2012 Lexus IS

18 complaints on file, page 1 of 1.

1. Filed Aug 6, 2026Failure Jul 6, 2026Topanga, CAVisibility/wiper

   The dashboard (instrument panel) on this 2012 Lexus IS 250 has degraded and deteriorated, developing a shiny, reflective surface. In daylight and bright conditions, this degraded surface reflects onto the windshield and produces a significant glare that obstructs the driver's view of the road. The glare materially impairs forward visibility and makes safe operation of the vehicle dangerous, particularly given the driver's reduced tolerance for compromised visibility. This is a known and widespread defect. Lexus formally acknowledged the cracking/melting dashboard condition through Customer Support Program ZLZ, which covered approximately 584,800 vehicles. The defect is understood to result from the dashboard material breaking down over time due to heat exposure. Numerous owners of affected Toyota and Lexus vehicles have reported the identical hazard to NHTSA: a degraded dashboard casting a glare on the windshield that impairs the driver's view. In this vehicle, the condition did not manifest until 2025–2026 — after the support program's coverage window had closed — which is consistent with the latent, heat-driven nature of the defect. The owner contacted Lexus and requested repair. Lexus declined, stating the vehicle was outside the program's coverage limits, and on escalation confirmed it would not take responsibility. The owner is filing this report because the condition is an active safety hazard affecting road visibility, not merely a cosmetic issue, and because Lexus has declined to remedy it despite having formally recognized the defect across hundreds of thousands of vehicles. No crash / no injury / no fire (assuming that's accurate — the form will ask; answer honestly).

   NHTSA complaint 11755221
2. Filed Jul 8, 2026Failure Jul 7, 2026Topanga, CABody, Visibility/wiper

   2012 Lexus IS 250 Complaint Category: Interior/Seat Belts/Air Bags → Interior Component: Interior Moldings/Trim/Panels Narrative This is a safety issue. The dashboard on my 2012 Lexus IS 250 has developed significant cracking and is actively decomposing into a gelatin-like texture, despite the vehicle being garage-kept, low mileage, and well-maintained throughout my ownership. This is not the result of any accident, impact, or misuse — it appeared spontaneously and has progressively worsened. The degrading dashboard material is emitting fumes, which are causing a haze to form on the interior surface of the windshield. This directly impairs driver visibility, particularly at night, creating a glare and obstruction hazard while driving. Lexus acknowledged this as a known defect by establishing Customer Support Program ZLZ, which provided extended coverage specifically for dashboard, instrument panel, and interior trim panel cracking on certain Lexus models. The existence of this program confirms that Lexus was aware of a systemic manufacturing or materials defect affecting these vehicles. My vehicle fell outside the ZLZ coverage window by a matter of months. Despite my appeal to Lexus National Headquarters citing my long-term ownership, the vehicle's low mileage, and the timing of the condition's appearance, Lexus has declined to provide any assistance and has stated this is their final position. Supporting Witness Statement [XXX], a window tinting professional, inspected the windshield and dashboard on XXX, at my residence. He observed that the dashboard surface has deteriorated to a gelatin-like, decomposing texture, and assessed that the haze visible on the interior of the windshield is consistent with off-gassing from the degrading dashboard material, rather than from window tint film, cleaning residue, or normal glass wear. (Contact: [XXX]) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

   NHTSA complaint 11748952
3. Filed Jun 23, 2026Failure Jun 23, 2026Topanga, CAAir bags, Body, Unknown or other

   The dashboard on my 2012 Lexus IS 250 has developed significant cracking across the surface despite the vehicle being garage-kept, low mileage, and well-maintained throughout my ownership. The cracking is not the result of any accident, impact, or misuse — it appeared spontaneously and has progressively worsened over time. Lexus acknowledged this as a known defect by establishing Customer Support Program ZLZ, which provided extended coverage specifically for dashboard, instrument panel, and interior trim panel cracking on certain Lexus models. The existence of this program confirms that Lexus was aware of a systemic manufacturing or materials defect affecting these vehicles. My vehicle fell outside the ZLZ coverage window by a matter of months. Despite my appeal to Lexus National Headquarters citing my long-term ownership, the vehicle’s low mileage, and the timing of the condition’s appearance, Lexus has declined to provide any assistance and has stated this is their final position. I am filing this complaint to document this defect and contribute to the record of affected owners. Dashboard cracking of this nature is not only a cosmetic issue — a deteriorating dashboard can cause glare, distraction, and potential visibility impairment for the driver, which raises legitimate safety concerns. I am requesting that NHTSA review whether Customer Support Program ZLZ adequately addressed the full scope of affected vehicles and owners, and whet

   NHTSA complaint 11745928
4. Filed Jun 10, 2024Failure Sep 4, 2023Mount Holly, NCBody, Visibility/wiper

   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 on the windshield during the daytime. This glare causes difficulty with being able to safely see through the windshield.

   NHTSA complaint 11593384
5. Filed Feb 26, 2022Failure Feb 25, 2022APO, NYAir bags

   I own a Lexus 2012 IS250 and currently active duty member stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy. I was not notified that my vehicle is overdue on a safety recall until today when I am trying to ship the vehicle back to the US. What further actions can I do to get the recall done? Can I get the vehicle waivered to get the recall accomplished when it reaches the US?

   NHTSA complaint 11454221
6. Filed Jan 8, 2022Failure Jan 8, 2022Centennial, COEngine

   While stopped at a stop light vehicle RPM went very high. It reached the red zone. Vehicle started moving forward (while still on Drive and the brake pedal fully pressed). I immediately put the vehicle in Park. RPM continued to remain high. I removed my foot off the brake when the vehicle was in park. I turned the engine off, waited couple of seconds and turned it back on. At that point everything worked normally. Outside temperature was about 38 deg F. Car was not fully warmed up at the time. Floor mat had nothing to do with this incident. After restarting the engine it is working fine without any adjustment to the floor mat. Incident could have resulted in major crash or injury. Luckily it happened when the vehicle was stopped at at red light. Putting the car in PARK and turning off the engine resolved the issue. This is a serious issue on 2012 IS250. Check engine light is not on. Vehicle will be taken to the Lexus dealer for checking. If the car was in drive, this kind of revving up of the engine would have caused serious accident. Also, if I had not put the car in Park, it would have overcome the braking power and pushed the car to the intersection at red light. Engine RPM went way too high (in the red zone). This is the first incident. This 2012 Lexus IS250 has 69364 miles.

   NHTSA complaint 11446748
7. Filed Nov 27, 2020Failure Nov 26, 202096,129 milesAshburn, GAFuel/propulsion system

   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 STOP. RESTARTING ENGINE DID NOT WORK AS IT SPUTTERED AND WENT BACK TO IDLE IMMEDIATELY. FUEL TANK WAS 1/4 FULL, NOT DUE FOR OIL CHANGE FOR ANOTHER 4000 MILES, TIRE PRESSURE WAS FIXED A DAY PRIOR TO INCIDENT, AND NO OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. CAR TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY TESTED AND SAID FUEL PUMP MALFUNCTION. TOYOTA AND LEXUS ALREADY HAVE 2 MILLION CARS WITH FUEL PUMP RECALL, HOWEVER MY SPECIFIC MODEL IS NOT INCLUDED YET.

   NHTSA complaint 11376646
8. Filed Oct 11, 2020Failure Mar 19, 2020Houston, TXUnknown or other, Visibility/wiper

   LEXUS IS250 HAS A MELTING DASHBOARD AND IT'S REALLY HARD TO DRIVE WHEN THE SUN IS OUT ... IT GLARES OUT YOUR VISION WHEN DRIVING ...I WAS RESEARCHING AND SAW SOME PEOPLE GOT A RECALL FOR THE MELTING DASHBOARD SINCE IT'S REALLY UNSAFE TO DRIVE IT WITH THE DASHBOARD STARTING TO MELT .. IN THE PICTURE I ADDED YOU CAN SEE HOW MY DASHBOARD IS SHINY BECAUSE ITS MELTING AND STICKY TOO

   NHTSA complaint 11363776
9. Filed Apr 17, 2020Failure Jun 20, 2019Joppa, MDAir bags, Electronic stability control (esc)

   HI , MY FIRST NAME IS [XXX] LAST NAME IS [XXX] ,MY MAILING ADDRESS IS [XXX]. I HAS A LEXUS IS 250 2012 , 86000 MILE LAST 10 MONTH AGO MY CAR HAS A RECALL MAIL REPLACEMENT AIR BAG FROM LEXUS,BUT MY CAR WAS IN A GOOD CONDITION EVERY THING IS FUNCTION GOOD WITH NO ANY PROBLEM, BUT AFTER I TOOK MY CAR TO THE LEXUS OF TOWSON LOCATION 1040 YORK RD , TOWSON, MD 21204 .AFTER THEY REPLACEMENT MY CAR AIR BAG .MY CAR WAS WENT ON A WARNING LIGHT NOTE THAT AIR BAG OFF ,SO IT MEANS AIR BAG NOT WORKING PROPERLY ,BUT BEFORE THAT MY CAR HAS NON OF THE LIGHT PROBLEM EVERYTHING IS GOOD. I CALL THE LEXUS OF TOWNSON. TOLD THEM MY CAR WAS A WARNING LIGHT AFTER THE RECALL REPLACEMENT AIR BAG, THEY TOLD ME THAT I HAS TO PAID FOR 300.00$ FOR DIAGNOSTIC AND ADDING LABOR AND MORE TO FIX FOR THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT. SO AFTER MY COUSIN TOLD ME DRIVING WITH AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ON COULD BE DANGER, BECAUSE ANY TIME HAS ACCIDENT THE VEHICLE AIR BAG MAY NOT PROJECT THE PASSAGE ,SO I SCHEDULE APPOINTMENT I TOLD THEM MY CAR ISSUE AFTER THEY RECALL AIR BAG REPLACEMENT . I TOLD THEM THE DEALER HAS TO RESPOND FOR THIS. AT THE FINAL I TAKES MY CAR HOME BECAUSE THEY ASKED FOR 300.00$ DIAGNOSTIC AND ADDING OVER THOUSAND FOR LABOR AND MORE .BECAUSE I ALWAYS BUSY FOR MY FAMILY I HAS TO TAKES MY MOM TO CHECK UP HER HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND OTHER THING EVERY WEEK. SO I CONTRACT THE LEXUS HEADQUARTER THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING, I KEEP CONTRACT THEM AND TODAY I CALL THEM AND KNOWN THAT THEY CLOSE MY CASE , BUT I NEVER RECEIVER ANY EMAIL THAT MY CASE WAS CLOSE. I NEED MY AIR BAG LIGHT OFF WARNING LIGHT GET FIX . AND THANK FOR READING THIS .. I HOPE THE DEALER WILL FIX MY CAR AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT FOR THE PASSAGE SIDE TO GET FIX THANK AND STAY SAFE ... INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

   NHTSA complaint 11321415
10. Filed Mar 5, 2020Failure Feb 18, 2020140,000 milesVilla Rica, GAFuel/propulsion system

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 LEXUS IS250. CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, SEVERAL UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE HIGHWAY PATROL PROVIDED FUEL AND THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND OPERATED AS INTENDED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS NOT PERFORMED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT A TUNE UP NEEDED TO BE DONE ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE FUEL GAUGE REGISTERED BELOW 1/2 TANK OF FUEL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000.

    NHTSA complaint 11316301
11. Filed Jan 11, 2020Failure Mar 7, 2019Oakland, CAAir bags, Electrical system, Exterior lighting

    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 THE ONE THEY PUT ON THAT TIME NOW IT'S BROKEN AGAIN AND THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME TO GET FIXED.

    NHTSA complaint 11298620
12. Filed Dec 22, 2019Failure Nov 10, 2018Gulfport, MSBody, Unknown or other

    MY 2012 LEXUS IS250 HAS STICKY DASHBOARD AND DOOR PANELS. THE DASH IS WET WITH A STICKY LIKE SUBSTANCE WHICH ALSO CAUSES A GLARE AND STAINS ANYTHING THAT TOUCHES THE SURFACE. THE DOOR PANELS ARE PEELING HORRIBLY AND EXTREMELY SOFT TO TOUCH. BUMPING YOUR FINGER ON THE DOOR PANEL LEAVES FRAGMENTS OF THE DOOR PANEL UNDER YOUR NAILS. ALSO ANY PART OF THE DASH AS WELL. THIS DRAMATICALLY DROPS THE APPEARANCE OF THE INTERIOR AND IS A MUST FIX. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY ONLY DID THE RECALL ON 06-08. IT WAS LIKE SUCH WHEN I BOUGHT THE CARE IN 2018 WITH 59K MILEAGE.

    NHTSA complaint 11290735
13. Filed Oct 21, 2019Failure Oct 20, 2019Knoxville, TNAir bagsCrash1 injured

    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 complaint 11270079
14. Filed May 23, 2017Failure May 23, 2017SAN Diego, CAAir bags

    TAKATA RECALL MY LOCAL DEALER DOES NOT HAVE THE PARTS NECESSARY TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THEY PUT ME ON A WAIT LIST AND SAID IT COULD TAKE 2 MONTHS FOR THE THEM TO GET THE PARTS. THIS IS LEXUS SAN DIEGO

    NHTSA complaint 10991224
15. Filed Mar 20, 2017Failure Mar 20, 2017Pleasanton, CAAir bags

    URGENT SAFETY RECALL FRONT PASS. AIRBAG INFLATOR WHICH CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH - NO PARTS AVAILABLE & LEXUS UNABLE TO GIVE AN ETA FOR PART. UNACCEPTABLE. WHAT RECOURSE DO I HAVE?

    NHTSA complaint 10967234
16. Filed Jul 20, 2015Failure Jul 17, 201514,500 milesRoanoke, VAVehicle speed 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 complaint 10735107
17. Filed Jul 14, 2015Failure May 15, 201323,000 milesSAN Diego, CAAir bags, Service brakes, Vehicle speed controlCrash

    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 complaint 10734027
18. Filed Mar 11, 2015Failure Jul 16, 201223 milesBradenton, FLService brakes

    WHEN BRAKING, OR SLOWING BRAKING AND LETTING GO, WEIRD CREAKING NOISE IS MADE. LEXUS IS AWARE OF THESE ISSUES BUT WILL DO NOTHING TO HELP EVEN WHEN CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

    NHTSA complaint 10693726