1996 Lexus SC400 SC from North America - Comments

Leaking Water Pump.

Alternator went at 110,000 kms.

Cracked AC Vent.

Rear-mounted CD Player gave out.

Condensation in Front Headlights.

Passenger door malfunction (Broken link rod clip which made it impossible to open from the outside)

Minor wear in the leather seats.

Crack in the valve cover (Previous accident)

I bought this car as a rebuild, it had been in a previous front-end collision on the passenger side. As soon as I bought the car I got new brakes and had to fix the water pump. I drove it for a couple of months and then an oil leak caused my alternator to seize which, I believe, was caused from the accident and never addressed.

With these minor repairs aside, this car has been an absolute joy to drive. The interior is in excellent condition considering its 11 years old and all electronics are working (apart from the CD Changer).

This car is deceptively fast and it seems no matter how fast you go, very rarely do you get a shake in the steering wheel. When idling, its difficult to tell if the car is running because its so quiet, but all you have to do is mash the gas and the roar of that V8 comes into play and a smile slides across your face.

As an automatic V8, I find the car to be a little sluggish off the line, but as soon as I hit highway speeds it really opens up.

In snowy conditions I leave the SC at home because I know its not going to get anywhere without a couple hundred pounds in the trunk and some good snow tires. But it only snows here a couple weeks out of the year so, for me, its not really an issue.

I've had this car dealer serviced since I bought it a year ago and the repairs definitely add up (I'm not really mechanically minded) Alternator ($700) Timing belt ($1000) Good ceramic brakes ($500). But if you don't mind taking a hit in the pocket every once and awhile, its definitely worth it!

Overall, I would recommend this car to anyone. Its smooth, its sleek, its comfortable and its got balls.

I have been looking at the sc400 and the sc300, but I'm not a fan of Lexus/toyota. And you had mentioned that the interior was in decent shape considering it's 11 years old. Hey, I have an 86 porsche 944 with 62,000 miles that has no dash cracks, no torn seats, absolutely flawless inside and out and the engine and tranny shift fine. Remember kid, it's not the years, it's the mileage. 11 years isn't that long of a time, so please don't act like it is. It's 11 years, not 21 like my Porsche.

I have nothing against you and your flawless Porsche.. I just looked at a lot of SCs with pretty terrible interiors.. I'm certainly not a kid, but thanks for the lesson Grandad.

What was the purpose of that first reponse??? I think the author was just looking for a place to brag about his Porche. Anyway, I beg to differ. I (t is NOT just the miles, but the age as well. Things will age just sitting. Sometimes they age more quickly just sitting. That goes for people as well as cars.

I prefer the SC over an old 944.