan of Mercedes-Benz or BMW you can thank Lexus for pushing them to develop better products over the years.

Tragedy #3 – Unintended Acceleration

After a tragic accident in 2009 in which a family of four were killed when the ES 350 they were driving would not stop a full investigation was launched into some Toyota and Lexus models experiencing "unintended acceleration.” An issue was discovered with all-weather floor mats that could become lodged under the accelerator and cause the pedal to get stuck. A large recall was performed to resolve the issue. However, it turned out that most reports of unintended acceleration were due to driver error rather than any mechanical issue with the car. Still this event caused a lot of bad press for Toyota and Lexus.

Triumph #3 – Lexus Advertising

Nobody loves to sit through commercials on TV. However, Lexus has come out with some truly memorable ad campaigns over the years. It all started with the champagne glasses on LS 400. The glasses were stacked on the hood and the car was put on a rolling road and accelerated to the equivalent of 145 mph and the glasses didn’t move. It was an eye-opening ad for the new brand. And in recent years everyone has become familiar with the Lexus December to Remember ad campaign. Lexus advertising has done exactly what advertising should do. That is to inform, persuade and to remind.

Tragedy #2 – 2010 – 2012 LFA

The LFA is a tragedy? How can that be? Well, it took Lexus TEN YEARS to develop the car. The project started in 2000 and the car was not in production until 2010. And even at the outrageous $350K asking price Lexus lost money on every single one. And it may seem hard to believe but Lexus had to struggle to sell these things. Only 500 were ever made and in 2017, a full five years after production ended there were still 12 LFAs unsold in dealerships. Ultimately, the tragedy, in addition to the Lexus LFA test driver killed outside of the Nürburgring, is that the LFA was a flop.

Triumph #2 – 2010 – 2012 LFA

For all the downsides of the LFA it still stands as one of the greatest Lexus triumphs of all time. The cars now trade hands for triple the original MSRP. It seems like every collector wants one. The V10 engine is one of the quickest revving and best sounding engines ever made. The car made everyone reexamine how they thought about Lexus as a company. Boring luxury cars for old people? Not with the hardcore LFA. Once the world saw what Lexus could do with the LFA it got people to realize that Lexus could make exciting performance cars as well. The LFA is one of the best supercars of all time, and it came from a company that no one expected to produce it.

Tragedy #1 – Original ES 250

When Lexus launched in 1989, they needed a second car so folks would see this as a legitimate brand, not as a maker of one-off vehicles. So, the ES 250 was born. It was a high-end Toyota Camry. There were some tweaks and modest changes, but the car was essentially a Camry. That doesn’t make it a bad car, it doesn’t make it a luxury car either. The ES 250 was only around for a couple years before Lexus replaced it with the more Lexus-like ES 300. But because of the ES 250 some folks saw Lexus as just a fancy Toyota and that perception remains today for some.

Triumph #1 – Original LS 400

The car that started it all is of course the greatest triumph in Lexus history. A Mercedes-Benz S-Class competitor that was significantly less expensive and significantly more reliable. The automotive press was amazed. Japan just built a luxury car that was in many ways superior to the established brands. The LS 400 was a smash hit and it propelled Lexus to become the brand that it is today.

Images: Lexus