Lexus · SC · 2002
3
Recalls
52
Complaints
-
Not Rated
The 2002 Lexus SC has 3 recalls and 52 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Most reported issue: air bags (20 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 28, 2026
The 2002 Lexus SC page works best as a research starting point. Complaint totals show how much owner-reported activity exists, while recalls and investigations help show whether any of that activity turned into formal safety action.
Because this is a newer-era vehicle page, it usually helps to compare this year against nearby model years before deciding whether a complaint pattern looks isolated or persistent. On this page, the most prominent complaint area is air bags with 20 reported complaints.
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
If you are researching a used vehicle, start with the complaint categories, compare them against the recall list, and then check nearby model years to see whether the same issue profile repeats. That usually produces a better buying or research signal than treating the raw complaint total as a standalone safety ranking.
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 modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation.
Remedy Status
Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General Motors will notify the Pontiac Vibe owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, or replace the air bag assembly that includes an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 23, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371, Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. Toyota's numbers for these recalls are J0A (Zone A Toyota), J0B (Zone B Toyota), J0C (Zone C Toyota), JLI (Zone A Lexus), JLJ (Zone B Lexus), and JLK (Zone C Lexus). Note: This recall includes vehicles that have had their air bag previously replaced under an earlier air bag campaign.
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 Coast, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa. On June 16, 2015 Toyota expanded the recall to cover an additional 769,055 vehicles, including certain model year 2002-2004 Lexus SC, Toyota Sequoia, 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix, Toyota Corolla, Pontiac Vibe, and Toyota Tundra vehicles, as well the vehicles covered by the May 13, 2015 notification in the portions of Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas that were not previously included. The inflators in the front passenger air bags are susceptible to rupture in the event of a crash necessitating the deployment of the front passenger air bag.
Remedy Status
2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-286 are under a Do Not Drive advisory. Owners of these vehicles are advised not to drive their vehicles until the recall remedy has been completed. Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the passenger side front air bag, free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota began the recall on July 13, 2015. Pontiac Vibe owners may contact GM at 1-800-762-2737. GM began the recall on June 29, 2015. NOTE: This recacll supersedes recall 14V-655 in its entirety. For vehicles located in the U.S. states not listed above, please see Toyota recall 15V-285 which covers all other U.S. states.
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, Toyota expanded the recall to include an additional 1,270,468 vehicles, including model year 2002-2003 and 2005-2007 Sequoia, 2005-2006 Tundra, 2003-2007 Corolla, 2003-2007 Corolla Matrix, 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe and 2002-2007 Lexus SC vehicles. This is to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag inflator which may produce excessive internal pressure causing the inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag. This recall addresses both the passenger side frontal air bags that were originally installed in the vehicles, as well as replacement air bags that may have been installed as replacement service parts. A replacement air bag may have been installed, as one example, if a vehicle had been in a crash necessitating the replacement of the passenger side frontal air bag.
Remedy Status
2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-285 are under a Do Not Drive advisory. Owners of these vehicles are advised not to drive their vehicles until the recall remedy has been completed. Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag. The recall began on July 13, 2015. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Pontiac owners may call 1-800-762-2737. NOTE: This recall supersedes recall 14V-312 in its entirety.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2002 Lexus SC430. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 110,000, and at the ...
Preview excerpt
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LEXUS SC. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, AN ABNORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. ALSO, WHEN DRIVING OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD, THE FRONT SUSPENSION PULLED TO THE RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSE...
Preview excerpt
LEXUS HAS EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO PERFORM AIRBAG RECALL REPLACEMENT
THERE IS CONDENSATION IN THE HEAD LAMPS WHICH AFFECTS HOW WELL THEY WORK AT NIGHT. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN MODIFIED OR HAD ANY TYPE OF INJURY THAT WOULD RESULT IN CONDENSATION BEING INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT COVERS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. IT IMPAIRS HOW WEL...
Preview excerpt
2002 LEXUS SC430. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG INFLATOR MODULE SAFETY RECALL. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICOLE WAS TAKEN TO HAVE THE RECALL COMPLETED, BUT WAS TOLD THE ZONE WAS NOT CURRENTLY AUTHORIZED TO COMPLEE THE REPAIR. UPDATED 11/08/2017*JS
HAD AIRBAG RECALL DONE ABOUT 1500 MILES AGO, AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT IS NOW ON , STEADY ,ALL THE TIME
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 LEXUS SC. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V285000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUF...
Preview excerpt
I HAD THE SAFETY RECALL, CONCERNING THE AIRBAG INFLATOR MODULE, DONE ON MY CAR BUT NOW THE AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT STAYS ON.
TAKATA RECALL BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY NOTICE ON WHAT TO DO TO GET THIS FIXED.
DRIVING THE CAR UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS AT ABOUT 45 MPH AND THE BRAKES WENT COMPLETELY OUT WITHOUT ANY WARNING. IM FORTUNATE THAT I DIDN'T CRASH THE VEHICLE INTO SOMETHING OR SOMEONE! CONTACTED LEXUS TO LET THEM KNOW THE ISSUE AND THEY BASICALLY LAUGHED IT OFF !! POOR CUSTOMER SE...
Preview excerpt
Showing 10 recent complaints from 52 total
View Full Complaint LogThe strongest comparison flow is usually: exact vehicle-year page, then nearby years of the same model, then other 2002 Lexus models. That sequence helps separate one-off year spikes from broader make-wide patterns.
The 2002 Lexus SC has 3 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 52 owner-reported complaints for the 2002 Lexus SC.
NHTSA has not published a safety rating for the 2002 Lexus SC.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2002 Lexus SC are air bags (20 reports), exterior lighting (5 reports), tires (4 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 3 recalls on record for the 2002 Lexus SC. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.