Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Lexus IS saloon - Reliability & safety (2013-2020)

These are two particularly strong areas for the Lexus IS

Carbuyer Rating

3.6 out of 5

Owners Rating

4.5 out of 5

Read owner reviews
Reliability & safety Rating

4.0 out of 5

The Lexus IS should be a safe and hassle-free car to own. It gained the full five stars in its Euro NCAP tests, while both Lexus – and the IS in particular – have done very well in our Driver Power customer satisfaction surveys over the years.

Lexus IS reliability

A first-place finish for Lexus in our 2020 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey and a generally excellent reputation for building dependable cars should give buyers superb peace of mind. The IS model itself came eighth out of the top 75 models, despite being fairly long in the tooth, with an excellent rating for reliability and build quality. Even the seemingly complex IS 300h shouldn’t be a cause for concern though: its electric motor technology has been proven in many Toyota and Lexus models and its batteries are designed to last the life of the car.

And in the unlikely event that there is a problem, you can at least take solace in the fact that Lexus dealers’ customer service is second to none. Inside, the car’s cabin feels robust, sold and well screwed together, so it should still be looking its best even after several years of ownership. So if you want years of worry-free motoring, you could do a whole lot worse than buy a Lexus IS.

Safety

Like many luxury and executive cars these days, the Lexus IS sports a wide range of both standard and optional safety technology to keep you safe in the event of a crash and reduce the likelihood of being invloved in one in the first place. Anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control are fitted to all models, as well as hill-start assistance and a tyre-pressure warning system. You also get eight airbags, seatbelt reminders, ISOFIX child-seat mounts and a pop-up bonnet for pedestrian protection.

Advertisement - Article continues below

All models, except for the most basic IS 300h SE, are fitted with Lexus Safety System+, a suite of safety systems which makes use of cameras and radar sensors to improve forward vision to warn of hazards ahead. Autonomous emergency braking, a reversing camera, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beam, lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition are all fitted as standard too.

Another feature is Sway Wanting, which monitors the car's lane position and the driver's steering inputs to determine if the driver is losing concentration through tiredness. Should it determine you are, it'll trigger a buzzer and a warning light.

The top-of-the-range Premier model is available with Lexus’ Advanced Safety Pack, which includes a pre-crash safety system that can tighten the seatbelts and apply the brakes if it senses a crash is inevitable, adaptive cruise control that can maintain a safe distance from the car in front, lane-departure assistance that helps you stay in lane on the motorway and headlights that dip automatically if a car is detected coming towards you.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Richard is a former editor of Carbuyer, as well as sister site DrivingElectric.com, and he's now Deputy Editor at Auto Express. Having spent a decade working in the automotive industry, he understands exactly what makes new car buyers tick.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s top car offers
Carbuyer best new car deals hero
Deals
28 Mar 2024

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s top car offers

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Skoda Karoq review – it ticks all the family SUV boxes
Skoda Karoq SportLine
In-depth reviews
26 Mar 2024

Skoda Karoq review – it ticks all the family SUV boxes

Tips & advice

View All
Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
26 Mar 2024

Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide

Electric car charging stations: a complete guide
Public EV charge point
Tips and advice
11 Jan 2023

Electric car charging stations: a complete guide

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?
PCP vs HP
Tips and advice
17 May 2022

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Best cars

View All
Top 10 best car interiors
Peugeot 208 hatchback
Best cars
25 Jun 2021

Top 10 best car interiors

Top 10 best electric cars 2024
best electric cars
Best cars
28 Mar 2024

Top 10 best electric cars 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024
The best cheap-to-run cars 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024
Fastest hot hatchbacks hero
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024