1997 Lexus SC300 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1997 Lexus SC300, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine225.0%
- Brakes112.5%
- Driver assistance112.5%
- Airbags112.5%
- Steering112.5%
- Tires & wheels112.5%
- Transmission112.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
EXHAUST PIPE BRACKET FAILED. YH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING ON LOCAL ROAD MADE A TURN AND ALL OF SUDDEN WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTROL STEERING AND NO BRAKES.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING ON LOCAL ROAD MADE A TURN AND ALL OF SUDDEN WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTROL STEERING AND NO BRAKES.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .