The Used Car Index

2012 Lexus IS problems

NHTSA lists 18 complaints for the 2012 Lexus IS, 3 of them mention a crash and 0 mention a fire. 1 complaints mention an injury, with 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported.

Data build 2026-10-07.

NHTSA lists this vehicle as LEXUS IS.

At a glance

Complaints
18
With crash
3
With fire
0
With injury (complaints)
1
Injuries
1
Deaths
0
Recalls
0
Do not drive recalls
0
Park outside recalls
0
Recall potential units (maximum)
Unavailable
Investigations
0
Open investigations
0
Manufacturer communications
36

Complaints per 100k sold unavailable. No sales source is available for this record.

Where the complaints are

Top systems
SystemComplaintsShare of this vehicle's complaints
AIR BAGS844.4%
STRUCTURE422.2%
VISIBILITY/WIPER422.2%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER316.7%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM211.1%
SERVICE BRAKES211.1%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL211.1%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM15.6%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)15.6%
ENGINE15.6%
Top subsystems
SystemSubsystemComplaints
STRUCTUREBODY4

One complaint can name several systems, so shares can add to more than 100 percent.

Model-generated complaint tags

These labels are model-generated, not NHTSA data.

Failure modes
LabelCountShare of taggedMean confidence
restraint or airbag433.3%0.94
loss of control325.0%0.92
mechanical failure325.0%0.67
fire or overheating18.3%0.96
noise or comfort18.3%1.00
Severities
LabelCountShare of taggedMean confidence
moderate541.7%0.82
low433.3%0.78
high325.0%1.00

Model: typesafe/jev-1.13-20260917; schema version: tag-v1. 12 tagged complaints of 18 complaints (66.7%).

Confidence is the model's own probability for the label it chose (0 to 1), not accuracy.

Model-generated labels on tagged complaints only. Model years 2013 and newer are tagged in full; 2012 in part (see tagged_share); earlier model years have no tags. NHTSA's own flags remain separate in the complaints block.

Recalls

0 recalls.

Investigations

0 investigations; 0 open.

Manufacturer communications

36 manufacturer communications.

Communications by system
SystemCount
STRUCTURE18
EQUIPMENT8
ENGINE3
AIR BAGS2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY2
POWER TRAIN2
TIRES1

11027560

Date: 2025-12-15. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: STRUCTURE.

Some 2005 a 2026 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedure

11021730

Date: 2025-07-30. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ENGINE.

Some 2016 a 2020 model year GS F, 2008 a 2014 model year IS F, 2022 a 2025 model year IS 500, 2018 a 2025 model year LC 500, 2021 a 2025 model year LC 500c, and 2015 a 2025 model year RC F vehicles with 2UR-GSE engines may exhibit a MIL ON condition with one or more of the following Diag

11015489

Date: 2025-02-07. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: STRUCTURE.

Some 2010 a 2026 model year Lexus vehicles may exhibit paint stains after the removal of Rapgarda ?. The paint stains may appear to be under the clear coat but are usually under wrinkles in the Rapgarda ?. The wrinkles may trap water and cause the paint to stain from the trapped moisture, especial

11016775

Date: 2025-02-07. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: STRUCTURE.

Some 2010 a 2026 model year Lexus vehicles may exhibit paint stains after the removal of Rapgarda ?. The paint stains may appear to be under the clear coat but are usually under wrinkles in the Rapgarda ?. The wrinkles may trap water and cause the paint to stain from the trapped moisture, especial

11006162

Date: 2024-07-29. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: STRUCTURE.

Some 2005 a 2024 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedure

11007456

Date: 2024-07-29. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: STRUCTURE.

Some 2005 a 2024 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedure

11005063

Date: 2024-06-21. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: STRUCTURE.

Some 2005 a 2024 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty smell is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedur

11005121

Date: 2024-06-21. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: STRUCTURE.

Some 2005 a 2024 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty smell is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedur

11003648

Date: 2024-04-19. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: STRUCTURE.

The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicle surface, especially the horizonal areas of the hood, roof,

11003650

Date: 2024-04-19. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: STRUCTURE.

To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and initial rust before the vehicle is delivered to the customer.

Notes on this record

  • Complaints from the API and bulk file are merged and deduplicated by ODI number; the API alone misses records.
  • System and subsystem counts are numbers of distinct complaints, recalls or communications that name them. One record can name several systems, so shares across systems can add to more than 100 percent; a single share never exceeds 100 percent.
  • Recalls are counted once per campaign, investigations once per action and manufacturer communications once per NHTSA id, even when NHTSA lists several model names for the same record.
  • A sales denominator is a calendar-year proxy, not the population of vehicles still in use. Rates are copied from verified pipeline output.

Other names NHTSA uses

None listed.

Matched NHTSA models

Matched labels and complaints
NHTSA model labelComplaints
IS18

Same model, other years

All model years | All Lexus models

Other Lexus models, 2012

Sources

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