NHTSA — Power Train Problems

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
73,706 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Lexus IS F drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2008 Lexus IS F Owner Comments

problem #6

Feb 212021

IS F

  • 151,037 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Fuel pressure sensor shorted out inside

- Bryant, AR, USA

problem #5

Dec 012019

IS F 6-cyl

  • 150,000 miles
Ever since I had this car, I always had the constant problem of a weird engine smell of rotten eggs, it overheats out of nowhere constantly after multiple repairs and maintenance paid out of pocket. It would shut off while driving anywhere. These are just some of the receipts.

- West Hills, CA, USA

problem #4

Jan 072019

IS F 4-cyl

  • miles
Per the forums and used fb groups, all isfs year models 2008-2014 are affected the valley plate leak due to the fact that Toyota/Lexus utilized the improper sealant and used the improper amount, leading to the heat exchanger leaking coolant once the original, inadequate sealant begins to disintegrate. This could cause a condition where the engine could fail and someone could get hurt. Furthermore, all isfs will eventually have a cracked rh manifold on the #8 runner. This can cause a fire hazard in addition to carbon monoxide poisoning. I personally had this issue on my 2008 and know at least 100 owners who have also had this issue fixed. I am sure many more are out there.

- Elkridge, MD, USA

problem #3

May 292019

IS F

  • 123,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I bought 2008 Lexus IS250 with 123K miles on 05/18/19. I had inspected by a mechanic prior to purchasing it. On one ocassion pror to accident, I backed out of a drive way. When I shifted the automatic transmission from reverse to drive it sudden accelerated for a brief moment, but it was clear in front of me and I remain in control. It only happened to me that one time that week and I thought nothing of it. In the morning of May 29, 2019 the car was parallel parked with a vehicle both in front behind it. My wife slowly back up the car to allow room to pull out of the parking spot. She turn the front wheels towards the curb so that the front of the car would slightly stick out. When she shifted the automatic transmission from reverse to drive, the car suddenly accelerated, jump over the curb and hit the concrete wall of a school. She panicked at the sudden acceleration and does not remember if she step on any pedal during that time. She only knows it accelerated as soon as she shifted to drive and then the car hit the wall. There were no injuries and no other car was involved. We moved the car off the side walk and notified the insurance and the school admin.the insurance declared it a total loss and took ownership of it. A gasoline car accelerate by opening the throttle to allow more air into the engine. The electronic throttle suddenly open due to the physical electronics and/or software controlling it when the transmission Is shift between reverse and drive. Dr. ronald a. belt theory seems plausible. If true you would think just changing the software to get an average of voltage samples would prevent the over compensation of the ECU throttle controller cause by low voltage spikes. Https://www.autosafety.org/dr-ronald-A-belts-sudden-acceleration-papers/

- Oakley, CA, USA

problem #2

Sep 282008

IS F

  • 200 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Lexus IS350. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds the brakes made a grinding noise and wore out prematurely. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the front brake pads and noticed that the odometer had been tampered with. Also, the contact mentioned that the gear shifter shifted out of park several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to repair the problem. The failure mileage was 200 and the current mileage was 39,000.

- Corona Del Mar , CA, USA

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problem #1

Aug 012009

IS F

  • 18,000 miles
When coming to a stop or when at a stop, my car would shake very hard as if it was going to turn off. Fortunately, it never has. I would have to put the car into neutral to stop the shaking or it would stop on it's own after 10-15 seconds. During this time, no lights have ever turned on to indicate there was a problem. The first time this happened was in late July 2009/ early August 2009 and ever since then, it would happen at least 2 times a day. My car has been in the shop multiple times for this issue.

- Los Gatos, CA, USA

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