We have the same type of filter on my wife’s 07 Lexus and my 14 Highlander. The filter is to be tightened down snug. Not like the canister filters where you turn it hand tight (an maybe a little more). These filters are designed differently. I’ve never had one get completely stuck on me. With over 250k miles on my wifes Lexus and over 185k miles on my Highlander, I’ve don’t a lot of oil/filter changes. @Tester makes a good point about not getting a cheap filter wrench. When we bought the Lexus back in 07, I bought a filter wrench from Toyota. It’s a good wrench.
The 2007 Lexus has an aluminum filter cap, there is no problem with the aluminum cap, the plastic caps get stuck.
The 3/8" square drive is ok for installing the filter cap but this will fail when removing a stuck cap, 100 to 150 lb-ft of torque may be necessary. I use a long handled 1/2" drive ratchet with a 15/16" socket on the cap wrench.
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Don’t believe it will fail at that low of a torque value. Looks pretty robust to me:
Unless of course, someone uses a 300 ftlb impact wrench to drive it.
I’m guessing you might have a 6 point socket to use. 
No experience with that oil-filter config, both my vehicles use the standard metal canister filter. But I can offer up a couple of diy’er tips
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Sometimes a diy’er will over-torque a fastener b/c of confusion about the spec’d torque units. Low-torque fasteners are often specified (in repair manuals) as “inch pounds” rather than “foot pounds”. 120 inch pounds = 10 foot pounds; i.e. if it says 120 inch pounds, read the spec carefully, measure twice, cut once etc, just don’t inadvertently interpret the torque spec as 120 foot pounds.
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Some of these oil filter contraptions appear to be spec’d as 18 foot pounds. A diy’er may not own a torque wrench, or if they do, it might be the less expensive beam type & won’t fit in the space near the filter. A diy’er with a little practice can get the torque pretty close by taking a bathroom scale to the garage, then press on the bathroom scale to get an idea how much force is needed at the end of the handle. For example if the spec is 18 foot pounds, and the ratchet is one foot long, press on the bathroom scale until it reads 18 pounds, then apply that same force to the end of the ratchet handle.
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Bonus diy’er tip: Those locking curved-jaw pliers shown in the vdo above are really handy. I use mine all the time, but not for removing oil filters. Last time I used that tool was to remove my truck’s 4WD front locking hub cover. An awkward job otherwise, esp if it hasn’t been removed in several years.
And there’s an Aluminum replacement filter cap you can get. I didn’t know they get stuck. But I have heard of them cracking.
Yes most parts stores carry a nice little oil filter housing cap replacement kit, which may have already been shown…
I drank “free coffee” while i waited today
As far as under tightening or overtightening, why not just use a torque wrench? If you use one properly, it’s not possible to under-tighten or overtighten if you torque it to the specified value. Some fasteners, aren’t worth tightening to specification using a torque wrench, you can just get them “tight” using a calibrated “torque arm”. But fasteners such as drain plugs, with the crush washer, help keep fluid in, kind of an important fastener. I would use a torque wrench on such a fastener, but that’s just me.
There are situations where a torque wrench just can’t be used.
For example, the back spark plugs on a V6 engine on some front wheel drive vehicles.
You can’t see the plugs. And it usually requires a combination of a ratchet, extension, U-joint/swivel, and socket just to remove the plugs.
This is why mechanics have to rely on the sense feel when tightening something.
Because, unless you have straight line from the end of a torque wrench to whatever needs to be tightened, a torque wrench can’t be used with accuracy.
Tester
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I see what you mean, and that makes sense.
I have a 2012 Camry 4 cylinder. I soak the O ring overnight in oil and only hand tighten the plastic housing. I have the proper 64 mm cap wrench that fits very tightly over the housing and with a half inch 18" breaker bar it is still difficult to remove. The white tab" that the OP describes is to drain is to drain the filter before removal after removing the bolt and small o-ring in the center of the housing.
I don’t bother with that, just pull off the housing intact. I have to pry or drive the cap wrench off on my workbench. I have a 65 mm cap wrench that I used to use to put it back on until I found that hand tightening is ok.
My son in law has a 2010 corolla that was also difficult to remove even after pressing the tab that he has just left the cap wrench on and it has not come odd since his first oil change. The dealer changed the oil free the first two. When I put the filter on by hand it bottoms against the block and won’t tighten further with a wrench.times.
My Camry housing has no tab.
This is how the O ring sealing is designed to work. The design should make mechanical contact between the parts when the O ring is properly compressed in the groove and against the mating surface. Tightening beyond that is just creating friction between the part interfaces and distorting the threads if gone too far. It should only be hand tight.
Not necessary, the O ring material is not going to absorb any oil. It’s not like the old spin on canister filter flat seal. A light coating of oil helps the O ring to slip against the mating surfaces during tightening so it’s not damaged. Contrary to what most people do, there should also be a film of oil on the metal surface of the adapter/block. This film will help on both install and removal later. Wiping it dry may cause the O ring to stick to the block or adapter surface over time and thermal cycling, making it super difficult to remove.
Ok, 17 comments on oil filter. How about the trans fluid change? Did that go well?
I’m now wondering if there’s a fundamental problem with this o-filter housing design, and a rethink is required by the car’s design engineers? The fundamental problem appears to be that the binding force during removal seems to be occurring at the outer circumference , but the twisting force is being applied at the inner circumference. Add to that the flexible nature of the components preventing the entire rotational force from moving from inner to outer, the whole idea seems problematic.
Or maybe there’s some trick during installation so to minimize the binding force at the outer circumference during removal?
Nothing yet. In the original post I couldn’t get the fill plug to move with a 150 ft-lb impact. I never tried on the drain. It’s a solid piece of steel so the plastic issues shouldn’t be applicable there. I got a set of breaker bars in this evening and I’m going to borrow a 450 ft-lb impact from work. I’ll try with the breakers first. I likely won’t be able to get back under the car until Sunday though.
The design? - No. the material used? - Maybe.
I’ve done dozens and dozens of oil changes on wife’s lexus and my Highlander without any issues. I know many people who own a vehicle with this design and never had an issue. I have heard a few issues with the plastic housing. But as I stated there’s a replacement aluminum housing.
I have a torque wrench and to Tester’s point I can easily access the filter with it. I will use it in the future. I have done this change 9 times and 8 of those I was able to get the filter housing off after my usual hand tighten then tug method. The 1 I wasn’t was when the shop overtightened it.
As a response to others - I am hesitant to use anti-seize when it is not specified as it will amplify any torque.
Wait What??? I don’t remember seeing that posted here, I’m pretty sure the contents in anti-seize if made it’s way into the oil would damage the main, rod and cam bearings, valve guides etc etc at the very least and probably stop up some oil passages…
The replacement oil filter caps that I see are plastic, where did you find an aluminum cap for a Prius?
Is the Prius filter different than the ones used in Camry or Venza that had the Plastic housing?