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2012 Lexus IS 350
Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.
20 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 14, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Airbags problems dominate (60% of complaints).
Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.
Complaints are overwhelmingly minor: almost none involve crashes, fires, or injuries.
Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.
The math, shown
Full methodology →Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
How it crashes
NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.
NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.
1 open NHTSA defect investigation on file for this model year, separate from the recalls above.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2012 Lexus IS 350, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Airbags (12)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.
Airbags
60%12 complaints
“THE TOP CONVERTIBLE MOTOR GOT BROKEN ABOUT TWO YEARS AFTER I BOUGHT IT SO I WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND LUCKILY IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY SO THEY REPLACE IT BUT NOW TH…”
Body & structure
10%2 complaints
“The dashboard is sticky/melting causing it to be extremely shiny. It is available for inspection upon request. Due to the shininess of the dashboard, it causes a glare…”
Visibility & wipers
10%2 complaints
“The dashboard is sticky/melting causing it to be extremely shiny. It is available for inspection upon request. Due to the shininess of the dashboard, it causes a glare…”
Fuel system
10%2 complaints
“VEHICLE IN MOTION GOING 80MPH ON HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDENLY JOLTED AND VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATOR AND CHECK ENGINE/BATTERY LIGHTS ALL CAME ON AND SLOWED TO A ST…”
Recalls (0)
No recall campaigns on file for this model year.
Before you hand over money
Check the VIN for open recalls
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2012 Lexus IS 350 beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2012? See how every IS 350 model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2012 Lexus IS 350 against another car →
What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.