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. 12 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. 12 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
Front control arm bushing wear€300–€700checkable

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

System by system9 systems reviewed · 2 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.

CoolingwatchCoolant expansion tank cracking, €120–€250.

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

TransmissionwatchxDrive transfer case actuator failure, €600–€1,200.

ElectricswatchFootwell module (FRM) failure, €150–€700.+2 more in this system

Suspension & brakeswatchFront control arm bushing wear, €300–€700.+2 more in this system

Body & interiorwatchCorrosion at the rear subframe and arch seams, €300–€2,000.

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

Front control arm bushing wearE9x chassis€300–€700

Knocking over bad surfaces, vague or wandering steering, uneven front tyre wear, steering shimmy under braking. The front lower arm bushings are a known wear item on this chassis and go well before the ball joints.

Check: Drive over a rough road at low speed with the windows down and listen. Check the inside edges of the front tyres for feathering.

SuspensionuniversalDetectable at viewingevidence: documented80–150k km

Run-flat tyres and kerbed or cracked wheelsE9x chassis€150–€900

Harsh ride, vibration at speed, slow punctures. Stiff-sidewall run-flats transmit impacts straight into the rim, and these alloys crack rather than bend.

Check: Inspect the inner rim edge of every wheel for cracks and hairline splits, not just the face for kerbing. Budget for a set of conventional tyres; most owners switch and the ride improves markedly.

SuspensioncommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented

Corrosion at the rear subframe and arch seamsE9x chassis€300–€2,000

Bubbling at the rear arch lip, scaling on subframe mounting points and rear suspension components. Age plus road salt. This generation isn't a notorious rotter, but nothing from 2005–2013 is immune in a salted market.

Check: Put it on a lift and look at the rear subframe mounting points and the arch lips from behind. Largely a non-issue on cars from southern Europe, a real one on northern and Baltic cars.

Body & corrosionoccasionalDetectable at viewingevidence: documented

Footwell module (FRM) failureE9x chassis€150–€700

Headlights, indicators, windows, wipers and central locking stop working at once, usually right after a battery change or a jump start. The module's memory corrupts when supply voltage dips. It is the single most common electrical failure on this generation.

Check: Test every window, both mirrors, the wipers, all exterior lights and the central locking before you drive. If any cluster of these is dead, this is why.

ElectricalcommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented

Rear shock mount wearE9x chassis€250–€500

Knock from the rear over speed bumps, a hollow thump from the boot area. The rubber mounts perish. On hard-used cars the mount can crack the surrounding turret metal, which is a far bigger job.

Check: Lift the boot floor and look at the top of the shock towers for cracking or a lifted mount. Listen for a knock over bumps.

SuspensioncommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented100–180k km

xDrive transfer case actuator failureE9x chassis€600–€1,200

Grinding or binding at low-speed full lock, 4x4 warning lights, a shudder when manoeuvring. The actuator motor and the transfer case's internal chain wear, especially on cars run with mismatched tyre sizes.

Check: Full-lock circles in both directions in a car park, slowly, listening for binding. Check all four tyres are the same brand and wear, mismatched tyres destroy these.

DrivetrainoccasionalDetectable at viewingevidence: documented120–220k 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. All 12 issues in full →

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. 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. 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

IS 220d 2AD-FHV

Overview

Pre-facelift or facelift, this engine spans both

Known issues, ranked by expected cost

Pre-purchase inspection

1Static checksEngine off, ideally on a lift.

2On the driveInclude low-speed manoeuvring, not just an open road.

3PaperworkOn these cars the folder is most of the value.

4OBD scanMandatory. A seller who refuses a scan has answered the question.