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Lexus IS 250Model year report

2011 Lexus IS 250 Problems

Compared with other Lexus IS 250 years

Fewer complaints than typical for this model

32/100 0.7× a typical year · 50 = typical

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
30filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
5,295miles, 11 complaints with mileage
Recalls
4campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
22 mpgcombined, 2.5L 6-cyl AWD · 20 city / 26 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2011 Lexus IS 250 (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 30 consumer complaints for the 2011 Lexus IS 250. The part named most often is air bags, with 20 complaints (67% of the total), followed by brakes (3) and other or unknown (3). 11 of the complaints include a mileage, and 82% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 5,295 miles. Of all complaints, 5 involved a crash, 3 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 207 technical service bulletins for this model year. Air bags complaints overlap with 3 recall campaigns covering the inflator module and 14 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Brakes complaints overlap with 3 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Compared with the other 4 Lexus IS 250 model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 32 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (fewer complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Transmission and drivetrain (1), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).

Example complaints

Air bags: “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.”

NHTSA complaint #10488632, filed 2012-12, 21,000 miles

Brakes: “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.”

NHTSA complaint #10502998, filed 2013-03, 1,000 miles

Other or unknown: “I was driving in heavy traffic (stop and go); I was fully stopped with my foot on the brake - I eased off the brake to slowly roll forward - absolutely did not place my foot on or anywhere near the gas pedal - as I eased off brake, I felt a strong surge from the front of the car- the car accelerated and I slammed in to a truck that was directly in front of me- I looked at the dashboard as this was happening and the check engine light and the traction light were both on - I tried to brake but the brake pedal was hard - I was stopped due to the impact of hitting the truck-- I am attaching the…”

NHTSA complaint #11062688, filed 2018-01, 93,000 miles

Vehicle speed control: “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. …”

NHTSA complaint #10584558, filed 2014-04, 17,100 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

82% of the 11 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 1,000 and 37,000 miles.

55%0–1018%10–259%25–500%50–759%75–1009%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (11 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 5,295 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

2011201220132014201620171320182019
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2011 Lexus IS 250. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
IS250 · sedan AWDnot rated———5 · 10.1% risk
IS250 · sedan RWDnot rated———5 · 10.1% risk

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2011 Lexus IS 250 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
IS 250 AWD2.5L 6-cyl6-speed automatic202622$3,750

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2011 Lexus IS 250 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 207 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 207 bulletins →

Other model years of the Lexus IS 250

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20151610,0000524—Falling
20143525,500052413 · FewerFalling
2013539,0002423—Not enough data
20121740,0004—22—Falling
2011305,2954—2232 · FewerStable
20104038,5576—2250 · TypicalStable
20094857,4506—2456 · TypicalStable
200812566,0005—2465 · MoreFalling
200721375,0005—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200618983,4116—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Lexus IS 250 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2011 Lexus IS 250 have?

NHTSA recorded 30 consumer complaints for the 2011 Lexus IS 250 as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2011 Lexus IS 250 is reported most often?

Air bags is named most often, in 20 complaints (67% of the total), followed by brakes with 3.

Has the 2011 Lexus IS 250 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2011 Lexus IS 250 get?

The EPA rates the 2011 Lexus IS 250 (IS 250 AWD, 2.5L 6-cyl) at 22 mpg combined, 20 city and 26 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,750 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2011 Lexus IS 250 reported?

Among the 11 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 5,295 miles and the middle half falls between 1,000 and 37,000 miles; 82% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.