LEXUS IS · model year

2013 LEXUS IS

12 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2013LEXUSIS carries 12 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 0 fires, 9 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2013 IS is visibility/wiper with 3 filings, followed by engine (2) and air bags (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 2013 IS. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

12
Complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
9
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

12 filings

Crashes Reported

4 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
VISIBILITY/WIPER3
ENGINE2
AIR BAGS1
SEATS1
STRUCTURE:BODY1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD1
VISIBILITY1

Recent Complaints

20240903VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

See attached document for complaint.

20240903VISIBILITY

See attached document for complaint.

20240822CrashVISIBILITY/WIPER

This model was affected by the originally cosmetic, but well documented "sticky dash" recall. I am an automotive enthusiast who has worked within the industry for over 12 years, including notifying customers of NHTSA recalls and assisting with scheduling recalls to be performed. The dashboard can be severely melted to the point of becoming a mirror finish, I was driving at night in the headlights from an opposing truck reflected off the shiny surface of the dashboard having been melted by sunlight. I have great vision and was wearing prescription lenses, the incident nearly caused an oncoming collision. I slid into a ditch briefly and did not sustain damage to my vehicle.

20240319VISIBILITY/WIPER

The dashboard is melting - it is sticky and shiny. The glare it causes on the windshield is horrific. I have a very difficult time seeing when the sun is out. An independent service center has inspected and confirmed it is caused by the melting dashboard. I first noticed it a few months ago. I travel to Nashville often, which is a 3.5 hour drive, and the sight obstruction at interstate driving speeds and traffic is challenging to say the least. I am afraid to drive my car with my granddaughter in with me because it is truly dangerous.

20230830UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I am writing to bring to your attention the grave matter of odometer rollback fraud, consumer law violations, and a series of fraudulent activities that have occurred in connection with my recent vehicle purchase. I am seeking a settlement of $60,000 to rectify the significant damages and hardships I have endured as a result of these unethical practices. The issues at hand stem from the fraudulent rollback of the odometer by 100,000 miles on the vehicle I purchased from a moving rides dealership. This deception has not only violated various consumer protection laws and Department of Motor Vehicle regulations but has also endangered my safety and well-being by knowingly selling me a vehicle that was not roadworthy and unsafe to operate . In light of these unfortunate events, I would like to detail a few aspects for which I am seeking compensation: 1. Reimbursement for Travel Expenses: I incurred considerable expenses, both monetary and time-wise, traveling a total of 1,025 miles for tri

20200422ENGINE

VALLEY PLATE LEAK DUE TO THE FACT THAT TOYOTA/LEXUS UTILIZED THE IMPROPER SEALANT AND USED THE IMPROPER AMOUNT, LEADING TO THE HEAT EXCHANGER LEAKING COOLANT ONCE THE ORIGINAL, INADEQUATE SEALANT BEGINS TO DISENTEGRATE. THIS COULD CAUSE A CONDITION WHERE THE ENGINE COULD FAIL AND SOMEONE COULD GET HURT. FURTHERMORE, ALL ISFS WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE A CRACKED RH MANIFOLD ON THE #8 RUNNER. THIS CAN CAUSE A FIRE HAZARD IN ADDITION TO CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING.

Mileage: 75,137

20200408ENGINE

EXHAUST HEADER LEAK, AUDIBLE TICKING SOUND ONCE WARMED UP IN DRIVE

Mileage: 64,189

20200408VISIBILITY/WIPER

EXHAUST HEADER LEAK, AUDIBLE TICKING SOUND ONCE WARMED UP IN DRIVE

Mileage: 64,189

20200317FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

THE FUEL PUMP FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, CAUSING THE MOTOR TO STALL AND DIE. WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE MOTOR AND WAS TOWED FROM THE HIGHWAY TO A DEALER WHERE THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED.

Mileage: 55,000

20130925CrashAIR BAGS

WHILE PARK AT A STOP LIGHT, THE AUTO, THIRD IN LINE WAS IMPACTED BY A TRUCK TRAVELING 40-50 MPH, NO BRAKING, AND HIT AND RUN. MY WIFE WAS ALONE IN THE CAR, WHICH WAS DRIVEN INTO A PICKUP AND SUBSEQUENTLY INTO A BUICK. OF THE 12 AIRBAGS AVAILABLE, NOT ONE ACTUATED, CAUSING SERIOUS INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL BRUISING WITH THE SEAT BELT AND STEERING WHEEL IMPACT. THE DRIVERS SEAT BROKE LOOSE FROM ITS MOUNTING, DAMAGE MORE THAN $50,000. IN ADDITION, A BROKEN WRIST RESULTED. COMPLAINTS TO THE LOCAL DEALER CONCERNING LACK OF SAFETY FROM AIR BAGS WENT UNANSWERED AND COMMENTS FROM NATIONAL OFFICE SAID THE AIR BAGS WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO OPERATE. SINCE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED, SHE IS AFRAID TO RIDE IN THE VEHICLE AS WE CONSIDER IT UNSAFE. I DID NOT KNOW WHO ELSE TO COMPLAIN TO AND AM ADDING THIS NOTE TO WHAT WILL PROBABLY BE A GROWING DATABASE. I COULD NOT PROVIDE THE VIN, AS THE CAR HAS STILL NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *JS

Mileage: 8,000

20130925CrashSEATS

WHILE PARK AT A STOP LIGHT, THE AUTO, THIRD IN LINE WAS IMPACTED BY A TRUCK TRAVELING 40-50 MPH, NO BRAKING, AND HIT AND RUN. MY WIFE WAS ALONE IN THE CAR, WHICH WAS DRIVEN INTO A PICKUP AND SUBSEQUENTLY INTO A BUICK. OF THE 12 AIRBAGS AVAILABLE, NOT ONE ACTUATED, CAUSING SERIOUS INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL BRUISING WITH THE SEAT BELT AND STEERING WHEEL IMPACT. THE DRIVERS SEAT BROKE LOOSE FROM ITS MOUNTING, DAMAGE MORE THAN $50,000. IN ADDITION, A BROKEN WRIST RESULTED. COMPLAINTS TO THE LOCAL DEALER CONCERNING LACK OF SAFETY FROM AIR BAGS WENT UNANSWERED AND COMMENTS FROM NATIONAL OFFICE SAID THE AIR BAGS WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO OPERATE. SINCE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED, SHE IS AFRAID TO RIDE IN THE VEHICLE AS WE CONSIDER IT UNSAFE. I DID NOT KNOW WHO ELSE TO COMPLAIN TO AND AM ADDING THIS NOTE TO WHAT WILL PROBABLY BE A GROWING DATABASE. I COULD NOT PROVIDE THE VIN, AS THE CAR HAS STILL NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *JS

Mileage: 8,000

20130925CrashSTRUCTURE:BODY

WHILE PARK AT A STOP LIGHT, THE AUTO, THIRD IN LINE WAS IMPACTED BY A TRUCK TRAVELING 40-50 MPH, NO BRAKING, AND HIT AND RUN. MY WIFE WAS ALONE IN THE CAR, WHICH WAS DRIVEN INTO A PICKUP AND SUBSEQUENTLY INTO A BUICK. OF THE 12 AIRBAGS AVAILABLE, NOT ONE ACTUATED, CAUSING SERIOUS INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL BRUISING WITH THE SEAT BELT AND STEERING WHEEL IMPACT. THE DRIVERS SEAT BROKE LOOSE FROM ITS MOUNTING, DAMAGE MORE THAN $50,000. IN ADDITION, A BROKEN WRIST RESULTED. COMPLAINTS TO THE LOCAL DEALER CONCERNING LACK OF SAFETY FROM AIR BAGS WENT UNANSWERED AND COMMENTS FROM NATIONAL OFFICE SAID THE AIR BAGS WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO OPERATE. SINCE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED, SHE IS AFRAID TO RIDE IN THE VEHICLE AS WE CONSIDER IT UNSAFE. I DID NOT KNOW WHO ELSE TO COMPLAIN TO AND AM ADDING THIS NOTE TO WHAT WILL PROBABLY BE A GROWING DATABASE. I COULD NOT PROVIDE THE VIN, AS THE CAR HAS STILL NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *JS

Mileage: 8,000

Compare 2013LEXUSIS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2013 LEXUS IS have?
The 2013 LEXUS IS has 12 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 0 fires, 9 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 LEXUS IS?
The most-complained component for the 2013 LEXUS IS is VISIBILITY/WIPER with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and AIR BAGS.
Is the 2013 LEXUS IS safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.