2002 LEXUS SC Complaints

TRUNK LID DROPPED AND HIT ME ON THE HEAD BECAUSE THE AIR(?) CYLINDERS HAVE FAILED AND WILL NO LONGER SUPPORT THE TRUNK LID WHEN IT IS OPEN. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN TURNING ON THE VEHICLE THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE DASHBOARD GAUGES COULD NOT BE READ IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT. THERE WAS A SENSOR THAT CAUSED THE DASHBOARD TO ILLUMINATE AT DUSK. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THERE WAS NO WAY TO BYPASS THE SENSOR. *AK UPDATED 02/07/06.*JB

2002 LEXUS SC 430 DEVELOPED PROBLEMS WITH THE EQUIPPED RUNFLAT TIRES.*MR THE CONSUMER DIDN'T LIKE THE RUN FLAT TIRES BECAUSE THEY PRODUCED UNBEARABLE ROAD NOISE AND MADE THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO HANDLE. WHEN THE TIRES ENCOUNTERED GROOVED PAVEMENT THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. DURING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT 2 OF THE TIRES WERE BULGING AND ON EXHIBITED EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE INSIDE. *NM

I OWN A 2002 LEXUS SC430 WHICH HAS BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RUNFLAT TIRES ON IT. I PUT ON A NEW SET OF TIRES 1 YEAR AGO AND 17,000 MILES LATE, THE VEHICLE IS ALL OVER THE ROAD, TIRES WEAR EXCESSIVELY ON THE INSIDES, AND I'VE HAD IT ALIGNED ABOUT 3 TIMES IN THAT 1 YEAR. A FRIEND OF MINE HAD THE SAME VEHICLE AND HE HAD TO GET RID OF IT FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE TIRES BECOME VERY NOISY AND IT SOUNDS LIKE ALL THE WHEEL BEARINGS ARE BAD. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP IS TRYING TO TELL ME THAT THIS HIGH PERFORMANCE TIRE ONLY LASTS 10,000 MILES, BUT WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR TO AN ALIGNMENT EXPERT AT ANOTHER REPAIR SHOP, HE STATED THAT IS IS DEFINITELY AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM WITH THE CAR AND THAT THERE WAS PLENTY OF TREAD LIFE LEFT ON THE REST OF THE TIRES. UPON FURTHER RESEARCHING THIS ON THE HTTP://LEXUSOWNERSCLUB.COM, I FOUND OUT THAT MANY OF THE SC430 OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME TIRE WEAR/STEERING PROBLEM AND THAT THE CAR WAS BUILT WITH A NEGATIVE CAMBER AND THAT PUTS MORE WEAR ON THE TIRES. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AS IT DOES GREATLY AFFECT THE STEERING AND SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE. WE ARE UNABLE TO DRIVE IT ON THE OPEN HIGHWAY FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THE LEXUS COMPANY IS BLAMING THE PROBLEM ON THE POTENZA TIRES. THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIMELY ASSISTANCE ON THIS. *JB

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

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A WHEEL RIM PROBLEM. FIRST, PASSENGER SIDE REAR RIM CRACKED AND DAMAGED TIRE. SECONDLY, DRIVER SIDE REAR RIM CRACKED, AND ALSO DAMAGED THE TIRE. VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN AT NORMAL SPEED ON NORMAL ROAD SURFACE. *AK

THE LOCATION AND THE WAY THE SEAT RECLINES BACKWARDS UNTO THE PASSENGER SEAT, CAUSES A SAFETY RISK. CONSUMER ACCIDENTALLY ENGAGE THE BUTTON TO DECLINE THE SEAT UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE AND ALMOST SQUASHED THEIR TODDLER SEATING IN THE REAR SEAT.*AK

BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RUNS FLAT-SIDEWALL FAILURE-RUN FLAT FEATURE FAILED RUINING WHEEL, BUBBLE APPEARED ON SIDEWALL OF 2 TIRES. *LA

I JUST CAN CONFIRM ALL THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SC430S HANDLING. DANGEROUS - ESPECIALLY ON ROUGH ROADS. CAR TENDS TO FOLLOW ANY KIND OF ROAD ABNORMALLY. I COMPLAINED AT LEXUS FROM THE FIRST DAY (OVER TWO YEARS NOW). REPLACED RUN FLATS, STILL NOT ABLE TO HANDLE THE CAR. SEEMS TO BE A SUSPENSION RELATED PROBLEM. LEXUS THINKS THIS IS NORMAL- HA HA - $70000 PIECE OF SHI.. I'M TOTALLY UPSET ABOUT REACTION FROM LEXUS DEALER AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT. *JB

VEHICLE WHEELS ARE BECOMING OUT OF ROUND CAUSING VEHICLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. *MR VEHICLE VIBRATED AT 65 MPH AND VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. AS A RESULT 2 TIRES AND 2 WHEELS WERE BENT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TT *JB