If you are considering buying a used Lexus IS, these are the common problems worth knowing about first. Our garage database tracks 3 known faults for this model, 2 of them rated high severity. Every one below is a repair bill a seller has good reason not to mention.
Free advert check
Found a Lexus IS for sale?
Paste the advert and we read it against its known faults, its MOT history and the DVLA record, and tell you what the seller has not. Free, about a minute, no card.
Works with any listing: paste the text from AutoTrader, Gumtree, eBay, Facebook Marketplace or a dealer’s own site.
Is the Lexus IS reliable?
The Lexus IS has 3 known faults in our database across 3 generations, 2 of them rated high severity. The most serious are engine (design flaw leading to severe carbon buildup, excessive pressure, and head gasket failure) and suspension (front lower ball joints catastrophically fail). None of them makes the car a bad buy on its own; the risk is a seller who knows and says nothing.
That is a count of the faults we hold, not a reliability score. Popular cars get written about more, and a newer generation has had less time to show its faults.
Which Lexus IS years should you avoid?
No year is a write-off on its own. What matters is which serious faults a given year and engine can have, and whether the car in front of you has had them fixed.
1st Gen (XE10), 1999 to 20051 high severity
1 known fault, the serious ones in the suspension
2nd Gen, 2005 to 20131 high severity
2 known faults, the serious ones in the engine
3rd Gen (XE30), 2013 to 2020
No faults on record yet
Years and engines with a serious known fault
2006 to 2012, 2.2 Diesel (220d): design flaw leading to severe carbon buildup, excessive pressure
1998 to 2005, IS200 / GS300: front lower ball joints catastrophically fail
Each one is set out in full below, with the symptoms, the typical mileage and a rough repair cost.
Generation 1 of 31 known fault · 2 owner reports · 4 good notes
Lexus IS 1st Gen (XE10) (1999 to 2005) problems
SuspensionHigh severity💬 Owner reports
Front lower ball joints catastrophically fail, causing the front wheel to collapse into the wheel arch
Rough guide
£300-600
Typical symptoms
creaking or squeaking noise from the front suspension when turning
clunking over bumps
steering feels vague or wanders
Affected vehicles
Engines:
IS200 / GS300
Typical mileage:
80000-140000 miles
🔍 We have a specific pre-purchase check for this faultCheck an advert →
What owners report on the 1st Gen (XE10)
2 single reports, unconfirmed
One owner each, in their own words rewritten as a line, and not counted in our risk scoring. A fault joins the list above once a second report or an editorial source backs it.
Gearbox and clutch · November 2011A 2000-2003 Lexus automatic gearbox developed rough changes due to an ECU fault, leading to damage and eventual failure.
Suspension and steering · February 2011Soft front suspension bushes deteriorated, causing a Lexus to excessively toe out its front tyres and wear their inner edges.
What owners like about the 1st Gen (XE10)
4 notes
The Lexus IS achieved high rankings in multiple customer satisfaction and reliability surveys between 2001 and 2002.
Lexus was a top brand in reliability surveys from 2002 to 2003, with 99% of cars breakdown-free.
Lexus was the top marque for four consecutive years in JD Power surveys, with the IS200 a top model.
Lexus achieved a joint first place in the 2007 UK JD Power Customer Satisfaction Survey with an 86.8% score.
Generation 2 of 32 known faults · 9 owner reports · 4 good notes
Lexus IS 2nd Gen (2005 to 2013) problems
Engine/EmissionsMedium severity📝 Editorial
Direct injection design causing severe carbon buildup on intake valves
Rough guide
£400-800
Typical symptoms
rough idle when cold
engine hesitation or misfire
check engine light (VSC light)
Affected vehicles
Engines:
IS250 2.5 V6
Typical mileage:
60000-100000 miles
🔍 We have a specific pre-purchase check for this faultCheck an advert →
Engine/EmissionsHigh severity📝 Editorial
Design flaw leading to severe carbon buildup, excessive pressure, and head gasket failure
Rough guide
£2000-4000
Typical symptoms
coolant spraying into the engine bay
overheating
high oil consumption and white smoke
Affected vehicles
Engines:
2.2 Diesel (220d)
Typical mileage:
60000-120000 miles
2 more owner reports back this up
January 2015A 2006 Lexus IS220D emitted white smoke from the exhaust, indicating a cylinder head or gasket issue.
January 2011The 220D engine received a seven-year warranty extension to cover cylinder head and head gasket failures.
🔍 We have a specific pre-purchase check for this faultCheck an advert →
What owners report on the 2nd Gen
9 single reports, unconfirmed
One owner each, in their own words rewritten as a line, and not counted in our risk scoring. A fault joins the list above once a second report or an editorial source backs it.
Electrics · October 2018Moisture ingress affected the central locking and window control unit of a 2008 Lexus IS250, causing the windows to open.
Electrics · July 2018A Lexus IS250C displayed a red airbag warning light, requiring a sensor part replacement sourced from Europe.
Brakes · September 2016A 2006 Lexus IS250 automatic required rear brake caliper work every two years from 90,000 miles.
Electrics · August 2016The touchscreen of a 2005 Lexus IS250SE failed at 120,000 miles, losing navigation, climate, audio, and phone controls.
Exhaust · August 2016The exhaust front pipes on a Lexus IS250 V6 engine corroded, requiring an expensive replacement of OEM parts.
Brakes · April 2014The brake master cylinder failed on an eight-year-old Lexus IS220D, requiring the use of gears and parking brake to stop.
Electrics · August 2013A 2009 Lexus 220D entered limp mode due to a clogged DPF and experienced electrical problems with windows and boot.
Electrics · December 2012Keyfob remotes on older Lexus IS250 models began working intermittently, with no known solution.
Engine · January 2012Problems with DPF regeneration on 2.2 litre diesel engines led to overfuelling, damaging piston rings and bores.
What owners like about the 2nd Gen
4 notes
Lexus was the top marque in the 2006 and 2007 UK JD Power Customer Satisfaction Studies, earning Gold Awards.
The Lexus IS was the top car for customer satisfaction in the Compact Executive Sector in the 2010 JD Power Survey.
Lexus achieved the highest ranking in the JD Power customer satisfaction study for eleven consecutive years.
The 2008 Lexus IS achieved the third highest first-time MoT pass rate among models with over 2,000 examples.
Generation 3 of 30 known faults · 3 owner reports · 4 good notes
Lexus IS 3rd Gen (XE30) (2013 to 2020): owner reports
What owners report on the 3rd Gen (XE30)
3 single reports, unconfirmed
One owner each, in their own words rewritten as a line, and not counted in our risk scoring. A fault joins the list above once a second report or an editorial source backs it.
General · October 2018A Lexus IS300h owner reported conflicting information from a dealer regarding differential and CVT fluid change intervals.
Electrics · July 2018A 2014 Lexus IS300h experienced hybrid battery system failure at 41,000 miles, causing the car to refuse to restart.
Interior · October 2014The leather on the bolsters of a year-old Lexus IS300h Premier wore off after just 11,700 miles.
What owners like about the 3rd Gen (XE30)
4 notes
The Lexus IS model features appealing aesthetics both inside the cabin and on its exterior.
The Lexus IS offers commendable fuel economy and the positive environmental perception of its hybrid system.
The Lexus IS provides excellent customer service and a reputation for dependable reliability.
The Lexus IS300h received a 5-star NCAP rating, with high scores for adult, child, and pedestrian protection.
Recall work is done by the manufacturer, and GOV.UK says you will not usually have to pay for it. These are the 1 DVSA recall for the IS, newest first. They do not tell you whether this particular car has had the work: for that, put the registration into the free GOV.UK MOT history check, which shows a recall status where the manufacturer shares it, or ask a franchised dealer to check the VIN.
🏛️ May 2016Cars built June 2005 to September 2007
Risk of fire
The fuel pressure sensor may not have correctly tightened during assembly. Over time this may affect the seal and allow fuel odour to escape. This could ignite in the presence of an ignition source.
Put right by: On affected vehicles replace seal and tighten pressure sensor to specification.
DVSA R/2016/08010,958 vehicles affected in the UK
Recall data published by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence v3.0. A recall listed here may not apply to every car of this model: the build dates and the registration check are what decide it.
Lexus IS timing chain, and service intervals
A timing chain has no change interval, which is not the same as lasting for ever. Listen for it on a used IS, and check the oil has been changed on time. These are the figures UK specialists work to.
Timing chainChain
IS250, IS 250, GS250, GS 250, 4GR-FSE
No fixed replacement interval
The 2.5 V6 petrol (4GR-FSE) in the IS 250 and GS 250 is chain driven with no scheduled replacement. The first-generation IS200 is different: its six-cylinder has a timing belt (see the IS200 cambelt row).
Always confirm against the vehicle handbook. Intervals vary by engine, and several manufacturers revised theirs after failures in service.
Repair costs are typical UK ranges, not quotes. Actual cost depends on condition and garage.Data last verified: June 2026
Lexus IS buying questions
What are the most common Lexus IS problems?
Three stand out. Engine: design flaw leading to severe carbon buildup, excessive pressure, and head gasket failure (typically 60000 to 120000 miles). Suspension: front lower ball joints catastrophically fail (typically 80000 to 140000 miles). Engine: direct injection design causing severe carbon buildup on intake valves (typically 60000 to 100000 miles). The full list above is grouped by generation, with typical mileage and a rough repair cost for each.
Which Lexus IS years should I avoid?
No Lexus IS year is a write-off, but the 2nd Gen (2005 to 2013) carries the most serious faults: engine. The 1st Gen (XE10) (1999 to 2005) has high-severity faults on record too. The 3rd Gen (XE30) (2013 to 2020) has none rated high severity. Year matters less than whether the specific car has had the known fixes, so check the history for them.
What should I check when viewing a used Lexus IS?
Ask the seller about the engine and suspension faults on this page and whether they have been fixed, with invoices. On the test drive watch for coolant spraying into the engine bay, creaking or squeaking noise from the front suspension when turning and rough idle when cold. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories, then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against all 3 known faults before you travel. Check a Lexus IS advert →
Are there any recalls on the Lexus IS?
The DVSA lists 1 safety recall for the Lexus IS issued in 2016. The most recent, from May 2016, is "Risk of fire". Recall work is done by the manufacturer, and GOV.UK says you will not usually have to pay for it. This list is by model, so it cannot tell you whether one particular car has had the work: the free GOV.UK MOT history check shows a recall status from the registration where the manufacturer shares it, and a franchised dealer can check the VIN.
What is the real MPG of a Lexus IS?
Owners report 40.5 mpg on average across the Lexus IS engines with data, about 94% of the official combined figure. The gap between official and real-world economy varies a lot by engine, so the Real MPG page lists every engine and generation separately, from 913 owner submissions. Lexus IS Real MPG by engine →
If you used to check the Honest John “Good & Bad” section before the site closed in 2026, this page is where that information now lives. We rebuilt the Lexus IS owner-report history from the archived Honest John dataset, added our own research, specialist and owner-club sources and DVSA recall data, and we keep it free. Each fault above is badged with its source. The same data feeds our free advert check, which reads a listing against every known fault for the exact engine and year.