Is the Audi E-Tron-GT more reliable than the Lexus IS?

No. The Lexus IS is clearly more reliable, and the gap is large. It has far fewer recalls and a much lower complaint rate per car sold. The Audi's reports involve losing power, shifting out of gear, and a failed cabin heater, while the Lexus has only a few unusual reports.

Which has more recalls, the E-Tron-GT or the IS?

The Audi E-Tron-GT has far more. Federal recall records show 46 recalls across its four model years. The Lexus IS has 6 across nine model years. Several Audi owners also describe repeat dealer visits for recall work or waiting on parts.

What goes wrong with the Audi E-Tron-GT?

The main problems are electrical and drivetrain. The high-voltage cabin heater can fail, leaving no heat and fogged windows. Some cars shift themselves into neutral or park, or lose power with a drive system malfunction warning. Restarting clears the power loss only for a while.

Are there safety problems with the Lexus IS?

Yes, but they are few. Two complaints describe a sunroof glass panel shattering at highway speed, and one says glass hit the driver's eye. Two others involve a tire separating from its rim, and one of those ended in a crash with 2 injuries.

Which model years should I avoid on each car?

On the Audi, avoid 2022 and 2023, its weakest years. On the Lexus, avoid 2018 and 2019. The Audi's best years are 2024 and 2025, and the Lexus's are 2026 and 2020, though the newest years have had less time to collect complaints.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Audi e-tron GT vs Lexus IS: Reliability Compared

Audi e-tron GT

Good

More Reliable

Lexus IS

Excellent

The Lexus IS comes out well ahead of the Audi E-Tron-GT on reliability, with far fewer recalls and a much lower complaint rate. Recalls run 46 versus 6. Audi owners report sudden power loss, shifting out of gear, and a failed cabin heater.

How Do the Audi e-tron GT and Lexus IS Generations Compare?

Audi's E-Tron-GT is still in its first generation, which began with US model years 2021 through 2023 and received a facelift for 2024. Its weakest years, 2022 and 2023, come before the facelift, and its strongest, 2024 and 2025, come after it. The data does not say what changed, so treat the pattern as a hint only. For the Lexus, the third generation (XE30) ran 2014 through 2023 with a facelift in 2020. Its weakest years, 2018 and 2019, came before that facelift, and 2020 is among its strongest. The generation data does not extend past 2023.

Verdict

The Lexus IS is more reliable than the Audi e-tron GT, scoring 83/100 vs 68/100.

The more reliable car here is the Lexus IS, and the gap is large. Federal recall records show 46 recalls across the Audi's four model years, against 6 across the Lexus's nine. The Lexus has more owner complaints in raw count, but the rate against sales is far lower than the Audi's. The Audi's complaints hit basic function: cabin heat, power delivery, and gear selection. The Lexus reports are few and tied to unusual events, not repeat failures.

Key Differences

1Lexus IS has 40 fewer total recalls
2Lexus IS scores 15 points higher in reliability
3Lexus IS has 4.5 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

0Audi e-tron GT

—

3Lexus IS

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint Rate

Audi e-tron GT vs Lexus IS: Which Is More Reliable?

Audi e-tron GT vs Lexus IS at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Audi e-tron GT	Lexus IS
Reliability Score	68/100	83/100
Years Tracked	4	9
Total Recalls	46	6
Complaints per 10k Sold	5.2	0.7
Year Wins	0	4

What Are the Common Problems With the Audi e-tron GT and Lexus IS?

Trouble on the Audi sits in the electrical system and drivetrain. The high-voltage cabin heater fails, leaving no heat and fogged windows, and one car waited 10 days in the shop. Other owners report the car shifting itself into neutral or park, or losing power with a drive system malfunction warning. These events repeat after dealer visits. The Lexus has two small clusters: a sunroof glass panel that shatters on the highway, and a tire that separates from its rim. Only the Lexus tire area is crash-linked, with one filing listing a crash and 2 injuries. The Audi data lists no crash-linked area, though it calls sudden power loss a real crash risk.

Audi e-tron GT vs Lexus IS common problem areas comparison
Component	Audi e-tron GT	Lexus IS
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	2Low	—None
POWER TRAIN	1.2Low	—None
TIRES	—None	—None
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	—None	—None
STRUCTURE	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

How Does Audi e-tron GT vs Lexus IS Reliability Compare by Year?

Audi e-tron GT vs Lexus IS year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Audi e-tron GT	Lexus IS	Edge
2025	75/1001R / 0C	83/1000R / 1C	Lexus IS
2024	67/10010R / 1C	83/1000R / 3C	Lexus IS
2023	65/10015R / 10C	83/1000R / 9C	Lexus IS
2022	64/10020R / 10C	83/1000R / 13C	Lexus IS

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Audi e-tron GT scored 67/100 and the 2024 Lexus IS scored 83/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Audi e-tron GT vs the Lexus IS?

Buy the Lexus IS if you want the lower-risk used car. Recalls are few and owner complaints are rare for the number sold. Target 2020, which ranks among its strongest years. The newest year, 2026, also ranks strong, but it has had less time to collect complaints, so treat that as incomplete. Avoid 2018 and 2019, its weakest years. Before you buy, check that the tires are in good condition and ask about sunroof history. Choose the Audi E-Tron-GT only if the car's character matters more to you than a clean record, and you can live with dealer visits. Its recall count is high, and parts for the cabin heater can be slow to arrive. Target 2024 or 2025, its strongest years, but remember that newer cars have had less time to collect complaints. Skip 2022 and 2023, its weakest years. Test any example for hesitation when you select drive, and confirm that all recall work is complete.

Audi e-tron GT vs Lexus IS: Common Questions

Is the Audi E-Tron-GT more reliable than the Lexus IS?: No. The Lexus IS is clearly more reliable, and the gap is large. It has far fewer recalls and a much lower complaint rate per car sold. The Audi's reports involve losing power, shifting out of gear, and a failed cabin heater, while the Lexus has only a few unusual reports.
Which has more recalls, the E-Tron-GT or the IS?: The Audi E-Tron-GT has far more. Federal recall records show 46 recalls across its four model years. The Lexus IS has 6 across nine model years. Several Audi owners also describe repeat dealer visits for recall work or waiting on parts.
What goes wrong with the Audi E-Tron-GT?: The main problems are electrical and drivetrain. The high-voltage cabin heater can fail, leaving no heat and fogged windows. Some cars shift themselves into neutral or park, or lose power with a drive system malfunction warning. Restarting clears the power loss only for a while.
Are there safety problems with the Lexus IS?: Yes, but they are few. Two complaints describe a sunroof glass panel shattering at highway speed, and one says glass hit the driver's eye. Two others involve a tire separating from its rim, and one of those ended in a crash with 2 injuries.
Which model years should I avoid on each car?: On the Audi, avoid 2022 and 2023, its weakest years. On the Lexus, avoid 2018 and 2019. The Audi's best years are 2024 and 2025, and the Lexus's are 2026 and 2020, though the newest years have had less time to collect complaints.

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More Lexus IS comparisons

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How we score the Audi e-tron GT and Lexus IS

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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