NHTSA vehicle safety data

2009 Lexus IS Recalls & Complaints

The 2009 Lexus IS has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns and 40 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Lexus dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2009 Lexus IS. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

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2009 Lexus IS owner complaints

Owners have filed 40 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Lexus IS, describing incidents dated March 12, 2009 to March 11, 2026.

Most-cited components

Unknown or Other 10 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control 10 complaints
Visibility/Wiper 7 complaints
Air Bags 4 complaints
Structure 4 complaints
Electrical System 3 complaints

Of the 40 complaints on file, 4 report a crash; across all 40 complaints, owners report 4 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11723890 · Filed March 12, 2026
I am submitting this complaint regarding a safety concern with my Lexus IS 250. The dashboard in my vehicle is melting and has become extremely sticky, shiny, and reflective. As the material deteriorates, it creates significant glare on the windshield when sunlight hits the dashboard. This glare…
ODI #11674306 · Filed July 17, 2025
Odometer Fraud. The contact intended to purchase a 2009 Lexus IS 250. The contact stated while test-driving the vehicle, the contact drove to an Auto part store for diagnostic testing. It was then discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was not a sale. At the time the vehicle…
ODI #11672963 · Filed July 11, 2025
The dashboard is melting leather, as well as the inside door panels on all four doors that are leather. It burns my wife’s skin and my kids while leaving sticky black residue on our skins. It is melting so bad there are chunks missing from the leather from a simple rub.

Read all 40 complaints

FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR

NHTSA #11V029000 · Fuel System, Gasoline — Delivery · NHTSA notice

Reported January 26, 2011 · TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Potentially affected: 244,779 vehicles

Owners notified March 7, 2011 · Vehicles built August 23, 2005 – February 4, 2009 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2009 LEXUS IS AND MODEL YEAR 2006-2007 LEXUS GS VEHICLES. DUE TO INSUFFICIENT TIGHTENING OF THE FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR CONNECTED TO AN ENGINE FUEL DELIVERY PIPE WITH NICKEL PHOSPHORUS PLATING, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT, OVER TIME, THE PRESSURE SENSOR COULD LOOSEN. IF LOOSENING OCCURS, FUEL COULD LEAK PAST A GASKET USED IN THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SENSOR AND THE PIPE AND THROUGH THE THREADED PORTION OF THE SENSOR.

Safety consequence

FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL INSPECT FOR FUEL LEAKAGE FROM THE THREADED PORTION OF THE FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR AND IF A FUEL LEAK IS NOT CONFIRMED, DEALERS WILL FURTHER TIGHTEN THE FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR WITH THE PROPER TORQUE. IF A FUEL LEAK IS CONFIRMED, THE GASKET BETWEEN THE SENSOR AND THE FUEL DELIVER PIPE WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE, AND THE SENSOR WILL BE TIGHTENED WITH THE PROPER TORQUE. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 7, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

Notes

OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV>HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV</A> .

PEDAL ENTRAPMENT

NHTSA #09V388000 · Vehicle Speed Control — Accelerator Pedal · NHTSA notice

Reported October 5, 2009 · TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Potentially affected: 4,445,056 vehicles

Manufacturer campaign 90L(TOYOTA)/90LG(LEX · Owners notified December 31, 2009

Defect description

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAN GET STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION DUE TO ITS BEING TRAPPED BY AN UNSECURED OR INCOMPATIBLE DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT.

Safety consequence

A STUCK OPEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY RESULT IN VERY HIGH VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH, SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

Manufacturer remedy

TOYOTA FILED AN AMENDED DEFECT REPORT ON NOVEMBER 25, 2009, STATING THAT DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND, ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, ALTER THE SHAPE OF THE FLOOR SURFACE UNDER THE PEDAL. THESE CHANGES ADDRESS THE RISK OF PEDAL ENTRAPMENT DUE TO INTERFERENCE WITH THE FLOOR MAT. REDESIGNED ACCELERATOR PEDALS WILL BECOME AVAILABLE BEGINNING IN APRIL 2010 AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE ANY MODIFIED PEDAL WITH THE NEW PEDAL IF DESIRED. ALSO, DEALERS WILL REPLACE ANY GENUINE TOYOTA OR LEXUS ALL-WEATHER FLOOR MATS WITH REDESIGNED ALL-WEATHER MATS, OR REPURCHASE THE PREVIOUS MATS FROM OWNERS WHO DO NOT WANT THE NEW ONES. ADDITIONALLY, SOFTWARE MODIFICATIONS WILL BE INSTALLED ON CAMRY, AVALON AND LEXUS ES 350, IS 350 AND IS 250 MODELS THAT WILL ENSURE THAT THE BRAKE OVERRIDES THE ACCELERATOR IN THE EVENT BOTH BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS ARE APPLIED. TOYOTA WILL BEGIN MAILING LETTERS TO OWNERS ON DECEMBER 31, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331, LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.

Notes

TOYOTA RECALL NO. 90L/90LG.OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV>HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV</A> .

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 2009 Lexus IS. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

40 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Lexus IS.

Unknown or Other

ODI #11723890

Incident: March 11, 2026 · Filed: March 12, 2026

I am submitting this complaint regarding a safety concern with my Lexus IS 250. The dashboard in my vehicle is melting and has become extremely sticky, shiny, and reflective. As the material deteriorates, it creates significant glare on the windshield when sunlight hits the dashboard. This glare interferes with my visibility while driving and creates a potentially dangerous situation for myself, my family, and other drivers on the road. This issue is not merely cosmetic. The deteriorating dashboard material directly affects safe vehicle operation by impairing the driver’s ability to clearly see through the windshield, especially during daylight conditions when sunlight reflects off the dashboard surface. In addition, the dashboard material appears to be chemically breaking down. The surface remains sticky and continues to degrade over time, raising concerns about possible chemical exposure inside the vehicle cabin for my family I contacted my local dealership and also reached out to **Lexus corporate customer service. I was informed that Lexus previously had a Customer Support Program addressing melting dashboards, but the program expired in September 2021. I was told notification letters were sent in March 2019, but I never received one. Had I received the notice, I would have addressed the issue because it directly affects driving safety. They said there was nothing else they can do. Given the ongoing safety risk, I respectfully request that the **National Highway Traffic Safety Administration review this defect and determine whether further investigation or action is warranted. Thank you for your time

Electrical System

ODI #11674306

Incident: July 17, 2025 · Filed: July 17, 2025

Odometer Fraud. The contact intended to purchase a 2009 Lexus IS 250. The contact stated while test-driving the vehicle, the contact drove to an Auto part store for diagnostic testing. It was then discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was not a sale. At the time the vehicle was test-driven, the vehicle mileage was 114,274, but it was discovered at the Auto parts store that the actual mileage was 198,000.

Unknown or Other

ODI #11672963

1 injury

Incident: June 27, 2025 · Filed: July 11, 2025

The dashboard is melting leather, as well as the inside door panels on all four doors that are leather. It burns my wife’s skin and my kids while leaving sticky black residue on our skins. It is melting so bad there are chunks missing from the leather from a simple rub.

Visibility/Wiper

ODI #11588223

Incident: May 10, 2024 · Filed: May 11, 2024

URGENT: MY DASH HAS MELTED ON MY-2009 LEXUS IS 350-CANNOT SEE TO DRIVE, MY 2009 LEXUS IS 350. IT IS GETTING TO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE BECAUSE MELTING DASH BLOCKS VIEW OF ROAD DUE TO SHINING REFLECTION OF MELTING DASH IS ALL YOU CAN SEE IN MY WINDSHIELD WHEN YOU GET IN THE CAR TO DRIVE. THIS IS GOING TO GET ME INTO AN ACCIDENT. YOU CANT SEE A CAR IF ITS MORE THAN 10FT IN FRONT OF YOU BECAUSE THE SHINY-MELTING-STICKY DASH ((REFLECTS ONTO MY WINDSHIELD; OF THE 2009 LEXUS IS 350-JTHBE262392017342 AND MAKES IT TOO DANGEROUS TO SEE TO DRIVE & IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE ANYTHING WHEN DRIVING ALL I CAN SEE IS (((A REFLECTION IN WINDSHIELD ONLY) OF MY : SHINY MELTING DASH -2009 LEXUS IS 350-I CANNOT DRIVE THIS LEXUS. NEEDS REPLACED ASAP BEFORE AN ACCIDENT. NO, I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON THIS CAR MELTING DASH. THIS ISSUE IS ALL OVER THE INTERNET WITH OTHER TOYOTA AND LEXUS OWNERS HAVING THIS VERY SAME ISSUE. PLEASE HELP!! ATTACHED PICTURE ONLY SHOWS THE CIRCLE AREA WHERE MY PHONE IS FOCUSING BUT THE WHOLE WINDSHIELD LOOKS LIKE THIS AT ALL TIMES BECAUSE OF THE DASH. THE PICTURE IS ALSO MUCH LESS REFLECTION THAN IN PERSON BECAUSE THE CAMERA IS TRYING TO BYPASS THE GLASS.

Exterior Lighting

ODI #11527274

Incident: June 1, 2023 · Filed: June 15, 2023

The headlamps on my car are and have been for quite awhile been hazy with the light unable to meet the safety standards the car is advertising. WIthout proper headlight I am not able to safely see the road ahead of me. There is no replacement or new headlamp avallable.

Unknown or Other

ODI #11455288

Incident: February 15, 2020 · Filed: March 5, 2022

Dashboard and door panel are melting. The melting on the dashboard cause a shinny reflection that prevent visibility.

Visibility/Wiper

ODI #11433491

Incident: September 18, 2021 · Filed: September 19, 2021

I have a Lexus IS250, the dashboard is sticky and shiny. When I am driving the car in the sunny days, because of the shiny dashboard , if reflects the sunshine to my windshield, which makes me very hard to see the road because of this. As the result, if the sunshine is too strong some times, I have to hit my brake to slowdown on the highway, to make sure I get a clear view again. This is definitely put myself and other cars around me in a huge risk. Looks this is a common issue for some Lexus models, Lexus had a program to fix the issue, but the program does not notify the owner and the program expired already! Means thousands of people are driving cars with the issue, but never get repaired, which brings potential risks on the highway!

Power Train; Vehicle Speed Control; Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #11414566

Incident: January 3, 2021 · Filed: April 30, 2021

AT APPROXIMATELY 85K TOTAL MILES, IS250 AUTOMATIC BEGAN DROPPING FROM 5-6K RPM TO 2-3K RPM WHENEVER CHANGING ROAD GRADE TO AN INCLINE OR DECLINE, USUALLY ABOVE 50 MPH, DROPPING TO 35 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. TO MAINTAIN PROPER SPEED, I WOULD HAVE TO DOWNSHIFT FROM D TO S AND FLOOR THE ACCELERATOR. TRACTION CONTROL, PARKING BRAKE, AND ABS LIGHTS WOULD SOMETIMES COINCIDE WITH THIS PROBLEM. THIS CONTINUED UNTIL I SOLD THE IS250 AT 88K MILES.

Air Bags; Seats

ODI #11397677

Incident: December 4, 2020 · Filed: February 24, 2021

DEFECTIVE PASSENGER OCCUPANCY SENSOR: MY SRS / AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND WOULD NOT TURN OFF, INDICATING THAT THE SRS SYSTEM WAS DEACTIVATED. I HAD MY CAR DIAGNOSED BY A LEXUS DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON 12/4/2020. JOHNSON LEXUS ADVISED ME THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SEAT PRESSURE SENSOR FAILED AND THAT THE REPAIR WAS TO REPLACE THE SEAT FOR $2769.31. THE SEAT HAS NOT BEEN SUBJECTED TO ANY UNUSUAL OR HARSH USE. RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THIS IS A COMMON DEFECT AMONG LEXUS IS MODELS AND SOME OTHER LEXUS AND TOYOTA MODELS OF THIS GENERATION. MANY LEXUS DRIVERS REPORT GREAT DIFFICULTY REGARDING THIS DEFECT AND THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN REPAIRS THAT DEALERSHIPS ARE DEMANDING TO FIX THE DEFECT. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VERY ISSUE ON THE NHTSA DATABASE. I AM VERY SURPRISED THERE HAS NOT BEEN A MANDATORY RECALL OR A LEXUS PROGRAM TO ADDRESS THIS COMMON SENSOR FAILURE AFFECTING A CRITICAL, NONOPTIONAL SAFETY FEATURE. I CONTACTED TOYOTA OF NORTH AMERICA AND RECEIVED A POLITE CALL FROM THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE STATING THAT THE COMPANY WAS SORRY BUT WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP. LEXUS IS USUALLY EXCELLENT WITH ITS CUSTOMER SERVICE, SO I AM VERY SURPRISED AT THE LACK OF CONCERN HERE. I HOPE IT DOES NOT REQUIRE DEATHS FROM AIR BAGS FAILING TO DEPLOY FOR LEXUS TO ADDRESS THIS DEFECT.

Unknown or Other

ODI #11387899

Incident: November 27, 2020 · Filed: January 13, 2021

I DON'T HAVE TO PRESS THE BRAKE TO SWITCH GEAR LIKE TO PUT IT FROM PARKED TO DRIVE

Other Lexus IS model years

Check your 2009 Lexus IS VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Lexus IS at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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