2011 Lexus IS 250: complaints, problems and recalls

INTERMITTENT PROBLEM - CAR OCCASIONALLY PULLS TO EITHER SIDE, RIGHT OR LEFT, WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. A VIDEO RECORDING OF THE LATEST INCIDENT, WHICH OCCURRED ON 7/29/11, SHOWING THE STEERING WHEEL SPINNING 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH WHILE DRIVING ON THE GRAND CENTRAL PARKWAY IN QUEENS, NEW YORK IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. THE PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO LEXUS CORPORATE AND BROUGHT TO LEXUS OF QUEENS (NEW YORK CITY) FOR CORRECTION ON 7/19/11. SINCE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLE…

Owner-reported narrative. 24 miles reported. Look up ODI 10418821 at NHTSA ↗

DROVE OVER GRAVEL ON ROAD, THEN STEERING COLUMN FROZE UP. WHEN BROUGHT TO LEXUS THEY SAID ALL THE ELECTRICAL STEERING COMPONENTS ARE BROKE. MY INSURANCE CO. SAID PARTS ARE MADE OF PLASTIC, AND WOULD TAKE A MINOR OCCURRENCE TO CAUSE BREAKAGE TO THESE NECESSARY PARTS. INSURANCE CO. SAYS IT SHE BE UNDER WARRANTY (I HAVE LESS THEN 3,000 MILES), BUT LEXUS SAYS NO! *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 2,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10430021 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE 3 CAR LENGTHS AHEAD OF ME PUT ON HIS BRAKES AND WHEN I WENT TO PUT ON MY BRAKES MY CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE BRAKING AND RAN INTO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. MY AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY- MY CAR WAS A COMPLETE LOSS TO THE FRONT END ($17,000.00) AND THE INSURANCE APPRAISER,BODY SHOP, POLICE OFFICER, TOWING COMPANY WERE STUNNED THAT THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY DO TO THE SEVERITY OF IMPACT AND DAMAGE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 21,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10488632 at NHTSA ↗

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION EVENT WHILE DRIVING UP A STEEP HILL, VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY ON IT'S OWN ACCORD. WHILE BRAKING, THE BRAKES WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND ONLY SERVED TO DESTABILIZE THE VEHICLE AND SLOW IT SLIGHTLY. TACHOMETER WAS PEGGED AT 6,000 RPM AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. AFTER PUSHING THE "START" BUTTON SEVERAL TIMES THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN AND WAS BROUGHT TO A STOP. THIS TOOK ALMOST TWO MINUTES AND WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. LEXUS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED IT OPERATING AS DESIGNED, WITH NO …

Owner-reported narrative. 5,295 miles reported. Look up ODI 10496533 at NHTSA ↗

CAR SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD (WHILE MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN) AND STRUCK THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME ON JANUARY 6, 2012. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN IN DECEMBER 2012 AND JANUARY 2013, I.E., CAR LURCHED FORWARD WHILE DRIVER'S FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE WHILE APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT/SIGN. THE LATTER INCIDENTS DID NOT RESULT IN ANY ACCIDENT OR INJURY.

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10502998 at NHTSA ↗

DURING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2013, I EXPERIENCED SEVERAL INCIDENTS OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. I ALSO HAD SEVERAL BEFORE DECEMBER THAT I DIDN'T PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO. WHAT THEY HAD IN COMMON WAS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ALMOST STOPPED WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN I EXPERIENCED A SURGE. IN ONE INSTANCE, I WAS EASING OUT OF A STRIP MALL PARKING LOT ONTO A MAJOR HIGHWAY WITH JUST THE IDLE SPEED MOMENTUM MOVING THE CAR WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR SURGED AND PULLED ME INTO THE ROADWAY BLINDLY BUT FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO ONCOMING VEHICLES. HAP…

Owner-reported narrative. 17,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10584558 at NHTSA ↗

ABOUT SIX MONTHS AFTER GETTING THIS CAR BRAND NEW I STARTED SMELLING A FOUL ODOR. IT HAPPENED EVERY TIME I USED THE AIR CONDITIONING. WHEN I WENT TO OPEN THE FRESH AIR MODE A MOLDY/MUSTY SMELL EMANATED THROUGHOUT THE CAR. IT CONTINUED AND I TOOK THE CAR IN SEVERAL TIMES TO LEXUS. THEY CHANGED THE CABIN FILTERS, EVEN USED A STATE OF THE ART PROCESS TO ELIMINATE THE ODOR - BUT IT KEPT COMING BACK. THEY CLAIMED IT WAS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE. HOWEVER I GOT AN ATTORNEY WHO SUGGESTED I HIRE A MOLD EXPERT AND SURE ENOUGH THEY FOUND A TOXIC MOLD IN…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10661019 at NHTSA ↗

VIOLENT TREAD SEPARATION ON DUNLOP SP SPORT 2050 AT 37,000 MILES. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 37,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10662201 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2013-01-30 (January 30, 2013)

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 vehicles manufactured August 23, 2005, through October 5, 2011; 2010-2012 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles manufactured April 10, 2009, through October 6, 2011; and 2008-2011 Lexus IS-F vehicles manufactured December 14, 2007, through July 10, 2011. The nuts that fasten the wiper arms may be insufficiently torqued such that if the wiper arms are restricted by an external load, such as a buildup of heavy snow, one or both of the wipers may become inoperative.

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.

Reported: 2016-05-23 (May 23, 2016)

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Scion xB and Lexus IS F, 2009-2011 Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix, 2006-2011 Toyota Yaris, Lexus IS250 and Lexus IS350, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, Lexus IS250C, Lexus IS350C and Lexus GX460, 2011 Sienna, 2007-2011 Lexus ES350, and 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 Scion xB and Lexus IS F, 2007-2008 Toyota Yaris, 2006-2008 Lexus IS250 and Lexus IS350 and 2007-2008 Lexus ES350 vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Vehicles of these model years and models that were not originally sold or ever registered in either Zones A or B are not subject to this safety recall. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

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).

Reported: 2019-01-09 (January 9, 2019)

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Toyota 4Runner, 2014-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, and 2014-2017 Lexus GX460 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Toyota is also recalling certain 2011-2013 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Lexus IS250, IS350, 2011-2016 4Runner, 2011-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2011-2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, 2011-2017 Lexus GX460, and 2011-2012 Lexus ES350 vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Toyota is also recalling certain 2010-2013 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Lexus IS350, 2010-2016 4Runner, 2010-2013 Lexus IS250, 2010-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2010-2014 Lexus IS-F, and 2010-2012 Lexus ES350 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

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 passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began February 15, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. 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.

Reported: 2019-10-17 (October 17, 2019)

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

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.