Lexus IS Best and Worst Years (2005–2025)
Lexus IS years 2006 through 2010, plus 2012, show the highest complaint index scores (75-100) and the most recall campaigns, led by 2006 with 143 complaints and 7 recalls. No year earns a Best verdict; 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2023 rate Good with complaint index scores of 25, 40, 35, and 45.
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls per model-year, ranked within this model — not a reliability rating. Methodology.
Avoid 2006Avoid 2007Avoid 2008Avoid 2009Avoid 2010Avoid 2012
- Model years
- 21
- 2005–2025
- NHTSA complaints
- 558
- Recall campaigns
- 8
- Crashes reported
- 33
- Fires reported
- 5
- Top problem area
- Structure & Body
IS Complaint Index by year
Higher = more complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and Do-Not-Drive recalls per year on the road, relative to other years of this model.
Lexus IS problems and recalls by year
| Year | Verdict | Index | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Recalls | Top issue | MPG | NCAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Caution | 55 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Structure & Body | 18 | — |
| 2006 | Avoid | 100 | 143 | 3 | 5 | 7 | Structure & Body | — | — |
| 2007 | Avoid | 95 | 122 | 6 | 0 | 3 | Structure & Body | — | — |
| 2008 | Avoid | 90 | 102 | 4 | 0 | 3 | Engine | 18 | — |
| 2009 | Avoid | 85 | 40 | 4 | 0 | 2 | Engine | 18 | — |
| 2010 | Avoid | 80 | 40 | 7 | 0 | 1 | Airbags | 20.5 | — |
| 2011 | Caution | 60 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Airbags | 22 | — |
| 2012 | Avoid | 75 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Airbags | 22 | — |
| 2013 | Caution | 70 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Visibility & Wipers | 22 | — |
| 2014 | Caution | 50 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Electrical System | 18 | — |
| 2015 | Good | 25 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Electrical System | — | — |
| 2016 | No verdict | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Fuel System | 23.5 | — |
| 2017 | Good | 40 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Fuel System | 23.5 | — |
| 2018 | No verdict | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Engine | 24 | — |
| 2019 | No verdict | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Suspension, Wheels & Tires | 22.5 | — |
| 2020 | Good | 35 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Engine | 22.5 | — |
| 2021 | No verdict | 30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 23.5 | — |
| 2022 | No verdict | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Fuel System | 22 | — |
| 2023 | Good | 45 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Brakes | 22 | — |
| 2024 | No verdict | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Visibility & Wipers | 22 | — |
| 2025 | No verdict | 65 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Structure & Body | 22 | — |
IS years to avoid: what went wrong
2006 Lexus IS Index 100 · 143 complaints · 7 recalls
The 2006 IS logged 143 complaints, the most of any year, with a complaint index of 100 and 7 recall campaigns. Structure & Body issues led at 43 complaints, including reports of melting interior panels. Visibility & Wipers and Airbags followed, with airbag-related median mileage at failure around 108,000. Recalls covered fuel system, brake fluid seals, and accelerator pedal entrapment. Crashes were reported 3 times and fires 5 times.
2006 structure & body problems →2006 visibility & wipers problems →2006 airbags problems →
2007 Lexus IS Index 95 · 122 complaints · 3 recalls
The 2007 IS had 122 complaints and a complaint index of 95, with 3 recall campaigns tied to fuel delivery pipes and accelerator pedals. Structure & Body problems made up 39 percent of complaints, median mileage 82,500. Visibility & Wipers issues followed at 68,000 median mileage, and Airbags at 100,130 median mileage. Six crashes and one death were reported for this year.
2007 structure & body problems →2007 visibility & wipers problems →2007 airbags problems →
2008 Lexus IS Index 90 · 102 complaints · 3 recalls
The 2008 IS recorded 102 complaints and a complaint index of 90, with 3 recall campaigns covering fuel and engine components. Engine problems were the top category at 25 complaints, median mileage 104,000, followed closely by Structure & Body and Airbags. Four crashes and four injuries were reported. Owners described sudden unintended movement and airbag non-deployment in crashes.
2008 engine problems →2008 structure & body problems →2008 airbags problems →
2009 Lexus IS Index 85 · 40 complaints · 2 recalls
The 2009 IS had 40 complaints and a complaint index of 85, with 2 recall campaigns for accelerator pedal entrapment and fuel systems. Engine complaints dominated at 33 percent, with a notably low median mileage of 12,500, suggesting problems appeared early. Four crashes and four injuries were reported. Owners described sudden acceleration and brake response problems at low mileage.
2010 Lexus IS Index 80 · 40 complaints · 1 recalls
The 2010 IS logged 40 complaints and a complaint index of 80, tied to 1 recall campaign for accelerator pedal entrapment. Airbags were the top problem area at 40 percent of complaints, with median mileage at failure of 133,662. Seven crashes were reported, the highest crash count of any IS year. Owners described unintended acceleration events and airbag non-deployment during crashes.
2012 Lexus IS Index 75 · 18 complaints · 0 recalls
The 2012 IS had 18 complaints and a complaint index of 75, despite no recall campaigns on file. Airbags led problem areas at 44 percent of complaints, with median mileage at failure of 23,000, indicating early failures. Three crashes were reported. Owners described airbags failing to deploy in crashes and unexpected acceleration during low-speed maneuvers.
Most common Lexus IS problems (all years)
Share of NHTSA complaints by component group across all model years.
- Structure & Body141 (25%)
- Other113 (20%)
- Airbags107 (19%)
- Engine93 (17%)
- Visibility & Wipers91 (16%)
- Electrical System53 (9%)
- Fuel System37 (7%)
- Steering32 (6%)
- Brakes27 (5%)
- Transmission & Powertrain26 (5%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- What years of the Lexus IS should I avoid?
- NHTSA data points to 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012 as the years with the highest complaint index scores for the Lexus IS, ranging from 75 to 100. The 2006 model year has the most complaints at 143 and the most recall campaigns at 7.
- Is there a best year for the Lexus IS?
- No Lexus IS year earns a Best verdict in this dataset. The lowest-risk years are 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2023, which carry Good verdicts with complaint index scores of 25, 40, 35, and 45.
- Does the Lexus IS have recall campaigns?
- Across all years covered, NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for the Lexus IS. The 2006 model year alone accounts for 7 of them, covering fuel system, brake fluid seal, and accelerator pedal problems.
- What is the most common problem area for the Lexus IS?
- Structure & Body complaints are the largest category across all IS years, making up 25 percent of the 558 total complaints, followed by Airbags at 19 percent and Engine at 17 percent.
- Is the 2009 Lexus IS reliable?
- The 2009 IS carries a complaint index of 85 and an Avoid verdict relative to other IS years, with Engine complaints making up 33 percent of its 40 total complaints at a median mileage of 12,500.