RoadVitals

1993 Lexus SC400

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Sep 18, 2019
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
4
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 9 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1993 Lexus SC400, most frequently naming the driver assistance, exterior lighting and heating & air conditioning categories. 27 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Driver assistance327.3%
  • Exterior lighting218.2%
  • Heating & air conditioning19.1%
  • Engine19.1%
  • Tires & wheels19.1%
  • Airbags19.1%
  • Transmission19.1%
  • Brakes19.1%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 9
Airbags
Filed Sep 18, 2019
Crash reported1 injury reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1993 LEXUS SC400. WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND CRASHED INTO A WALL. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, WHICH SEVERELY BURNED THE CONTACT'S CHIN, LIPS, AND NECK. THE AIR BAG ALSO BURNED PARTS OF THE CONTACT'S CHEST AND TORSO AREA. THE CONTACT WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME AND DEEMED TOTALED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID
11256446
Incident
Sep 15, 2019
EngineTransmission
Filed Jun 4, 2010
Crash reported

I WAS INVOLVED IN A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT ON 4/25/10 WITH A 1993 LEXUS SC400 VIN# [XXX] . I WAS APPROACHING A RED LIGHT CONTROLLED INTERSECTION WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. I FEEL THAT THE COMPUTER CHIP CONTROLLING EITHER THE TRANSMISSION OR IDLING SPEED FAILED AS THE VEHICLE COULD NOT COME TO A HALT AND RESULTED IN A COLLISION. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO DROP DOWN TO NEUTRAL AND/OR THE IDLE COULD NOT DROP DOWN TO LESS THAN 1000 RPM. I REALIZE IT IS AN OLDER VEHICLE AND COMPUTER CHIPS COULD FAIL DUE TO AGE BUT I WONDER IF THIS COULD BE A DESIGN FLAW OF THE FAIL SAFE ACCELERATOR ASSEMBLY. COULD YOU LET ME KNOW IF ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN LODGED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID
10334615
Incident
Apr 25, 2010
Mileage
132,768 mi
Brakes
Filed Mar 6, 2007

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 LEXUS SC400. THE TRACTION CONTROL LOGIC PROGRAM FAILED AND CAUSED LOSS OF STOPPING POWER. THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR BRAKES WERE DRAGGING. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000. THE DEALER HAS ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE TRACTION CONTROL COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

NHTSA ID
10184344
Incident
May 1, 2006
Mileage
112,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Sep 26, 2006

PART FAUILURE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10169355
Incident
Sep 1, 2006
Mileage
32,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Dec 30, 2004

CONDENSATION DEVELOPED OVER THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, WHO STATED THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHY THIS WAS HAPPENING . *AK

NHTSA ID
10105580
Incident
Dec 29, 2004
Mileage
142,000 mi
Filed Nov 18, 1999

THE ILLUMINATION FOR THE INSTRUMENTS ON THE DASH HAS FAILED. VEHICLE SPEED IS NOT KNOWN. *AK

NHTSA ID
714934
Incident
Aug 25, 1998
Heating & air conditioningDriver assistanceTires & wheels
Filed Sep 28, 1999

VEHICLE DEACCELERATES 65 MPH UNTIL 0. YH

NHTSA ID
548783
Incident
Sep 10, 1999
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 26, 1999
Crash reported

CONSUMER WAS PARKING VEHICLE INTO A PARKING SPACE WHEN VEHICLE ALL OF A SUDDEN ACCELERATTED FOR UNKNOWN REASON, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ROLLOVER TWO OTHER VEHICLES, WHICH WERE DAMAGED. DEALER/ MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THAT NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. *AK

NHTSA ID
835325
Incident
Jan 1, 1999

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

Safety Recall 22

EQUIPMENT

Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements 4.13.2022

Lexus PRO19-02 -

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL; TIRES; WHEELS

POL: 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.

Lexus Safety Re

EQUIPMENT

Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements

L-SB-0179-17 Obs

EQUIPMENT

TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 06, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0008-20. Replacement Certification Labels and VIN Plates

L-SB-0008-20

EQUIPMENT

TSB: 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.

L-SB-0048-08 Obs

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

TSB: Replacement Certification Labels. OBSOLETE NOTICE November 28, 2017: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0179-17.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Lexus SC400 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2001100—
2000100—
1999200—
1998200—
1997110—
1996410—
1995900—
1994200—
1993Viewing900—
1992301046.2
1990100—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.