Most common 2011 Lexus IS 250 problems
Share of the 30 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Lexus IS 250 complaints by model year
Best IS 250 years: 2013, 2012, 2015. Years to avoid: 2007, 2006, 2008. Compare all years →
2011 Lexus IS 250 recalls (4)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430,…
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Toyota 4Runner, 2014-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, and 2014-2017 Lexus GX460 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South…
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began February 15, 2019.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Scion xB and Lexus IS F, 2009-2011 Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix, 2006-2011 Toyota Yaris, Lexus IS250 and Lexus IS350, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, Lexus IS250C, Lexus IS350C and Lexus GX460, 2011 Sienna, 2007-2011 Lexus ES350, and…
Remedy: Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of…
Visibility/wiper
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 vehicles manufactured August 23, 2005, through October 5, 2011; 2010-2012 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles manufactured April 10, 2009, through October 6, 2011; and 2008-2011 Lexus IS-F vehicles manufactured December 14, 2007, through July 10, 2011.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and Lexus dealers will install new wiper arm nuts, free of charge. An interim letter was mailed to owners on April 4, 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2011 Lexus IS 250:
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
What 2011 Lexus IS 250 owners say
Air bags all 20 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Lexus is250. The contact stated that while making a left turn, another vehicle crashed into the passenger side of the vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The driver did not sustained injuries, the front passenger sustained face injuries that required medical attention. The other driver did not sustain injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for a diagnostic testing and was not repaired. The contact stated that he just received a recall noticed which the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 19V005000 (air bags). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Lexus IS 250. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the contact crashed into another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the right thumb that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a collision center, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 16V340000 (air bags). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Brakes
Car suddenly lurched forward (while my foot was on the brake approaching a stop sign) and struck the vehicle in front of me on January 6, 2012. This problem occurred again in December 2012 and January 2013, I.e., car lurched forward while driver's foot was on the brake while approaching a stop light/sign. The latter incidents did not result in any accident or injury.
Intermittent problem - car occasionally pulls to either side, right or left, when applying brakes. A video recording of the latest incident, which occurred on 7/29/11, showing the steering wheel spinning 90 degrees to the left when brakes were applied at a speed of approximately 10 MPH while driving on the grand central parkway in queens, new york IS available upon request. The problem was reported to Lexus corporate and brought to Lexus of queens (new york city) for correction on 7/19/11. Since the technician was unable to duplicate the problem, it was determined that, "vehicle IS operating as designed." I can not, with complete certainty, state that the brakes are causing the problem. However, an ase-certified master technician, when the problem was described to him offered his opinion. …
Speed control & acceleration
I was driving my vehicle and the vehicle 3 car lengths ahead of me put on his brakes and when I went to put on my brakes my car continued to accelerate and I had no control of the braking and ran into the back of the vehicle. My airbags failed to deploy- my car was a complete loss to the front end ($17,000.00) and the insurance appraiser,body shop, police officer, towing company were stunned that the airbags failed to deploy do to the severity of impact and damage.
Car suddenly lurched forward (while my foot was on the brake approaching a stop sign) and struck the vehicle in front of me on January 6, 2012. This problem occurred again in December 2012 and January 2013, I.e., car lurched forward while driver's foot was on the brake while approaching a stop light/sign. The latter incidents did not result in any accident or injury.
2011 Lexus IS 250 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 21 / 29 / 24 |
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 20 / 26 / 22 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2011 Lexus IS 250 a good car?
Based on 30 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2011 IS 250 rates average: 24% fewer complaints than a typical year of the IS 250 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Lexus IS 250?
The air bags — 20 complaints, 67% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the brakes (3) and speed control & acceleration (3).
How many recalls does the 2011 Lexus IS 250 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2011 Lexus IS 250, the most recent from October 17, 2019 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Lexus IS 250?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2013, 2012 and 2015. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2007, 2006 and 2008. See the full Lexus IS 250 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2011 Lexus IS 250 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 5,000 miles; 82% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.