1993 Lexus SC400 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 1993 Lexus SC400, 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
- 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.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE DEACCELERATES 65 MPH UNTIL 0. YH
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
PART FAUILURE. *JB
CONDENSATION DEVELOPED OVER THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, WHO STATED THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHY THIS WAS HAPPENING . *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Heating & air conditioning
Reports naming the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE DEACCELERATES 65 MPH UNTIL 0. YH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
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
VEHICLE DEACCELERATES 65 MPH UNTIL 0. YH
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
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.
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
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
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
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.
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 .