What breaks most · 2006 to 2016 model years
Lexus IS 250 problems by year
Owners have filed 719 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Lexus IS 250 across model years 2006 to 2016. Three years stand out: 2007 for body and structure complaints, 2006 for body and structure complaints and 2008 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 2013, 2012 and 2011.
- Years to check closely: 2007, 2006, 2008
- Fewest complaints: 2013, 2012, 2011
- Complaints on file
- 7192006 to 2016, all trims
- Worst year
- 2007213 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 565 fires · 38 injuries · 2 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 68kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 38Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 189 | 10 | 6 | Body and structure (53) | |
| 213 | 12 | 5 | Body and structure (59) | |
| 125 | 6 | 5 | Air bags (38) | |
| 48 | 3 | 6 | Air bags (20) | |
| 40 | 8 | 6 | Air bags (26) | |
| 30 | 5 | 4 | Air bags (20) | |
| 17 | 4 | 4 | Air bags (10) | |
| 5 | 1 | 2 | Air bags (2) | |
| 35 | 6 | 0 | Electrical system (9) | |
| 16 | 1 | 0 | Unknown or other (6) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) |
What fails on the 2007 Lexus IS 250
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 28% |
59 | 2 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2007 Lexus IS 250 |
| Air bags | 24% |
52 | 7 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Unknown or other | 12% |
26 | 0 | — |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 10% |
22 | 4 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2007 Lexus IS 250 |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 9% |
19 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2007 Lexus IS 250 |
| Wipers and visibilityWiper motors and blades | 8% |
18 | 0 | Shop all wipers and visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 5% |
10 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2007 Lexus IS 250 |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 5% |
10 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2007 Lexus IS 250 |
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.
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Takata recall airbag did not inflate when hitting a brick wall head on. My car was in motion and was hit on the rear passenger side of the vehicle and fish tailed head on into wall and i sustained injuries.
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Dashboard and all rubber inside of the vehicle gets hot and sticky. My hand and nails sink into the rubber and gets how when there is direct sunlight on the dash and along the front and back doors. All of the rubber parts crack
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Melting dashboard and door panel, those smell really bad, i do have a minor kid i can not put in the car. I have get some card from lexus but still waiting for fix. Been several time in the dealer and have not received an answer yet.
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 6, 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 250 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2007, 2006, 2008 carry the most filings on the Lexus IS 250. The 2007 alone has 213 complaints, led by body and structure.
What is the most common Lexus IS 250 problem?
On the 2007 model year, the most-reported component is body and structure with 59 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Lexus IS 250 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Lexus IS 250 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.