Most common 2006 Lexus IS 350 problems
Share of the 93 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Lexus IS 350 complaints by model year
Best IS 350 years: 2013, 2009, 2012. Years to avoid: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014. Compare all years →
2006 Lexus IS 350 recalls (8)
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.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Lexus GS350 and GS450h, 2006-2013 Lexus IS350 and 2010-2014 Lexus IS350C vehicles, equipped with 3.5L V6 2GR-FSE gasoline engines. The diaphragms in the fuel pulsation dampers may harden over time and develop cracks, possibly causing a fuel leak.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery pipe with a new pipe that has improved pulsation dampers, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2018.
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…
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…
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Lexus LS vehicles manufactured May 9, 2006, to July 20, 2010, 2006-2011 Lexus GS vehicles manufactured January 6, 2005, to September 10, 2010, and 2006-2011 Lexus IS vehicles manufactured August 30, 2005, to September 10, 2010.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will clean and reseal the fuel pressure sensor mounting area, free of charge. The recall began March 3, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Engine
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Lexus GS350 vehicles manufactured June 19, 2006, through July 12, 2011; and model year 2006-2011 Lexus IS350 vehicles manufactured May 27, 2005, through July 13, 2011; and model year 2010-2011 Lexus IS350c vehicles manufactured November 25, 2009, through July 19, 2011.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and Lexus dealers will replace the VVT unit free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Show 2 more recalls
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.
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2008 Lexus passenger cars manufactured from August 26, 2005 through August 4, 2008. Micro-foreign objects in the material of the valve spring May degrade the strength of the valve spring, possibly causing the spring to break.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on September 2, 2010. Owners May contact Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2006 Lexus IS 350:
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 2006 Lexus IS 350 owners say
Body & structure all 30 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Lexus IS 350. The contact stated that the dashboard was cracked and the air bags were visible. The dashboard was also melted and sticky due to the sun. The vehicle was taken to Lexus of westminster (located at 13590 beach blvd, westminster, ca 92683, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the dashboard needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the repair fees. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 154,588.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Lexus IS 350. The contact stated that the dashboard melted, fractured, and produced a glare during sunny weather conditions. The failure recurred each time the vehicle was driven on a sunny day. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the dashboard was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Windows, wipers & sunroof
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Lexus IS 350. The contact stated that the rearview mirror became discolored and dark. The contact was unable to see through the rearview mirror. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the rearview mirror needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.
The dashboard of the car IS extremely sticky/shiny along with the tops of the door panels near the windows. When the sun IS overhead shining down onto the dashboard in its melted shiny state it reflects a glare onto the inside of the windshield making it extremely difficult to see out of the car. Also I'm concerned about the function of the passenger side airbag with it being under this dash that has melted. Also if the dash IS touched to add or remove a sunshield when parked it easily comes apart onto fingers/hands/clothes and leaves a sticky black residue. The residue makes it difficult to allow the steering wheel to slide through the hands while turning as it catches/releases easily. The car has been well taken care of and has been a southern california car for its entire life. Previous owner bought it in colorado but lived in southern california. …
Air bags
When the car was turned on, our airbag light came on and stayed on. Scanlon Lexus of ft myers, fl evaluated the problem and concluded that the driver-side knee airbag IS the problem and that the wiring harness needs to be replaced. They also stated that Lexus IS aware of the issue for this model and that the design IS defective. However, the car IS outside of a warranty, so they will do nothing to fix it for free. The cost was approximately 2100 just for parts (not including 8 hours of labor). They also stated that when the light IS on, the entire airbag safety system will not deploy. This IS a huge safety concern that IS not caused by normal wear and tear on a vehicle, but by faulty design. Therefore, I believe this should be a safety recall.
The airbag light on the cluster IS on. Happened randomly one morning upon start up of vehicle and hasn't went away even after resetting the battery. I and several other 2nd generation IS owners from club Lexus have the same issue and it IS attributed to a loose wire harness. In the event of a collision there's a high risk that the airbag will not deploy. Please fix this as this IS a serious and fatal issue. It was a fairly well know issues amongst IS owners and this I feel that Lexus should be responsible for the fix.
2006 Lexus IS 350 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 19 / 26 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Lexus IS 350 a good car?
Based on 93 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 IS 350 rates avoid: 6.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the IS 350 at the same age. It is one of the IS 350 years we suggest avoiding. 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 2006 Lexus IS 350?
The body & structure — 30 complaints, 32% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body. Next are the windows, wipers & sunroof (18) and air bags (17).
How many recalls does the 2006 Lexus IS 350 have?
There are 8 recalls for the 2006 Lexus IS 350, 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 350?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2013, 2009 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2014. See the full Lexus IS 350 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2006 Lexus IS 350 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 80,000 miles; 25% 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.