2009 Lexus IS problems
Owners have filed 55 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Lexus IS. Cruise control is the most reported problem area, at 18% of complaints. Next are wipers, windshield & visibility (13%) and air bags (7%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 55 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Cruise control 18% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 6 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 4 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 40,000 miles 34 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 | 11 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 5 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 7 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 2 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 4 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 0 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 4 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 34 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 40,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 6 complaints mention a crash; 4 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2009 ranks 3rd most-complained-about out of 6 model years of the Lexus IS with enough data (21 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 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.
Rapid acceleration, 2009, is 250, lexus. Pulling into a parking space with the foot on the brake. Car accelerated, jumped a curb, over a 6 foot wide grass separation and totaled a parked car in front of the parking space. Car was serviced that very day for it's 5,000 mile check. First time we drove the car after being serviced. Had our car repaired for front end damage. Contacted lexus on their hot line, reported the incident, was instructed to write them with all the details.
Tl*the contact owns a 2009 lexus is 250 . He stated that while driving 35 MPH up a hill when turning and slowing down by putting his foot on the brake pedal the vehicle accelerated on its own. The vehicle accelerated and crashed over a mountain. The contact sustained major injuries, broke his right shoulder, chest pains, and his face was also injured when the air bag deployed hitting him in the face. The police and the insurance company were contacted and a report was filed by both of them.
The dashboard is melting leather, as well as the inside door panels on all four doors that are leather. It burns my wife’s skin and my kids while leaving sticky black residue on our skins. It is melting so bad there are chunks missing from the leather from a simple rub.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 lexus is250. The contact stated the vehicle was taken in for routine maintenance, vibration in the steering wheel and also for unintended acceleration at any speed. The dealer road tested the vehicle and found a faulty left wheel bearing and hub assembly that causes excessive noise and vibration which they repaired.
Odometer Fraud. The contact intended to purchase a 2009 Lexus IS 250. The contact stated while test-driving the vehicle, the contact drove to an Auto part store for diagnostic testing. It was then discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was not a sale. At the time the vehicle was test-driven, the vehicle mileage was 114,274, but it was discovered at the Auto parts store that the actual mileage was 198,000.