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2012 Lexus Is

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

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

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 5 of 18 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 8 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 →
  • Visibility/wiper. 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

Structure complaints

4 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jul 8, 2026
StructureVisibility/wiper

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 mile…

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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 ODI #11748952

Mileage unknown · Jun 23, 2026
Air BagsStructureUnknown Or Other

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. Lexu…

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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 ODI #11745928

Mileage unknown · Jun 10, 2024
StructureVisibility/wiper

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 ODI #11593384

Mileage unknown · Dec 22, 2019
StructureUnknown Or Other

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…

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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 ODI #11290735

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.