AI Damage1997 Lexus SC300: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Lexus SC300 filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 5
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 40% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 20% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 20% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 20% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 20% of all complaints
- 6 Tires 20% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 20% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (40% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Steering: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 5 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Upon impact, air bags did not deploy, total damage to front of car. Would not go into parking mode therefore, the keys could not be removed from ignition. Repairman did not find anything wrong. The accident happened after the shift wouldn't go into parking mode.
Consumer states that the bracket that holds exhaust to vehicle is defected, consumer states that when the bracket gets hot it expands, this causes the bracket to crack, dealer states it was poorly designed. Nlm
On jan 4, 1999, I purchased 4 cooper tires at gex tire co, [address], hampton, [ZIP]. (dot number: upgrcem339 tiresize: 225/55r-16). All 4 tires were defective and appeared to have had some sort of manufacturing defectives.
While driving on local road made a turn and all of sudden was not able to control steering and no brakes.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 14,282 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 39% most complained about).
On average one model year of the SC300 has 5 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 5, about average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Lexus SC300?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, air bags, powertrain. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (20%), brake failure (20%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Lexus SC300?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1997 Lexus SC300 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1997 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.