There are 1 stored owner reports matching the steering leading-label group for the 2002 Lexus IS in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 1 of 1 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)LEXUS IS300 2002 VEHICLE ROLLOVER ON FREEWAY. DEFECT THAT CAUSED THE CAR TO ROLL WAS FROM THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL/RIM BROKE IN HALF WHILE DRIVING. I WAS MERGING AND HEARD SOMETHING BREAK UNDER THE CAR. MY STEERING WHEEL TURNED A HARD RIGHT FORCEFUL AND WITHOUT MY CONTROL. I TRIED TO STRAIGHTEN THE STEERING WHEEL OUT FROM THIS INVOLUNTARY HARSH DIRECTION OF VEHICLE, IT WAS LOCKED UP. I TURNED COMPLETELY AROUND FACING TRAFFIC. ALL ATTEMPTS TO TURN THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO DO SO (COMPLETELY LOCKED POSITION). THE VEHICLE SPUN AND I HEARD AND FELT THE BACK END HIT SOMETHING. THE CAR CATAPULTED OVER A 8 FT. FENCE THAT SEPARATES THE ACCESS ROAD. THE CAR LANDED ON ITS ROOF. MY AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED! IMPACT CRUSHED THE ROOF INTO THE GROUND I WAS SUSPENDED UPSIDE DOWN BY MY SEAT BELT. THE CAR ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. I ATTEMPTED TO UNLATCH MY SEAT BELT, IT TOOK A FEW ATTEMPTS. I COULD NOT FIND A DOOR HANDLE, OR WINDOW TO GET OUT. I TRIED FORCING THE DRIVERS DOOR OPEN. IT WOULD NOT MOVE, I WAS TRAPPED INSIDE THE UPSIDE DOWN VEHICLE. IN A PANIC, I FEARED THE CAR WOULD SPILL GASOLINE AND CATCH FIRE. I TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. I THEN REALIZED NO ONE STOPPED TO HELP...I FORCED MY BODY TO HIT THE DOOR OVER AND OVER, TO BREAK IT OPEN. I GOT THE SIDE MIRROR TO BREAK ALLOWING THE DOOR TO OPEN A FEW INCHES...JUST ENOUGH TO CRAWL OUT. I WENT BACK IN TO FIND MY PHONE AND CALL 911. AT THAT TIME A PERSON PULLED OVER. I FOUND MY PHONE AND FOR SOME REASON I DECIDED TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THE VEHICLE. I CAPTURED THE BROKEN WHEEL IN THE PICTURE. POLICE ASKED ME WHAT HAPPENED, I SAID OVER AND OVER "IT LOCKED UP"...MY PHONE BATTERY DIED RIGHT AFTER I TOOK THE PICTURE. I DIDN'T HAVE MEDICAL COVERAGE FOR EMERGENCY, SO I DIDN'T GO TO THE HOSPITAL. THE COP SAID, "PEOPLE DON'T WALK AWAY FROM THIS KIND OF ACCIDENT" HE ADVISED I GO WITH THE AMBULANCE, HOWEVER I COULDN'T AFFORD THE COST. I DIDN'T REALIZE I WAS INJURED, UNTIL LATER. NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN A WHEEL DO THAT. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.