Total Complaints
1 filings
LEXUS SC400 · model year
1997 LEXUS SC400
1 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997LEXUSSC400 carries 1 consumer safety complaint in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, 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 1997 SC400 is air bags with 1 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.
NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 1997 SC400. 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.
1
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20171013AIR BAGS
TWO WEEKS AGO A RED WARNING LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH SHOWING AN AIR BAG DEFICIENCY. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO LEXUS OF WAYZATA FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND REMOVAL OF THE WARNING LIGHT. I LATER RECALLED THE BATTERY HAD DRAINED DUE TO A POOR CONNECTION ABOUT THE TIME THE LIGHT CAME ON. THAT WAS FIXED BUT THE LIGHT STAYED ON. LEXUS WANTED OVER $1600 TO OBTAIN A NEW AIR BAG SENSOR MODULE INCLUDING LABOR COSTS, BROKEN DOWN INTO PARTS COST $1150 AND LABOR $470. I FURNISHED THE USED SENSOR ON THE INTERNET FOR $95 AND THE LIGHT DISAPPEARED. SAVED OVER $1000 BY TAKING CHARGE OF REPAIRS. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT INVOLVING THIS CAR. MY UNDERSTANDING IS FOLLOWING RESEARCH INTO THE PROBLEM THAT CERTAIN SOFTWARE REMOVAL TOOLS COULD HAVE CLEARED THE BATTERY DRAINAGE EVENT. I DO NOT KNOW IF LEXUS ATTEMPTED THIS REPAIR. I HAVE THE ORIGINAL SENSOR IN MY POSSESSION AND WITH THE SOFTWARE TOOL APPLICATION CAN PROBABLY ASCERTAIN IF THIS WAS THE PRECISE PROBLEM.. SHOULDN'T THE DEALERS BE REQUIRED TO INVESTIGATE P
Mileage: 105,000
Compare 1997LEXUSSC400 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 LEXUS SC400 have?▼
The 1997 LEXUS SC400 has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 LEXUS SC400?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 LEXUS SC400 is AIR BAGS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1997 LEXUS SC400 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.