2002 Lexus IS 300 problems & reliability
28 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 Lexus IS 300. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 21% |
| Power Train | 5 | 18% |
| Structure | 4 | 14% |
| Unknown OR Other | 4 | 14% |
| Suspension | 3 | 11% |
| Tires | 3 | 11% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 7% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 4% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 15 reported components →Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 21 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 35,420 miles (middle 50% between 19,000 and 86,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Melting dashboard and around the gear shift and lexus will not do anything about it. Poor customer service for a so called "luxury" brand. I had some paper actually stick to the plastic around the gear shift and when I went to pick it up I had to peel it off then I tried clean it off with just water and a rag and it…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Mar 26, 2019
“Dashboard is melting on my 2002 is300. This is a safety hazard causing glare on windshield. Also the sticky black dash gets on our skin and likely has harmful chemicals that is being absorbed in our bodies. Lexus refuses to repair this known defect and my vehicle has not been included in the recall. I always thought…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Apr 26, 2016
“Like most lexus is300 owners, my car exhibits the "melting" dashboard issue. My main concern is the melting material could be releasing chemicals that is orderless/toxic. Lexus is refusing the repair the issue out of their own pockets.”
Unknown OR Other · filed May 13, 2015
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
62 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 Lexus IS 300. The 10 most recent:
Lexus Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements 4.13.2022
Safety Recall 22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 2022
POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Lexus. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be…
Lexus PRO19-02 - · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 12, 2022
TSB: Vehicles may display evidence of a fluid leak or fluid seep from powertrain components. This bulletin explains how to determine the differences between a fluid leak versus a fluid seep. Cases that are determined to…
L-SB-0002-20 Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 5, 2020
TSB: Vehicles may display evidence of a fluid leak or fluid seep from powertrain components. This bulletin explains how to determine the differences between a fluid leak versus a fluid seep. Cases that are determined to…
L-SB-0002-20 Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 5, 2020
TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE June 23, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0023-20.
L-SB-0174-08 Obs · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2020
TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. ST004-01, SU001-08, and L-SB-0174-08. The aforementioned bulletins are obsolete, and any printed versions should be…
L-SB-0023-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2020
Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements
Lexus Safety Re · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2020
TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 06, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0008-20. Replacement Certification Labels and VIN Plates
L-SB-0179-17 Obs · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 6, 2020
TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. L-SB-0048-08, PG007-07, PG016-01, PG015-01, PG004-97, PG003-97, PG003-93, PG002-90, L-SB-0048-08, PG007-07, PG016-01…
L-SB-0008-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 6, 2020
TSB: REVISION NOTICE July 01, 2019 Rev1: G1668 Applicability has been updated to include 2019 ? 2020 model year Lexus vehicles. G2158 The Techstream Preparation and Process Overview sections have been updated. Any…
L-SB-0001-18-Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2019
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2002 Lexus IS 300 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2002 Lexus IS 300?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 35,420 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.