2008 Lexus IS Lexus IS 2008

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2008 Lexus IS repairs by problem area

Engine (30%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (0%)

Brakes and Traction Control (10%)

Suspension and Steering (1%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (31%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (22%)

Other (4%)

Chart based on 67 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2008 Lexus IS.

2008 Lexus IS repair cost distribution

$2500+ (0%)

$1000 - $2499 (9%)

$500 - $999 (20%)

$100 - $499 (23%)

< $100 (48%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 56 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2008 Lexus IS 4dr Sedan

416-horsepower 5.0L V8 8-speed shiftable automatic RWD

Lexus IS in Texas, United States
Apr 2009 - Jul 2012
Dec 2009

18077 mi
Drivers side headlight out 
Lexus IS in Illinois, United States
Jan 2016 - Aug 2016
Jul 2016

54000 mi

US $150
Left headlight bulb burned out and had condensation on the glass. Changed out bulb, didn't work, turns out the headlight wasn't sealed so had to get the ballast replaced. 60 bucks for ballast + labor. 
Lexus IS in California, United States
Jul 2013 - Sep 2017
Apr 2015

121200 mi

US $1
Radiator Leak Cooling fan replaced 
Sep 2017

190000 mi

US $550
front passenger door lock 

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2008 Lexus IS 4dr Sedan

306-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD

Lexus IS in Alabama, United States
Dec 2014 - May 2016
May 2016

150000 mi

US $1583
Exhausted rusted out 
Lexus IS in Washington, United States
Jan 2009 - Oct 2015
Jun 2012

45000 mi
Driver side roof trim piece flew off of car on roadtrip. It caused the front pillar trim to pop off requiring it to be secured with tape! NOTE: This car has the original OEM windshield. 
Mar 2014

72000 mi
Water pump failure - caused power loss, fluids in bay and ground, and severe engine rattle 
Lexus IS in Louisiana, United States
Aug 2015 - Jun 2016
Apr 2016

44000 mi
recall- dashboard melting 
Lexus IS in Georgia, United States
Jun 2015 - Dec 2019
May 2016

103000 mi

US $200
Rear calipers seized and required replacement. Unable to load new brake pads into calipers before replacement. Replaced rotors. 
Aug 2016

107500 mi

US $377
Passenger side fuse box electrical burns/arcing at alternator 150 amp fuse. Car required tow. 
May 2018

135000 mi

US $10
Battery cable terminals required replacement due to oxidation. 
Lexus IS in California, United States
Dec 2014 - Jul 2015
May 2015

90700 mi

US $200
Nav display stopped functioning, lexus na helped out on replacement cost, thanks lexus 
Lexus IS in Ontario, Canada
Jan 2017 - Jan 2022
Sep 2017

58900 mi

C $300
Alternator replacement. Was not easy at all. Expect to pay more than 300$ I paid. That's what I paid just for the part. 
Feb 2018

73160 mi
Airbag light came on. Simply unplugged and plugged back in the airbag under the drivers side dash. 
Jun 2020

111600 mi

C $400
Had to replace both rear calipers because the slide pins had seized solid. Happened 3 times to this car already. Very common. Tsib out on it long ago 
Lexus IS in Idaho, United States
Jan 2009 - Apr 2015
Apr 2011

18000 mi
Leather seat on passenger side was beginning to crack. They attempted a re-dye earlier, which failed. They replaced seat cover as a courtesy (not under warranty) on return visit. Subwoofer replaced (known issue with ML Sub) 
Lexus IS in Washington, United States
Feb 2009 - Jun 2014
May 2013

50000 mi

US $800
The problem was apparently a module that controls the drivers for the fuel injection system. $2200 was the original charge by the dealer. Corporate listened to my story and was willing to pay $1400. 
Lexus IS in California, United States
Nov 2009 - Sep 2012
Dec 2010

24000 mi
There was too much noise when starting the car cold. The engine cam gears had to be changed. the dashboard was loose and made breaking noise on rough roads! The dashboard was glued again. 

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2008 Lexus IS 4dr Sedan

204-horsepower 2.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic RWD

Lexus IS in District of Columbia, United States
Jan 2015 - Jun 2018
Oct 2016

104000 mi

US $187
Cigarette lighter lost power 
Jul 2017

106000 mi

US $1600
Electrical failure of power steering, speedometer, other systems. Eventually found to be rodent damage. 
Nov 2017

108000 mi

US $1400
Door Actuator (for lock) died. Dead tpms sensor. 
Jun 2018

112000 mi

US $600
Door loop lock actuator 
Lexus IS in California, United States
Feb 2016 - Apr 2017
Nov 2016

57900 mi

US $500
Nav touchscreen stopped responding, ended up replacing the just the nav unit. 
Lexus IS in Guam
Feb 2022 - Mar 2023
Mar 2023

39060 mi

$1088
valve cover gasket replacement, ignition coils replacement, spark plug replacement, spark plug gasket replacements, air intake plenum gasket replacement. Add engine oil. 
Lexus IS in California, United States
Jan 2008 - Jan 2012
Jun 2008

928 mi
Free 1 month/1000 mile checkup and personalized settings. Ground loop TSIB repair for audio jack in armrest. 
Oct 2009

13358 mi

US $665
Replaced one front wheel, two front tires, due to road hazard. Four wheel alignment. All done at independent shop. - Recall check for driver side floor mat. Brake dust TSIB performed. 15k service. All done at dealer. 
Lexus IS in California, United States
Oct 2014 - Jan 2016
Sep 2015

105000 mi

US $1
Factory defect. They replaced all the pistons and valves! Awesome customer service. 
Lexus IS in Florida, United States
Jun 2014 - Jun 2018
Feb 2015

73100 mi

US $600
Thermostat, water pump Engine rebuild 
May 2018

95000 mi

US $500
Tensioner pulley 
Lexus IS in California, United States
Apr 2009 - Jun 2011
Dec 2009

22000 mi
Persistent rattle since the car was new. Been to dealer total of 4 times without any success. Most recently blown off as I hear nothing; demanded another tech who throught he could fix it but could not. 
Lexus IS in California, United States
Nov 2009 - Jun 2022
Mar 2016

62000 mi
Vehicle was shaking during idle and having difficulty accelerating at low gears. Attempted OBDII read and battery replacement. Dealer determined a TSB was available that replaced all the engine pistons and piston seals 
Lexus IS in Virginia, United States
Jul 2013 - Sep 2015
Sep 2013

41000 mi
Lumbar motors in front seats weak and working intermittently. Rattle coming from glove box. Dealer billed for repair as it should have been found in Certified inspection. Hood sat uneven with fender. Bumper missing a retaining clip. Fixed by adding rubber bumper under hood and replacing retaining clip. Dealer billed for repair because it should have been found during Certified inspection. 
Oct 2013

46000 mi
Rear driver-side door "crunched"when opening. Handle was lubricated which fixed the problem only temporarily. Parking brake cable loose and did not work well. Not covered by warranty so not yet fixed. 
Feb 2014

49600 mi
Wheel lock was stripped so I could not remove any of the wheels. Dealer replaced at cost since the car should have come with a working wheel lock. Radio began ejecting CD's and turning itself off randomly. Radio was replaced under warranty. 
Jun 2014

56000 mi
Brake caliper bolt sheared and the caliper was hanging on by one bolt. Front brakes were compromised and had to be towed to dealer. The dealer replace the front pads, left caliper, and left caliper bracket at cost since it was a CPO vehicle. 
Aug 2014

58000 mi
Camshaft gear assembly needed to be replaced. It was causing a rattle because it would leak oil back into the oil pan and would not be lubricated properly on startup. 

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2008 Lexus IS 4dr Sedan

204-horsepower 2.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

Lexus IS in New Jersey, United States
Aug 2010 - Jul 2011
Sep 2010

27000 mi
Right headlight got misaligned after hitting a pothole 
May 2011

32000 mi
Code P0051, O2 Sensor replaced one headlight was pointing too low after a pothole 
Lexus IS in Maryland, United States
Jan 2009 - Apr 2016
Feb 2009

14000 mi
Drip molding on side of roof. Rear of molding came loose. Dealer ordered new molding and replaced. 
Jul 2010

33000 mi
Corrosion on wheels - four wheels ordered and replaced in July under original warranty 
Nov 2013

60600 mi

US $250
replaced 4 wheels. replaced under warranty 3 yrs ago for corrosion. New wheels corroded after 2+ yrs. Lexus replaced wheels. Charged owner for replacement 
Lexus IS in Delaware, United States
May 2011 - Mar 2018
Feb 2017

50000 mi

US $525
Replace normally worn brake pads and excessively grooved front rotors. 
Lexus IS in Missouri, United States
Nov 2016 - Dec 2016
Nov 2016

88000 mi

US $1053
Cv boots leaking 
Lexus IS in Massachusetts, United States
Nov 2010 - Oct 2016
Dec 2013

82000 mi

US $500
Water pump making noise. Pump, thermostat, and belt replaced. 
Dec 2015

94000 mi

US $300
brake caliper assembly replaced 
Jul 2016

95000 mi

US $450
Center exhaust pipe cracked from rust. Damaged portion of pipe cut and replaced with new piece of pipe welded on. 
Lexus IS in Ontario, Canada
Mar 2013 - May 2015
Aug 2013

83700 mi

C $700
Sandblast and repaint wheel rims 
Jul 2014

95680 mi

C $700
Replace badly corroded wheels 
Lexus IS in Ontario, Canada
Apr 2012 - Feb 2014
Oct 2013

65080 mi
Water pump leaking, discovered during regular maintenance and replaced under warranty. 
Lexus IS in Massachusetts, United States
Jan 2012 - Feb 2012
Feb 2012

43000 mi
Carbon buildup TSB. Second top clean under warranty. Vehicle towed to dealership after failing to start and throwing codes for random misfire. 
Lexus IS in Pennsylvania, United States
Aug 2011 - Jun 2016
Apr 2013

52300 mi
Replaced water pump. 
Aug 2014

64900 mi

US $310
Injected dye to check for leaks. Recharged AC system. No leaks found. 
May 2015

69400 mi

US $129
AC stops blowing old air every year now. Unable to find leak even with dyes. Eventually simply recharge. 
Jun 2016

79000 mi

US $179
Slow leak in AC system. Needs to be recharged every 2-3 years. Lexus dealer and other shops have not been able to locate origin of leak. 
Lexus IS in Ohio, United States
Jan 2009 - Jun 2011
May 2009

15000 mi
Squeak coming from dashboard 
Jul 2009

17000 mi
Squeak coming from center stack on dashboard. 
Oct 2009

21000 mi
Bad oxygen sensor. 

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See TrueDelta's information for all Sedans and Convertibles.
See TrueDelta's information for all Lexus models.

2008 Lexus IS Repair Histories

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2008 Lexus IS problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.