1998 Lexus SC300

The federal record traces a downward arc in total complaints across the generation, falling from 10 in 1992 to 8 in 1993 and settling at 3 for 1994–1995, before a modest rebound to 5 in 1997, while recalls and investigations remained at zero every year in the sample. Against that low-complaint baseline, 1998 registers a sharp departure: its Air Bags category alone accounts for 7 complaints, already exceeding the entire annual complaint totals for 1994, 1995, and 1997, with additional volume in Seat Belts (5), Vehicle Speed Control (5), and Electrical System (4), plus 13 crash and 1 fire complaint. Root causes for these 1998 issues are unspecified in the data, and the record provides no 1998 recall, investigation, or TSB counts, leaving federal corrective action unconfirmed. Factory service bulletins held steady near 27 through 1995 and ticked up to 35 in 1997, the highest level shown, yet 1998 sits outside that documented pattern. Because 1998 breaks from the generation’s earlier calm with individual complaint counts that surpass the total volumes of the quietest years, it is a riskier purchase and not the best vintage to buy; prospective owners must secure thorough pre-purchase verification and complete service records.