Problems · NHTSA complaints

2001 Lexus IS300 problems

Owners filed 35 complaints about the 2001 Lexus IS300 with NHTSA between Mar 2001 and Jan 2019. The most-cited component is vehicle speed control (6).

Complaints
35
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
10
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
13
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Vehicle speed control6
  2. Tires5
  3. Power train4
  4. Suspension4
  5. Engine and engine cooling4
  6. Air bags3
  7. Service brakes, hydraulic2
  8. Fuel system, gasoline2
  9. Structure2
  10. Engine1
  11. Electrical system1
  12. Visibility/wiper1
  13. Visibility1
  14. Steering1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20015
20025
20036
20046
20053
20061
20072
20080
20091
20102
20112
20120
20130
20140
20150
20161
20170
20180
20191

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Vehicle speed control

6 reports2 crashes
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LEXUS IS300. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN FROM A SERVICE ROAD ONTO A MAIN HIGHWAY THE CONTACT HAD HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE WAITING TO MAKE A TURN. WHEN THE CONTACT SLOWLY REMOVED HER FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL AND SLIGHTLY DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THERE WAS AN EXTREME INCREASE IN THE ENGINE RPMS. THE ENGINE ROARED LOUDLY AND IT ACCELERATED AT A RAPID RATE OF SPEED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO THE REAR OF A PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE CONTACTS VEHICLE WAS PUSHED BACKWARDS FROM THE IMPACT OF THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE, CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE AGAIN AND DID NOT STOP ACCELERATING. INSTEAD OF ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO PROCEED INTO THE HIGHWAY SHE MADE THE DECISION TO CRASH THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE INTO A CEMENT WALL. THE POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED ACCORDINGLY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED FOR FLOOR MAT ENTRAPMENT BY THE MANUFACTURER BUT SHOWED NO SIGNS OF INTERFERENCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000. UPDATED 5/17/2010 * CN UPDATED 05/20/10.*JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 10, 2010Vehicle speed controlCrash reportedODI 10318416

Tires

5 reports
“TOTAL FAILURE OF TIRE WHILE GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY - IN FACT TIRE CAME OFF THE RIM - TIRE WAS ONLY ABOUT 2 WEEKS OLD.BRIDGESTONE WITH UNI-T AQ/AQ 100528 POTENZA RE950 215/45R17 TLBL PS DOT # HYDKDFA2001”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 3, 2003TiresODI 10005185

Power train

4 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LEXUS IS 300. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE AS THE VEHICLE JERKED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ROLL DOWN THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WINDOW AND IT FAILED TO ROLL BACK UP. THE FAILURES RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE GLASS PANEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 154,000. ...UPDATED 09/19/16 *BF”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 4, 2016Power train, Electrical system, Visibility/wiperODI 10839934

Suspension

4 reports
“AS THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS MAKE/MODEL I HAVE NOTICED THAT IT GOES THROUGH TIRES LIKE NOT OTHER CALL I HAVE EVER KNOWN. I AM LUCKY TO GET 10-12K MILES FROM A SET OF TIRES. IN THE TIME I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE I HAVE HAD TO PURCHASE MULTIPLE TIRE SETS AS WELL AS A LIFETIME ALIGNMENT DUET TO THE EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE TIRES, THIS WEAR IS ON THE INNER PORTION OF THE FRONT TIRES. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS THE CAMBER PORTION OF THE SUSPENSION THAT CAUSES THIS. I AM A MODEL DRIVER WHO TAKES ALL PRECAUTIONS IN THE CARE OF MY VEHICLE. WITH THIS BEING SAID THERE ARE TIMES THAT A NEW TIRE CAN GO FROM GOOD TO TOTALLY BAD IN MONTHS. FOR EXAMPLE THIS PAST JULY 2011 I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR TIRES AND ALIGNMENT BY OCT 2011 MY FRONT TIRES WERE WORN OUT ON THE INSIDE PORTION. CONSUMER CAN SUPPLY PROOF. I HAVE SEEN BLOG POST ON THE NET WITH VARIOUS OTHER IS 300 OWNERS STATING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE EXACT TIRE WEAR I AM SEEING. IT IS THE SAFETY FACTOR THAT CONCERNS ME. I AM CONSTANTLY HAVING TO CHECK BEFORE I GET ON A LONG TRIP IS MY TIRES HAVE WORN OUT FOR FEAR OF HAVING A HIGH SPEED ACCIDENT. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 8, 2011SuspensionODI 10434917

Engine and engine cooling

4 reports1 crash1 fire
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LEXUS IS300. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. WHEN SHE OPENED THE HOOD, SHE SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE RADIATOR AND A CRACK AT THE TOP OF THE RADIATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CRACK WAS CONFIRMED AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 114,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 18, 2010Engine and engine coolingODI 10360998

Air bags

3 reports3 crashes
“I WAS RECENTLY IN AN ACCIDENT AT WHICH THE FRONT AND SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING MY FRIEND IN THE PASSENGER SEAT TO HIS THE DASH, BREAKING HIS CHEEKBONE. AND I HIT MY CHEEK ON THE STEERING WHEEL, BECAUSE OF THE AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING.*AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 6, 2005Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10112597
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.