IllustrationLEFT BALL JOINT FAILURE. SHEARED OFF CAUSING LOSS OFF VEHICLE CONTROL. FINALLY STOPPED JUST FEET FROM GOING OVER THE EDGE OF A DROP OFF. DAMAGE TO LEFT SIDE FRONT END COMPONENTS, LEFT FRONT FENDER AND BOTH FRONT TIRES DESTROYED. *TR
2002 Lexus SC430
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all SC430 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
50–25K
525–50K
850–75K
175–100K
5100–150K
0150K+
24 reports with mileage · 18 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports
Suspension complaints
4 reportsI OWN A 2002 LEXUS SC430 WHICH HAS BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RUNFLAT TIRES ON IT. I PUT ON A NEW SET OF TIRES 1 YEAR AGO AND 17,000 MILES LATE, THE VEHICLE IS ALL OVER THE ROAD, TIRES WEAR EXCESSIVELY ON THE INSIDES, AND I'VE HAD IT ALIGNED ABOUT 3 TIMES IN THAT 1 YEAR. A FRIEND OF MINE HAD THE SAME VEHICLE AND HE HAD TO GET RID OF …
Read full complaint
I OWN A 2002 LEXUS SC430 WHICH HAS BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RUNFLAT TIRES ON IT. I PUT ON A NEW SET OF TIRES 1 YEAR AGO AND 17,000 MILES LATE, THE VEHICLE IS ALL OVER THE ROAD, TIRES WEAR EXCESSIVELY ON THE INSIDES, AND I'VE HAD IT ALIGNED ABOUT 3 TIMES IN THAT 1 YEAR. A FRIEND OF MINE HAD THE SAME VEHICLE AND HE HAD TO GET RID OF IT FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE TIRES BECOME VERY NOISY AND IT SOUNDS LIKE ALL THE WHEEL BEARINGS ARE BAD. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP IS TRYING TO TELL ME THAT THIS HIGH PERFORMANCE TIRE ONLY LASTS 10,000 MILES, BUT WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR TO AN ALIGNMENT EXPERT AT ANOTHER REPAIR SHOP, HE STATED THAT IS IS DEFINITELY AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM WITH THE CAR AND THAT THERE WAS PLENTY OF TREAD LIFE LEFT ON THE REST OF THE TIRES. UPON FURTHER RESEARCHING THIS ON THE HTTP://LEXUSOWNERSCLUB.COM, I FOUND OUT THAT MANY OF THE SC430 OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME TIRE WEAR/STEERING PROBLEM AND THAT THE CAR WAS BUILT WITH A NEGATIVE CAMBER AND THAT PUTS MORE WEAR ON THE TIRES. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AS IT DOES GREATLY AFFECT THE STEERING AND SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE. WE ARE UNABLE TO DRIVE IT ON THE OPEN HIGHWAY FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THE LEXUS COMPANY IS BLAMING THE PROBLEM ON THE POTENZA TIRES. THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIMELY ASSISTANCE ON THIS. *JB
I JUST CAN CONFIRM ALL THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SC430S HANDLING. DANGEROUS - ESPECIALLY ON ROUGH ROADS. CAR TENDS TO FOLLOW ANY KIND OF ROAD ABNORMALLY. I COMPLAINED AT LEXUS FROM THE FIRST DAY (OVER TWO YEARS NOW). REPLACED RUN FLATS, STILL NOT ABLE TO HANDLE THE CAR. SEEMS TO BE A SUSPENSION RELATED PROBLEM. LEXUS THINKS…
Read full complaint
I JUST CAN CONFIRM ALL THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SC430S HANDLING. DANGEROUS - ESPECIALLY ON ROUGH ROADS. CAR TENDS TO FOLLOW ANY KIND OF ROAD ABNORMALLY. I COMPLAINED AT LEXUS FROM THE FIRST DAY (OVER TWO YEARS NOW). REPLACED RUN FLATS, STILL NOT ABLE TO HANDLE THE CAR. SEEMS TO BE A SUSPENSION RELATED PROBLEM. LEXUS THINKS THIS IS NORMAL- HA HA - $70000 PIECE OF SHI.. I'M TOTALLY UPSET ABOUT REACTION FROM LEXUS DEALER AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT. *JB
WHEN THE VEHICLE HIT ANY KIND OF VARIANCE IN THE ROAD THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD PULL EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT. NLM *TT *JB
Official recalls
119V741000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module; Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
Oct 17, 2019
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.
Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.