RoadVitals

1996 Lexus SC400 Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

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.
4
Latest Mar 31, 2006
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
3
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.
0

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1996 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

  • Tires & wheels250.0%
  • Brakes125.0%
  • Interior & seats125.0%

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

Tires & wheels

Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED BOTH PASSENGERS AND DRIVER REAR TIRES TREAD SEPARATED. CONSUMER TOOK THE TIRES TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THE TIRES WERE WORN OUT. *AK PLY SEPARATION OCCURED ON THE INSIDE OF BOTH TIRES. THE PROBLEM WAS FOUND DURING THE INSTALLATION OF NEW TIRES. THE TIRE HAD 3/32 TREAD REMAINING. *NM

NHTSA ID 10079832 · filed Jul 19, 2004

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVER REAR TIRES TREAD SEPARATED. CONSUMER TOOK THE TIRES TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TIRES WERE WORN OUT. *AK THERE WAS 3/32 TREAD REMAINING ON THE TIRE. THE PLY'S SEPARATED ON THE INSIDE OF BOTH TIRES. THIS PROBLEM WAS FOUND DURING THE INSTALLATION OF NEW TIRES. *NM

NHTSA ID 10079831 · filed Jun 24, 2004

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

ON TWO OCCASIONS JUST BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP AT A SIGNAL, THE CAR SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD FOR NO REASON, AND I WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THIS MOTION WITH THE BRAKES, SO I QUICKLY PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL, AND NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RACING AT 6,000 RPM. AFTER THIS OCCURRED THE SECOND TIME, WHEN PARKING IN THE GARAGE, I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE RPMS WOULD CHANGE BY ABOUT 200-300 RPMS ABOUT EVERY 5TH TIME WHEN JUST APPLYING THE BRAKES WHILE CAR WAS IN PARK. A POSSIBLE PROBLEM COULD BE RELATED TO THE FACT THAT WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR 2/20/06, I NOTICED THAT THE REAR MOUNTED HIGH BRAKE LIGHT LED BUILT INTO THE REAR WING WAS NOT WORKING. THE DEALER REPAIRED THIS BY LOCATING A BROKEN (CUT?) WIRE IN THE WIRING HARNESS. THIS REPAIR WAS DONE ON 3/20/06, AND FROM THE TIME I HAD BOUGHT THE CAR, (2/20/06) THERE HAD BEEN NO PROBLEM UNTIL 3/21 WHEN THE PROBLEM FIRST SHOWED UP. THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED IN JUST THE SAME WAY WAS THE EVENING OF 3/29 WHILE AT A STOP SIGNAL. EACH TIME, I WAS ABLE TO PUT CAR INTO NEUTRAL TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I AM NOT QUITE SURE WHAT I DID EACH TIME TO SLOW THE ENGINE BACK DOWN. *JB

NHTSA ID 10154260 · filed Mar 31, 2006

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Interior & seats

Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

PASSENGER DOOR LOCK ASSEMBLY FAILED AND WOULD NOT ALLOW DOOR TO BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE, ONLY WOULD OPEN FROM THE INSIDE; CAUSING A OVER $500 REPAIR BECAUSE A SMALL PIECE OF METAL IN THE ASSEMBLY BROKE. LEXUS COULD/WOULD NOT REPLACE JUST THE SMALL METAL PIECE, AND THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED CAUSING A VERY COSTLY REPAIR; THIS OCCURED IN 2003. IN MAY OF 2004, THE DRIVER'S DOOR THEN FAILED, AND ALSO WOULD NOT OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE, WOULD ONLY OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. THIS TIME THEY WERE ABLE TO CORRECT WITH A $7.00 PART AND A $120 LABOR COST TO REPLACE.*AK

NHTSA ID 10019827 · filed May 18, 2004

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

Data on this page last refreshed .