IllustrationTRANSMISSIONG WAS REPLACED AND CLUTCH. NEW CLUTCH WORE IN IN 24,000 MILES. CLAIMED IT WAS WEAR AND TEAR. NEVER HAD A CLUTCH GO OUT THAT EARLY EVER!
2002 Lexus Is 300
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →28Owner complaints
Model-year median: 4
0Recall campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
2002 Lexus Is 300
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 28 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Vehicle Speed Control: 6 reports
- Power Train: 5 reports
- Structure: 4 reports
- Unknown Or Other: 4 reports
- Suspension: 3 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
No recall campaigns in this snapshot.
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Is 300 years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
100–25K
425–50K
250–75K
275–100K
3100–150K
1150K+
22 reports with mileage · 6 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
Power Train complaints
5 reportsI OWN A 5-SPEED MANUAL 2002 LEXUS IS300. CURRENTLY, MY CAR HAS 40,000 MILES. EVERYTHING IN THE VEHICLE IS STOCK, NO MODIFIED PARTS AND ACCESORIES. I DRIVE THIS CAR NORMAL LIKE ANY OTHER MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS. I REV MATCH WHEN I DOWNSHIFT, NEVER RIDE THE CLUTCH ETC...I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MANUAL CARS FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS. A…
Read full complaint
I OWN A 5-SPEED MANUAL 2002 LEXUS IS300. CURRENTLY, MY CAR HAS 40,000 MILES. EVERYTHING IN THE VEHICLE IS STOCK, NO MODIFIED PARTS AND ACCESORIES. I DRIVE THIS CAR NORMAL LIKE ANY OTHER MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS. I REV MATCH WHEN I DOWNSHIFT, NEVER RIDE THE CLUTCH ETC...I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MANUAL CARS FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS. A FEW DAYS AGO, I NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION CLUTCHED BEGAN TO SLIP AS I WAS ACCELERATING ON-RAMP ONTO FREEWAY. THE CAR IS DRIVABLE BUT I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ACCELERATING AND PASSING OR ELSE, THE CLUTCH SLIPS AND CAR WON'T ACCELERATE. BECAUSE OF THIS PREMATURE CLUTCH FAILURE, I CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR AS IT WAS INTENDED TO BE. I DRIVE IT REALLY SLOW. PAINFULLY SLOW. I CAN'T BELIEVE LEXUS (TOYOTA) WON'T WARRANTY THIS ITEM. MOST MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS' CLUTCHES HAVE A LIFETIME OF AT LEAST 100,000 MILES. AS AN ENGINEER, I SEE THIS AS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT, I WILL NEVER EVER PERSUADE POTENTIAL LEXUS BUYERS IN BUYING LEXUS VEHICLES.
LOUD THUMPING NOISE FROM REAR OF TRUNK, ON MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS WHEN SHIFTING BETWEEN 1ST, 2ND, AND 3RD.*AK
AFTER GETTING CLUTCH REPLACED, I PRESS THE CLUTCH PEDAL DOWN AND RELEASE THE PEDAL, IT TAKES SOMETIMES UP TO 30 OR 40 SECONDS BEFORE THE PEDAL POPS BACK OUT.. I HAVE TO REACH DOWN WITH MY HAND AND PULL THE PEDAL UP. *NLM
CLUTCH THROW OUT BEARING, CLUTCH DISC, PRESSURE PLATE, FLY WHEEL,CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED AFTER 13000 MILES. *NLM
Recall campaigns
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
Defect investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.