Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2006 Lexus IS 350 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
MY 2006 LEXUS IS 350 IS USING OIL AT AN ALARMING RATE. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN 2006 AND IT GETS IT'S REGULAR OIL CHANGES, I HAVE TO ADD A QUART OF OIL AROUND AROUND 600 MILLES DRIVEN. IT CURRENTLY HAS 189,000 MILES, BUT THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME. I LOOKED UP THE INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET AND IT SAID TO GO TO THIS WEBSITE AND REPORT IT.
OIL CONSUMPTION. VEHICLE HAS NO LEAKS AND NEEDS 1QUART OF OIL ADDED EVERY 2K MILES. CAR HAS 150K AND HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. IT USES VALVOLINE 5W-30 FULL SYNTHETIC OIL AND GETS CHANGED EVERY 4-5K MILES OF OIL USAGE. I'VE READ MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND TOYOTA/LEXUS IS NOT WILLING TO HELP OUT WITH THIS ISSUE.
IN NORMAL DRIVING SITUATIONS MY 2006 LEXUS IS350 BURNS OIL VERY QUICKLY. I AM ADDING OIL AT LEAST EVERY 3 WEEKS (ABOUT A QUART OR MORE). THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC ENGINE LEAKING ISSUES PER MY MECHANIC. THE ENGINE SEEMS TO BURN OIL ABNORMALLY FAST.
STARTING AROUND 95K, THE ENGINE SEEMS TO BE CONSUMING MASSIVE QUANTITIES OF ENGINE OIL. AT 101.5K, LOW ENGINE OIL LIGHT HAS COME ON AFTER 1500 K MILES AFTER OIL CHANGE WITH MOBILE 1 FULL SYNTHETIC OIL. ALL ONLINE REVIEWS SHOW SIMILAR ISSUES WITH OTHER 06 IS350 MODELS AROUND 100K MILES. FORUMS ALSO STATE LEXUS IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND SUGGESTS A FULL ENGINE REBUILD. SEEMS LIKE A FAULTY ENGINE THAT LEXUS DOES NOT WANT TO FIX AND MAY CAUSE ENGINE SEIZURE WHILE DRIVING.
EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. STARTED AROUND 120K MILES.
THE VEHICLE'S OIL CONSUMPTION IS BECOMING GREATER AND GREATER. I AM NOW AT A POINT WHERE I NEED TO ADD 2 QUARTS OF OIL EVERY 3 WEEKS, WHICH IS ABOUT 1000 MILES DRIVEN. BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF MY VEHICLE, I WAS ADVISED TO START USING SYNTHETIC/BLEND, BUT THE OIL CONSUMPTION RATE HAS NOT CHANGED. IT WAS INSPECTED FOR LEAKS AND THERE WERE NONE. DOES THIS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH PAST RECALLS? I KNOW THIS IS NOT NORMAL AND I AM HOPING FOR A RESOLUTION AS I LOVE DRIVING THE CAR AND IT STILL FEELS RELIABLE ASIDE FROM THE OIL CONSUMPTION RATE, WHICH IS GETTING WORSE AND WORSE. I AM NOW ON MY THIRD CASE OF OIL PURCHASED FROM COSTCO BUT ONCE I'M THROUGH WITH IT, I'M DREADING THE RATE WILL BE MUCH SOONER- I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO ADD OIL EVERY WEEK. I'M HOPING FOR A RESOLUTION/ADVICE. THANK YOU.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS IS 350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE. ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT VARIABLE TIMING GEAR, THE TIMING CHAIN, AND THE TIMING COVER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS IS 350. THE CONTACT NOTICED OIL LEAKING FROM THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT TIME CHAIN SEAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.
THE CAMSHAFT TIMING GEAR WAS REPLACED BY JIM FAULT LEXUS WAS DRIVING VEHICLE HOME AND ALL THE DASH LIT UP AND ENGINE HAD NO OIL. CAR HASN'T RUN THE SAME SINCE THEN WITHOUT OIL NEEDING TO BE REPLACE 3.5 LITERS OF OIL EVERY 300-500 MILES SO I'M REALLY AFRAID TO GO ANYWHERE IN MY VEHICLE. NEED HELP! THE CONSUMER STATED SHE STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE AFTER RETRIEVING THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALER. THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHEN IT WAS COLD AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED SEVERAL TIMES, AS WELL AS THE LOW OIL LIGHT. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THE PISTON RINGS WERE WORN, BUT THERE WERE NO OIL LEAKS. UPDATED 12/03/14
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 LEXUS IS 350. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED ON ITS OWN AND THE CHECK ENGINE AND VSC INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE DEALER STATED THAT ENGINE WORK NEEDED TO BE PERFORMED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V395000 (ENGINE) WAS NEVER RECEIVED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,372.
THE CAR LIKE MANY PUSH BUTTON START CARS REQUIRES THAT YOU STEP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN STARTING, BUT THE CAR WILL NOT START SOMETIMES AND/OR REQUIRES A LOT OF FORCE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO START THE CAR WHICH IS APPARENTLY DUE TO THE BRAKE BOOSTER GOING BAD. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR OR ABOUT 9000 MILES. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LEXUS DEALER AND TOLD THEM WHAT I THOUGHT WAS WRONG BECAUSE IF YOU GOOGLE "LEXUS IS350 BRAKE PEDAL HARD" OR "LEXUS NOT STARTING" YOU WILL SEE THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS SAME EXACT PROBLEM WITH THEIR LEXUS, AND NOT JUST WITH THIS LEXUS MODEL. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THE BRAKE BOOSTER IS THE PROBLEM AND THAT THE COST TO REPLACE IT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $1,100.00. AFTER CONTACTING LEXUS CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND POINTING OUT THAT A LOT OF LEXUS OWNERS SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, THEY SAID IT IS NOT UNDER RECALL, AND THAT I MUST PAY FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIR. I CAN SEE SITUATIONS WHERE A CAR NOT STARTING COULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT MORE UPSETTING IS THAT THERE IS CLEARLY A DEFECT THAT MANY LEXUS OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING, LEXUS PROBABLY KNOWS IT, BUT WILL NOT CORRECT IT OR RECALL IT. *TR
MY VEHICLE, AND DOING RESEARCH THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER LEXUS MODELS AND YEARS ALL EXPERIENCING OIL LOSS FROM THE TIMING CHAIN COVER GASKET CAUSING OIL LOSS THAT COULD POSE A POTENTIAL RISK TO THE ENGINE FROM OIL LOSS AND AFFECT DRIVABILITY AND SAFETY. LEXUS HAS NOT PROVIDED A RECALL ON THIS KNOWN ISSUE. THEY REQUEST $3500 TO FIX THE LEAK WITH A NEW GASKET. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO EVENTUALLY LOCK UP THE ENGINE IF ENOUGH OIL LEAKS OUT AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *TR
S10 APPROPRIATE HANDLING - COPY OF LETTER SENT TO LEXUS CORPORATION FROM RE TO PROBLEMS WITH HER 2006 LEXUS IS350. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING GRINDING SOUNDS UPON START-UP. THREE DAYS LATER, THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE GRINDING SOUND WAS DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH THE CAMSHAFT GEAR ASSEMBLY. AFTER LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP, THE CONSUMER SMELLED A FAINT BURNT ODOR, BUT ASSUMED THE AIR FILTER MIGHT NEED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER A WHILE, THE SMELL BECAME WORSE AND THE CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE EXHAUST AND FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED STATING THE ENGINE OIL WAS LOW. THE SMOKE INSTANTLY INCREASED. THE CONSUMER IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE FREEWAY . THE VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING A GRINDING SOUNDS AS SHE PULLED INTO A PARKING STRUCTURE. THE NEXT DAY, A TOW TRUCK WAS SENT TO RETRIEVE THE VEHICLE. FIVE DAYS LATER, THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT WHEN THE GASKET WAS REPLACED DURING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE VALVE SPRINGS THAT WERE RECALLED, A PART WAS LEFT LOOSE AND CAUSED THE ENGINE OIL TO LEAK. THE CONSUMER WAS ASSURED THAT SEVERAL FLUSHES WERE DONE TO MAKE SURE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A 100%. ON NOVEMBER 25, 2010 WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER HEARD THE GRINDING SOUND AGAIN, THEN SHE NOTICED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE JUMP FROM HIGH TO LOW IN A MATTER OF SECONDS, FOLLOWED BY THE BATTERY SIGNAL, INDICATING A LOW BATTERY, BUT THEN QUICKLY DISAPPEARED. AS THE CONSUMER CONTINUED TO DRIVE, A RATTLING NOISE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE RELEASED SMOKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. FOUR DAYS LATER, THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE CAP ON THE RADIATOR FLUID HAD BROKEN OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DETERMINED THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING PROPERLY, BUT THEY DISCOVERED OIL RESIDUE LEFT ON THE ENGINE THAT WAS CAUSING THE FOUL ODOR. THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHY THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. JB
I EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM THAT MAY BE THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE LEXUS VALVE SPRING PROBLEM, OR RELATED TO IT. THE MECHANIC SAID IT WAS CAUSED BY A DESIGN FLAW. HERE IS PART OF A LETTER I SENT TO LEXUS IN MARCH 2010: I OWN A 2006 LEXUS IS350, WHICH I HAD BEEN VERY HAPPY WITH UNTIL FEBRUARY 1, 2010. AS I WAS DRIVING TO WORK, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE AND THE DASHBOARD LIT UP WITH WARNING LIGHTS. I PULLED OVER, READ THE OWNER?S MANUAL, AND DROVE TO A LEXUS DEALERSHIP. THE FOUR YEAR OLD CAR ONLY HAD ABOUT 27,000 MILES ON IT. UNFORTUNATELY, MY WARRANTY ENDED IN DECEMBER 2009. SINCE IT WAS A LEXUS, I WASN'T EXPECTING A MAJOR REPAIR, BUT THAT?S WHAT I GOT. THE MECHANIC EXPLAINED TO ME, THAT BECAUSE OF THE ENGINE DESIGN, IT DOES NOT BURN OFF CARBON FROM THE GASOLINE. THE CARBON COLLECTS IN THE ENGINE, INTERFERES WITH THE VALVES AND CAUSES A MISFIRE. I WAS TOLD MY 6 CYLINDER CAR ONLY HAD 5 OPERATIONAL CYLINDERS. THE TOTAL COST TO FIX IT WAS $995.20. I NEVER RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM LEXUS. AN APOLOGY WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER SHE WILL NEED TO GET THE CARBON CLEANED OUT OF THE ENGINE/FUEL SYSTEM ON A REGULAR BASIS, OTHERWISE SHE WOULD CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCED CYLINDER MISFIRES. UPDATED IVOQ 12/01/10 *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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