ToyotaCare - Oil Change interval

He is wrong.
The Tacoma 2.7 is not (yet) certified for 10,000 mile oil changes.
It has shipped with synthetic for years and has always called for 5k changes.
The dealerships are getting confused now because more and more Toyota models are getting synthetic and DO call for 10k intervals, but the warranty on your Tacoma requires 5k changes.

You have read incorrectly.
Oil begins getting dirty and breaking down the first time you start the engine. It does NOT work "better" when used longer.
It works better than conventional oil running the same intervals, but synthetic oil with 7k on it is not "better" than synthetic oil with 4k on it.

 

I have a 2012 RC 2.7 and I go in every 5k and have a service done. It's part of toyota care. go in every 5k no matter what, you paid for it.

 

With respect to oil change intervals, why do people insist on NOT following the recommendations and guidelines spelled out in the owner's manual? I just don't get all of the confusion and questions about what oil to use and how often to change it. The information is all in the owner's manual.

Maybe there is a high rate of illiteracy out there and that is why the owners manual goes unread.

 

Most people don't read their manual (how many people post not knowing how to reset the MR light or TPMS?)
They go to Toyota when the light comes on, and the illiterate service writer tells them to come back in 5,000.

 

some random comments:

I'm looking online at the 2014 Tacoma "Warranty and Maintenance Guide". (I have to look online; don't have mine yet. Few more weeks!) It does indeed say 5,000 mi oil change interval for both the 4.0 and 2.7. It also refers to the schedule for the 4.0 as "non-synthetic" and "synthetic" for the 2.7. And the "Maintenance data" section of owner's manual says to use 5W-30 for the 3.0 and 0W-20 for the 2.7.

ToyotaCare isn't really free. It is part of the cost of buying the vehicle. Probably more correct to say that it's already paid for?

Even though ToyotaCare is free, I mean already paid for, I'm thinking I will do oil changes and other stuff myself. When it comes to my truck, I don't really trust anyone else with it. Plus I enjoy doing it and I'll sleep better at night knowing it was done correctly.

 

X2....What he said!!

 

That's my feeling.

Nobody on this planet gives more of a shit about my truck than I do.