LexusIS3002018Overview/lexus/is300/2018/base/

2018 Lexus IS300

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2018 IS300.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (S8)

The 2018 Lexus IS300 is a 2WD passenger car with an eight-speed automatic transmission, using 0W-20 oil and delivering EPA ratings of 22/32/26 mpg. With only six owner complaints logged, this model year sits near the quietest point in the IS complaint history—the 2017 model holds the record low at two—underscoring its position as a particularly trouble-free choice.

Model year202520242023202220212020201920182017

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity2WDOEM · verified
Engine oil type0W-20OEM · verified
Lug nut torque76 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy22/32/26 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 24 · 585 CCA battery, OE oil filter 9672335028. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 24 · 585 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnHOTOEM · verified
Tire sizeP225/45R17, P225/40R18, P255/35R18OEM · verified
Wheel / rim7.5, 8.0, 8.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter9672335028 alt 9030179006
Engine air filter1780131170
Fuel filter7702453100 alt 2321731080
Spark plug9091901276 alt 9091901249
Battery2880038100
Front wiper blades8521253100 alt 8522253090
Serpentine belt9091602733 alt 90916A2026
Thermostat9091603156 alt 9091603154
Cabin air filter8713930100

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S8)

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined22 / 32 / 26 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume90 cu ft
Cargo volume11 cu ft
Recommended fuelPremium Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 2WD of 0W-20 engine oil, API · GL-5 · SAE 90 · SAE 80W · SAE 80W · 75W-85 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 76 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity1.7
Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity3.4
Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear OilAPI · GL-5 · SAE 90 · SAE 80W · SAE 80W · 75W-85
Engine CoolantHOAT
Engine CoolantHOAT

Engine torques

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)7.0 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)7.0 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts192.0 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts243.0 ft-lbs
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Bolt(s)14.0 ft-lbs
Oxygen (O2S) Sensor Bolt(s)32.0 ft-lbs
Knock Sense (KS) Bolt(s)15.0 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts72.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts76 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)650 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)150 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)800 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.15-1.36 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity3.38-3.91 oz
Standard BCI Group Number24
Standard BCI Cranking Performance585 cca

Service checks

RPM28.0-121.0 @ Idle rpm
RPM28.0-121.0 @ Idle rpm
Residual Pressure21.0.

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier TorqueRear: 20
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 100; Rear: 92
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: 1.063; Rear: .650
Maximum Rotor Runout.002
Maximum Drum DiameterParking Brake: 7.520

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 2 stages
130.0 ft. lbs.30 ft. lbs
290.0
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 2 stages
130.0 ft. lbs.30 ft. lbs
290.0
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 3 stages
115.0 ft. lbs.15 ft. lbs
245.0 ft. lbs.45 ft. lbs
390.0
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 3 stages
1Cap bolts45 ft. lbs
2Cap bolts90 degrees
319.0

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 10,000 mi; spark plugs every 40,000 mi; coolant every 50,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 50,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 5,000 miFloor Mat (inspect)
Every 5,000 miBrake System (inspect) · Floor Mat (inspect) · Fuel Tank (add fluid conditioner) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate) · Universal Vehicle Operation (inspect all fluid levels) · Windshield Wiper Blade (inspect)
Every 10,000 miCabin Air Filter (replace) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 15,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Differential (inspect fluid level) · Engine Coolant System (inspect fluid level) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect)
Every 30,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap O-Ring (inspect)
Every 40,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
Every 50,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
At 100,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2018 Lexus IS300 represents a transitional point within its generation, following a period of relatively low complaint activity (2 complaints in 2017) into a phase of rising issues—complaints increased to 6 in 2018 and 7 in 2019, while recalls doubled from zero to two over the same span. The single recall issued for 2018 suggests a specific manufacturing defect was identified and addressed, and the one ongoing NHTSA investigation (carried over from 2016-2017) indicates a federal inquiry remained open, though it yielded no additional recalls in that year. The 116 TSBs (Technical Service Bulletins) reflect Lexus's active service support network but represent a declining trend from 164 in 2016, suggesting fewer newly discovered issues over time. The top complaint categories—fuel system, structure, powertrain, and fuel/propulsion system—are spread across four distinct areas with only one complaint each, indicating no concentrated defect pattern. The one crash complaint and zero fire complaints offer modest reassurance regarding safety-critical failures. Compared to the generation's early years (2001-2005, which recorded up to 45 complaints and 2 recalls annually), the 2018 model is substantially cleaner. The concrete takeaway is that the 2018 IS300 is a reasonable purchase within this generation: it is neither the cleanest nor the most problematic model year, but the absence of a dominant failure mode, combined with declining TSB frequency, suggests that any issues present are likely isolated and well-documented for resolution.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
116
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
6
Owner complaints
1 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 6 complaints on record, top 6 components.

Fuel System, Gasoline1
Structure,Unknown Or Other1
Power Train1
Fuel/Propulsion System1
Structure1
Vehicle Speed Control,Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 116 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
LSB0005232023-02-09Fuel System, GasolineTSB: Some 2013 ? 2020 model year Lexus vehicles may exhibit a hard start and/or MIL ON…
23LE022023-02-09Service Brakes, HydraulicDL: On December 20, 2022, a settlement of claims for certain low pressure fuel pumps was…
23LE012023-02-09Fuel System, GasolineDL: On December 20, 2022, a settlement of claims for certain low pressure fuel pumps was…
LSB002121Rev12022-06-20Engine And Engine CoolingTSB: This Service Bulletin provides a procedure to properly perform the Techstream…
LSB002121Rev12022-06-20Engine And Engine CoolingTSB: This Service Bulletin provides a procedure to properly perform the Techstream…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific IS300. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2018 IS300 take?

2WD of 0W-20 STARBURST, per the factory manual.

Does the 2018 IS300 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the IS300 get?

EPA figures are 22 city / 32 highway / 26 combined mpg.