Airbag complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
A safety recall notice (interim notice) was issued for the front passenger air bag inflator on my vehicle on May 18, 2015. My Lexus dealer in maui, hawaii, assured me they had the necessary repair parts for my vehicle so I brought the vehicle in for service September 22, 2015. After I dropped the car off, the service manager later called me to explain that they do not have the repair parts for my vehicle and, in fact, have been unable to determine from Lexus what parts are needed or when they will be available. This has been an open issue for four months now, with no resolution date in sight. The safety recall notice has advised me "until the remedy becomes available, we recommend that you do not operate the vehicle with an occupant in the front passenger seat." this is a two-seater vehicle, meaning I can carry no passengers until the potential defect is remedied. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Lexus SC430. 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Updated 11/09/15 updated 01/20/2016 manufacterer of vehicle did not have the parts to ship to the dealer for few months, from time of recall to the time of repair. 4/16/18
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Lexus SC430. While attempting to decelerate at 40 MPH, the vehicle lurched forward. Consequently he crashed into 2 iron gates. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealership the current and failure mileages were 16000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Lexus SC430. 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Takata Recall. The contact owns a 2005 Lexus SC430. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V741000 (Air Bags) and drove 5 hours to the only Lexus dealer in the State of Maine. The dealer informed the contact that they would need to repair the vehicle clockspring to clear the air bag warning light prior to completing the recall repair. The contact declined and the dealer refused to complete the recall repair. The contact drove back to his residence. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the air bag warning light had been illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that the dealer should have completed the recall repair. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Lexus SC430. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V285000 (air bags) and stated that the part was not available within a reasonable timeframe to schedule the recall repair. The dealer did not give a specific date for when the part would become available. The manufacturer could not provide an estimated date for when the contact's vehicle would receive the recall repair. The contact was not experiencing a failure.
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2004 Lexus SC430. 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Lexus SC430. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V285000 (air bags) and stated that the parts needed for the recall repair were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Related recalls (1)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430,…
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator.
Frequently asked questions
Which Lexus SC430 years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (18), 2007 (17), 2003 (10), 2005 (5) and 2006 (5) model years. Airbag complaints make up 43% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for Lexus SC430 airbag problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 19V-741 (inflator module, Oct 17, 2019). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Lexus SC430 airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles; 25% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal › sensor/control module (1 mentions).
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.