1997 Lexus SC400

Routine

Owners filed 1 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air Bags1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Electrical System › Starter Assembly98V016000
Filed Jan 27, 199847,525 vehiclesToyota Motor Co., Ltd.

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO IMPROPER ASSEMBLY OF THE TERMINAL FOR THE STARTER MOTOR MAGNETIC SWITCH, AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT CAN OCCUR IF ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE LIQUID, SUCH AS ROAD SPLASH WITH DEICING SALT, ENTERS THIS AREA.

Risk. A STARTER MOTOR NO-START CONDITION OR AN UNDERHOOD FIRE CAN RESULT.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE MAGNETIC SWITCH.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags
Filed Oct 13, 2017105,000 milesMN

TWO WEEKS AGO A RED WARNING LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH SHOWING AN AIR BAG DEFICIENCY. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO LEXUS OF WAYZATA FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND REMOVAL OF THE WARNING LIGHT. I LATER RECALLED THE BATTERY HAD DRAINED DUE TO A POOR CONNECTION ABOUT THE TIME THE LIGHT CAME ON. THAT WAS FIXED BUT THE LIGHT STAYED ON. LEXUS WANTED OVER $1600 TO OBTAIN A NEW AIR BAG SENSOR MODULE INCLUDING LABOR COSTS, BROKEN DOWN INTO PARTS COST $1150 AND LABOR $470. I FURNISHED THE USED SENSOR ON THE INTERNET FOR $95 AND THE LIGHT DISAPPEARED. SAVED OVER $1000 BY TAKING CHARGE OF REPAIRS. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT INVOLVING THIS CAR. MY UNDERSTANDING IS FOLLOWING RESEARCH INTO THE PROBLEM THAT CERTAIN SOFTWARE REMOVAL TOOLS COULD HAVE CLEARED THE BATTERY DRAINAGE EVENT. I DO NOT KNOW IF LEXUS ATTEMPTED THIS REPAIR. I HAVE THE ORIGINAL SENSOR IN MY POSSESSION AND WITH THE SOFTWARE TOOL APPLICATION CAN PROBABLY ASCERTAIN IF THIS WAS THE PRECISE PROBLEM.. SHOULDN'T THE DEALERS BE REQUIRED TO INVESTIGATE POTENTIAL REPAIRS BEFORE REPLACEMENT OF SENSORS?

1 of 1 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1992
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20011000Routine
20001000Routine
19992000Routine
19982000Routine
1997 — this page1100Routine
19964100Routine
19959000Routine
19942000Routine
19939000Routine
199230110Routine
19901000Routine

Compare every SC400 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Jan 27, 1998. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.