2014
New 2020 2019
Used 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001

Lexus IS Change Vehicle

High points of this version of the Lexus IS include eye-catching styling and a silky smooth V6 . Performance is rather pokey though. We originally tested the 2.5-liter V6 version, which delivered just 21 mpg overall. Beginning with the 2016 model year, the 2.5-liter was replaced by a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and fitted to a new trim line: IS 200t.
Alerts
There are 3 recalls on this vehicle. Learn More.
2014
New 2020 2019
Used 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001

Lexus IS

Reliability
See All
Owner Satisfaction
See All
Crash and Rollover Tests
IIHS Front Moderate Overlap Good
IIHS Front Small Overlap, Driver NA
IIHS Side Crash Good
NHTSA Frontal-Crash, Driver
NHTSA Frontal-Crash, Passenger
See All

Road Test Results

Performance
Acceleration Acceleration Acceleration tests are conducted on a smooth, flat pavement straightaway at the track. Time, speed, and distance measurements are taken with a precise GPS-based device that’s hooked to a data-logging computer.
0 to 60 mph 0 to 60 mph (sec.) The time in seconds that a vehicle takes to reach 60 mph from a standstill with the engine idling.
Transmission Transmission Transmission performance is determined by shifting smoothness, response, shifter action, and clutch actuation for manual transmissions.
Fuel Economy Fuel Economy We perform our own fuel-economy tests, independent of the government's often-quoted EPA figures and the manufacturers' claims. Using a precise fuel-flow measuring device spliced into the fuel line, we run two separate circuits to represent city and highway consumption.
CR's Overall Mileage CR's Overall Mileage CR's overall mileage is a composite of measured fuel usage on a prescribed city course and highway cruising; and CR's 150-mile test trip of mixed driving, if tested. In recent road tests, we've discontinued the 150-mile trip test.
CR's City Mileage CR's City Mileage Measured fuel usage on a prescribed city course.
CR's Highway Mileage CR's Highway Mileage Measured fuel usage on a prescribed highway cruising.
Annual Fuel Cost Annual Fuel Cost The cost and amount of fuel used in 12,000 miles and is calculated from CR's overall mileage.
Braking Braking The braking rating is a composite of wet and dry stopping distances and pedal feel. Braking distance is from 60 mph, with no wheels locked.
Emergency Handling Emergency Handling Several factors go into the rating, including the avoidance maneuver speed and confidence, as well as how the vehicle behaves when pushed to its limit,
Comfort / Convenience
Ride Ride Our expert judgment of how well the suspension isolates and absorbs road imperfections and how steady it keeps the body on various road surfaces.
Noise Noise Our expert judgment of the vehicle's interior noise level in everyday driving.
Front Seat Comfort Front Seat Comfort Our judgment of how comfortable the front seat is for drivers of various heights.
Rear Seat Comfort Rear Seat Comfort Our judgment of how comfortable the rear seat is for two passengers to sit across.
Interior Fit and Finish Interior Fit and Finish An expert evaluation of the interior quality and craftsmanship.
Trunk/Cargo Area Trunk/Cargo Area Our rating is based on the amount of luggage or cargo space that a vehicle has in the trunk or cargo area.

Owner Reports

Worse Better
Reliability History Reliability History The reliability charts are based on responses on hundreds of thousands of vehicles from our latest Annual Auto Survey. Consumer Reports subscribers reported on any serious problems they had with their vehicles during the past 12 months that they considered serious because of cost, failure, safety, or downtime, in any of the trouble spots included in the table below. The results are presented relative to the average model that year. Extra weight is given to the more serious areas such as major engine or transmission problems. Based on this data and further analysis, we predict reliability for the latest year. N/A indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year.
2000
2001
NA
2002
NA
2003
NA
2004
NA
2005
NA
2006
2007
2008
2009
NA
2010
2011
2012
2013
NA
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
NA
2019
NA
Reliability Trouble Spots
Engine Major Engine Major Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt.
NA
Engine Minor Engine Minor Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, oil leaks.
NA
Engine Cooling Engine Cooling Radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, overheating.
NA
Transmission Major Transmission Major Transmission rebuild or replacement, torque converter, clutch replacement.
NA
View all Reliability
Owner Satisfaction Owner Satisfaction To learn about satisfaction, CR has collected survey data from our annual survey on more than half a million vehicles. Our subscribers provide great insights into their satisfaction by answering one simple question: If they had it to do all over again, would they definitely buy or lease the same model? In addition, respondents also rate their cars in six categories: driving experience, comfort, value, styling, audio, and climate systems. N/A indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year.
2000
2001
NA
2002
NA
2003
NA
2004
NA
2005
NA
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
NA
Driving Experience Driving Experience Includes acceleration and handling
Comfort Comfort Includes seats, climate control, noise, and ride
Value Value Did you get what you wanted relative to the price you paid?
Styling Styling How it looks inside and out
View all Owner Satisfaction
Safety Equipment
ABS and side air bags standard. Head protection air bags standard from 2002. ESC available from 2002, standard from 2006.
Road Test

High points of this version of the Lexus IS include eye-catching styling and a silky smooth V6 . Performance is rather pokey though. We originally tested the 2.5-liter V6 version, which delivered just 21 mpg overall. Beginning with the 2016 model year, the 2.5-liter was replaced by a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and fitted to a new trim line: IS 200t. The new engine produces 241 hp and is mated to an eight-speed automatic. The IS 200t is rear-wheel drive only. Also new is the all-wheel drive IS 300, which uses a 255-hp version of the 3.5-liter V6 and is hooked up to a six-speed automatic. The IS 350 was unchanged.

Handling is nothing special. Body roll is fairly well contained, but the car isn't particularly agile. The steering is appropriately weighted, but feels vague and doesn't telegraph much feedback. When pushed to its handling limits at our track, the IS was secure and forgiving, but overly pronounced understeer diluted the handling finesse and enjoyment drivers expect from a sports sedan.

Seating
2 front, 3 rear
Drive Wheels
AWD , Rear
Warranty

In most cases, automotive warranties are based on the vehicle identification number (VIN), and the warranty will be valid regardless of ownership. The dealership can tell you exactly how much warranty is left.

Read more about extended warranties
Body Styles
convertible
sedan
Transmissions Available
  • 8-speed Automatic
  • 6-speed Automatic
Engines Available
  • 2.5-liter V6 (204 hp)
  • 3.5-liter V6 (306 hp)

Owner Reported Trouble Spots

The Reliability score is based on our latest subscriber survey of 2014 Lexus IS owners. The owner comments describe problems respondents experienced with this vehicle.

In-car Electronics

CD or DVD players, radio, speakers, GPS, communication system (e.g., OnStar), display screen freezes or goes blank, phone pairing (e.g. Bluetooth), voice control commands, steering wheel controls, portable music device interface (e.g., iPod/MP3 player), backup or other camera/sensors.

What Owners Say

Backup or other camera/sensors

"There was an imperfection in the back up camera. The Lexus dealership initially said this was 'normal'. It took two trips to get it replaced"

Anonymous, FL (2014 Lexus IS 250 2.5-L V6)
Display screen freezes up

"The radio stations display on the infotainment screen and when trying the change the station using either the "mouse" or the steering wheel buttons the screen "jams" consistently (at least once a day) and you cannot change the radio station"

Sharon B., MD (2014 Lexus IS 250 Unsure)

"Display screen freezes, the only fix is to turn off ignition and restart. The system also rebooted on it own several times. Sytem software was updated at one year service and hasn't returned"

Marty B., NV (2014 Lexus IS 350 F Sport 3.5-L V6)

"Sometimes the display will go blank and radio controls will not allow to change stations. I need to stop car, turn off the car and restart"

Anonymous, CA (2014 Lexus IS 250 2.5-L V6)

"Screen would freeze mainly during navigation. Screen would also lose functions and zoom all the way out on its own at times"

Timothy H., CO (2014 Lexus IS 350 F Sport 3.5-L V6)

"system would re-boot or freeze at random"

Robert L., ON (2014 Lexus IS 350 F Sport 3.5-L V6)

"Infotainment system failed continually"

Anonymous, VA (2014 Lexus IS 250 3.5-L V6)
Display screen goes blank

"The entertainment/NAV system often 'reboots' itself for no reason. It's not a major issue as everything seems to continue on as if nothing happened. But it does take about 60-90 seconds to recycle itself"

Thomas K., FL (2014 Lexus IS 350 F Sport 2.5-L V6)

"Display screen would go blank for no reason while driving. It took Lexus about a year after I started complaining to admit there was a problem. They replaced a computer chip, the problem seems to be solved"

David A., NM (2014 Lexus IS 350 3.5-L V6)

"system would go blank, re-boot or freeze"

Robert L., ON (2014 Lexus IS 350 F Sport 3.5-L V6)
External music device interface (e.g., smart phone, MP3 player)

"same as previous problem"

Anonymous, AL (2014 Lexus IS 350 F Sport 3.5-L V6)
In-dash navigation system (GPS)

"Nav freezes and reboots itself. Software update at one year service appears to have fixed the problem"

Marty B., NV (2014 Lexus IS 350 F Sport 3.5-L V6)

"traffic info is unreliable. navigation can't direct around traffic since info is wrong. sometimes doesn't recognize where i am. Cant subscribe to satellite traffic. only able to get their faulty traffic. HORRIBLE!"

Anonymous, CA (2014 Lexus IS 350 Unsure)
Phone pairing (e.g., Bluetooth)

"Connecting the iPhone with Bluetooth and charging cable at the same time cuases problems with the audio system"

Anonymous, AL (2014 Lexus IS 350 F Sport 3.5-L V6)
Voice control commands

"hard to use voice command on their navigation, The stick to move around electronic system is very difficult to use--though this probably belongs in some other comment box--please put it where it gets counted as a big complaint"

Anonymous, CA (2014 Lexus IS 350 Unsure)
CD player

"CD player scratched discs"

Anonymous, FL (2014 Lexus IS 350 F Sport 3.5-L V6)
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Electric System

Alternator, starter, hybrid battery and related systems, regular battery, battery cables, engine harness, coil, ignition switch, electronic ignition, distributor or rotor failure, spark plugs and wires failure.

What Owners Say

Heated or cooled seats

"Heated seats are not effective. Only get luke warm"

Dion W., ON (2014 Lexus IS 350 F Sport 3.5-L V6)

"Heating system in seats was poor, despite dealer checks and repairs"

Anonymous, VA (2014 Lexus IS 250 3.5-L V6)

"Tire pressure warning lights often shows up"

Anonymous, NY (2014 Lexus IS 250 F sport 2.5-L V6)
Wiper motor or washer

"Wiper motor burned out"

Anonymous, NY (2014 Lexus IS 250 F sport 2.5-L V6)
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Body Integrity

Squeaks, rattles, wind noises, loose or cracked seals and/or weather-stripping, air and water leaks.

What Owners Say

Squeaks or rattles

"Just above the A/C unit & near the Navigation Screen there is a rattle that does not happen all the time. Some days, it rattles or the days it does not. Car temperature & road conditions are not the prob"

Anonymous, AZ (2014 Lexus IS 350 F Sport 3.5-L V6)

"Just loud"

Anonymous, NV (2014 Lexus IS 250 2.5-L V6)

Climate System

Blower (fan) motor, A/C compressor, condenser, evaporator, heater system, automatic climate control, refrigerant leakage, electrical failure.

What Owners Say

Automatic climate control

"Thermostat abysmal. It does not consistently respond to car's internal temperature. E.G, inside car temp is 100 degrees, if auto on to set at 69 degrees, the fan may go on only to half speed. At other times, the fan would go on full when internal te"

Anonymous, FL (2014 Lexus IS 250 2.5-L V6)

"The car has an Eco feature. It will not blow the highest speed on this setting even if the interior temperature was 200 degrees. It has to be either on Normal or Sport to get it to run fast and it has to be set at 65 or lower. It does not blow cold a"

Anonymous, AZ (2014 Lexus IS 350 F Sport 3.5-L V6)

Power Equipment

Cruise control, clock, warning lights, body control module, keyless entry, wiper motor or washer, tire pressure monitor, interior or exterior lights, horn, gauges, 12V power plug, remote engine start, alarm or security system

What Owners Say

Battery (not hybrid or electric)

"If the car is left for longer than 5 days without being driven, you will come back to a dead battery. I have to now hook up a low voltage maintainer whenever I leave town"

David A., NM (2014 Lexus IS 350 3.5-L V6)

Transmission Minor

Gear selector or linkage, leaks, transmission computer, transmission sensor or solenoid, clutch adjustment, rough shifting, slipping transmission.

What Owners Say

Gear selector or linkage

"When the car is in sport mode the automatic gear shift is not smooth. It switches gears so roughly that it actually snaps your head back. It also skips gears often"

Sharon B., MD (2014 Lexus IS 250 Unsure)

Paint/Trim

Paint (fading, chalking, cracking, or peeling), loose interior and exterior trim or moldings, rust.

What Owners Say

Loose exterior trim or moldings

"Car is so low that when parking my wife touched the parking block(curb) and when pulling out, the bumper was pulled loose slightly from the fender"

James W., TX (2014 Lexus IS 250 Unsure)

Suspension

Shocks or struts, ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings, alignment, steering linkage (includes rack and pinion), power steering (pumps and hoses, leaks), wheel balance, springs or torsion bars, bushings, electronic or air suspension.

What Owners Say

Steering linkage (includes rack and pinion)

"power steering died"

Anonymous, QC (2014 Lexus IS 250 2.5-L V6)

Drive System

Driveshaft or axle, CV joint, differential, transfer case, 4WD/AWD components, driveline vibration, traction control, electronic stability control (ESC), electrical failure.

What Owners Say

Driveshaft or axle

"Had a knocking sound that was due I think to a cracked U joint. They replaced the entire draft shaft"

Anonymous, NV (2014 Lexus IS 250 2.5-L V6)

Body Hardware

Power or manual windows, locks and latches, tailgate, hatch or trunk, doors or sliding doors, mirrors, seat controls, safety belts, sunroof, convertible top.

Fuel System

Check engine light, sensors (includes O2 or oxygen sensor), emission control devices (includes EGR), engine computer, engine computer, fuel cap, fuel gauge/sender, fuel injection system, fuel pump, fuel leaks, stalling or hesitation.

Engine Minor

Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, oil leaks.

Brakes

Antilock system (ABS), parking brake, master cylinder, calipers, rotors, pulsation or vibration, squeaking, brake failure or wear.

Exhaust

Muffler, pipes, catalytic converter, exhaust manifold, leaks.

Engine Cooling

Radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, overheating.

Engine Major

Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt.

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