1993 Lexus SC300 sc 300 review from North America

Most expensive fix so far was the head gasket that blew at 134,000. Apparently this is a common problem with these cars and toyota supras also- The engine block is cast iron and the head is aluminum- both metals expand at different rates and even 1 overheating episode will cause head gasket to warp. The fix cost me close to $5000- the mechanic also changed both O2 sensors, catalytic converters, timing belt, valve cover gaskets, serpentine belt- Got new shocks at 130,000- tried changing them myself- couldn't do it. These cars are very hard to work on.. They are beautiful- but the engineers who designed these cars did not want any diyers working on them. There is very little space to work on these cars. Had to have car towed to local pep boys for starter replacement. Also changed the power antenna at 136,000 miles.. paid $350 for a whole new unit from lexus- tried changing just the mast- didn't work. The passenger side will not open-have to have that looked at. Changed the tie rods and 1 upper control arm recently- did that myself. Car runs great, great sounding stock exhaust system- Replaced burnt out dash bulbs and needles. The needles I had rebuilt by Lextech. com at the cost of $129 and the bulbs in the back of the gauge cluster can be bought and replaced for about $30- I got 12 bulbs from L.E.D. bulbs. The LEDS will last the life of the car and you can order any color you want. The type # that fits is type #74 and they will fit in the stock housing in back of cluster-the whole job will take about 2 hours to take out cluster and install new bulbs. Lextech requires that you send them your stock cluster for needle replacement. Be forewarned do not turn the car on while cluster is out- also remove negative battery cable before taking out cluster- otherwise your air bag light will come on. Ride is very smooth- To help gas mileage I have 40 psi of air in all 4 tires and it actually helps handling and gas mileage- about 23 mpg highway.

This car handles very well- transmission is very close to been bullerproof. You can go as high as 40 psi of air in tires and the car will handle even better. Brakes are very good too.. Never had to change any brake pads in over 16,000 miles and they are very responsive- The car is very heavy and you cannot toss it around too much like smaller cars- This engine is known for their longevity, but do take care of the cooling system. Flush coolant at least 1 time a year- If your car ever overheat you might be in for a very expensive fix to the head gasket. I drive very hard and surprisingly tire wear is not a big concern with these cars- I have the same set of tires for the last 16,000 miles and I rotate very 8,000 miles and they still have 80% of tread left.