2008 Lexus Is 350

The 2008 Lexus IS 350 has 5 recalls, the most serious being a passenger-side airbag inflator that can rupture and send metal fragments into the cabin, causing serious injury or death.

The airbag inflator defect is covered by multiple filings, including campaigns that apply specifically to vehicles originally sold or registered in high-humidity states and territories, but the underlying hazard is the same across all of them: the inflator can explode rather than deploy cleanly, turning the component itself into a source of shrapnel rather than a safety cushion. On the mechanical side, bolts securing the variable valve timing gear housing can work loose and allow the housing and sprocket to separate, which can cause the engine to shut off while driving and raise the risk of a crash. There is also a fuel system concern: the diaphragms inside the fuel pulsation dampers, part of the 3.5-liter V6 engine's fuel delivery system, can harden and crack over time, allowing raw fuel to leak near heat sources and increasing the risk of an underhood fire.