Most common 2003 Lexus SC problems
Share of the 4 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Lexus SC complaints by model year
Best SC years: 2003, 2004, 2006. Compare all years →
2003 Lexus SC recalls (3)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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.
Remedy: 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,…
Air bags
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.
Remedy: 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-285 are under a Do Not Drive advisory.
Air bags
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,…
Remedy: 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-286 are under a Do Not Drive advisory.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2003 Lexus SC:
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
What 2003 Lexus SC owners say
Air bags
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 resolve this situation or even make an appointment with Lexus for my out of town trip. Not honoring the recall. Requesting that Lexus buy back the defective car for $15000 and they can fix it whenever they get around to it. [redacted]
We received an interim notice regarding the possibility of a malfunction in the passenger air bag and that Toyota is working on a remedy. Since this situation could occur before the remedy is developed and implemented I request that NHTSA require Toyota provide interim relief in the form of deactivating the passenger side airbag until such time that a permanent fix is implemented. [redacted]
2003 Lexus SC engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Lexus SC a good car?
Based on 4 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 SC rates few complaints: 20% fewer complaints than a typical year of the SC at the same age. It is one of the best SC years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Lexus SC?
The air bags — 3 complaints, 75% of all complaints for this model year. Next is the brakes (1).
How many recalls does the 2003 Lexus SC have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2003 Lexus SC, the most recent from December 12, 2018 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Lexus SC?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2003, 2004 and 2006. See the full Lexus SC years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 Lexus SC problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 24,000 miles; 100% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.