LexusLS4602012Overview/lexus/ls460/2012/base/

2012 Lexus LS460

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2012 LS460.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (S8)

The 2012 LS460 is a passenger car that uses an engine requiring 9.5 qt of oil with a viscosity of 5W‑20 / 0W‑20 API and is paired with an Automatic (S8) transmission delivering EPA fuel economy of 16 city / 24 highway / 19 combined mpg; its reliability record shows eight total owner complaints, with air bags identified as the most frequent issue and no recalls issued, while the model’s complaint history spans 2011 to 2017, peaking at 13 complaints in 2011 and declining to just two by 2017, placing the 2012 model in the middle of a downward trajectory in reported problems.

Model year201720162015201420132012201120102009

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity9.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-20 / 0W-20 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque103 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy16/24/19 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 9030179006. 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 / turnHEADOEM · verified
Tire sizeP245-45VR19OEM · verified
Wheel / rim8.0 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter9030179006 alt 9672335028
Engine air filter178010V020
Fuel filter7702450021
Spark plug9091901249
Battery2880038100 alt 2880038110
Front wiper blades8522250080 alt 8521242120
Serpentine belt9091602637
Thermostat1632670020 alt 160310S010
Cabin air filter8713950100 alt 8713950080

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S8)

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined16 / 24 / 19 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume103 cu ft
Cargo volume14 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 9.5 qt of 5W-20 / 0W-20 API engine oil, 75W-85 · GL-5 in the differential. Torque lug nuts to 103 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 30.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-8-7-3-6-5-4-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity3.4
Differential Gear Oil75W-85 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity1.5 Pints
Engine Oil5W-20 · API · 0W-20
Engine Oil Capacity9.5 qt
Engine Oil5W-20 · API · 0W-20
Engine Oil Capacity9.1 qt

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts221 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug30.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts103 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug36.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug36.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub217 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub214 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub214 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-8-7-3-6-5-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)750 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Ignition Timing8-12, Not adjustable degrees
Ignition Timing Reference RPMIdle rpm

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant CapacitySingle Unit, 1.10-1.32; dual unit, 1.48-1.61. lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity5.11 oz
Standard BCI Group Number24
Standard BCI Cranking Performance585 cca

Service checks

Injector Primary Resistance2.01-2.31 @ 68 degreesF ohms
Injector Primary Resistance3-100 Motor ohms
Engine Compression142-203 PSI. 14.5 Maximum variation PSI.
Engine Oil Pressure10.1 psi @ Idle, 31.9 @ 2500 rpm psi

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket22 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle100 ft-lbs / 63 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.039; Rear: 0.040 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.0016 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.417 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.417 in
Rotor Discard at or Under1.299 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
130 ft. lbs., Step 2: 9030 ft. lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
122 ft. lbs., Step 2: 9022 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 5,000 mi; spark plugs every 60,000 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 1,000 miEngine Assembly (leak inspection) · Floor Mat (inspect) · Underbody (inspect) · Universal Vehicle Operation (road test)
Every 5,000 miBrake System (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Floor Mat (inspect) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate) · Universal Vehicle Operation (road test)
Every 10,000 miCabin Air 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)
At 30,000 miUnderbody (inspect)
Every 30,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap O-Ring (inspect)
Every 50,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 60,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

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

In the 2012 model year, the Lexus LS460 recorded 8 complaints and no recalls, a slight drop from the 13 complaints in 2011 but still higher than the 4 complaints in 2015. The recall trend for the generation began in 2013 with a single recall, continued through 2014 and 2015, and then ceased for the remaining years; 2012 falls just before this recall spike, indicating it was unaffected by those issues. The number of investigations remained zero throughout, and the number of TSBS (total safety bulletins) peaked in 2013, suggesting that 2012 was a comparatively stable year in terms of safety advisories. The top complaint areas for 2012—air bags, service brakes, and electrical system—totaled six complaints, with only two crash-related complaints and none fire-related, reflecting a low incidence of serious safety concerns. Given the modest complaint count, absence of recalls, and placement just prior to the recall uptick, 2012 can be considered a solid purchase year within this generation.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
256
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
8
Owner complaints
2 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 8 complaints on record, top 5 components.

Air Bags3
Service Brakes2
Electrical System1
Unknown Or Other,Structure1
Steering,Electronic Stability Control (Esc)1

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 256 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
L-SB-0017-19 Rev12025-02-07StructureSome 2010 – 2026 model year Lexus vehicles may exhibit paint stains after the removal of…
L-SB-0017-19 Rev12025-02-07StructureSome 2010 – 2026 model year Lexus vehicles may exhibit paint stains after the removal of…
L-SB-0030-24 Rev12024-07-29StructureSome 2005 – 2024 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a…
L-SB-0030-24 Rev12024-07-29StructureSome 2005 – 2024 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a…
L-SB-0030-242024-06-21StructureSome 2005 – 2024 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a…

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 LS460. 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 2012 LS460 take?

9.5 qt of 5W-20 API 0W-20 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2012 LS460 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the LS460 get?

EPA figures are 16 city / 24 highway / 19 combined mpg.