Lexus Is 250 Years to Avoid
Based on federal records, the Lexus Is 250 years to avoid are 2014, 2013, 2015: the 2014 alone has 0 NHTSA owner complaints and 285 manufacturer service bulletins on file. The cleanest recent records so far belong to the 2017 and 2016 model years.
Sources: NHTSA complaints, manufacturer service bulletins, recall campaigns, CarWhere verified buyer prices · Updated 2026-06-11 · By Sam Reynolds, Lead Researcher
| Model year | NHTSA complaints | Service bulletins | Recall campaigns | Avg. price buyers paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 0 | 195 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 0 | 191 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 0 | 197 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 0 | 155 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | 223 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | 207 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 0 | 216 | 0 | — |
| 2013AVOID | 0 | 244 | 0 | — |
| 2014AVOID | 0 | 285 | 0 | — |
| 2015AVOID | 0 | 232 | 0 | — |
| 2016BEST | 0 | 68 | 0 | — |
| 2017BEST | 0 | 61 | 0 | — |
Methodology: complaint counts are owner reports filed with NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation; service bulletins are manufacturer communications filed with NHTSA; counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume. Prices are averages of CarWhere verified buyer transactions (shown when 3+ deals exist for the year).
Why these years stand out
2014 Lexus Is 250: 0 owner complaints, 285 service bulletins, 0 open recall campaigns.
2013 Lexus Is 250: 0 owner complaints, 244 service bulletins, 0 open recall campaigns.
2015 Lexus Is 250: 0 owner complaints, 232 service bulletins, 0 open recall campaigns.
2017 Lexus Is 250: cleanest recent federal record (0 complaints, 61 bulletins).
2016 Lexus Is 250: cleanest recent federal record (0 complaints, 68 bulletins).
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FAQ
What are the worst years for the Lexus Is 250?
Based on federal records, the Lexus Is 250 years to avoid are 2014, 2013, 2015: the 2014 alone has 0 NHTSA owner complaints and 285 manufacturer service bulletins on file. The cleanest recent records so far belong to the 2017 and 2016 model years. Counts are raw federal filings (NHTSA complaints, manufacturer communications, open recall campaigns) and are not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Lexus Is 250?
Among recent model years, the 2017 and 2016 Lexus Is 250 show the lowest combined complaint and service-bulletin counts on federal record.
How do I check a specific Lexus Is 250 before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report for that VIN — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for the exact model year, the original window sticker where the manufacturer publishes one, and a market price check from verified buyers. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Where does this data come from?
Three federal sources — NHTSA owner complaints (ODI), manufacturer service bulletins filed with NHTSA, and open recall campaigns — plus CarWhere's verified buyer-paid transaction prices. Counts are presented raw and refreshed regularly.