2016 Lexus ES tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 2016 Lexus ES, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 215/55R17 OEM | R17 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
Best all-season
Bridgestone
Turanza QuietTrack
all-season touring, UTQG 800, 80,000-mi warranty
Best budget
Goodyear
Assurance MaxLife
Lowest cost per mile in this size; UTQG 820
Best quiet
Bridgestone
Turanza QuietTrack
68 dB cabin noise (EU label); quietest in this size
Best winter
Bridgestone
Blizzak WS90
Dedicated winter (premium compound); ice/snow grip
See the best tires for the Lexus ES, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Lexus ES →
Compatible alternative sizes for 215/55R17
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
205/70R15 |
-0.04% | alternative | Safe |
235/45R18 |
0.06% | plus 1 | Safe |
185/50R19 |
-0.10% | plus 2 | Safe |
205/45R19 |
-0.18% | plus 2 | Safe |
235/50R17 |
-0.22% | wider | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 215/55R17 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 215/55R17 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 235/45R18; one rim size up, 0.06% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 185/50R19; two rim sizes up, -0.10% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 2016 lexus ES 350
The 2016 Lexus ES 350 ships from the factory on 215/55R17 tires mounted on R17 wheels. Only one approved fitment is documented for this model year, so replacement options should match the original size exactly unless a plus-size upgrade is being considered. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Lexus ES comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 2016 Lexus ES 350 owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 2016 Lexus ES 350, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 2016 lexus ES
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Reported across: 2016 – 2016 (1 year)
What owners described
Blowout or sudden deflation is the most common description, in 25% of these reports. Percentages are shares of the 8 reports covering every model year of the Lexus ES that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 25% | 20% | 1.2× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 25% | 9% | 2.7× |
| Pressure-monitoring (TPMS) fault | 25% | 2% | 10.4× |
| Sidewall failure | 13% | 15% | 0.8× |
Mileage at failure
6 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 20,321 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 1,360 and 100,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Lexus ES. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
I WAS DRIVING FOR 2.5 HOURS FROM VIRGINIA TO WEST VIRGINIA AND 3 OF MY 4 BRAND NEW TIRES WENT FLAT AT THE SAME TIME ON I81 NORTH. THEY WERE INSTALLED THE PRIOR SATURDAY AND I DROVE ON THE NEXT TUESDAY. THE TIRES ARE GOODYEAR ASSURANCE MAXLIFE, AND THEY WERE PROPERLY INFLATED. THE GOODYEAR TIRE SERVICE WHERE I WAS TOWED FOR REPLACEMENT TIRES SAID THERE ARE NO PUNCTURES ON THE TIRES, WHICH I STILL HAVE. I DO NOT RECALL HITTING ANYTHING,
2023 Lexus ES300h with 1360 miles had rear passenger side tire blowout which ripped off the fender liner although fender liner ripped off first and flew off of car and less than two minutes later the TPMS alerted driver of low tire pressure. Tire is a Bridgestone Turanza EL440 235/45R18 94V. No foreign body was hit to cause this blowout. Happened at a speed of about 35 - 40 mph while accelerating. Driver inspected bolts and nuts on driver rear side to prevent this from repeating on the unaffected side and found nuts were not hand tightened completely. Walmart Tire Center and Discount Tire found a slash on interior side wall of tire. Lexus dealer did not honor warranty for tire or fender liner. Driver had to pay out of pocket for repair.
The contact owns a 2016 Lexus ES350 equipped with General Tires, Tire Line: ReliaTrek, Tire Size: 225/45/R18, DOT Number: VY4FWJ85. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle was vibrating abnormally. The contact pulled over and called Roadside Assistance. The Roadside Assistance technician made the contact aware of a blowout of the driver's side rear tire. The contact was shown that the entire sidewall had detached from the tread. The spare tire was installed by Roadside Assistance. The contact stated that the tires had recently been purchased by the previous owner however, the contact was unsure of the failure mileage on the tires. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic. The failure was not diagnosed nor was the tire replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate vehicle failure mileage was 100,000.
I PURCHASED A NEW LEXUS, ES-300 IN 2000 (PLATINUM SERIES). HAD TO HAVE THE FRONT BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED AFTER 24,000 MILES. AGAIN AT 60,000. JUST THE FRONT NOT THE REAR. ONLY CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED THAT HAS DONE THAT. THE TIRES(MICHELIN) ALSO WERE WORN OUT AT 24,000. I ROATED THEM EVERY 6,000 MILES. SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE FRONT BRAKES WITH THAT YEAR LEXUS?
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 2016 Lexus ES?
Can I run a different tire size on my 2016 Lexus ES?
Where can I buy tires for my 2016 Lexus ES?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 2016 Lexus ES?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 2016 Lexus ES?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 2016 Lexus ES?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Lexus ES is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 2016 Lexus ES.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-09-02.