2002 Lexus IS300

In the contiguous 2001–2005 sequence, 2002 marks the peak complaint volume at 45, rising from 35 the prior year before declining steadily to 16 by 2005, while recalls drop from 2 to 1 and hold flat through 2005, and TSBs decrease from 82 to 77. The later 2016–2019 years in the record present a contrasting profile of minimal complaints but sharply elevated TSBs reaching 164, and the data does not specify the root cause of that late-period divergence. For the 2002 model year specifically, Structure leads complaint categories with 7, followed by Vehicle Speed Control and Power Train at 5 each, Unknown or Other at 4, plus 4 crash complaints and 0 fire complaints, though no underlying causes are specified. Because 2002 sits at the highest point of an early arc that immediately recedes while carrying only a single recall and zero investigations, it represents a year of elevated consumer complaints absent broader federal safety action. Consequently, 2002 is a reasonably sound year to buy relative to the higher-recall 2001 model, provided buyers inspect for the documented Structure, Power Train, and Vehicle Speed Control complaint categories.