There are 2 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2008 Lexus ISin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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/
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. *TR
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