Most common 2012 Lexus IS 250 problems
Share of the 17 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 →
2012 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 2012 Toyota 4Runner, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, Yaris, Scion xB, Lexus ES350, GX460, IS-F, IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, and Lexus LFA vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana,…
Remedy: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion 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 2012 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 2012 Lexus IS 250 owners say
Air bags
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Lexus IS 250. While driving approximately 2 MPH, another vehicle ran the traffic light and crashed into the front end of the contact's vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed. A police report was filed. Injuries were sustained and medical attention was required. The damage to the vehicle had not been determined. The VIN was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 48,000.
Takatabrantakata recall my vehicle was rear ended at 34 to 50 miles an hour. The vehicle behind me impacted me so hard that it pushed me into the vehicle in front of me and in turn she hit the vehicle in front of her. There was damaged to the front and side panels of my car as well. The air bags failed to deploy. I sustained and suffered injuries. This occurred on a busy city street while at a traffic light.
Electrical system
The contact owns a 2012 Lexus IS250. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake inadvertently activated without the brake pedal being depressed. The vehicle also experienced unintended acceleration without the accelerator pedal being depressed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The contact indicated that the failure occurred after the cell phone was hacked and was concern the vehicle security was also compromised and hacked. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 137,000.
Unintended acceleration while inching into parking space at very slow rate of speed. Engine raced unexpectedly and car jumped curb with all 4 tires, across a small median, and down another curb with 3 tires, striking a parked car, which stopped forward motion.
Brakes
The contact owns a 2012 Lexus IS250. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake inadvertently activated without the brake pedal being depressed. The vehicle also experienced unintended acceleration without the accelerator pedal being depressed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The contact indicated that the failure occurred after the cell phone was hacked and was concern the vehicle security was also compromised and hacked. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 137,000.
Unintended acceleration while inching into parking space at very slow rate of speed. Engine raced unexpectedly and car jumped curb with all 4 tires, across a small median, and down another curb with 3 tires, striking a parked car, which stopped forward motion.
2012 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 automatic | AWD | 20 / 26 / 22 |
| 2.5L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Lexus IS 250 a good car?
Based on 17 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 IS 250 rates better than average: 57% fewer complaints than a typical year of the IS 250 at the same age. It is one of the best IS 250 years by this measure. 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 2012 Lexus IS 250?
The air bags — 10 complaints, 59% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (4) and brakes (3).
How many recalls does the 2012 Lexus IS 250 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2012 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 2012 Lexus IS 250 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 40,000 miles; 67% 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.