Lexus · SC · 2003
3
Recalls
25
Complaints
-
Not Rated
The 2003 Lexus SC has 3 recalls and 25 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Most reported issue: air bags (13 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 28, 2026
The 2003 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 13 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 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.
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.
While driving home one day four warning lights lit up: VSC, VSC OFF, ABS & BRAKE, plus a very loud warning tone. I cautiously drove home thinking at any moment my brakes may not stop the car in time. I arrived at home & parked in the garage. I needed some time to think what I sho...
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DEALER REFUSED TO MAKE REPAIRS IN ASHEVILLE AFTER MAKING APPOINTMENT TO REPAIR. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE DEALER ADVISED THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED IN-STATE.
RECEIVED 3 LETTERS ON RECALL #K6FV-AAE. CALLED TAKATA, LEXUS CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, AND THE CLOSEST LEXUS DEALERSHIP IN SANTA BARBARA. NOBODY IS FOLLOWING UP. I AM RUNNING A BUSINESS AND CAN ONLY TRAVEL OUT OF TOWN ON SATURDAY AND WILL LOSE AN ENTIRE DAY. NOBODY IS HELPING TO R...
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TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LEXUS SC430. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V741000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF ...
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TAKATA RECALL - WHEN I CHECKED UNDER LEXUS TO SEE IF MY VEHICLE WAS LISTED IT WAS BUT WHEN I PUT IN THE VIN NUMBER IT SAID O - SO I'M CONFUSED WHY WOULD IT SAY YES UNDER LEXUS BUT NOT UNDER THE VIN NUMBER ? IS IT SAFE ?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LEXUS SC430. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, ALL THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATORS ILLUMINATED AND THEN SHUT OFF, AND THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTED. THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO JERK WHEN THE GEARS WERE SHIFTED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THA...
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RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE AND SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT FOR AIR BAG RECALL TO BE REPAIRED. THE LEXUS DEALER HELD THE CAR FOR FOUR DAYS BEFORE REALIZING THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO MAKE THE REPAIR. WE WERE TOLD TO PICK UP THE CAR AND THEY COULD NOT TELL US WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BE AV...
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LEXUS SC430. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V312000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL ...
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 LEXUS SC430. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V350000 (AIR BAGS). HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL R...
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NO INCIDENT, JUST GENERAL COMPLAINT / CONCERN - I AM TOLD TO EXPECT UP TO 60 DAYS FOR PART RECEIPT TO FIX MY VEHICLE. BUT IT IS CLEARLY STATED IN THE BY RECALL NOTICE NOT TO DRIVE VEHICLE WITH PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPIED. QUESTION: IS THERE A RECOURSE SINCE I WILL BE UNABLE TO D...
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Showing 10 recent complaints from 25 total
View Full Complaint LogThe strongest comparison flow is usually: exact vehicle-year page, then nearby years of the same model, then other 2003 Lexus models. That sequence helps separate one-off year spikes from broader make-wide patterns.
The 2003 Lexus SC has 3 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 25 owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Lexus SC.
NHTSA has not published a safety rating for the 2003 Lexus SC.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2003 Lexus SC are air bags (13 reports), tires (2 reports), suspension,service brakes, hydraulic,engine and engine cooling,unknown or other (1 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 3 recalls on record for the 2003 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.