LEXUS SC · model year

2004 LEXUS SC

2 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2004LEXUSSC carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2004 SC is air bags with 2 filings. Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 3 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 2004 SC. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

2
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

2 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS2

Recalls (3)

15V28600013/05/2015

AIR BAGS

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015, that they are recalling 2005-2007 Lexus SC, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sequoia, and Pontiac Vibe, and 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra vehicles that were originally sold, or ever registered, in Florida, along the Gulf

15V28500013/05/2015

AIR BAGS

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015 that they are recalling certain model year 2004 Sequoia vehicles manufactured August 18, 2003, to August 19, 2004, and 2003-2004 Tundra vehicles manufactured March 18, 2003, to August 25, 2004. On June 16, 2015, T

18V88300012/12/2018

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2002-2005 Lexus SC and Toyota Sequoia, 2003-2005 Toyota Corolla and Tundra, and 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modul

Recent Complaints

20190322CrashAIR BAGS

THIS CAR HAS BEEN WRECKED, DUE TO THE AIRBAG, AND THE TITLE WAS HANDED OVER TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND THEY ISSUED US A CHECK FOR SETTLEMENT. THE CAR WAS CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS. WE NO LONGER OWN THIS CAR; HOWEVER, WE KEEP GETTING 3 OR 4 POSTCARDS EVERY MONTH NOTIFYING US OF THE RECALL. I HAVE MADE COUNTLESS PHONE CALLS TO GET OUR NAMES REMOVED FROM THE RECALL MAILING LIST, TO NO AVAIL. IT IS EMOTIONALLY DISTRESSING TO ME TO SEE THESE POSTCARDS ARRIVING, REMINDING ME OF THE AUTO ACCIDENT THAT ALMOST CLAIMED MY HUSBAND'S LIFE. OUR RECALL I.D. NUMBER IS KB8-42S. WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE REMOVE US FROM THE MAILING LIST. THE ACCIDENT OCCURED ON 7/18/2018 AND THE AIRBAG EXPLODED, CAUSING HIM TO HIT A TREE HEAD ON. HE WAS AIRLIFTED TO A TRAUMA CENTER AND SPENT OVER A WEEK IN INTENSIVE CARE, FOLLOWED BY SEVERAL SURGERIES AND FOLLOW UP HOSPITAL STAYS. PLEASE, SOMEONE, REMOVE US THE LIST.

Mileage: 40,000

20150827AIR BAGS

PARTS NOT AVAILABE TO RESOLVE RECALL TO WHOM IT CONCERNS: PLEASE ALLOW ME TO EXPRESS MY FUSTRATION AT TRYING TO REMEDY A SAFETY NETICE RECALL FOR A PASSENGER AIRBAG INFLATER FOR MY 2004 LEXUS SC430. ON 8/12/2015 I MADE A APPOINTMENT AT WILKIE LEXUS OF HAVERTOWN. MY APPOINTMENT CONFIRMATION IS BELOW : WHILE COURTEOUS, THE SERVICE MANAGE INDICATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS AND THEY ARE BACK ORDERED BY AT LEAST TWO WEEKS. EVEN THOUGH I MADE MY APPOINTMENT 8/12 (WEEKS AGO) INDICATING "FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG INFLATED MODULE" AS THE REASON FOR THE SERVICE VISIT. CONFIRMATION CODE: X0258RN6EJ DATE AND TIME: 08/27/2015 09:00 AM VEHICLE: 2004 LEXUS SC 430 FURTHER, THE SERVICE MANAGER DID NOT PROVIDE A FUTURE APPOINTMENT OR OFFER TO CONTACT ME WHEN THE PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. IF THE SERVICE RECALL IS A SERIOUS AS INDICATED BY THE RECALL NOTICE, THE PARTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE FOR THE APPOINTMENT, OR IF THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR A

Mileage: 131,000

Compare 2004LEXUSSC to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2004 LEXUS SC have?
The 2004 LEXUS SC has 2 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2004 LEXUS SC?
Yes, the 2004 LEXUS SC has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 LEXUS SC?
The most-complained component for the 2004 LEXUS SC is AIR BAGS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 2004 LEXUS SC safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.