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2006 Lexus IS 250Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 189 owner complaints about the 2006 Lexus IS 250, most often about the structure. It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-741 the manufacturer reports only 65% of affected cars repaired.

2006 Lexus IS 250
21
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid3.8× the IS 250 median · #2 of 9 years by complaints
Safety recalls6Lowest repair rate 65%Owner complaints18924 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage74kStructure, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 22, 2023. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2006 Lexus IS 250 has problems

189 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Structure535
Air bags461
Engine192
Vehicle speed control189
Visibility/wiper170
Fuel/propulsion system110
Engine and engine cooling112
Steering90
Power train83
14 other systems412

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

6 recalls

2006 Lexus IS 250 recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

65%repaired · 2021 Q3

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 19V-741 · Oct 17, 2019 · 928,220 vehicles · 600,429 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

74%repaired · 2021 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 17V-006 · Jan 9, 2017 · 577,875 vehicles · 427,891 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

72%repaired · 2021 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 16V-340 · May 23, 2016 · 1,754,517 vehicles · 1,269,624 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

72%repaired · 2016 Q2

Delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

Recall 14V-647 · Oct 15, 2014 · 422,509 vehicles · 305,888 repaired

Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 2 more recalls
–no report yet

Visibility/wiper

Recall 13V-030 · Jan 30, 2013 · 267,718 vehicles

Risk. Inoperative wipers could reduce driver visibility and increase the risk of a vehicle crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal

Recall 05V-565 · Dec 19, 2005 · 3,567 vehicles

Risk. THIS CONDITION MAY INTERFERE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL RETURNING TO THE IDLE POSITION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Lexus.

Mileage at failure

When do structure problems start?

74kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 34 structure complaints. 76% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
1under 30k miles26under 100k miles8100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Air bags

12 owners mentioned a cost

$3,300median

Middle half: $2,900 – $3,500

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2006 vs. every other IS 250 year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the IS 250 median. How we score

'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2006 Lexus IS 250, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
In owners' words

What IS 250 owners report

Recent structure complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

I WAS INFORM BY OTHER LEXUS THAT THERE ARE RECALL FOR 2006-2013 LEXUS ON SERVERAL PARTS. I MADE A CALL TO LEXUS DEALERSHIP OF SACRAMENTO AND SPOKE TO REPRESENTATIVE SHE HAD ALSO CONFIRM THE RECAL ON MY CAR AND BOOKED ME AN APPOINTMENT SEVERAL DAYS LATER. I WENT TO MY APPOINTMENT AND WAS DENIED MY…
Complaint 11221915 · Jun 22, 2019
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS IS 250. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD MATERIAL WAS DETERIORATING AND CAUSED THE SURFACE OF THE DASHBOARD TO BECOME VERY SMOOTH AND SHINY. WHEN THE SUNLIGHT REFLECTED OFF THE DAMAGED DASHBOARD, THE GLARE CREATED A VISIBILITY HAZARD FOR THE DRIVER. THE…
Complaint 11110688 · Jul 11, 2018 · 108,000 miles
BOTH DOOR PANELS ON MY 2006 LEXUS IS 250 ARE MELTING AND PRODUCING THE STICK STICKY BLACK TAR LOOKING STUFF I GUESS IT'S FROM MELTING AND THE ODOR FROM THAT IS SOMETIMES SO STRONG WHEN I'M ON LONG RIDES THAT IT MAY GIVES ME HEADACHES MY DAUGHTER HAS BURNT HER ARM BECAUSE THE DOOR PANELS ARE SO HOT…
Complaint 11097210 · May 22, 2018 · 98,000 miles

Own a 2006 IS 250?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.