Lexus Is 300 Reliability by Year
Based on 2M+ real complaints filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
156 NHTSA complaints (2001–2022).Complaint rate: 14.0 per 1,000 vehicles.
Should I buy a Lexus Is 300?
Quick answer from 156 NHTSA complaints · 2001–2022
Lexus Is 300 shows elevated crash or fire rates — buy with caution. 20.5% of reported complaints involved a crash — above the ~4% mainstream average. Most complaints relate to unintended acceleration. Inspect carefully or consider a different model in the same class.
- 2017 Lexus Is 300· 2 complaints
- 2021 Lexus Is 300· 2 complaints
- 2022 Lexus Is 300· 2 complaints
- 2002 Lexus Is 300· 37 complaints
Keep scrolling for year-by-year complaint trends, recall campaigns, and component breakdowns — or click any year above for a full report.
Why these years are worse
The most common issues driving the complaint spikes:
- unintended acceleration — 14 complaints (35.7% involved a crash)
- suspension failures — 10 complaints (0.0% involved a crash)
- body structure — 10 complaints (10.0% involved a crash)
- tire defects — 10 complaints (20.0% involved a crash)
- structural problems — 8 complaints (12.5% involved a crash)
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Rankings based on raw NHTSA complaint counts. Sales volume data not yet available for this model.
Bottom line: Avoid the 2001–2004 Lexus Is 300. The 2020–2022 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: Unintended Acceleration.
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 300 Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA. Bar length = volume; color = crash-involvement rate.
Show full table
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| Unintended Acceleration | 14 | 35.7% |
| Suspension Failures | 10 | 0.0% |
| Body Structure | 10 | 10.0% |
| Tire Defects | 10 | 20.0% |
| Structural Problems | 8 | 12.5% |
| Engine Problems | 7 | 0.0% |
| Airbags | 6 | 66.7% |
| Fuel System | 5 | 0.0% |
| Brakes | 5 | 0.0% |
| Electrical Faults | 5 | 20.0% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
Year-by-Year Breakdown
Tap any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
Data Sources & Methodology
Complaints: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database (156 records for this model). Public domain data, updated monthly.
Sales data: Not yet available for this model. Complaint counts are shown as raw numbers.
Rate calculation: Complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold = (complaint count / US annual sales) x 10,000. This normalizes for sales volume so high-volume models like Civic or Camry aren't unfairly penalized.
Year classifications: AVOID = 1.5x+ the model's median complaint count. GOOD = 0.6x or below. Years less than 3 years old are marked TOO NEW (insufficient data).
See also: Lexus Is 300accident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
Buying a Lexus Is 300?
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