LexusRX400H2006Overview/lexus/rx400h/2006/base/

2006 Lexus RX400H

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2006 RX400H.

Body SUVTransmission Automatic (variable gear ratios)

The 2006 Lexus RX400H is an SUV built around an automatic transmission with variable gear ratios, specifying 5 quarts of 10W-30 or 5W-30 API engine oil and earning EPA fuel economy ratings of 28 city, 25 highway, and 27 combined mpg. Across the four model years captured in the reliability dataset (2005-2008), 2006 stands out as the most complaint-heavy year with 185 owner reports — more than six times the 29 recorded for 2005 — with the electrical system as the dominant concern and six recalls layered on top. That lopsided distribution makes 2006 the natural focal point for any researcher weighing this generation's reliability, since the surrounding years offer comparatively little reported friction and the issues here cluster in a single subsystem rather than spreading across the vehicle.

Model year200820072006

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type10W-30 / 5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque76 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy28/25/27 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 51R · 435 CCA battery, OE oil filter 90915YZZD1. 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 51R · 435 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnTRLYOEM · verified
Tire sizeP235-55R18OEM · verified
Wheel / rim7-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter90915YZZD1
Engine air filter1780120050
Fuel filter233000A020
Spark plug9008091180
Battery2880020060
Front wiper blades852120E010 alt 852220E010
Thermostat90916A3003 alt 1632562010
Cabin air filter8713906030

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (variable gear ratios)

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined28 / 25 / 27 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 5 qt of 10W-30 / 5W-30 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 76 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 29.0-30.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine Oil10W-30 · API · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity5 qt

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs12 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts162 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts60.5 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug29.0-30.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs10MM

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts76 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub217 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub217 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)900 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Spark Plug Gap0.039-0.0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque13.0 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing8-12, Not adjustable degrees
Ignition Timing Reference RPMIdle rpm

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.32 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Standard BCI Group Number51R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance435 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test17 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief13 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature176-183 °F
Residual Pressure21.0 psi
Injector Primary Resistance13.4-14.2 @ 68 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression107-142 PSI. 15 maximum variation PSI.

Brakes

Torque to Knuckle78 ft-lbs / 56 ft-lbs
Torque Caliper to Bracket25 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.039; Rear: 0.040 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in / 0.0059 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.102 in / 0.394 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.102 in / 0.394 in
Rotor Discard at or Under1.024 in / 0.335 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
118 ft. lbs., Step 2: 9018 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 at 120,000 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.

Every 5,000 miBrake System (inspect) · Driveshaft Flange Yoke (torque) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 miBrake Line (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Driveshaft (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (inspect fluid level) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Hybrid Inverter (inspect coolant level)
Every 30,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap O-Ring (inspect)
Every 50,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Hybrid Inverter (drain, flush & refill coolant)
Every 60,000 miEngine Valves (inspect valve lash)
Every 90,000 miTiming Belt (replace)
At 100,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Hybrid Inverter (drain, flush & refill coolant)
Every 100,000 miTransmission Assembly (inspect fluid level)
At 120,000 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.

The 2006 Lexus RX400H stands out sharply within the early generation, recording 185 complaints and 6 recalls—far above the 29 complaints and 2 recalls of the 2005 debut year, and notably higher than the 117–126 complaints and 1–3 recalls in 20072008. This spike suggests a peak in reported issues for the 2006 model, with the top complaint areas concentrated in the electrical system (15), service brakes (14), electric service brakes (12), and vehicle speed control (11), alongside 16 crash-related and 2 fire complaints. While the data does not specify root causes, the elevated complaint and recall counts relative to adjacent years imply a higher likelihood of encountering these problems. Given this pattern, the 2006 RX400H appears to be a riskier choice within the generation, and a 2007 or 2008 model may offer a more settled ownership experience.

6
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
171
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
3
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
185
Owner complaints
16 involved a crash · 2 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 185 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Electrical System15
Service Brakes14
Service Brakes, Electric12
Vehicle Speed Control11
Steering11
Structure11
Service Brakes, Hydraulic11
Hybrid Propulsion System10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 5 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

11V539000Engine And Engine CoolingReported 09/11/2011

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 AVALON VEHICLES; 2004 AND 2005 CAMRY, CAMRY SOLARA, HIGHLANDER, AND SIENNA VEHICLES, 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID; 2004 AND 2005 LEXUS ES330 AND RX330; AND 2006 LEXUS RX400H… Remedy: TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL CHECK THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY TO IDENTIFY WHETHER IT WAS PRODUCED BY THE U.S. SUPPLIER. IF SO, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE PULLEY WITH A…

11V112000Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator PedalReported 24/02/2011

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 HIGHLANDER, HIGHLANDER HYBRID, AND MODEL YEAR 2004-2007 LEXUS RX330, RX350, AND RX400H VEHICLES. IF THE FORWARD RETENTION CLIP USED TO SECURE THE FLOOR CARPET COVER… Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FLOOR CARPET COVER WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED ONE FREE OR CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MARCH 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 171 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
L-SB-0030-24 Rev22025-12-15StructureSome 2005 – 2026 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-0030-24 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…
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 RX400H. 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 2006 RX400H take?

5 qt of ABOVE 0 F: 10W-30 API, BELOW 100 F: 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2006 RX400H have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the RX400H get?

EPA figures are 28 city / 25 highway / 27 combined mpg.