LexusIS3502008Overview/lexus/is350/2008/base/

2008 Lexus IS350

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2008 IS350.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (S6)

The 2008 Lexus IS350 is a passenger car equipped with a 6.6-quart engine oil capacity using 5W-30 API viscosity, paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission and achieving EPA fuel economy ratings of 18 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined; these specifications position it as a well-appointed luxury sport sedan within the IS model lineup. Reliability data for this generation shows 323 total owner complaints filed across the model span, with air bags representing the most frequently cited issue, alongside five total recalls issued for the model year. While the detailed complaint history database covers model years 2011 through 2019 rather than 2008 specifically, those later years show complaint volumes ranging from a high of 23 in 2011 down to a low of just 1 in 2017, indicating significant variability in ownership experience across the IS350's production run. For researchers examining the 2008 model year, the five recalls issued serve as a notable data point suggesting this particular model year faced more regulatory attention than some of its successors, though the broader trend toward improved reliability in later model years suggests incremental refinements were made to address early production concerns.

Model year202520242023202220212020201920182008

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity6.6 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque76 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy18/25/20 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 / turnOFFOEM · verified
Tire sizeP245-45VR17OEM · verified
Wheel / rim8.5-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter9672335028 alt 9030179006
Engine air filter1780131110
Fuel filter2330031140
Spark plug9091901249
Battery2880054232
Front wiper blades8521253081 alt 8522253071
Serpentine belt99367K1550
Thermostat1632631050 alt 1603131020
Cabin air filter8713950100 alt 8713907010

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S6)

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined18 / 25 / 20 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume88 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 6.6 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, GL-5 · 80W-90 in the differential. 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

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity1.7-3.0
Differential Gear OilGL-5 · 80W-90
Differential Gear Oil Capacity1.48 Pints
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity6.6 qt
Transfer Case FluidATF
Transfer Case Fluid Capacity1.5 Pints

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts184 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts61 ft-lbs
Main Bearings16
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug29.0-30.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts76 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
Ignition Timing8-12, Not adjustable degrees
Ignition Timing Reference RPMIdle rpm

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity.88-1.01 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity5.11 oz
Standard BCI Group Number24
Standard BCI Cranking Performance585 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test17 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief14-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature176-183 °F
Injector Primary Resistance3-100 Motor ohms
Engine Compression142-199 PSI. 15 maximum variation PSI.
Engine Oil Pressure11.6 @ Idle, 55.5 psi @ 6000 rpm psi
Intake Valve Lash0.006-0.010 in
Exhaust Valve Lash0.010-0.014 in

Brakes

Torque to Knuckle58 ft-lbs / 40 ft-lbs
Torque Caliper to Bracket18 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.039; Rear: 0.040 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.181 in / 0.709 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.181 in / 0.709 in
Rotor Discard at or Under1.063 in / 0.65 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
130 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 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.

Every 5,000 miBrake System (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 10,000 miBrake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect)
Every 15,000 miBrake Line (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Differential (inspect fluid level) · Driveshaft (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (inspect fluid level) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Line (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)
At 100,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 100,000 miTransmission Assembly (inspect fluid level)

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 2008 Lexus IS350’s federal profile is dominated by 204 air bag complaints, with smaller counts in vehicle speed control (33), unknown/other (18), and structure (11), plus 34 crash-related and 1 fire complaint; the data does not identify a common root cause for the air bag concentration. Because the supplied year-by-year record runs only from 2011 to 2019, the 2008 model year sits before the observable arc, and its air bag complaint total alone exceeds every full-year complaint count in the later record, which falls from 23 complaints in 2011 to just 1 in 2019. Over that 2011–2019 span, recalls also trend downward from 7 to 2, while TSBs peak at 286 in 2013 and then decline, suggesting later-life issues were increasingly resolved or rare as the fleet aged. That downward arc implies the 2008 model’s most serious reported problems were concentrated early—largely in the air bag category—rather than persisting as chronic defects across the generation. Bottom line: a 2008 IS350 is a conditional buy only if the specific vehicle has documented air bag system service and recall history and passes a thorough pre-purchase inspection; otherwise, its outsized air bag complaint volume makes it a riskier choice than the later-year trend alone would indicate.

5
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
186
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
323
Owner complaints
34 involved a crash · 1 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 323 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags204
Vehicle Speed Control33
Unknown Or Other18
Structure11
Electrical System8
Engine5
Unknown Or Other,Visibility/Wiper3
Visibility3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 5 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

19V741000Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator ModuleReported 17/10/2019

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012… Remedy: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front…

17V006000Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator ModuleReported 09/01/2017

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012 Toyota 4Runner, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, Yaris, Scion xB, Lexus ES350, GX460, IS-F, IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, and Lexus LFA… Remedy: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 186 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 IS350. 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 2008 IS350 take?

6.6 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2008 IS350 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the IS350 get?

EPA figures are 18 city / 25 highway / 20 combined mpg.