Reliability & cost of ownership
Lexus SC Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Lexus SC? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for its AI reliability outlook where NHTSA has enough data.
Lexus SC problems by model year
22 recall entries and 17 owner complaints on file across 9 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 SC | 2 | 0 | No NCAP test | Recalls & complaints → |
| 2009 SC | 2 | 0 | No NCAP test | Recalls & complaints → |
| 2008 SC | 2 | 1 | No NCAP test | Recalls & complaints → |
| 2007 SC | 2 | 1 | No NCAP test | Recalls & complaints → |
| 2006 SC | 2 | 1 | No NCAP test | Recalls & complaints → |
| 2005 SC | 3 | 3 | No NCAP test | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2004 SC | 3 | 2 | No NCAP test | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2003 SC | 3 | 4 | No NCAP test | AI reliability outlook → |
| 2002 SC | 3 | 5 | No NCAP test | AI reliability outlook → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Lexus SC, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- air bags11 complaints
- service brakes2 complaints
- electrical system1 complaint
- steering1 complaint
- suspension1 complaint
- vehicle speed control1 complaint
- hydraulic1 complaint
- tires1 complaint