2012 Lexus IS Owner Complaints

The dashboard (instrument panel) on this 2012 Lexus IS 250 has degraded and deteriorated, developing a shiny, reflective surface. In daylight and bright conditions, this degraded surface reflects onto the windshield and produces a significant glare that obstructs the driver's view of the road. The glare materially impairs forward visibility and makes safe operation of the vehicle dangerous, particularly given the driver's reduced tolerance for compromised visibility. This is a known and widespread defect. Lexus formally acknowledged the cracking/melting dashboard condition through Customer Support Program ZLZ, which covered approximately 584,800 vehicles. The defect is understood to result from the dashboard material breaking down over time due to heat exposure. Numerous owners of affected Toyota and Lexus vehicles have reported the identical hazard to NHTSA: a degraded dashboard casting a glare on the windshield that impairs the driver's view. In this vehicle, the condition did not manifest until 2025–2026 — after the support program's coverage window had closed — which is consistent with the latent, heat-driven nature of the defect. The owner contacted Lexus and requested repair. Lexus declined, stating the vehicle was outside the program's coverage limits, and on escalation confirmed it would not take responsibility. The owner is filing this report because the condition is an active safety hazard affecting road visibility, not merely a cosmetic issue, and because Lexus has declined to remedy it despite having formally recognized the defect across hundreds of thousands of vehicles. No crash / no injury / no fire (assuming that's accurate — the form will ask; answer honestly).

NHTSA ID

11755221

Incident

Jul 6, 2026

2012 Lexus IS 250 Complaint Category: Interior/Seat Belts/Air Bags → Interior Component: Interior Moldings/Trim/Panels Narrative This is a safety issue. The dashboard on my 2012 Lexus IS 250 has developed significant cracking and is actively decomposing into a gelatin-like texture, despite the vehicle being garage-kept, low mileage, and well-maintained throughout my ownership. This is not the result of any accident, impact, or misuse — it appeared spontaneously and has progressively worsened. The degrading dashboard material is emitting fumes, which are causing a haze to form on the interior surface of the windshield. This directly impairs driver visibility, particularly at night, creating a glare and obstruction hazard while driving. Lexus acknowledged this as a known defect by establishing Customer Support Program ZLZ, which provided extended coverage specifically for dashboard, instrument panel, and interior trim panel cracking on certain Lexus models. The existence of this program confirms that Lexus was aware of a systemic manufacturing or materials defect affecting these vehicles. My vehicle fell outside the ZLZ coverage window by a matter of months. Despite my appeal to Lexus National Headquarters citing my long-term ownership, the vehicle's low mileage, and the timing of the condition's appearance, Lexus has declined to provide any assistance and has stated this is their final position. Supporting Witness Statement [XXX], a window tinting professional, inspected the windshield and dashboard on XXX, at my residence. He observed that the dashboard surface has deteriorated to a gelatin-like, decomposing texture, and assessed that the haze visible on the interior of the windshield is consistent with off-gassing from the degrading dashboard material, rather than from window tint film, cleaning residue, or normal glass wear. (Contact: [XXX]) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11748952

Incident

Jul 7, 2026

The dashboard on my 2012 Lexus IS 250 has developed significant cracking across the surface despite the vehicle being garage-kept, low mileage, and well-maintained throughout my ownership. The cracking is not the result of any accident, impact, or misuse — it appeared spontaneously and has progressively worsened over time. Lexus acknowledged this as a known defect by establishing Customer Support Program ZLZ, which provided extended coverage specifically for dashboard, instrument panel, and interior trim panel cracking on certain Lexus models. The existence of this program confirms that Lexus was aware of a systemic manufacturing or materials defect affecting these vehicles. My vehicle fell outside the ZLZ coverage window by a matter of months. Despite my appeal to Lexus National Headquarters citing my long-term ownership, the vehicle’s low mileage, and the timing of the condition’s appearance, Lexus has declined to provide any assistance and has stated this is their final position. I am filing this complaint to document this defect and contribute to the record of affected owners. Dashboard cracking of this nature is not only a cosmetic issue — a deteriorating dashboard can cause glare, distraction, and potential visibility impairment for the driver, which raises legitimate safety concerns. I am requesting that NHTSA review whether Customer Support Program ZLZ adequately addressed the full scope of affected vehicles and owners, and whet

NHTSA ID

11745928

Incident

Jun 23, 2026

The dashboard is sticky/melting causing it to be extremely shiny. It is available for inspection upon request. Due to the shininess of the dashboard, it causes a glare on the windshield during the daytime. This glare causes difficulty with being able to safely see through the windshield.

NHTSA ID

11593384

Incident

Sep 4, 2023

I own a Lexus 2012 IS250 and currently active duty member stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy. I was not notified that my vehicle is overdue on a safety recall until today when I am trying to ship the vehicle back to the US. What further actions can I do to get the recall done? Can I get the vehicle waivered to get the recall accomplished when it reaches the US?

NHTSA ID

11454221

Incident

Feb 25, 2022

While stopped at a stop light vehicle RPM went very high. It reached the red zone. Vehicle started moving forward (while still on Drive and the brake pedal fully pressed). I immediately put the vehicle in Park. RPM continued to remain high. I removed my foot off the brake when the vehicle was in park. I turned the engine off, waited couple of seconds and turned it back on. At that point everything worked normally. Outside temperature was about 38 deg F. Car was not fully warmed up at the time. Floor mat had nothing to do with this incident. After restarting the engine it is working fine without any adjustment to the floor mat. Incident could have resulted in major crash or injury. Luckily it happened when the vehicle was stopped at at red light. Putting the car in PARK and turning off the engine resolved the issue. This is a serious issue on 2012 IS250. Check engine light is not on. Vehicle will be taken to the Lexus dealer for checking. If the car was in drive, this kind of revving up of the engine would have caused serious accident. Also, if I had not put the car in Park, it would have overcome the braking power and pushed the car to the intersection at red light. Engine RPM went way too high (in the red zone). This is the first incident. This 2012 Lexus IS250 has 69364 miles.

NHTSA ID

11446748

Incident

Jan 8, 2022

VEHICLE IN MOTION GOING 80MPH ON HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDENLY JOLTED AND VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATOR AND CHECK ENGINE/BATTERY LIGHTS ALL CAME ON AND SLOWED TO A STOP. RESTARTING ENGINE DID NOT WORK AS IT SPUTTERED AND WENT BACK TO IDLE IMMEDIATELY. FUEL TANK WAS 1/4 FULL, NOT DUE FOR OIL CHANGE FOR ANOTHER 4000 MILES, TIRE PRESSURE WAS FIXED A DAY PRIOR TO INCIDENT, AND NO OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. CAR TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY TESTED AND SAID FUEL PUMP MALFUNCTION. TOYOTA AND LEXUS ALREADY HAVE 2 MILLION CARS WITH FUEL PUMP RECALL, HOWEVER MY SPECIFIC MODEL IS NOT INCLUDED YET.

NHTSA ID

11376646

Incident

Nov 26, 2020

Mileage

96,129 mi

LEXUS IS250 HAS A MELTING DASHBOARD AND IT'S REALLY HARD TO DRIVE WHEN THE SUN IS OUT ... IT GLARES OUT YOUR VISION WHEN DRIVING ...I WAS RESEARCHING AND SAW SOME PEOPLE GOT A RECALL FOR THE MELTING DASHBOARD SINCE IT'S REALLY UNSAFE TO DRIVE IT WITH THE DASHBOARD STARTING TO MELT .. IN THE PICTURE I ADDED YOU CAN SEE HOW MY DASHBOARD IS SHINY BECAUSE ITS MELTING AND STICKY TOO

NHTSA ID

11363776

Incident

Mar 19, 2020

HI , MY FIRST NAME IS [XXX] LAST NAME IS [XXX] ,MY MAILING ADDRESS IS [XXX]. I HAS A LEXUS IS 250 2012 , 86000 MILE LAST 10 MONTH AGO MY CAR HAS A RECALL MAIL REPLACEMENT AIR BAG FROM LEXUS,BUT MY CAR WAS IN A GOOD CONDITION EVERY THING IS FUNCTION GOOD WITH NO ANY PROBLEM, BUT AFTER I TOOK MY CAR TO THE LEXUS OF TOWSON LOCATION 1040 YORK RD , TOWSON, MD 21204 .AFTER THEY REPLACEMENT MY CAR AIR BAG .MY CAR WAS WENT ON A WARNING LIGHT NOTE THAT AIR BAG OFF ,SO IT MEANS AIR BAG NOT WORKING PROPERLY ,BUT BEFORE THAT MY CAR HAS NON OF THE LIGHT PROBLEM EVERYTHING IS GOOD. I CALL THE LEXUS OF TOWNSON. TOLD THEM MY CAR WAS A WARNING LIGHT AFTER THE RECALL REPLACEMENT AIR BAG, THEY TOLD ME THAT I HAS TO PAID FOR 300.00$ FOR DIAGNOSTIC AND ADDING LABOR AND MORE TO FIX FOR THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT. SO AFTER MY COUSIN TOLD ME DRIVING WITH AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ON COULD BE DANGER, BECAUSE ANY TIME HAS ACCIDENT THE VEHICLE AIR BAG MAY NOT PROJECT THE PASSAGE ,SO I SCHEDULE APPOINTMENT I TOLD THEM MY CAR ISSUE AFTER THEY RECALL AIR BAG REPLACEMENT . I TOLD THEM THE DEALER HAS TO RESPOND FOR THIS. AT THE FINAL I TAKES MY CAR HOME BECAUSE THEY ASKED FOR 300.00$ DIAGNOSTIC AND ADDING OVER THOUSAND FOR LABOR AND MORE .BECAUSE I ALWAYS BUSY FOR MY FAMILY I HAS TO TAKES MY MOM TO CHECK UP HER HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND OTHER THING EVERY WEEK. SO I CONTRACT THE LEXUS HEADQUARTER THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING, I KEEP CONTRACT THEM AND TODAY I CALL THEM AND KNOWN THAT THEY CLOSE MY CASE , BUT I NEVER RECEIVER ANY EMAIL THAT MY CASE WAS CLOSE. I NEED MY AIR BAG LIGHT OFF WARNING LIGHT GET FIX . AND THANK FOR READING THIS .. I HOPE THE DEALER WILL FIX MY CAR AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT FOR THE PASSAGE SIDE TO GET FIX THANK AND STAY SAFE ... INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

11321415

Incident

Jun 20, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 LEXUS IS250. CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, SEVERAL UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE HIGHWAY PATROL PROVIDED FUEL AND THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND OPERATED AS INTENDED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS NOT PERFORMED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT A TUNE UP NEEDED TO BE DONE ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE FUEL GAUGE REGISTERED BELOW 1/2 TANK OF FUEL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000.

NHTSA ID

11316301

Incident

Feb 18, 2020

Mileage

140,000 mi

THE TOP CONVERTIBLE MOTOR GOT BROKEN ABOUT TWO YEARS AFTER I BOUGHT IT SO I WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND LUCKILY IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY SO THEY REPLACE IT BUT NOW THE ONE THEY PUT ON THAT TIME NOW IT'S BROKEN AGAIN AND THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME TO GET FIXED.

NHTSA ID

11298620

Incident

Mar 7, 2019

MY 2012 LEXUS IS250 HAS STICKY DASHBOARD AND DOOR PANELS. THE DASH IS WET WITH A STICKY LIKE SUBSTANCE WHICH ALSO CAUSES A GLARE AND STAINS ANYTHING THAT TOUCHES THE SURFACE. THE DOOR PANELS ARE PEELING HORRIBLY AND EXTREMELY SOFT TO TOUCH. BUMPING YOUR FINGER ON THE DOOR PANEL LEAVES FRAGMENTS OF THE DOOR PANEL UNDER YOUR NAILS. ALSO ANY PART OF THE DASH AS WELL. THIS DRAMATICALLY DROPS THE APPEARANCE OF THE INTERIOR AND IS A MUST FIX. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY ONLY DID THE RECALL ON 06-08. IT WAS LIKE SUCH WHEN I BOUGHT THE CARE IN 2018 WITH 59K MILEAGE.

NHTSA ID

11290735

Incident

Nov 10, 2018

I WAS REAR ENDED BY A CAR AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND PUSHED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. NONE OF MY AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.

NHTSA ID

11270079

Incident

Oct 20, 2019

TAKATA RECALL MY LOCAL DEALER DOES NOT HAVE THE PARTS NECESSARY TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THEY PUT ME ON A WAIT LIST AND SAID IT COULD TAKE 2 MONTHS FOR THE THEM TO GET THE PARTS. THIS IS LEXUS SAN DIEGO

NHTSA ID

10991224

Incident

May 23, 2017

URGENT SAFETY RECALL FRONT PASS. AIRBAG INFLATOR WHICH CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH - NO PARTS AVAILABLE & LEXUS UNABLE TO GIVE AN ETA FOR PART. UNACCEPTABLE. WHAT RECOURSE DO I HAVE?

NHTSA ID

10967234

Incident

Mar 20, 2017

WHEN EXITING A DRIVE THROUGH CAR WASH (VEHICLE IN N) TOLD TO DRIVE OUT. I PUT IT IN DRIVE, BEGIN TO DEPRESS GAS PEDAL, IT JAMS DOWN , I PEEL OUT TOWARDS A CONCRETE JERSEY WALL, HIT IT WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE CORNER FRONT, BUMPER AND FRONT WHEEL...THEN THE BACK WHEEL, STILL ACCELERATING...DO 1/2 DONUT, END UP FACING BACK IN DIRECTION I JUST TRAVELED FROM..ONLY STOPPED WHEN I HIT THE ON/OFF BUTTON. I'VE DRIVEN FOR 35+ YEARS 9 OF WHICH I HAD A CDL AND DROVE PROFESSIONALLY FOR FEDEX AND NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT..I'VE DRIVEN VARIETY OF CARS AND TRUCKS..NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH CONFUSING GAS PEDAL AND BRAKE PEDAL....LOOKING AT 4500+ REPAIR BILL 9 DAYS OF RENTAL.. AND NOW SCARED TO DRIVE IT... FLOOR MATS WERE SECURED, NO ADDITIONAL MATS ON TOP OF SECURED ONE, FLAT BOTTOM SHOES, NO TALKING/TEXTING ON THE PHONE AT TIME OF ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID

10735107

Incident

Jul 17, 2015

Mileage

14,500 mi

MY LEXUS 2012 IS 250 ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN, BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE AFTER DEPRESSING THEM X2, AND THEN I CRASHED INTO A TRUCK. AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. REPORTED TO LEXUS WHO ASSUMED NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR INCIDENT. THIRD PARTY INSPECTED CAR AND DOWNLOADED BLACK BOX. REPORT FROM LEXUS STATED THAT CAR WAS DRIVE ABLE AND NO ISSUES WERE FOUND. CAR INCURRED $18,000 IN DAMAGES AND WAS NOT DRIVABLE AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION. WITNESSES AT COLLISION SHOP WILL VALIDATE SUCH. WHEN SPEAKING TO REPRESENTATIVES AT LEXUS TO REPORT INCIDENT I WAS TOLD BY 2 REPS ON 2 OCCASIONS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER VEHICLES THAT WERE THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL. DISTURBING

NHTSA ID

10734027

Incident

May 15, 2013

Mileage

23,000 mi

WHEN BRAKING, OR SLOWING BRAKING AND LETTING GO, WEIRD CREAKING NOISE IS MADE. LEXUS IS AWARE OF THESE ISSUES BUT WILL DO NOTHING TO HELP EVEN WHEN CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10693726

Incident

Jul 16, 2012

Mileage

23 mi