Total Complaints
9 filings
LEXUS IS 300 · model year
9 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2018LEXUSIS 300 carries 9 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 2 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 2018 IS 300 is fuel/propulsion system with 2 filings, followed by structure:body (2) and engine (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. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 2018 IS 300. 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.
Total Complaints
9 filings
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 2 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS | 1 |
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Corolla, and certain Lexus NX 300,
The contact owns a 2018 Lexus IS300. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle felt sluggish. The contact then heard an abnormal cranking noise underneath the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be duplicated. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that she recorded the noise then took the vehicle back to the dealer; however, the dealer informed her that the fuel injectors might need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The contact stated that additional pressure on the accelerator pedal was needed for the vehicle to perform as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was notified of a possible buy back. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000
Mileage: 15,000
I was driving down the highway at 70 mph and it was windy at the same time. Out of no where my sunroof window exploded shattering the glass. Luckily I usually keep the cover close. It sounded a gun shot that went off. There was nothing around me that would come down and break the window of the sunroof. It just happened out of no where.
I was driving down the highway at 70 mph and it was windy at the same time. Out of no where my sunroof window exploded shattering the glass. Luckily I usually keep the cover close. It sounded a gun shot that went off. There was nothing around me that would come down and break the window of the sunroof. It just happened out of no where.
2018 LEXUS IS 300. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE STALLING WHILE TRYING TO MAKE A U-TURN. *LD *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 LEXUS IS 300. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V012000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT REACHED OUT TO LEXUS OF NORTH MIAMI LOCATED AT (14100 BISCAYNE BLVD, NORTH MIAMI, FL 33181) AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
DRIVING ON 285 EAST IN ATLANTA GA 11/29/2018 WHEN MY LEXUS IS 300 SUNROOF EXPLODED. ALL WINDOWS WERE CLOSED TEMPERATURE WAS 37 DEGREES. IT SOUND LIKE A GUN WENT OFF. GLASS FELL FROM THE ROOF AND PIECE OF THE GLASS WENT IN MY LEFT EYE. I MADE APPOINTMENT FOR THE EYE DOCTOR FOR 11/30/2018
Mileage: 7,000
WHEN I ACCELERATE FROM A STOP OR WHILE MOVING ON A ROADWAY, THE ENGINE SEEMS TO STALL. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE NORMAL TURBO SPOOLING STALL. IT LASTS FOR ABOUT 3 TO 5 FULL SECONDS. WHEN YOU NEED POWER TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT, YOU CAN'T AFFORD THAT TIME LAG, AS IT COULD CAUSE YOUR DEATH. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT LEXUS SAYS IT'S NORMAL, THEY ALL DO IT. I DON'T FEEL ANY MANUFACTURER WOULD DELIBERATELY BUILD AND SELL A VEHICLE THAT WOULD PUT THE OCCUPANTS IN DANGER OF POSSIBLE DEATH. THE DEALER PICKED UP THE CAR AND AFTER FIVE DAYS CALLED ME TO SAY NOTHING IS WRONG AND THEY CAN'T FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE LEXUS COMPANY SAYS IT'S NORMAL. AT THIS POINT I'M REFUSING TO DRIVE THE CAR, IT'S EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I HAVE ONLY DRIVEN IT ABOUT 188 MILES SINCE BUYING IT ALMOST 1 MONTH AGO. I CALLED THE DEALER ABOUT MY CONCERN AFTER HAVING THE CAR ONLY 20 DAYS.
Mileage: 240
WHEN I ACCELERATE FROM A STOP OR WHILE MOVING ON A ROADWAY, THE ENGINE SEEMS TO STALL. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE NORMAL TURBO SPOOLING STALL. IT LASTS FOR ABOUT 3 TO 5 FULL SECONDS. WHEN YOU NEED POWER TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT, YOU CAN'T AFFORD THAT TIME LAG, AS IT COULD CAUSE YOUR DEATH. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT LEXUS SAYS IT'S NORMAL, THEY ALL DO IT. I DON'T FEEL ANY MANUFACTURER WOULD DELIBERATELY BUILD AND SELL A VEHICLE THAT WOULD PUT THE OCCUPANTS IN DANGER OF POSSIBLE DEATH. THE DEALER PICKED UP THE CAR AND AFTER FIVE DAYS CALLED ME TO SAY NOTHING IS WRONG AND THEY CAN'T FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE LEXUS COMPANY SAYS IT'S NORMAL. AT THIS POINT I'M REFUSING TO DRIVE THE CAR, IT'S EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I HAVE ONLY DRIVEN IT ABOUT 188 MILES SINCE BUYING IT ALMOST 1 MONTH AGO. I CALLED THE DEALER ABOUT MY CONCERN AFTER HAVING THE CAR ONLY 20 DAYS.
Mileage: 240
WHEN I ACCELERATE FROM A STOP OR WHILE MOVING ON A ROADWAY, THE ENGINE SEEMS TO STALL. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE NORMAL TURBO SPOOLING STALL. IT LASTS FOR ABOUT 3 TO 5 FULL SECONDS. WHEN YOU NEED POWER TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT, YOU CAN'T AFFORD THAT TIME LAG, AS IT COULD CAUSE YOUR DEATH. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT LEXUS SAYS IT'S NORMAL, THEY ALL DO IT. I DON'T FEEL ANY MANUFACTURER WOULD DELIBERATELY BUILD AND SELL A VEHICLE THAT WOULD PUT THE OCCUPANTS IN DANGER OF POSSIBLE DEATH. THE DEALER PICKED UP THE CAR AND AFTER FIVE DAYS CALLED ME TO SAY NOTHING IS WRONG AND THEY CAN'T FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE LEXUS COMPANY SAYS IT'S NORMAL. AT THIS POINT I'M REFUSING TO DRIVE THE CAR, IT'S EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I HAVE ONLY DRIVEN IT ABOUT 188 MILES SINCE BUYING IT ALMOST 1 MONTH AGO. I CALLED THE DEALER ABOUT MY CONCERN AFTER HAVING THE CAR ONLY 20 DAYS.
Mileage: 240
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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.