What breaks most · 2001 to 2022 model years
Lexus IS 300 problems by year
Owners have filed 122 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Lexus IS 300 across model years 2001 to 2022. Three years stand out: 2002 for speed control and throttle complaints, 2001 for speed control and throttle complaints and 2003 for body and structure complaints. The quietest years are 2006, 2017 and 2020.
- Years to check closely: 2002, 2001, 2003
- Fewest complaints: 2006, 2017, 2020
- Complaints on file
- 1222001 to 2022, all trims
- Worst year
- 200228 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 225 fires · 21 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 50kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 4Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 8 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (5) | |
| 28 | 3 | 0 | Speed control and throttle (6) | |
| 21 | 5 | 0 | Body and structure (8) | |
| 19 | 3 | 0 | Speed control and throttle (4) | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Wipers and visibility (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Fuel system (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Tires (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Suspension (1) | |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | Body and structure (2) | |
| 7 | 1 | 2 | Unknown or other (4) | |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | Wheels (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Engine (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Engine (1) |
What fails on the 2002 Lexus IS 300
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 21% |
6 | 2 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2002 Lexus IS 300 |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 18% |
5 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 14% |
4 | 1 | — |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 14% |
4 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2002 Lexus IS 300 |
| Tires | 11% |
3 | 0 | — |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 11% |
3 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 2002 Lexus IS 300 |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 7% |
2 | 0 | Shop brakes parts for the 2002 Lexus IS 300 |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 7% |
2 | 1 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2002 Lexus IS 300 |
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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Transmissiong was replaced and clutch. New clutch wore in in 24,000 miles. Claimed it was wear and tear. Never had a clutch go out that early ever!
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While driving vehicle would hesitate when accelerating. Vehicle been to dealer on three occasions, and problem reoccurred. Feel free to provide any further information.*ak
-
Dash is melting and is sticking to anything that is rub up against it. Body parts, car wash towel, grocery. I seel recall on all other model regarding this issue. Except this particular model 2003 lexus is300. I believe it should extend to this year and model as well. No dash should be melting away with heat!
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 300 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2002, 2001, 2003 carry the most filings on the Lexus IS 300. The 2002 alone has 28 complaints, led by speed control and throttle.
What is the most common Lexus IS 300 problem?
On the 2002 model year, the most-reported component is speed control and throttle with 6 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Lexus IS 300 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Lexus IS 300 complaints that include mileage is about 50,000 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.