Lexus IS
Owners filed 598 complaints across 29 model years of the Lexus IS. The 2006 drew the most (143).
Which Lexus IS years should you avoid?
No Lexus IS year stands out. Across the 5 model years old enough to judge, none drew twice the complaints of a typical year (about 102), and none shows an unusual share of fires, crashes or deaths for its age.
Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026. Complaints take a few years to arrive, so a new model year looks better than it is.
How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →
Every Lexus IS model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026Too new | 2 | 0 | — | — | Vehicle Speed Control | Routine | |
| 2025Too new | 1 | 0 | — | — | Structure | Routine | |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | — | — | Visibility | Routine | |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | — | — | Power Train | Routine | |
| 2022 | 4 | 1 | — | — | Fuel/Propulsion System | Routine | |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | — | 1 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2020 | 6 | 0 | — | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | — | — | Visibility/Wiper | Routine | |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | — | — | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2017 | 11 | 0 | — | — | Fuel/Propulsion System | Routine | |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | — | — | Fuel/Propulsion System | Routine | |
| 2015 | 9 | 0 | — | — | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2014 | 12 | 0 | — | 1 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2013 | 9 | 0 | — | 2 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2012 | 18 | 0 | — | 3 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2011 | 15 | 0 | — | — | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2010 | 41 | 1 | — | 7 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2009 | 40 | 2 | — | 4 | Vehicle Speed Control | Routine | |
| 2008 | 102 | 3 | — | 4 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2007 | 122 | 3 | — | 6 | Structure | Fatalities reported | |
| 2006 | 143 | 7 | 5 | 3 | Structure | Routine | |
| 2005 | 12 | 1 | — | 2 | Structure | Routine | |
| 2004 | 10 | 1 | — | 1 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2003 | 12 | 1 | — | 5 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2002 | 12 | 1 | — | 1 | Structure | Routine | |
| 2001 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly | Routine | |
| 2000 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 1999 | 1 | 1 | — | — | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 1998 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine |
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.