LexusRC3002016Overview/lexus/rc300/2016/base/

2016 Lexus RC300

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2016 RC300.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (S6)

The 2016 Lexus RC300 is a passenger car equipped with a six‑speed automatic transmission and returns an EPA rating of 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined. Owner‑reported issues are minimal, with just a single complaint recorded in an unspecified category and no recalls issued for the model year. This sparse complaint record positions the 2016 RC300 as one of the most trouble‑free entries in the RC lineup, indicating a strong reliability footing for prospective buyers.

Model year202520242023202220212020201920182016

Quick specs

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

EPA fuel economy19/26/21 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI NS · NS 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 NS · NS CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnHOTOEM · verified
Tire sizeP235/45R18, P235/40R19OEM · verified
Wheel / rim8.0 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter9672335028 alt 9030179006
Engine air filter1780131170
Fuel filter7702453100
Spark plug9091901249
Battery2880038100
Front wiper blades8522224150 alt 8521253100
Serpentine belt99367K1550
Thermostat1632631050 alt 1603131020
Cabin air filter8713930100

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S6)

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined19 / 26 / 21 mpg
DrivetrainAll-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelPremium Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine ATF in the differential, SAE J1703 · DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque the oil drain plug to 29.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity3.9
Brake FluidSAE J1703 · DOT 3
Differential Gear OilATF
Engine CoolantHOAT
Power Steering FluidATF

Engine torques

Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug29.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs81.0 inch lbs. ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Steering Track (Rod End) Bolts41.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)650 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Spark Plug ManufacturerDenso
Spark Plug Gap0.039-0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque13.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46

Service checks

RPM44-50 @ idle rpm
Residual Pressure21 After 5 min, engine off psi
Fuel Pump Pressure Minimumpsi
RPM28-50 @ idle rpm
Residual Pressure21 After 5 min, engine off psi

Brakes

Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.039; Rear: 0.040 in
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 1 stages
130.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 9030 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 10,000 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 5,000 miUniversal Vehicle Operation (inspect all fluid levels)
Every 5,000 miBrake System (inspect) · Floor Mat (inspect) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate) · Universal Vehicle Operation (road test) · Windshield Wiper Blade (inspect)
Every 10,000 miCabin Air Filter (replace) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Universal Vehicle Operation (inspect all fluid levels)
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 (inspect)
Every 50,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 60,000 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Spark Plugs (replace)
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.

Owner complaints about the 2016 Lexus RC300 dominate in one area — the unknown or other, 1 of 1 reports (100%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 1 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the unknown or other pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
148
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
1
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 1 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.

Unknown Or Other1

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 148 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
KLG Dealer Packa2022-12-01EquipmentDP: Limited Service Campaign KLG expired December 01, 2022
19LE05 Dealer Pa2022-12-01EquipmentDP: Customer Support Program 19LE05 expired December 1, 2022.
KLG Technical In2022-12-01EquipmentTI: 19LE05 Expired December 1, 2022
19LE05 Technical2022-12-01EquipmentTI: 19LE05 Expired December 1, 2022
LSB0015222022-06-27WheelsTSB: Some 2013 ? 2022 model year Lexus vehicles equipped with a 2WD drivetrain and the F…

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 RC300. 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

Does the 2016 RC300 have open recalls?

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

What gas mileage does the RC300 get?

EPA figures are 19 city / 26 highway / 21 combined mpg.