2006 Lexus IS 350 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
100/100
#1 most-complained of 15 IS 350 years
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
The 2006 Lexus IS 350 ranks worst of 15 model years for this model, with a complaint index of 100 and 93 owner complaints. NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns covering airbags, fuel system, engine VVT, and wiper arms, giving it the site's Avoid verdict.
- Complaints
- 93
- Recalls
- 8
- Crashes / fires
- 5 / 0
- Injuries / deaths
- 3 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 21
- 19 city / 26 hwy
Top 2006 Lexus IS 350 problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Structure & Body30 (32%)
- Engine18 (19%)
- Visibility & Wipers18 (19%)
- Airbags17 (18%)
- Steering8 (9%)
- Brakes5 (5%)
- Other5 (5%)
- Electrical System4 (4%)
- Fuel System4 (4%)
- Seat Belts2 (2%)
What owners report
- Owners describe sudden unintended acceleration while braking, including one case that reached 90 mph before the emergency brake stopped the car.
- Driver's side airbags failed to deploy in a front-end collision.
- Rear view mirrors vibrate or become discolored, making it hard to see traffic behind the car, especially with the sunroof or windows open.
- Dashboards rattled heavily on a new vehicle, requiring repeated trips to the dealer for the same complaint.
- A power steering rack failure left one owner unable to steer the vehicle.
- Anti-lock brakes and stability control reportedly failed during an emergency swerve, leading to a rollover crash.
2006 Lexus IS 350 recalls
8 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 19V741000Oct 17, 2019Airbags928,220 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.
- NHTSA 18V432000Jun 26, 2018Fuel System114,998 vehicles
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Lexus GS350 and GS450h, 2006-2013 Lexus IS350 and 2010-2014 Lexus IS350C vehicles, equipped with 3.5L V6 2GR-FSE gasoline engines. The diaphragms in the fuel pulsation dampers may harden over time and develop cracks, possibly causing a fuel leak.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery pipe with a new pipe that has improved pulsation dampers, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2018. Owners may contact Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's number for this recall is JLF.
- NHTSA 17V006000Jan 9, 2017Airbags577,875 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012 Toyota 4Runner, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, Yaris, Scion xB, Lexus ES350, GX460, IS-F, IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, and Lexus LFA vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Toyota is recalling certain 2009 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Yaris, Yaris HB, Scion xB, Pontiac Vibe, Lexus, ES350, IS250, IS350, and IS-F vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Toyota is recalling certain 2006-2008 Lexus IS250 and IS350, 2007-2008 Lexus ES350, Toyota Yaris, Yaris HB, and 2008 Lexus IS-F and Scion xB vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 1, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331, or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. Toyota's numbers for final remedy for this campaign are G0P (Toyota Zone A), G0R (Toyota Zone B), H0A (Toyota Zone C), GLG (Lexus Zone A), GLH (Lexus Zone B) and HLA (Lexus Zone C).
2006 Lexus IS 350 fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 19 MPG
- Highway
- 26 MPG
- Combined
- 21 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,800
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Premium
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2006 compared with other IS 350 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2006 Lexus IS 350 reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2006 model has the highest complaint index (100) of all 15 IS 350 model years and ranks worst overall, earning an Avoid verdict.
- What are the most common problems with the 2006 Lexus IS 350?
- Structure & Body complaints make up 32% of reports (30 complaints), followed by Engine and Visibility & Wipers issues, each at 19% (18 complaints), and Airbags at 18% (17 complaints).
- Does the 2006 Lexus IS 350 have recalls?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for this year, covering airbags, fuel system components, engine VVT units, and wiper arm nuts. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- What mileage do problems typically show up at on the 2006 IS 350?
- The median mileage at failure across reported problems is 80,000 miles, though Brakes issues showed up earlier at a median of 46,000 miles.
- Which IS 350 model years are better than 2006?
- Every later year has a lower complaint index than the 2006 model's 100. Years like 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2020 show much lower indexes, though not all carry a Good or Best verdict.