2009 Lexus Is 250 Problems: Airbags (48 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2009 Lexus Is 250 is Airbags (38% of 48 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Airbags — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 48 complaints · 6 recalls

What problems show up on the 2009 Lexus Is 250?

18 of 48 filings named Airbags (38% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Glass / wipers / cameras (6 reports).

There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Fuel system and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2008 has 123 reports on file; this year has 48. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2009 Lexus Is 250

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 6 campaigns on file below.
  2. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  3. Glass / wipers / cameras. Check windshield, wipers and any camera or sensor the listing claims is there.
  4. Cruise / speed control. Test cruise control and ask about unintended-acceleration reports on this year.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Airbags. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Airbags 18 complaints · 37.5% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 3
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 1
  • Deaths 0
All Lexus Is 250 years →
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.

Which systems owners named Airbags (AIR BAGS) appears in 18 of 48 owner complaints (37.5%) in this vehicle snapshot. Airbags (AIR BAGS): 18 complaints, 37.5% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 18 · 37.5% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 6 complaints, 12.5% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 6 · 12.5% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 5 complaints, 10.4% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 2 crash reports 5 · 10.4% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 4 complaints, 8.3% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 4 · 8.3% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 2 complaints, 4.2% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 2 · 4.2% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 1 complaints, 2.1% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 · 2.1% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 1 complaints, 2.1% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 · 2.1% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 1 complaints, 2.1% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 1 crash reports 1 · 2.1% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 1 complaints, 2.1% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 · 2.1% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 15 complaints, 31.3% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 15 · 31.3% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“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)
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 18 37.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 6 12.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 5 10.4% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 4 8.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 2 4.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 2.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 2.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 1 2.1% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 2.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 15 31.3% 0 crashes · 0 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.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Apr 2010; the first recall shown was reported in Jan 2013. 2010-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2016-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2017-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Apr 2010 Sep 2021 Recall campaign 13V030000 ◆ Recall campaign 13V030000 Recall campaign 14V647000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V647000 Recall campaign 16V340000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V340000 Recall campaign 17V006000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V006000 Recall campaign 18V024000 ◆ Recall campaign 18V024000 Recall campaign 19V741000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V741000 Investigation EA21002 ● Investigation EA21002
  • Campaign 14V647000 was reported 1,358 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 17V006000 was reported 174 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 18V024000 was reported 539 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 19V741000 was reported 1,185 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2010-Q2 Owner reports 3
2010-Q3 Owner reports 2
2011-Q1 Owner reports 3
2011-Q2 Owner reports 1
2011-Q3 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q4 Owner reports 4
2015-Q1 Owner reports 1
2016-Q3 Owner reports 7
2016-Q4 Owner reports 3
2017-Q1 Owner reports 8
2017-Q2 Owner reports 1
2017-Q3 Owner reports 4
2017-Q4 Owner reports 1
2018-Q1 Owner reports 1
2018-Q2 Owner reports 2
2018-Q3 Owner reports 1
2018-Q4 Owner reports 1
2019-Q1 Owner reports 1
2019-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 13V030000
Recall campaign 1 14V647000
Recall campaign 1 16V340000
Recall campaign 1 17V006000
Recall campaign 1 18V024000
Recall campaign 1 19V741000
Defect investigation 1 EA21002
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

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 Fuel system and Airbags.

  1. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. 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).
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. 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).
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 18V024000

    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 the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began on January 29, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331, or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. Toyota's numbers for this recall are "Zone A" Toyota: G0P, Lexus: GLG; "Zone B" Toyota: G0R, Lexus GLH; "Zone C" Toyota: H0A, and Lexus: HLA.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints 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.

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
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 48 complaints · page 1 of 2
2019-07-06Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
NHTSA ODI 11229793
CrashFireInjuryDeath
DASHBOARD IS MELTING AND STICKY. CAUSING A RIDICULOUS GLARE FROM SUNLIGHT AND HEADLIGHTS. CONTACTED LEXUS DEALERSHIP; THEY STATED THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS BUT THEY COULDN'T HELP ME I WOULD NEED TO CALL LEXUS THEMSELVES. CALLED LEXUS PROVIDED MY VIN AND OTHER INFORMATION. THEY TOLD ME MY VIN WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL AND I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL REPAIRS MYSELF.
2019-04-02Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11193424
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MY DASHBOARD IS MELTED AND STICKY. CAN BE A SAFETY HAZARD FOR GLARE ON THE ROAD.
2019-01-28Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11172572
CrashFireInjuryDeath
DASH MATERIAL IS DECOMPOSING, CREATING A LARGE SPOT OF GLARE ONTO WINDSHIELD. LEXUS IS WELL AWARE OF THIS FROM THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS, AND IN 2011 UPDATED WARRANTY FOR SOME VEHICLES.HOWEVER THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED AND ARE BEING SUED BUY MANY FOR THIS SAME COMPLAINT. JUST ADDING MY CAR TO LIST I HAVE SEEN THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE. THIS MAKES IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE INTHE SUNLIGHT!!
2018-10-15Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11140414
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 LEXUS IS 250. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE AND TRACTION CONTROL INDICATORS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PROPERLY ACCELERATE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.
2018-09-29Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
NHTSA ODI 11132251
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE MIRRORS HAVE BECOME LOOSE AND FREELY MOVE FORWARD AND BACKWARD. I HAVE TO USE HEAVY DUTY CLOTH TAPE TO PERMANENTLY SECURE THEM IN THE REAR FACING ORIENTATION. I FOUND A YOUTUBE VIDEO WHICH DISCLOSES THE MECHANICAL DEFECT THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD IF THE MIRRORS WERE NOT HELD STEADY IN THE REAR FACING ORIENTATION AND THIS MECHANICAL DEFECT SHOULD NOT OCCUR.
2018-06-22Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11103367
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 LEXUS IS 250. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS PRODUCING A VERY STICKY SUBSTANCE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUBSTANCE WAS LIKE GLUE AND COVERED THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE GLUE LIKE SUBSTANCE WAS DIFFICULT TO REMOVE FROM CLOTHING. THE FAILURE WAS ALSO NOTICED ON THE SIDE PANEL. THE CONTACT REFERENCED A RECALL FOR THIS FAILURE AND STATED THAT SHE HAD BEEN PLACED ON A WAITING LIST SINCE 2015; HOWEVER, A RECALL WAS NOT LOCATED FOR THIS VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JM LEXUS (5350 W SAMPLE RD, MARGATE, FL 33073, ([redacted]), BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
2018-05-01Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11091216
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MELTING DASHBOARD CAUSING A GLARE WHILE DRIVING WHERE YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE WHERE YOU ARE GOING PROPERLY.
2018-03-23Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
NHTSA ODI 11081043
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 LEXUS IS250. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND WAS TOWED TO NORTH SIDE LEXUS (17925 NORTH FWY., HOUSTON, TX 77090). THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 14V647000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE), 16V340000 (AIR BAGS), AND 13V030000 (VISIBILITY/WIPER). THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE PART THAT WAS NEEDED WAS A FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR; HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN UMBER: 14V647000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE REMAINED AT THE DEALER AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
2017-10-15Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11033457
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE DASHBOARD IS MELTING, STICKY AND SHINY, CREATES A MIRROR EFFECT ONTHE ALL WINDSHIELD. IT IS GLARING AND REFLECTING ALL OVER THE WINDSHIELD AND MAKES DRIVING NOT SAFE. IT STARTED FEW YEARS BACK AND GETTING WORSE. I CONTACTED HEADQUARTERS LEXUS AND WAS TOLD BY A SUPERVISOR THAT NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THAT IT IS MY PROBLEM.
2017-09-09Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
NHTSA ODI 11022479
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MELTING DASHBOARD RECALL. I HAVE A 2009 LEXUS IS 250 MELTING CHIPPED DASHBOARD AND DOORS. IT'S VERY HARD TO SEE WHILE DRIVING DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE DASHBOARD CAUSES A GLARE IN THE WINDOW. ALSO THE SMELL OF MELTING PLASTIC DASH IS SICKENING. I HAVE RECENTLY TAKEN MY CAR TO A LEXUS DEALERSHIP TO HAVE SEWELL REPLACE THE AIRBAGS EVERY SINCE THEN MY NAVIGATION SYSTEM HAS BEEN MAKING WEIRD NOISES AND NOW IT'S COMPLETELY NOT WORKING BLACK SCREEN AND THE BUTTONS ON THE SIDE IS NOT WORKING. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE MY AC IS ON AND I CAN'T TURN OFF BECAUSE OF THE BUTTONS ARE NOT WORKING. VERY FRUSTRATING AND I'M FREEZING.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2009 Lexus Is 250?

Owners named Airbags most often — 18 of 48 reports (38%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2009 Lexus Is 250?

NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about 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 2009 Lexus Is 250?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed. 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.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints 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.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources