2006 Lexus IS problems
Owners have filed 185 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Lexus IS. Body & structure is the most reported problem area, at 24% of complaints. Next are wipers, windshield & visibility (16%) and air bags (14%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 185 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Body & structure 24% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 5 and 9
- Injuries and deaths
- 6 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 90,000 miles 104 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 4 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 5 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 18 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 12 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 18 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 11 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 23 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 7 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 3 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 2 |
What the data shows
Of the 104 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 90,000 miles. For body & structure specifically, the median reported mileage is about 65,000 miles (29 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 5 complaints mention a crash; 9 complaints mention a fire; 6 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2006 ranks 4th most-complained-about out of 6 model years of the Lexus IS with enough data (17 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 7 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
I was driving my car when all of a sudden the sensor advised me my coolant was low as I looked over to my left shoulder I notice smoke coming out before it caught fire. Looks like the main source of the fire was an electrical issue that generated the wheel cover and bumper to start ignoring faster
The contact owned a 2006 Lexus IS350. The contact stated when she started the vehicle, following an oil change vehicle stalled. The contact stated that she had restarted the vehicle and heard an abnormal popping sound from the engine compartment and flames had burst from under the hood. The contact stated that she had smelled the odor of gasoline from her vehicle as she had entered the vehicle. The contact stated that the service station employees extinguished the flames.
Rear view mirror has black spots forming. It is obstructing the view from the rear view mirror thus creating a potential safety hazard. Black spots are forming inside the mirror and not on the surface.