What breaks most · 1999 to 2013 model years
Lexus IS problems by year
Owners have filed 311 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Lexus IS across model years 1999 to 2013. Three years stand out: 2006 for body and structure complaints, 2007 for body and structure complaints and 2008 for body and structure complaints. The quietest years are 1999, 2001 and 2011.
- Years to check closely: 2006, 2007, 2008
- Fewest complaints: 1999, 2001, 2011
- Complaints on file
- 3111999 to 2013, all trims
- Worst year
- 200684 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 212 fires · 18 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 68kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 22Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Unknown or other (1) | |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Engine and cooling (1) | |
| 11 | 1 | 1 | Body and structure (5) | |
| 9 | 3 | 1 | Air bags (4) | |
| 10 | 1 | 1 | Unknown or other (5) | |
| 11 | 2 | 1 | Body and structure (5) | |
| 84 | 0 | 7 | Body and structure (38) | |
| 74 | 2 | 3 | Body and structure (36) | |
| 56 | 2 | 3 | Body and structure (17) | |
| 23 | 3 | 2 | Speed control and throttle (8) | |
| 19 | 3 | 1 | Air bags (13) | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (6) | |
| 5 | 2 | 0 | Air bags (3) | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | Air bags (1) |
What fails on the 2006 Lexus IS
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 45% |
38 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2006 Lexus IS |
| Wipers and visibilityWiper motors and blades | 21% |
18 | 0 | Shop all wipers and visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 18% |
15 | 0 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Unknown or other | 10% |
8 | 0 | — |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 7% |
6 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2006 Lexus IS |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 4% |
3 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2006 Lexus IS |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 4% |
3 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2006 Lexus IS |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 2% |
2 | 0 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2006 Lexus IS |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Dashboard and door panels are liquefying. The melting dashboard is creating a haze on the windshield that's obtrusive for safe driving. The door panels are cracking every where.
-
The dashboard is cracked, melted, and sticky. I had to cover it up with a new material for cosmetic reason. Also, value of the car decreased by $1000 dollars for the damage. Second, there is a lot of creaking in the car. Third, the alternator died at 120,00 miles.
-
The plastic dashboard on my vehicle has become wet and sticky because of the sun. There is a bad glare fr the dashboard making it dangerous to drive in the sun as i cannot see clearly in front of me.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Lexus IS years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2006, 2007, 2008 carry the most filings on the Lexus IS. The 2006 alone has 84 complaints, led by body and structure.
What is the most common Lexus IS problem?
On the 2006 model year, the most-reported component is body and structure with 38 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Lexus IS problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Lexus IS complaints that include mileage is about 68,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.