FaultScore

FaultScore report

2014 Lexus IS problems

Owners have filed 16 complaints about the 2014 Lexus IS with NHTSA between 2024 and 2026. The largest single group is the electrical system. Across this model's run it ranks 12 of 15 worst.

A

FaultScore 21/100

Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Lexus IS.

How this is worked out

The numbers

16

Complaints

1

Crashes reported

0

Fires reported

0

Injuries reported

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

Complaint volume 15 vs 50 Severity 32 vs 50 Early failure not reported
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 15
Against the median year of the Lexus IS. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 32
6.3% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.

How 2014 compares with every other Lexus IS

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 2014 Lexus IS

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Electrical System 4 25.0%
Other & Unspecified 3 18.8%
Engine & Cooling 3 18.8%
Fuel & Propulsion 2 12.5%
Doors, Latches & Locks 1 6.3%
Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 1 6.3%
Body & Structure 1 6.3%
Airbags 1 6.3%

1 crashes, 0 fires

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Jun 2024 peak 3 Aug 2026

Recalls on the 2014 Lexus IS

A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.

Canada — Transport Canada

Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.

Recall 2018346 4,915 units in Canada

Fuel System

On certain vehicles equipped with a 3.5L V6 engine, the fuel pulsation dampers located in the fuel delivery pipe could develop a leak over time. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could increase the risk of fire causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace the fuel delivery pipe with an updated part.

Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

Dallas, TX Crash

AIR BAGS

I was in a collision accident where the front of my vehicle was impacted. The airbag did not deploy.

NHTSA complaint #11755966 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

Dallas, TX Crash

AIR BAGS

I was in a collision accident where the front of my vehicle was impacted. The airbag did not deploy.

NHTSA complaint #11755966 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Katy, TX

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA complaint #11740642 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Katy, TX

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:IMMOBILIZER/PROXIMITY:SENSOR

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA complaint #11740642 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Columbus, OH

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

Opened hood latch and the mechanism seizes and won’t relatch or close completely causing hood open warning light and chime during driving. Not able to drive on highway for fear of high speed could cause safety risk if hood unlatches. Had to return to dealer to repair at cost

NHTSA complaint #11733917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Delray Beach, FL

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I've owned my 2014 Lexus IS 250 for over 10 years. I've almost always kept my car covered in a garage at work and at home, and I've never had a problem with the dashboard until now. Just last month (October 2025), my dashboard started melting and getting extremely shiny and sticky during the day - so much so that I can't see out my front windshield because of the glare from the shiny dashboard, making it very dangerous to drive. After my car is out of the sun for a while (like my garage), the dashboard eventually cools down and is no longer shiny or sticky. It has a cloudy, smudged look. However, once I start driving again during the day, the sticky, melting, and shiny dashboard returns. I've tried calling Lexus Corporate to assist with this serious safety issue, but they refuse to help, claiming my car wasn't part of the sticky, melting dashboard campaign. I am extremely disappointed with Lexus Corporate, as my family and I have been very loyal Toyota / Lexus customers for over 35 years. I've taken my car to my local Lexus dealer for inspection, who has confirmed the issue and provided me a quote to replace the dashboard for over $2,400. I hope Lexus Corporate would reconsider and do the right thing by replacing my faulty, dangerous dashboard.

NHTSA complaint #11700408 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Delray Beach, FL

STRUCTURE:BODY

I've owned my 2014 Lexus IS 250 for over 10 years. I've almost always kept my car covered in a garage at work and at home, and I've never had a problem with the dashboard until now. Just last month (October 2025), my dashboard started melting and getting extremely shiny and sticky during the day - so much so that I can't see out my front windshield because of the glare from the shiny dashboard, making it very dangerous to drive. After my car is out of the sun for a while (like my garage), the dashboard eventually cools down and is no longer shiny or sticky. It has a cloudy, smudged look. However, once I start driving again during the day, the sticky, melting, and shiny dashboard returns. I've tried calling Lexus Corporate to assist with this serious safety issue, but they refuse to help, claiming my car wasn't part of the sticky, melting dashboard campaign. I am extremely disappointed with Lexus Corporate, as my family and I have been very loyal Toyota / Lexus customers for over 35 years. I've taken my car to my local Lexus dealer for inspection, who has confirmed the issue and provided me a quote to replace the dashboard for over $2,400. I hope Lexus Corporate would reconsider and do the right thing by replacing my faulty, dangerous dashboard.

NHTSA complaint #11700408 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Delray Beach, FL

VISIBILITY/WIPER

I've owned my 2014 Lexus IS 250 for over 10 years. I've almost always kept my car covered in a garage at work and at home, and I've never had a problem with the dashboard until now. Just last month (October 2025), my dashboard started melting and getting extremely shiny and sticky during the day - so much so that I can't see out my front windshield because of the glare from the shiny dashboard, making it very dangerous to drive. After my car is out of the sun for a while (like my garage), the dashboard eventually cools down and is no longer shiny or sticky. It has a cloudy, smudged look. However, once I start driving again during the day, the sticky, melting, and shiny dashboard returns. I've tried calling Lexus Corporate to assist with this serious safety issue, but they refuse to help, claiming my car wasn't part of the sticky, melting dashboard campaign. I am extremely disappointed with Lexus Corporate, as my family and I have been very loyal Toyota / Lexus customers for over 35 years. I've taken my car to my local Lexus dealer for inspection, who has confirmed the issue and provided me a quote to replace the dashboard for over $2,400. I hope Lexus Corporate would reconsider and do the right thing by replacing my faulty, dangerous dashboard.

NHTSA complaint #11700408 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Deltona, FL

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Fuel pump not reading correct amount of fuel in tank. In order to get correct fuel reading have to disconnect battery for 3 hours and reconnect battery in so I can get an accurate reading.

NHTSA complaint #11690877 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Deltona, FL

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Vehicles manufactured by Lexus/Toyota from 2014 onward have been reported to experience rainwater intrusion into the trunk area, attributed to a faulty tail light nut composed of plastic with a rubber gasket. Lexus/Toyota is fully aware of this issue, which can lead to water damaging electrical components or result in trunk flooding if the problem goes unnoticed.” Causing expensive damage to audio system.as it did with mine.

NHTSA complaint #11681139 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Deltona, FL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Vehicles manufactured by Lexus/Toyota from 2014 onward have been reported to experience rainwater intrusion into the trunk area, attributed to a faulty tail light nut composed of plastic with a rubber gasket. Lexus/Toyota is fully aware of this issue, which can lead to water damaging electrical components or result in trunk flooding if the problem goes unnoticed.” Causing expensive damage to audio system.as it did with mine.

NHTSA complaint #11681139 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Deltona, FL

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Several time since owning my 2014 LexusIS350 with 141,000 miles on it, it have given inaccurate fuel reading. By almost 100 miles short. Had to disconnect the battery for the ECU to clear so a more accurate reading on fuel can be displayed.

NHTSA complaint #11677897 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Deltona, FL

ENGINE

Timing chain cover leak in a 2014 Lexus IS350 is a relatively common issue for vehicles 3.5 liter engine 2GR-FSE. The leak typically occurs due to a failing gasket or sealant on the timing chain cover. Here's what you need to know: Symptoms of a Timing Chain Cover Leak 1. Oil Leaks: Visible oil on the engine or under the car in which can cause a fire in engine compartment 2. Burning Oil Smell: Oil dripping onto hot components may cause a noticeable odor. 3. Low Oil Levels: Frequent topping up of engine oil.

NHTSA complaint #11634062 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Burke, VA

ENGINE

I took my car to my mechanic for an oil change, and they noticed an oil leak at the timing chain cover, which could pose a safety risk, including a potential engine fire. They informed me this is a known issue on Toyota and Lexus vehicles with the 3.5-liter V6 engine. To confirm, I brought the car to a Lexus dealership, and they verified the same problem.

NHTSA complaint #11630123 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Catonsville, MD

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2014 Lexus IS 250, 102,301 MILES THE AUDIO AND ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM IN THE DASH BOARD. ALL RADIO SPECKERS AND SOUND EFFECTS FEED BACK TONES. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE "STATIONARY, IN MOTION, CITY STREET, AND HIGHWAY. THE AUDIO RADIO, SAT, CD OR BLUETOOTH AND NAVIGATION ON-SCREEN FEEDBACK TONES DISAPPEAR. OPTIONS TO ADJUST BASS, TREBLE OR ECT IS GREYED OUT AND LOST. THE POINT PAD ALSO LOOSES SOUND FEEBACK.. CHECKED ALL FUSES AND THEY ARE GOOD.

NHTSA complaint #11624543 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Deltona, FL

ENGINE

Took vehicle for an oil change and toyota dealership sees an oil leak at the timing chain cover which can cause an engine fire. A common problem as Toyota tech stated on all Toyota/Lexus 3.5 liter V6 24-valve, dual overhead cam (DOHC), Direct & port injection, Variable Valve Timing (VVT-i), 306 hp.

NHTSA complaint #11600645 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Phoenix, AZ

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

AC BLEND DOORS are non functional and a known issue but only did it on a select few cars and only for a year past warranty.

NHTSA complaint #11594903 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.