There are 1 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2002 Lexus SCin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
MY SC430 HAS HAD A STRONG SULFUR SMELL FROM THE EXHAUST SYSTEM (AFTER MEDIUM TO HEAVY ACCELERATION) SINCE IT WAS NEW. WHEN I FIRST MENTIONED IT TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED TO PUT A FEW THOUSAND MILES ON IT AND IT SHOULD GO AWAY. I GAVE IT SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES AND IT DIDN'T HELP. THEY THEN CHECKED IT OUT AND TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM AND REFERRED ME TO A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT SAID I SHOULD TRY A DIFFERENT BRAND OF FUEL. I TRIED EVERY BRAND OF FUEL SOLD IN MY AREA (CHEVRON, UNION 76, SHELL, MOBILE, TEXACO, ARCO, ASTRO, ETC.) AND NONE OF THEM MADE ANY DIFFERENCE. MY DEALERSHIP THEN RAN EXTENSIVE TESTS ON MY VEHICLE AND SAID IT WAS PERFORMING NORMALLY. I'M EMBARRASSED TO HAVE ANYONE RIDE IN MY CAR. I REQUESTED LEXUS BUY IT BACK AT KELLY BLUE BOOK PRICE AND THEY SAID BECAUSE IT WAS OPERATING NORMALLY THEY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME. THEY SHOULD TELL POTENTIAL BUYERS THAT THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO DRIVE WITH THE TOP DOWN UNLESS THEY DON'T PLAN TO ACCELLERATE TO FREEWAY SPEED OR PASS ANYONE.*AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026