Lexus Is Reliability
774 NHTSA complaints (1999–2025). Complaint rate: 52.2 per 1,000 vehicles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 2006–2012 Lexus Is. The 2018–2023 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Lexus Is Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 111 | 2.7% |
| AIR BAGS | 111 | 13.5% |
| STRUCTURE | 92 | 1.1% |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 75 | 2.7% |
| ENGINE | 67 | 4.5% |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 47 | 4.3% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 34 | 5.9% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 33 | 0.0% |
| STEERING | 32 | 12.5% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 25 | 40.0% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | — | 17 | 1 | — | View 2002View→ |
| 2003 | — | 18 | 9 | — | View 2003View→ |
| 2004 | — | 12 | 1 | — | View 2004View→ |
| 2005 | — | 13 | 2 | — | View 2005View→ |
| 2006AVOID | — | 183 | 5 | 9 | View 2006View→ |
| 2007AVOID | — | 165 | 10 | — | View 2007View→ |
| 2008AVOID | — | 143 | 7 | — | View 2008View→ |
| 2009AVOID | — | 55 | 6 | — | View 2009View→ |
| 2010AVOID | — | 47 | 12 | — | View 2010View→ |
| 2011AVOID | — | 21 | 0 | — | View 2011View→ |
| 2012AVOID | — | 23 | 5 | — | View 2012View→ |
| 2013 | — | 12 | 4 | — | View 2013View→ |
| 2014 | — | 12 | 0 | — | View 2014View→ |
| 2015 | — | 14 | 0 | — | View 2015View→ |
| 2016GOOD | — | 2 | 0 | — | View 2016View→ |
| 2017 | — | 14 | 0 | — | View 2017View→ |
| 2018GOOD | — | 3 | 0 | — | View 2018View→ |
| 2019GOOD | — | 2 | 0 | — | View 2019View→ |
| 2020GOOD | — | 3 | 0 | — | View 2020View→ |
| 2021GOOD | — | 2 | 1 | — | View 2021View→ |
| 2022GOOD | — | 6 | 0 | — | View 2022View→ |
| 2023GOOD | — | 3 | 0 | — | View 2023View→ |
See also: Lexus Isaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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