← New search

2003 Lexus Is

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
Compare all Is years →

Counts vary with age, sales 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

Limited mileage data: 7 of 12 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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.

  • Air Bags. Review the 4 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 →
  • Engine. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports0 fire reports5 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

1 reports
Clear category filter
49,000 miles · Nov 10, 2014
Electrical SystemEngine

MY CAR HAS 51000 MILES ON IT AND I'M TOLD MY ALTERNATOR SHOULD BE REPLACED. I TOOK MY CAR FOR ONE THINGS AND THE DEALERSHIP FOUND 4 DIFFERENT ISSUES WHICH 2 OF THE ISSUES I AM AWARE OF. GRANT YOU ALL THE PARTS IN MY CAR ARE THE ORIGINAL PARTS. I SERVICE MY CAR ACCORDING TO LEXUS 25,000 - 75,000 MILES SERVICES. HOW CAN I WELL KE…

Read full complaint

MY CAR HAS 51000 MILES ON IT AND I'M TOLD MY ALTERNATOR SHOULD BE REPLACED. I TOOK MY CAR FOR ONE THINGS AND THE DEALERSHIP FOUND 4 DIFFERENT ISSUES WHICH 2 OF THE ISSUES I AM AWARE OF. GRANT YOU ALL THE PARTS IN MY CAR ARE THE ORIGINAL PARTS. I SERVICE MY CAR ACCORDING TO LEXUS 25,000 - 75,000 MILES SERVICES. HOW CAN I WELL KEPT AND SELDOM DRIVE VEHICLES HAVE AN ALTERNATOR ISSUE? ON FEBRUARY 7, 2003, THERE WAS COMPLAINTS OF THE (BULLETIN#:T10001308) CD BECOMING JAMMED IN CD CHANGER. IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE TO THE IS 300 CD CHANGER MECHANISM BUT I WASN'T NOTIFIED. I TOOK MY CAR TO WESTSIDE LEXUS REGARDING AN ONGOING DASHBOARD MELTING SITUATION AND CD PLAYER ISSUE. LEXUS FINALLY AGREED TO REPLACED DASHBOARD AFTER 3 YEARS AND I AM GRATEFUL BUT THE CD CHANGER JAMS NOW. IF I HAVEN'T DONE MY RESEARCH I WOULDN'T KNOW THERE WAS INITIAL COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE CD CHANGER. OVER THE MONTH-TO-MONTH WEIRD CD SOUND OF TUMBLING THEN PLAYING IT PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE. MY 5- DISC CD PLAYER WILL NOT PLAY CDS AT ALL AND SOUND IS CD TUMBLING AROUND IN THE PLAYER. WESTSIDE LEXUS STATED I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE CD PLAYER AT $500.00 AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE THE ISSUE AT ALL. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED AS SOON AS THE ISSUE WAS ADDRESSED. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY $500.00 FOR A 2003 ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10653823

Official recalls

0

No 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 ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.