2006 Lexus Is 250 Problems and Recalls (186 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2006 Lexus Is 250 is Body / frame (26% of 186 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Body / frame — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 186 complaints · 6 recalls
What problems show up on the 2006 Lexus Is 250?
48 of 186 filings named Body / frame (26% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Airbags (37 reports).
There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Cruise / speed control, Fuel system, and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.
What owners reported
System named most often: Body / frame 48 complaints · 25.8% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 9
- Fires 3
- Injuries 14
- Deaths 2
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 48 | 25.8% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 37 | 19.9% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 19 | 10.2% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 11 | 5.9% | 6 crashes · 0 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 11 | 5.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 9 | 4.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 8 | 4.3% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 6 | 3.2% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 6 | 3.2% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 52 | 28.0% | 4 crashes · 2 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 14V647000 was reported 2,749 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 16V340000 was reported 1,488 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 17V006000 was reported 1,719 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V741000 was reported 2,730 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2006-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2006-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 21 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 05V565000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V030000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V647000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V340000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V006000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V741000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA21002 |
Safety Recalls (6)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Cruise / speed control, Fuel system, and Airbags.
-
Recall campaign 05V565000
Cruise / speed control
- Report date
- Component:
- Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
- Consequence:
- THIS CONDITION MAY INTERFERE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL RETURNING TO THE IDLE POSITION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE CLEARANCE OF THE ACCELERATION PEDAL AND CARPET, REPLACE THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY WITH A REVISED ASSEMBLY, AND MODIFY THE CARPET FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 27, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.
-
Recall campaign 13V030000
Safety recall 13V030000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- Inoperative wipers could reduce driver visibility and increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy:
- Toyota will notify owners, and Lexus dealers will install new wiper arm nuts, free of charge. An interim letter was mailed to owners on April 4, 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
-
Recall campaign 14V647000
Fuel system
- Report date
- Component:
- Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will clean and reseal the fuel pressure sensor mounting area, free of charge. The recall began March 3, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
-
Recall campaign 16V340000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on December 6, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for interim notification for this campaign are G1P (Toyota Zone A), G1R (Toyota Zone B), G2G (Lexus Zone A), and G2H (Lexus Zone B). Toyota's numbers for final remedy for this campaign are G0P (Toyota Zone A), G0R (Toyota Zone B), GLG (Lexus Zone A), and GLH (Lexus Zone B).
-
Recall campaign 17V006000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 1, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331, or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. Toyota's numbers for final remedy for this campaign are G0P (Toyota Zone A), G0R (Toyota Zone B), H0A (Toyota Zone C), GLG (Lexus Zone A), GLH (Lexus Zone B) and HLA (Lexus Zone C).
-
Recall campaign 19V741000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 10 of 186 complaints · page 1 of 8
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2006 Lexus IS250. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH and following the road around a left turn, the steering wheel became loosened as if the steering wheel had detached from the column. The contact stated that the power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked and no longer driven. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2006 Lexus IS250. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light activated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the air bag sensor on the driver's side needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS IS250. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO SHIFT INTO THIRD GEAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE AND THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 145,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MELTING DASH AND ALL DOORS PEELING OF IN PLACES AND DASH IS ALMOST COMPLETELY MELTED IN PLACES . EVERY WHEEL SENSOR WENT OUT ON THE SAME DAY AND AIR LIGHT STUCK ON NOW..
CrashFireInjuryDeath
PURCHASED CAR A YEAR AGO NOTICED THAT WHEN IT GETS REALLY HOT THE DASH BOARD AND THE DOOR PANELS COMES OFF IF SCRAPED WITH FINGER NAILS AND THE DASH IS VERY STICKY.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I WAS INFORM BY OTHER LEXUS THAT THERE ARE RECALL FOR 2006-2013 LEXUS ON SERVERAL PARTS. I MADE A CALL TO LEXUS DEALERSHIP OF SACRAMENTO AND SPOKE TO REPRESENTATIVE SHE HAD ALSO CONFIRM THE RECAL ON MY CAR AND BOOKED ME AN APPOINTMENT SEVERAL DAYS LATER. I WENT TO MY APPOINTMENT AND WAS DENIED MY SERVICES, THEY TOLD ME IT HAD EXPIRED AND THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR ALL MY REPAIRS. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED ABOUT ANY RECALLS. I FEEL LIKE I WAS RIP OFF FOR BEING 17YEARS OLD KID. I FELT CHEATED.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
SOLENOIDS IN MY CAR IS CAUSING MY CAR TO GO INTO LIMP MODE DUE TO THE FACT THAT LEXUS STATES TRANSMISSION FLUID NEVER NEEDS TO BE CHANGED IS NOW HAVING ME BUYING A NEW TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THE SOLENOIDS ARE BAD AND IS STUCK IN 3RD GEAR.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TAKATA RECALL: THE RECALL SHOULD MOST DEFINITELY INCLUDED THE AIRBAG WIRING HARNESS, I HAD NO ISSUES WITH MY AIRBAG LIGHT UNTIL I PLACE MY CAR BACK IN THE SHOP TO GET THE RECALL A DAY LATER THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND WILL NOT GO OUT. I TOOK IT BACK TO LEXUS AND THEY NOTIFIED ME THAT THE IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PART THEY JUST REPLACED. HOWEVER IT WAS NOT ON PRIOR TOO. THE ARE GETTING A DIAGNOSTIC MYSELF I WAS INFORMED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS BAD AND MY AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY, IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN, AND A WELL KNOWN ISSUE TO HAPPEN TO THE LEXUS IS 250, THIS IS A DIRECT LINK WITH THE TAKATA RECALL AND SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE COVER BY LEXUS. FAULTY AIR BAGS ARE NOT A CUSTOMERS FAULT. AIR BAGS WHERE PLACED IN CARS FOR LIFE SAVING PROTECTION, TO NOT INCLUDE THIS IS THE RECALL IS A DEATH SENTENCE FOR THE DRIVERS AND THERE FAMILY WHO ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
CHECK VSC LIGHT. CAR WILL NOT SHIFT PROPERLY PAST 3RD GEAR.. SOLENOID OR BAD TRANSMISSION
CrashFireInjuryDeath
CAR WAS DRIVING FINE ALL DAY. AT 7PM WENT TO BACK OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AND THE P/S LIGHT CAME ON AND STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED. TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN, BUT PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE STEERING WHEEL IS IMPOSSIBLE TO MOVE, VERY HARD.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2006 Lexus Is 250?
Owners named Body / frame most often — 48 of 186 reports (26%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2006 Lexus Is 250?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Cruise / speed control, Fuel system, and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2006 Lexus Is 250?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.