VehicleVerdict

2006 Lexus Is 250 problems

Verdict · NHTSA data

One of the years to avoid

The 2006 Lexus Is 250 carries two red flags at once: 252 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA — 5.9× the Is 250 norm — and an open NHTSA defect investigation (subject: Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture). It is one of the Is 250 years to avoid. Reports tied to this model year include 2 deaths and 17 injuries, per the complaint records themselves.

No single system dominates the record — complaints spread across body & structure (53), airbags (47), and engine (30), which usually points to general build quality rather than one defect.

252

NHTSA complaints

6

Recalls

1

Investigations · 1 open

13

Crash-involved

4

Fires reported

17

Injuries

2

Deaths

—

NCAP overall

How does 2006 compare to other Is 250 years?

Is 250 NHTSA complaints by model year, 2006 highlighted282 complaints2006: 252 complaints2007: 282 complaints2008: 157 complaints2009: 61 complaints2010: 43 complaints2011: 38 complaints2012: 27 complaints2013: 8 complaints2014: 46 complaints2015: 20 complaints2016: 4 complaints
Is 250 NHTSA complaints by model year, 2006 highlighted. Red bars are years to avoid.

See all Is 250 years to avoid →

What are the most common 2006 Lexus Is 250 problems?

ComponentComplaintsShare
Body & Structure5321%
Airbags4719%
Engine3012%
Visibility & Wipers229%
Other218%
Speed Control187%
Electrical System146%
Fuel System135%
Steering94%
Brakes83%
Transmission83%
Seats21%
Tires & Wheels21%
Suspension21%
Seat Belts21%
Latches & Locks10%

Does the 2006 Lexus Is 250 have recalls?

6 NHTSA recall campaigns on file. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.

19V741000AirbagsOctober 17, 2019 · 928,220 units

Defect

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Consequence

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

Remedy

Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.

17V006000AirbagsJanuary 9, 2017 · 577,875 units

Defect

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012 Toyota 4Runner, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, Yaris, Scion xB, Lexus ES350, GX460, IS-F, IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, and Lexus LFA vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Toyota is recalling certain 2009 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Yaris, Yaris HB, Scion xB, Pontiac Vibe, Lexus, ES350, IS250, IS350, and IS-F vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Toyota is recalling certain 2006-2008 Lexus IS250 and IS350, 2007-2008 Lexus ES350, Toyota Yaris, Yaris HB, and 2008 Lexus IS-F and Scion xB vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence

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

Remedy

Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 1, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331, or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. Toyota's numbers for final remedy for this campaign are G0P (Toyota Zone A), G0R (Toyota Zone B), H0A (Toyota Zone C), GLG (Lexus Zone A), GLH (Lexus Zone B) and HLA (Lexus Zone C).

16V340000AirbagsMay 23, 2016 · 1,754,517 units

Defect

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Scion xB and Lexus IS F, 2009-2011 Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix, 2006-2011 Toyota Yaris, Lexus IS250 and Lexus IS350, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, Lexus IS250C, Lexus IS350C and Lexus GX460, 2011 Sienna, 2007-2011 Lexus ES350, and 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 Scion xB and Lexus IS F, 2007-2008 Toyota Yaris, 2006-2008 Lexus IS250 and Lexus IS350 and 2007-2008 Lexus ES350 vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Vehicles of these model years and models that were not originally sold or ever registered in either Zones A or B are not subject to this safety recall. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence

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

Remedy

Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on December 6, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for interim notification for this campaign are G1P (Toyota Zone A), G1R (Toyota Zone B), G2G (Lexus Zone A), and G2H (Lexus Zone B). Toyota's numbers for final remedy for this campaign are G0P (Toyota Zone A), G0R (Toyota Zone B), GLG (Lexus Zone A), and GLH (Lexus Zone B).

14V647000Fuel SystemOctober 15, 2014 · 422,509 units

Defect

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Lexus LS vehicles manufactured May 9, 2006, to July 20, 2010, 2006-2011 Lexus GS vehicles manufactured January 6, 2005, to September 10, 2010, and 2006-2011 Lexus IS vehicles manufactured August 30, 2005, to September 10, 2010. Due to anti-corrosion plating remnants, fuel may leak from where the fuel pressure sensor is attached to the fuel delivery pipe.

Consequence

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

Remedy

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will clean and reseal the fuel pressure sensor mounting area, free of charge. The recall began March 3, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

13V030000Visibility & WipersJanuary 30, 2013 · 267,718 units

Defect

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 vehicles manufactured August 23, 2005, through October 5, 2011; 2010-2012 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles manufactured April 10, 2009, through October 6, 2011; and 2008-2011 Lexus IS-F vehicles manufactured December 14, 2007, through July 10, 2011. The nuts that fasten the wiper arms may be insufficiently torqued such that if the wiper arms are restricted by an external load, such as a buildup of heavy snow, one or both of the wipers may become inoperative.

Consequence

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

Remedy

Toyota will notify owners, and Lexus dealers will install new wiper arm nuts, free of charge. An interim letter was mailed to owners on April 4, 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

05V565000Speed ControlDecember 19, 2005 · 3,567 units

Defect

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY TEMPORARILY BECOME STUCK IN THE PARTIALLY DEPRESSED POSITION DUE TO INADEQUATE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL LINKAGE AND A PLASTIC PAD EMBEDDED INTO THE VEHICLE'S CARPET.

Consequence

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

Remedy

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE CLEARANCE OF THE ACCELERATION PEDAL AND CARPET, REPLACE THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY WITH A REVISED ASSEMBLY, AND MODIFY THE CARPET FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 27, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.

Open NHTSA investigations

EA21002

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

Consumer complaints filed with NHTSA

Representative excerpts, cleaned of personal information. These are consumer statements, not verified defects.

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS IS 250. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD AND FOUR DOOR PANELS HAD MELTED IN SOME AREAS AND EXHIBITED SEVERAL CRACKS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE EXCESSIVE HOT WEATHER CAUSED…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Body & Structure · October 5, 2011 · fire

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2006 LEXUS IS 250. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN WITHOUT STOPPING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THAT OTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Airbags · March 6, 2017 · crash

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS IS 250. WHILE THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE AND VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL INDICATORS ILLUMINATED, AS WELL AS OTHER UNKNOWN WARNING INDICATORS. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND BEGAN TO EMIT A BURNING ODOR FROM UNDER THE HOOD.…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · July 29, 2017 · fire

“THE DASHBOARD IS MELTED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE CLEARLY AT CERTAIN TIMES DURING THE DAY. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO BECAUSE IT CAN CAUSE WRECKS IF IT HASN'T ALREADY. I KNOW THERE ARE PROBABLY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Visibility & Wipers · August 28, 2014

“I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL ON THE DASHBOARD OR DOOR DASH INSIDE MY CAR. IT NOT OMLY LOOKS BAD IT IS STICKY AND OERLS WITH ANY TOUCH. LEXUS SHOULD REPLACE THIS ISSUE FOR ALL OWNERS LATE OR MISSED. LEXUS REPRESENTS LUXURY WELL LEAVING CARS LIKE THIS IS REPRESENTING THE OPPOSITE. LEXUS TAKE CARE OF…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Other · February 27, 2014

2006 Lexus Is 250 — common questions

Is the 2006 Lexus Is 250 reliable?

NHTSA data argues against it: 252 complaints put the 2006 model at #2 of 11 Is 250 years, and a defect investigation remains open. It is one of the Is 250 years to avoid.

What are the most common 2006 Is 250 problems?

According to NHTSA complaint data, the leading problem areas are body & structure (53 complaints), airbags (47 complaints), engine (30 complaints).

Does the 2006 Lexus Is 250 have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns affecting the 2006 Lexus Is 250. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers; check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm the work was done.

Is the 2006 Lexus Is 250 under NHTSA investigation?

Yes — an investigation remains open (Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture). An open ODI action means NHTSA is actively assessing a possible defect.

Which Lexus Is 250 years should you avoid?

Based on complaint rates and open investigations, the Is 250 years to avoid are 2007, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2013. The cleanest record among Is 250 years belongs to 2016.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.