There are 22 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2008 Lexus ISin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I was driving approx. 60 entering on ramp of freeway when car suddenly loses power to accelerator not entire car, i almost was hit by other drivers i couldnt accelerate or anything. I panicked then started pumping accelerator then it finally catches and sped up. I immediately got off freeway. Then next day CEL, Check VSC light and skid light all came on. This car is very dangerous. WHATCAN I DO??? I refuse to use the freeway until this problem is resolved.
Vehicle: 2008 Lexus IS350 Issue: Excessive oil consumption and fuel/exhaust odor I am experiencing what I believe is excessive oil consumption with my 2008 Lexus IS350. I’ve had to regularly add oil between scheduled oil changes, and I’ve noticed that the oil level is frequently low with no external leaks visible. I’m concerned that this may indicate a known issue with piston rings or internal engine components. In addition to the oil issue, I have recently started smelling strong gas or exhaust fumes while the engine is running, especially at idle or when the car is warm. I am worried that this may be related to catalytic converter damage caused by prolonged oil burning. I believe this may pose both a safety risk and an environmental concern, especially if the catalytic converter is compromised. I have not yet received any recall notices or service bulletins related to this issue, but I am aware that similar Toyota and Lexus models have had oil consumption problems tied to engine design.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN. WITHIN THE IS-F(2008-2014). MEMBERS ARE EXPERIENCING CRACKED HEADERS MANIFOLD. MEMBERS REPORT SMELLING BAD EGGY PRE-CAT FUMES ODOR. THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE FOR PEOPLE WITH MID TO HIGH MILEAGE. THE OTHER ISSUE EVERY MEMBER IS EXPERIENCING ARE LEAKING VALLEY PLATE SEAL. PINK COOLANT CAN BE OBSERVED DRIPPING IN MINOR CASES AND LEAKING IN MAJOR CASES. CASES OF A POOL OF COOLANT ON OWNERS DRIVEWAY/GARAGES. THIS CAN EASILY CAUSE A FIRE.
VALLEY PLATE LEAK
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 DISENTEGRATE. 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.
MY LEXUS ISF HAS A CRACKED PASSENGER SIDE MANIFOLD WHICH IS VERY AUDIBLE ON STARTUP AND BEGINNING SIGNS OF A VALLEY PLATE COOLANT LEAK, WHICH WILL EVENTUALLYLEAD TO ENGINE FAILURE. THESE CARS WERE MADE IN VERY LOW NUMBERS, HOWEVER OUR CAR ENTHUSIAST COMMUNITY IS EXPERIENCING THESE FAILURES IN A HIGHER THAN ACCEPTABLE NUMBERS OF THIS RARE VEHICLE. EACH REPAIR IS MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND (VALLEY PLATE 2K-5K) (MANIFOLD QUOTED AT 22 HOURS LABOR AND 1400 FOR THE PART FROM LEXUS) TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE LOW PRODUCTION NUMBER AND HIGH RATE OF FAILURE, THIS MUST BE ADDRESSED. LEXUS HAS FAILED TO WORK WITH ME SHARING THE BILL.
THE CAR HAS EXTREMELY HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION. THE CYLINDER WALLS HAVE APPARENTLY PREMATURELY WORN DOWN DESPITE TIMELY OIL CHANGES AND MAINTENANCE. I AM HAVING TO PUT 2 QUARTS OF OIL FOR EVERY 1,000 MILES AT THIS POINT.
LEXUS ISF, YEAR MODELS 2008-2014, ARE AFFECTED BY A 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. THIS ISSUE IS VERY PROMINENT IN THE COMMUNITY (EVERY LEXUS FACEBOOK GROUP AND FORUM HAS DOCUMENTED THIS INFORMATION) - MOST ISFS DEVELOP THIS UNDER 100K MILES. 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. MY 2008 ISF HAS BEEN LEAKING COOLANT FOR ABOUT 15K MILES, PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE (INSPECTED EVERY OIL CHANGE). IN ADDITION, I HAVE TO START TOPPING OF THE COOLANT EVERY WEEK. LEXUS DEALER QUOTED THIS REPAIR AT ALMOST $2000. *TR
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. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 LEXUS IS250/350. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE VEHICLE SHUDDERED AND SHUT OFF WITH AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.
CAR SHAKES WHEN STOPPED, HESITATION WHEN PRESSING GAS PEDAL
IT IS KNOWN AS THE VALLEY PLATE LEAK. AND IT'S RADIATOR FLUID LEAKING OUT WHICH CAUSES DAMAGE TO THE COMPRESSION AND ALSO CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO OVER HEAT EASILY. IT HAPPENED WHEN I LET THE CAR SIT AND STARTED IT AND I NOTICED THE VALLEY PLATE STARTED LEAKING.
CONSTANT ENGINE REPAIRS OUT OF POCKET WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. I HAVE MORE RECEIPTS OTHER THAN THE ONES SHOWN
WHY IS THERE A RECALL FOR THE IS350 VVT CAM GEARS AND NOT THE IS250 ???
THE DRIVER SEAT MAKES A LOUD NOISE WHEN MOVING BACK AND FORTH TO ADJUST THE POSITION. VIBRATATION IS STRONG WHEN YOU COME TO A STOP AND IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR WILL DIE OUT. AND DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON A SUNNY DAY BECAUSE OF THE GLARE FROM THE DASHBOARD. I HAVE CALLED DEALERSHIP WITH NO LUCK
I TOOK MY CAR TO THE LOCAL DEALER FOR THE CARBON BUILDUP RECALL IN THE MOTOR. THEY REBUILT PARTS OF THE INTERNAL MOTOR. AFTER THEY REBUILT THE MOTOR FOR CARBON BUILD UP, MY ENGINE LIGHT STARTED TO LIGHT UP FOR BAD CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I TOLD THEM THAT THE LIGHT NEVER SHOWED UP BEFORE AND COULD'VE WENT BAD FROM ALL OF THE MILES OF CARBON BUILD UP THAT DAMAGED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THEY COULDN'T REPAIR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER BECAUSE I WAS OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD.
2008 LEXUS IS 250 EXHIBITS A BRIEF RATTLE NOISE (APPROXIMATELY 1-3 SECONDS) AT START-UP. THE ISSUE WAS DIAGNOSED BY A LEXUS DEALERSHIP WHICH RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE CAM GEAR ASSEMBLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE VARIABLE VALVE TIMING (VVT) SYSTEM. THE VVT GEAR HOUSING AND SPROCKET COULD SEPARATE AND RESULT IN THE ENGINE STOPPING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. THE SAME SYMPTOMS, DIAGNOSIS, AND RECOMMENDED REPAIR WERE SUBJECT OF THE TOYOTA SAFETY RECALL 13V-395. THE RECALL EXCLUDED THE 2008 LEXUS IS 250, HOWEVER INCLUDED THE 2006-2011 LEXUS IS 350, 2010-2011 LEXUS IS 350C, AND THE 2006-2011 GS 350 MODELS. THE SAME DIAGNOSIS AND RECOMMENDED REPAIR WAS DETERMINED TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE IN THE MODELS ABOVE, BUT IS NOT IN THE 2008 LEXUS IS 250?
IN AUGUST 2012 MY CAR'S ENGINE LIGHT AND VSC LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND MULTIPLE MISFIRES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE GASKET AND 3 PISTONS AND RING SETS UNDER WARRANTY. MY CAR ENGINE HAS CONTINUED TO INTERMITTENTLY SHUDDER WHEN MOVING AND WHEN IDLING AT STOP LIGHTS. TODAY (1/3/17) I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT NORMAL SPEED AND ONCE AGAIN MY ENGINE LIGHT AND VSC LIGHT ARE LIT UP. I RECEIVED THE 9 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR CARBON BUILDUP, BUT IT ONLY COVERS ME THROUGH 3/8/17. IF I HAVE CARBON BUILDUP AGAIN AFTER THAT, IT WILL COST ME $2,000-$3,000 TO FIX. THE ENGINE FAILURE IN THESE IS250S (2006-2013) IS RAMPANT AND THE CAR MODEL NEEDS TO RECALLED AND REPLACED. *TR
2008 LEXUS IS 250 EXHIBITS A BRIEF RATTLE NOISE (APPROXIMATELY 1-3 SECONDS) AT START-UP. THE ISSUE WAS DIAGNOSED BY A LEXUS DEALERSHIP WHICH RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE CAM GEAR ASSEMBLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE VARIABLE VALVE TIMING (VVT) SYSTEM. THE VVT GEAR HOUSING AND SPROCKET COULD SEPARATE AND RESULT IN THE ENGINE STOPPING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. THE SAME SYMPTOMS, DIAGNOSIS, AND RECOMMENDED REPAIR WERE SUBJECT OF THE TOYOTA SAFETY RECALL 13V-395. THE RECALL EXCLUDED THE 2008 LEXUS IS 250, HOWEVER INCLUDED THE 2006-2011 LEXUS IS 350, 2010-2011 LEXUS IS 350C, AND THE 2006-2011 GS 350 MODELS. THE SAME DIAGNOSIS AND RECOMMENDED REPAIR WAS DETERMINED TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE IN THE MODELS ABOVE, BUT IS NOT IN THE 2008 LEXUS IS 250?
UPON STARTING VEHICLE, ENGINE LOUDLY RATTLES FOR APROX. ONE SECOND AS IF SOMETHING IS LOOSE. THIS INSTANCE IS DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH LEXUS TSB "L-SB-0155-08" (Engine - Brief Engine Knock/Rattle On Cold Start Up). FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWS THIS IS A MAJOR CONCERN AS THIS INVOLVES A FAULTY CAMSHAFT ASSEMBLY.
Showing 1–20 of 22 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026