Car Model Guide/ Lexus/ IS/ XE20/ IS 220d

IS 220d 2AD-FHV

The high-output version of Toyota's 2.2 diesel, fitted to the IS 220d. It's quick and refined, and it carries the same cylinder-head distortion problem as the Toyota unit, on a car where the repair bill lands harder.

Overview

The IS 220d is the 2AD-FHV diesel version of the Lexus IS sedan (XE20), sold 2005–2012 with 177 PS and manual_6. High risk at level 4. The cylinder head can distort on this engine, and on a Lexus the repair bill lands harder than it does on the Toyota version. 3 failure modes are recorded against its engine, gearbox, chassis and shared components, one of which is a walk-away item without documented proof. Prices on this page are illustrative placeholders rather than a sourced market sample. See the methodology for how the bands are derived.

Lexus IS sedan (XE20) · photo LEXUS IS 250 (XE20) China (5) by Dinkun Chen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Power177 PS

Torque400 Nm

Years2005–2012

Fueldiesel

DriveRWD

Engines2AD-FHV

Biggest risks

Ranked by probability × repair cost. 3 recorded in total.

29High risk

Cylinder head distortion and coolant loss (IS 220d)€2,500–€4,500partly checkablewalk away
DPF clogging and forced regeneration€250–€1,800partly checkable
EGR cooler leak€400–€1,000partly checkable

Risk level −33 · Walk-away failures −12 · Likely spend vs price −26 · all issues →

System by system9 systems reviewed · 7 with no recurring fault reported

Engine⚠ attentionCylinder head distortion and coolant loss (IS 220d), €2,500–€4,500. Walk away without proof.

Fuel system✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Intake & air✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Cooling✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Emissions⚠ attentionDPF clogging and forced regeneration, €250–€1,800.+1 more in this system

Transmission✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Electrics✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Suspension & brakes✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Body & interior✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Pre-facelift or facelift, this engine spans both

The same badge either side of the changeover. Bands are split at the facelift year from the generation record.

Phase	Years	Low	Average	High	Good buy	What differs
pre Pre-facelift	2005–2009	€3,200	€5,000	€8,000	€4,100	The specification the car launched with.
LCI Facelift (LCI)	2010–2012	€3,500	€5,450	€8,700	€4,500	Revised bumpers, lights and interior trim; IS 200d joined below the IS 220d; Suspension and refinement changes

Known issues, ranked by expected cost

Faults recorded against this engine, its components and its chassis, ranked by likelihood × repair cost. Costs are indicative ranges with a stated labour basis.

Cylinder head distortion and coolant loss (IS 220d)2AD-FHV 2.2 D-CAT€2,500–€4,500

Coolant vanishing without a visible leak, temperature rising under load, and eventually overheating and white smoke. The same head distortion as the Toyota 2.2, on the higher-output version fitted to the IS. Lexus and Toyota extended warranty coverage in several markets, so documented head work is the thing that decides the car.

Check: Ask for head or warranty paperwork first, then check the coolant level and the expansion tank for residue. Unexplained top-ups should be treated as the fault.

Later parts: Revised cylinder head fitted under warranty programmes and in later production

EnginecommonPartly detectablewalk away without proofevidence: manufacturer100–200k km

DPF clogging and forced regenerationDPF€250–€1,800

Warning light, limp mode, oil level rising above the maximum mark from fuel dilution. The filter needs sustained hot running to regenerate. A car used for short urban trips never completes a regeneration cycle.

Check: Read the DPF soot load and the distance since the last regeneration on a scan tool, and check the engine oil level and smell it for diesel. Ask what the car was used for. A short-trip city diesel is the wrong car regardless of mileage.

EmissionscommonPartly detectableevidence: documented120–250k km

EGR cooler leakEGR cooler€400–€1,000

Coolant loss with no visible external leak, white smoke, sweet smell. The EGR cooler cracks internally and leaks coolant into the intake. BMW recalled affected diesels over a fire risk from glycol deposits igniting.

Check: Check coolant level and look for unexplained top-ups in the service history. Verify the recall was carried out. It's free and searchable by VIN.

EmissionsoccasionalPartly detectableevidence: manufacturer120–250k km

Ranked by probability × repair cost, not by how loudly a failure is discussed. Inherited from the engine, gearbox, chassis and shared components, each written once.

Pre-purchase inspection

The same issue records, reordered into the sequence you can actually check them in: cold start, static, drive, paperwork.

3 checks · saved in this browser ·

1PaperworkOn these cars the folder is most of the value.

Cylinder head distortion and coolant loss (IS 220d)walk away without proofAsk for head or warranty paperwork first, then check the coolant level and the expansion tank for residue. Unexplained top-ups should be treated as the fault.EGR cooler leakCheck coolant level and look for unexplained top-ups in the service history. Verify the recall was carried out. It's free and searchable by VIN.

2OBD scanMandatory. A seller who refuses a scan has answered the question.

DPF clogging and forced regenerationRead the DPF soot load and the distance since the last regeneration on a scan tool, and check the engine oil level and smell it for diesel. Ask what the car was used for. A short-trip city diesel is the wrong car regardless of mileage.

Mileage and servicing

What the odometer does and doesn't tell you here, plus the service items whose neglect causes the expensive failures above.

Head and coolant history decide the car. Then ask for the paperwork before you look at anything else, because the fault is expensive and not always obvious.

Service item	Interval	Cost
Cylinder head history The fault that defines this engine	on purchase	€2,500–4,500
Coolant level and condition Loss without a visible leak is the early warning	at every check	free
DPF regeneration Short urban use blocks the filter	regular longer runs	€400–1,100 if blocked

What to pay

What this engine sells for, against the median of every engine in the chassis. All figures are illustrative placeholders. See the basis chips.

median €5.3k

€3.2k€4.1k€8.7k

Cheapfind the reasonGood buyif it checks outFairnormal moneyOverpricedneeds justifying

Asking price (€)Mileage (km)

Enter an asking price to get a verdict against this variant's band: cheap, fair, good buy or overpriced.

United States vs Europe

1 EUR = 1.08 USD · 2026-07

🇪🇺 Europe · EUR€4,100band €3,200–€8,700

🇺🇸 United StatesNot soldIS 220d 2AD-FHV was never a US-market car

What that meansNo US band exists to compare. Any car you find there's a private import, parts and specialist knowledge are thinner, and the price says more about import cost than about the market.

US figures are the EU band converted at a stated rate. No US market differential is modelled: we hold no sourced US asking prices, and inventing one would be worse than saying so. What the comparison does show for real is availability. Most of this range was never sold in the US.

ModelLexus IS IS 220d
ChassisXE20
Engine2AD-FHV
Years2005–2012
MarketCentral EU
Windowrolling 12 months to 2026-07

Good buy at or under the marker · Median asking price · bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile · dashed line is the xe20 median, all 2 engines

Good buy isn't the same as cheapest. Any car without documentation for cylinder head distortion and coolant loss (is 220d) should be priced as if the repair is still owed. Full breakdown by facelift phase →

Buyer notes

Our judgement, kept separate from the records it's built on.

Our read, not a record

The IS 220d gives you real economy and strong torque in a car that's otherwise a pleasure to own, and it shares the cylinder-head distortion problem of the Toyota 2.2. Coolant loss without an obvious leak is the early sign, and the repair is a big one against the value of the car. Toyota and Lexus extended warranties in several markets, so documentation exists and a car that's had the work is the one to buy. So check the particulate filter history too, since many of these did short urban journeys.

Everything above this line comes from the issue and specification records. This paragraph is our judgement on top of them. See how we reach it.

Full specification

Manufacturer figures for this engine and body, as recorded in the variant and engine data.

Engine code	2AD-FHV 2.2 D-CAT
Configuration	I4, turbocharged · 2231 cc
Fuel / injection	diesel · common rail
Model years	2005–2012
Facelift phase	Sold either side of the 2010 facelift, 2005–2009 pre, 2010–2012 LCI
Power / torque	177 PS · 400 Nm
Transmissions	6-speed manual
Gearbox families
Drivetrain	RWD
Economy (real-world)	5.5–7 l/100 km mixed
Markets	EU