Lexus IS Problems — All Years, Common Issues & Reliability
Year-by-year breakdown of safety recalls, NHTSA owner complaints, reported deaths, injuries, crashes, and worst problem areas. Updated daily from federal databases.
Own a Lexus IS? Check your specific VIN for a full history report.
Lexus IS — Year-by-Year Problem Comparison
| Year | Verdict | Recalls | Complaints | Crashes | Injuries | Deaths | Top Issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026Best | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2025 | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2024 | Excellent | — | 1 | — | — | — | Visibility | Full report → |
| 2023 | Excellent | — | 2 | — | — | — | Structure | Full report → |
| 2022 | Excellent | — | 3 | — | — | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2021 | Excellent | — | 1 | — | — | — | Unknown Or Other | Full report → |
| 2020 | Excellent | — | 5 | — | — | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2019 | Excellent | 1 | 4 | — | 1 | — | Unknown Or Other | Full report → |
| 2018 | Excellent | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | Fuel/Propulsion System | Full report → |
| 2017 | Excellent | 1 | 11 | — | — | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2016 | Excellent | — | 14 | 2 | 6 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2015 | Excellent | 2 | 24 | — | — | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2014 | Good | 3 | 43 | 6 | 1 | — | Fuel/Propulsion System | Full report → |
| 2013 | Excellent | 4 | 10 | — | — | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2012 | Good | 4 | 30 | 14 | 5 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2011 | Good | 6 | 46 | 7 | 3 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2010 | Good | 8 | 64 | 14 | 2 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2009 | Good | 7 | 52 | 2 | 3 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2008 | Caution | 8 | 154 | 9 | 3 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2007 | Avoid | 8 | 274 | 9 | 7 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2006Worst | Avoid | 11 | 296 | 21 | 18 | 1 | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2005 | Excellent | 1 | 11 | 1 | 1 | — | Structure | Full report → |
| 2004 | Excellent | 1 | 21 | 3 | 5 | — | Unknown Or Other | Full report → |
| 2003 | Good | 1 | 19 | 10 | 9 | — | Service Brakes | Full report → |
| 2002 | Good | 1 | 35 | 10 | 6 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | Full report → |
| 2001 | Excellent | 1 | 18 | 4 | 6 | — | Engine And Engine Cooling | Full report → |
26 model years shown. Crashes, injuries, and deaths from NHTSA complaint filings. Click any year for full details.
Most Common Lexus IS Problems
Based on 1,141 owner complaints filed with NHTSA across all model years.
Recent Safety Recalls — Lexus IS (2022–2026)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2015-2022 Lexus RC, 2016-2020 GS, and 2022 IS vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 8, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 26LB05 and 26LA05.
Showing 1 recall from 2022–2026 model years. See the full year-specific pages for older recalls.
IS Years to Avoid
Best IS Years to Buy
Lexus IS Problems by Year
Frequently Asked Questions — Lexus IS Reliability
What year IS has the most problems?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2006 Lexus IS had the highest combined complaint and recall count — 296 complaints and 11 safety recalls. See the full 2006 report for specific defects.
Is the Lexus IS reliable?
The Lexus IS has accumulated 1,141 owner-filed complaints and 68 safety recalls across all model years in NHTSA's database. There have been 1 reported deaths associated with complaints. The 2026 model year shows the fewest reported issues. Always run a VIN check before purchasing any used IS.
What are the most common IS problems?
The most frequently cited problem areas are: Air Bags (226 reports), Structure (184 reports), Unknown Or Other (104 reports), Visibility/Wiper (75 reports). Based on NHTSA complaints across all model years.
How do I check if my IS has an open recall?
Use the vehicle's 17-character VIN at VinCheckEngine.com. Our free VIN report pulls the latest NHTSA recall data along with auction history, odometer records, and 30+ intelligence signals.
Check a Specific Lexus IS VIN
Model-level data shows what can go wrong. A VIN-specific report shows what has gone wrong with a particular vehicle — including auction history, odometer discrepancies, open recalls, accident records, and 30+ intelligence signals.
Run a Free Lexus IS VIN Report →No account required · Instant results · Updated daily