Lexus IS Recalled in Australia: 7,015 Cars Built 2005 to 2012 Need a New Passenger Airbag Inflator

If you own an older Lexus IS, or you're looking at one in the classifieds, there's a fair chance you already went through the Takata saga once. The car was called in, the passenger airbag inflator was changed, and the job was ticked off. This recall goes back to that repair. Lexus Australia now wants to replace the replacement, and it is calling in approximately 7,015 cars to do it.

The short version for owners: it costs nothing, Lexus says the car is still safe to drive in the meantime, and the 17-digit VIN is what tells you whether yours is on the list. For buyers of a second-hand IS from this era, it is one more thing to check before money changes hands. Here's what Lexus has said, what it hasn't, and how to handle it.

What Lexus Australia has announced

We couldn't reach the federal Vehicle Recalls register when writing this, so there's no register number here yet. Everything above comes from Lexus Australia's own announcement and its owners' recall page. Once the notice is on the register we'll add the number to this page.

Why a car that was already fixed is being called back

A bit of background helps here. The original Takata problem was an airbag inflator whose propellant had no drying agent in it. Over years of heat and humidity that propellant could absorb moisture and break down. Lexus's own recall page explains what that meant in the earlier campaign: an inflator in that state could deploy with too much force in a crash and throw metal fragments into the cabin. That is the campaign IS owners are likely to remember, and Lexus says it is now complete.

Many cars in that earlier round were given a different Takata inflator, one with a desiccant added. A desiccant is simply a material that soaks up moisture, the same idea as the sachet in a new pair of shoes. Lexus says it believed, at the time, that the drying agent would keep the propellant stable for the rest of the car's life.

That is the assumption that has now changed. In Lexus's words, subsequent investigation found the propellant could still degrade due to continued, prolonged exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures and high temperature cycling. So the cars that got the desiccated part as their fix are being called in again, this time for an inflator from a different supplier.

How serious is it right now?

Lexus is careful to frame this one as precautionary. Its announcement says the recall is a proactive measure and that its investigation of recovered parts has not identified degradation of the propellant. Its owners' page goes a step further and says Lexus Australia has been advised the inflators have not begun to degrade and the vehicles remain safe to drive.

That is a very different message from the earlier Takata campaign, when some owners were told to stop driving. Lexus has not said that here, and we won't either. Asked directly in its own Q&A whether owners can keep driving, Lexus answers yes.

What Lexus also says is that there are no warning signs. You won't get a dash light or a noise that tells you the inflator has changed. That is why the fix is worth booking even though Lexus says there's no rush to park the car: the part is the sort of thing you can't check by looking at it.

Which cars are on the list

Lexus names four versions of the IS: the IS250 sedan, the IS250C convertible, the IS350 and the IS F. The cars come from production between 31 August 2005 and 25 December 2012. Lexus publishes VIN ranges for each in its announcement, with a caveat: some vehicles inside those ranges were not sold in Australia. Lexus says it identified the involved cars, the ones carrying the desiccated inflator, from its production and repair records.

Don't try to work it out from the build plate. Put the VIN through the checker on the Lexus Australia recalls page, or read it to the Lexus Customer Assistance Centre on 1800 023 009.

Lexus says the recall covers the front passenger airbag inflator. It says the driver-side airbag uses different specifications and is not affected. Other Lexus models are not named; Lexus says vehicles outside the listed VIN ranges are not included.

What happens next for owners

Lexus Australia says it will contact owners of involved vehicles, and its recall page says the notification goes out by registered mail, email and SMS. If you've moved house or changed numbers since you last dealt with Lexus, update your details through the Lexus website or the customer assistance line, because a letter to an old address is how recalls get missed.

The remedy is a straightforward one on paper: Lexus dealers will replace the inflator, at no cost to the owner. Lexus says the new part is made by another supplier, not Takata, and that it does not expect a further replacement to be needed.

Lexus does give an estimate in its FAQ of how long the job takes, and adds that dealers may need the car for longer depending on their workshop schedule. Ask when you book, and ask the dealer how you'll get around while the car is in.

Owner checklist

1. Find the VIN. It starts with J, runs to 17 characters, and sits on the compliance label inside the door opening, on your registration papers and in the service book.
2. Run it. Use the VIN checker on the Lexus Australia recalls page, call 1800 023 009, or search it on vehiclerecalls.gov.au.
3. Book it in. If the car is involved, contact your local or preferred Lexus dealer and quote the VIN. Lexus asks owners to start with their dealer for any questions.
4. Keep the paperwork. When the inflator has been replaced, file the dealer's record with the service history. On a car this age, proof that recalls are closed helps at sale time.

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Buying a used IS from these years?

This is where the recall bites hardest, because these cars are now between 14 and 21 years old and many of them have changed hands at least once. Lexus's letter goes to the owner it has on file. If the seller bought the car privately and didn't update their details, they may not know about this campaign at all.

So before you hand over a deposit, get the VIN and run it yourself. If the car is involved, it isn't a reason to walk away, as the fix is free. It is a reason to ask the seller to book the dealer visit, or to factor in the time you'll spend doing it.

Private imports are a separate case. Lexus says its VIN search covers cars supplied through its authorised network and not grey imports. If you're looking at an imported IS, ask a Lexus dealer to check it.

Safety ratings

A recall doesn't change a crash rating, and we don't restate ratings in recall stories. If you're weighing up how an older car stacks up against something newer on safety, our ANCAP safety ratings explained guide covers how the tests have changed over the years and why a rating from a different era isn't directly comparable.

If this is the nudge to replace it

Some IS owners will read this and decide the car has done its time. If you're staying with Lexus, the brand's current line-up is heavily hybrid. In our directory, the Lexus NX350h Luxury is listed at $71,700 RRP, before on-road costs, with 179kW, an official combined fuel figure of 5.0L/100km and a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. That is a mid-size SUV rather than a sports sedan, so it's a different kind of car.

If you want to keep the IS, there's nothing in Lexus's announcement that says you shouldn't. Get the inflator replaced and carry on. To size up the alternatives, line cars up on our compare page or browse the car directory, and check whether each price is before on-roads or drive-away.

Our take

The Takata story was supposed to be finished. This recall is a reminder that a fix is only as good as what was known when it was chosen. Lexus deserves credit for going after these cars before it has found a degraded part, rather than after.

What we'd like to see next is the notice on the federal register, so owners and buyers can check it in the same place as other recalls. Until then, the Lexus VIN checker and the customer line are the tools to use.

What this means for buyers

Own one? Run the VIN, update your contact details with Lexus, and book the free inflator replacement when you're notified. Lexus says you can keep driving in the meantime.

Buying one? Run the VIN before you pay, and treat an open recall as a job to book rather than a deal-breaker. Ask for the dealer's completion record once it's done.

Selling one? Clear the recall before you list it. A buyer who finds an open airbag campaign on a car that age will use it to negotiate, and the fix costs you nothing. If you're moving into something new, start with the NX350h Luxury page or the full directory.