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Model file · LexusUpdated · 15 sources

Selling a junk or non-running Lexus IS

Three model years, the 2006, 2007 and 2008, account for 1,084 of the 1,736 Lexus IS complaints in NHTSA's file. Those are the first three years of the second generation. The 2006 alone sits under 16 recall campaigns, more than any other IS year.

A white Lexus IS sedan with a black mesh grille, parked at a curb on a residential street beside brick row houses
Photo: Kevauto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Complaints to NHTSA
1,736
On the 2006-2008 alone
1,084
Year with the most complaints
2006 (426)
Recall campaigns
21
Second generation
Model years 2006-2013
Third generation built at
Tahara, Aichi, Japan

So if your IS is one of those and it has finally quit, you are far from alone. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and you can sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

The second generation (2006-2013) and its recalls

Wikipedia lists this IS (XE20) for model years 2006 to 2013: the IS 250 with a 2.5-liter 4GR-FSE V6, the IS 350 with a 3.5-liter 2GR-FSE V6, the IS F from December 2007 and the IS C convertible from April 2009. Its eight model years hold 1,411 complaints. The IS figures here are owner reports pulled from NHTSA on October 10, 2026, not lab tests.

Structure and air bags

Structure tops the 2006 (99 complaints) and 2007 (90), and is second on the 2008 (50). Those three years carry 239 of the IS's 292 structure complaints. From 2008 through 2012, no category beats air bags, and the 2006-2012 sedans carry 397 of the 430 air bag complaints.

Passenger inflator replacements for these IS years come through five campaigns, 16V340 (2006-2011) and 19V741 (2006-2015) among them. Those campaigns swept in Corollas, Yaris hatchbacks and Scion xBs too, so a figure like 1,754,517 counts every vehicle in the campaign.

Fuel lines, rails and sensors

Fuel hardware is a recurring theme on this generation. 07V545 replaced two engine bay fuel pipes on the 2006. 09V020 replaced aluminum fuel rails on 2006-2008 IS models because ethanol fuel with low moisture can corrode them; that campaign of 214,570 also covered the GS and LS. 11V029 checked the fuel pressure sensor on 2006-2009 cars, and 14V647 cleaned and resealed its mounting on 2006-2011 cars. 18V432 replaced the fuel delivery pipe on 2006-2013 IS 350s.

Engine and wipers

The engine is the third component on the 2008 (34 complaints). Recall 10V309 repaired valve springs on 2006-2008 Lexus cars, and 13V395 replaced the VVT unit on 2006-2011 IS 350s. Visibility and wipers are the third complaint on the 2006 (49), and recall 13V030 installed new wiper arm nuts on 2006-2012 IS 250 and IS 350 sedans and 2010-2012 IS C convertibles. A 2006 seat belt recall (06V121) replaced front belt assemblies that could stay locked.

Wikipedia also notes this IS earned five stars from NHTSA in the side driver and rollover categories, and that by 2011 it was the third best-selling Lexus in the US, after the RX and ES.

The first and third generations

The first IS (XE10) ran from January 1999 to August 2005, per Wikipedia, with the IS 300's 3.0-liter 2JZ-GE inline six. The EPA data starts at 2001, and NHTSA holds 146 complaints on 2001-2005. Structure leads three of those years. No recall campaigns are listed for them.

The third generation (XE30) went on sale in the US as a 2014 model on June 28, 2013, built at Tahara, Aichi. The IS 200t replaced the IS 250 for 2016, and the IS 500 uses an 8-speed automatic. Its years hold 179 complaints. The 2014 has 65, led by the electrical system (13). Fuel pump recalls 20V012 (2014-2019) and 20V682 (2017-2019) reach these cars. Owners of the newest IS sedans have had little time so far to file reports.

When to stop spending on the IS

  • Check open recalls first with the VIN at NHTSA's lookup. A 2006-2008 can have a long list.
  • Fuel smell or leak on a 2006-2013? Ask a Lexus dealer which of the fuel recalls above were done before you pay for anything.
  • Engine knock or a dead IS 350? See blown engine, and ask about 13V395 first.
  • Then do the math: a repair quote near what a running IS of that year sells for means selling as it sits is the better call. Repairs cost more than it is worth walks through it.

Year-by-year IS counts

Pulled October 10, 2026. Low years are bundled. One campaign is tallied under each IS year it reaches, so the recall column double counts by design.

Model yearComplaintsRecall campaignsMost-named component
2001-20051460Structure on 2002, 2003 and 2005
200642616Structure (99)
200738811Structure (90)
200827011Air bags (75)
20099210Air bags (22)
20101129Air bags (67)
2011657Air bags (42)
2012445Air bags (26)
2013144Engine (4)
2014654Electrical system (13)
2015303Electrical system (5)
2016-2026840-2 a yearNo year over 22 complaints

Selling your IS whole

  1. Note the details: VIN, mileage, the version (IS 250, IS 350, IS C, IS F and so on) and what's wrong with it.
  2. Request an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Tell us where it is. A rear-drive IS that won't roll may need a different truck, so say if the wheels turn. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
  4. Don't part it out first. If the IS is already missing seats, wheels or its converter, list them so the quote matches the car.
  5. On pickup day, sign the IS's title over to the driver and pass along every key fob you have. After you sell covers plates and insurance.

Comparing sedans? See the ES and GS, the related RC coupe, or every Lexus.

Questions people ask

Why do the 2006-2008 Lexus IS have so many complaints?
Those three years hold 1,084 of the IS's 1,736 NHTSA complaints as of October 10, 2026. Structure and air bags are the top two components on the 2006 and 2007. The 2006 also sits under 16 recall campaigns, more than any other IS year, covering fuel pipes, valve springs, seat belts, wiper arms and air bag inflators.
Which IS engines have fuel system recalls?
Several. 09V020 replaced aluminum fuel rails on 2006-2008 IS models, 11V029 dealt with the fuel pressure sensor on 2006-2009 cars, and 18V432 replaced the fuel delivery pipe on 2006-2013 IS 350s with the 3.5-liter 2GR-FSE V6. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Can I sell an IS 350 with a dead engine?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Before you sell a 2006-2011 IS 350, ask a Lexus dealer whether recall 13V395, which replaces the VVT unit, was done.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), Lexus IS, downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  2. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  3. EPA fuel economy data: Lexus IS model years and versions fueleconomy.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 06V121: front seat belt retractors, 2006 nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 07V545: engine bay fuel pipes, 2006 nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 09V020: aluminum fuel rails, 2006-2008 nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 10V309: valve springs, 2006-2008 nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 11V029: fuel pressure sensor, 2006-2009 nhtsa.gov
  9. NHTSA recall 13V030: wiper arm nuts, 2006-2012 nhtsa.gov
  10. NHTSA recall 13V395: VVT unit, IS 350 2006-2011 nhtsa.gov
  11. NHTSA recall 16V340: passenger air bag inflator nhtsa.gov
  12. NHTSA recall 18V432: fuel delivery pipe, IS 350 2006-2013 nhtsa.gov
  13. NHTSA recall 19V741: air bag inflator, 2006-2015 nhtsa.gov
  14. NHTSA recall 20V012: fuel pump, 2014-2019 nhtsa.gov
  15. Wikipedia: Lexus IS (generations, engines, plants, sales, crash ratings) en.wikipedia.org