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What 36 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Lexus IS 250

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (36)Crash / fire / injury (7)Airbags (21)Body & structure (5)Brakes (5)Electrical system (5)Speed control (5)Engine (3)Fuel system (2)Visibility & wipers (2)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (1)Lights (1)

7 of 36 complaints match · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Oct 21, 2019AirbagsCrash1 injury

I WAS REAR ENDED BY A CAR AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND PUSHED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. NONE OF MY AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.

NHTSA ODI 11270079

Jul 23, 2019AirbagsBody & structureEngineCrash1 injury

TAKATABRANTAKATA RECALL MY VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AT 34 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR. THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME IMPACTED ME SO HARD THAT IT PUSHED ME INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME AND IN TURN SHE HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER. THERE WAS DAMAGED TO THE FRONT AND SIDE PANELS OF MY CAR AS WELL. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. I SUSTAINED AND SUFFERED INJURIES. THIS OCCURRED ON A BUSY CITY STREET WHILE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT.

NHTSA ODI 11234294

Aug 27, 2018Electrical systemBrakesEngineCrash

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHILE INCHING INTO PARKING SPACE AT VERY SLOW RATE OF SPEED. ENGINE RACED UNEXPECTEDLY AND CAR JUMPED CURB WITH ALL 4 TIRES, ACROSS A SMALL MEDIAN, AND DOWN ANOTHER CURB WITH 3 TIRES, STRIKING A PARKED CAR, WHICH STOPPED FORWARD MOTION.

NHTSA ODI 11122773

Dec 29, 2016AirbagsCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 LEXUS IS 250. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AND CRASHED INTO THE FRONT END OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED AND MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. THE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000.

NHTSA ODI 10938525

Aug 28, 2015Seat beltsBody & structureSpeed controlCrash

I WANT TO REPORT THAT I EXPERIENCED UN-INTENDED ACCELERATION ON MY LEXUS IS 250C, 2012 MODEL PURCHASED IN DECEMBER 2011 AS A RESULT OF WHICH MY VEHICLE CRASHED AND WENT TURTLE.

NHTSA ODI 10760099

Jul 20, 2015Speed controlCrash

WHEN EXITING A DRIVE THROUGH CAR WASH (VEHICLE IN N) TOLD TO DRIVE OUT. I PUT IT IN DRIVE, BEGIN TO DEPRESS GAS PEDAL, IT JAMS DOWN , I PEEL OUT TOWARDS A CONCRETE JERSEY WALL, HIT IT WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE CORNER FRONT, BUMPER AND FRONT WHEEL...THEN THE BACK WHEEL, STILL ACCELERATING...DO 1/2 DONUT, END UP FACING BACK IN DIRECTION I JUST TRAVELED FROM..ONLY STOPPED WHEN I HIT THE ON/OFF BUTTON. I'VE DRIVEN FOR 35+ YEARS 9 OF WHICH I HAD A CDL AND DROVE PROFESSIONALLY FOR FEDEX AND NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT..I'VE DRIVEN VARIETY OF CARS AND TRUCKS..NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH CONFUSING GAS PEDAL AND BRAKE PEDAL....LOOKING AT 4500+ REPAIR BILL 9 DAYS OF RENTAL.. AND NOW SCARED TO DRIVE IT... FLOOR MATS WERE SECURED, NO ADDITIONAL MATS ON TOP OF SECURED ONE, FLAT BOTTOM SHOES, NO TALKING/TEXTING ON THE PHONE AT TIME OF ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 10735107

Jul 14, 2015AirbagsSpeed controlBrakesCrash

MY LEXUS 2012 IS 250 ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN, BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE AFTER DEPRESSING THEM X2, AND THEN I CRASHED INTO A TRUCK. AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. REPORTED TO LEXUS WHO ASSUMED NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR INCIDENT. THIRD PARTY INSPECTED CAR AND DOWNLOADED BLACK BOX. REPORT FROM LEXUS STATED THAT CAR WAS DRIVE ABLE AND NO ISSUES WERE FOUND. CAR INCURRED $18,000 IN DAMAGES AND WAS NOT DRIVABLE AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION. WITNESSES AT COLLISION SHOP WILL VALIDATE SUCH. WHEN SPEAKING TO REPRESENTATIVES AT LEXUS TO REPORT INCIDENT I WAS TOLD BY 2 REPS ON 2 OCCASIONS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER VEHICLES THAT WERE THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL. DISTURBING

NHTSA ODI 10734027

Working with the data? Download all 36 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 26, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Lexus IS 250 verdict →