2006 Lexus GS problems & reliability
44 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 Lexus GS, alongside 6 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2006 Lexus GS vehicles were involved in 21 fatal crashes with 11 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 9 | 20% |
| Visibility/wiper | 8 | 18% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 14% |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 14% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 11% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 11% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 7% |
| Power Train | 3 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 5% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 17 reported components →Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 24 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 110,500 miles (middle 50% between 93,500 and 134,798 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“6.The crash involved complex vehicle systems that may have been manipulated using advanced techniques. I have it documented as a PDF files, can email anytime...”
Unknown OR Other · filed Feb 24, 2025
“I have been facing transmission issues that require the vehicle to shift up to move even at low speeds, with the transmission shifting either hard or smoothly, and often unnecessarily to a higher gear. This issue is rare but occurs frequently. I think this is a factory defect because I have been seeing lots of YouTube…”
Power Train · filed May 8, 2024
“Front windshield is loose and vibrates/flutters when driving. The car has not been in an accident and has no apparent rust. It has been garaged and is available for inspection. There are no warning indicators. My concern is that the windshield could unseat or break while driving. Self inspection shows the windshield…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Apr 29, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Unintended and Uncontrolled Acceleration
Recall Query RQ10003 · opened Feb 16, 2010 · closed Mar 1, 2011 · led to recall 11V115000
Technical service bulletins
44 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 Lexus GS. The 10 most recent:
Some 2005 – 2026 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
L-SB-0030-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 15, 2025
Some 2005 – 2024 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
L-SB-0030-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2024
Some 2005 – 2024 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
L-SB-0030-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2024
Some 2005 – 2024 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty smell is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
L-SB-0030-24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 21, 2024
Some 2005 – 2024 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty smell is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
L-SB-0030-24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 21, 2024
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from…
L-SB-0023-24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 19, 2024
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…
L-SB-0024-24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 19, 2024
Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal…
L-SB-0022-24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 19, 2024
Lexus vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow the…
L-SB-0021-24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 19, 2024
Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. This type of contamination can…
L-SB-0020-24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 19, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2006 Lexus GS has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2006 Lexus GS?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 110,500 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.