1997 Lexus SC300

Owner complaints

What owners report most

1. Engine and engine cooling2
2. Power train1
3. Air bags1
4. Steering1
5. Tires1
6. Vehicle speed control1
7. Service brakes, hydraulic1

Latest complaints

• May 3, 2005CA27,100 miCrash
  Air bags › Frontal · Power train › Automatic transmission · Vehicle speed control
  Contact states: driver could not place car in park as she pulled into a parking spot, instead vehicle lunged forward, striking a tree. upon impact, air bags did not deploy, total damage to front of car. would not go into parking mode therefore, the keys could not be removed from ignition.…

  Contact states: driver could not place car in park as she pulled into a parking spot, instead vehicle lunged forward, striking a tree. upon impact, air bags did not deploy, total damage to front of car. would not go into parking mode therefore, the keys could not be removed from ignition. repairman did not find anything wrong. *ak the accident happened after the shift wouldn't go into parking mode. *sc *jb

• Mar 26, 2002CA
  Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system

  Consumer states that the bracket that holds exhaust to vehicle IS defected, consumer states that when the bracket gets hot it expands, this causes the bracket to crack, dealer states it was poorly designed. nlm

• Jul 12, 2001VA
  Tires
  On jan 4, 1999, I purchased 4 cooper tires at gex tire co, 4041 west mercury blvd, hampton, va 23666. (Dot number: upgrcem339 tiresize: 225/55r-16). all 4 tires were defective and appeared to have had some sort of manufacturing defectives. shortly after the purchase, the tires began to cause…

  On jan 4, 1999, I purchased 4 cooper tires at gex tire co, 4041 west mercury blvd, hampton, va 23666. (Dot number: upgrcem339 tiresize: 225/55r-16). all 4 tires were defective and appeared to have had some sort of manufacturing defectives. shortly after the purchase, the tires began to cause unstable driving conditions for my car while traveling on less-than smooth roads, in curves, at speeds around 70 mph and on wet roads. in addition, the tires caused my gas mileage to decrease about 3 to 4 mpg. after replacing the 4 tires all of the above conditions were eliminated without any other repairs. due to accelerated wear, 2 of the tires were deemed unsafe after about 11,000 miles. the remaining 2 had to be replaced at 14,000 miles. the first 2 tires were returned to gex tire co who promised to return them to cooper tire for analysis of the problem. the remaining 2 tires were shipped directly to cooper tire co in finlay, oh at their request following a complaint that I sent them. in my complaint to cooper tire, I asked them to analyze the tires based on the specific problems outlined above. they immediately refunded me 75% of my cost but would not admit that the tires were defective. the alleged that the problem was due to improper car alignment and low tire pressure. neither of their findings was valid. on jan 28, 2001, I had the car alignment checked by the lexus dealer and they verified that the alignment was in accordance with the car manufacturer's specifications. they also noted the unusal tire wear pattern and confirmed that the pressure was o.k. when the first 2 tires were turned in the gex they also noted that the pressure was correct but could not explain the reasons for the rapid and irregular wear. although I sent cooper tire co a copy of the car alignment job order mentioned above, they still ruled that car misalignment was the problem. my major concern IS that there may be similar cooper tires in service that may present a serious safety

• Jul 5, 2000FL
  Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components · Steering

  While driving on local road made a turn and all of sudden was not able to control steering and no brakes.*ak

• Aug 23, 1999CA
  Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe

  Exhaust pipe bracket failed. yh

Service bulletins

Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.

• 10214355Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements 4.13.2022
• 10207945POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Lexus. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be available to any customer that requests it. Customers can find this information on the Owner?s section of Lexus.com. Dealers can locate a copy of this guide on the Claims Processing & Resource Center in Dealer Daily as well.
• 10205352Windshield Wiper Blade Maintenance and cleaning
• 10205346Auto matic Transmission Replacement kPrecautions
• 10205331Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset
• 10205330Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset
• 10205329Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset.
• 10205319Brake Pedal Force Gauge SST for Parking Brake Inspection.
• 10176283Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements
• 10174889TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 06, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0008-20. Replacement Certification Labels and VIN Plates
• 10174888TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. L-SB-0048-08, PG007-07, PG016-01, PG015-01, PG004-97, PG003-97, PG003-93, PG002-90, L-SB-0048-08, PG007-07, PG016-01, PG015-01, PG004-97, PG003-97, PG003 93, and PG002-90. The aforementioned bulletins are obsolete, and any printed versions should be discarded. Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1990 ? 2020 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin.
• 10133926In the recent Bi-annual Floor Mat reminder letter distributed November, 2012, Lexus indicated that we were developing support materials that will help remind dealership customers and associates of the importance of proper floor mat usage.
• 10133923Lexus vehicles are equipped with SRS, including various airbags and in some models, seat belt pre-tensioners, to help reduce the risk of injury in a collision. If a customer expresses any concerns that the SRS airbags or pretensioner devices did not per
• 10133849A new Special Service Tool (SST 09709-00002) has been introduced to aid in the inspection procedure for certain vehicles equipped with a floor pedal-type parking brake system. This bulletin references the correct method for installing the Brake Pedal Force Gauge. Refer to the appropriate Repair Manual for parking brake pedal travel inspection and adjustment specification.
• 10132734TSB: The Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset is a feature that allows the registration of new keys when all master keys are lost. Once the system is reset, all previously registered keys will be erased.
• 10132726TSB: The Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset is a feature that allows the registration of new keys when all master keys are lost. Once the system is reset, all previously registered keys will be erased.
• 10132108This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0082-14.
• 10132083Adhesive & sealant cross reference Information
• 10132082Spots in Window glass
• 10132006This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0092-13.
• 10132004The following procedures are recommended during routine maintenance or in the event of a customer concern for wiper performance.
• 10131964Lexus vehicles are equipped with Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS), including various airbags and in some models, seat belt pre-tensioners, to help reduce the risk of injury in a collision. If a customer expresses any concerns that the SRS airbags or pre-tensioner devices did not perform as expected (including an unintended deployment event), please follow the steps in the recommendations section below.
• 10131653TSB: Replacement Certification Labels. OBSOLETE NOTICE November 28, 2017: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0179-17.
• 10111398LSB: When servicing interior electrical switches and components, please note the precautions in this bulletin to avoid damaging electrical components and switches. Many lubricants, cleaners, and automotive chemicals contain silicone or other compounds that may contaminate electrical contacts, and therefore increase electrical resistance and decrease switch performance. The use of any cleaners or fluids may increase the risk of further damage to electrical components.
• 10111205LSB: When servicing interior electrical switches and components, please note the precautions in this bulletin to avoid damaging electrical components and switches. Many lubricants, cleaners, and automotive chemicals contain silicone or other compounds that may contaminate electrical contacts, and therefore increase electrical resistance and decrease switch performance. The use of any cleaners or fluids may increase the risk of further damage to electrical components.
• 10109447TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE-October 16, 2014: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0082-14.
• 10109445TSB: The purpose of this service bulletin is to provide information regarding the installation of the correct torque converter bolts during automatic transmission/transaxle assembly replacement. Incorrect torque converter bolts or missing washers can cause damage to the torque converter assembly. Use the information in this bulletin when installing an automatic transmission/transaxle assembly.
• 10109444TSB: The purpose of this bulletin is to provide precautions to follow when installing an automatic transmission/transaxle assembly to avoid MIL "ON" shifting issues and/or transmission damage. Use the information in this bulletin when installing an automatic transmission/transaxle assembly.
• 10109384TSB: The Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset is a feature that allows the registration of new keys when all master keys are lost. Once the system is reset, all previously registered keys will be erased.
• 10000251Suspension ball joint inspection method.
• 622022Subject regarding repair manual corrections.
• 619796Subject regarding steering wheelnut service specification.
• 619119Subject regarding new seat belt tongue plate stopper service parts.
• 619113Subject regarding retro-fit internal trunk release kits.
• 600198Subject on engine immobilizer system precautions.

Every Lexus SC300 model year

Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.