ToyotaCare 5k Service - No Oil Change?

I live in maine too and you are full of it.

 

5k was a complimentary oil change from the dealership, the 10k had an invoice charge of $80.00 covered under Toyota care. So IDK.

 

There are 2 factors to oil change duration: engineering of vehicle and engineering/testing of oil. If you go to a dealership to get an oil change you can pretty much rely on durations since they control all variables.

If you decide to do it yourself, you just need to find an oil that is good to 10,000 mile durations. Most synthetics will be. Mobil One is good to 15k, as an example (although they are careful to defer to vehicle manufacturer limits).

 

Amsoil says 25k OCIs https://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-category/25000-mile-oil-change/

 

As long as you are under Warranty follow Toyota's recommended changes, after that do what you want.

 

I was told before I was even given the keys that they rotate tires and inspect it every 5K and change the oil every 10K, or Every 3 months, whichever comes first. Lifetime free oil changes and warranty of the engine and trans so it's on them if that isn't good enough.

 

There are situations where manufactures stretch their maintenance intervals. Generally this is practiced to lower the cost of ownership to appeal to fleet purchases There are also situations where they do not advise properly. For instance, the trend to label transmission fluids as a "life time" thing, all while the manufactures of the transmission recommend something very different. I am not saying that this is the case, just that even the best manufactures in the world are not always right.

I would also definitely say that you are the exception to the most when it comes down to your research and commitment to your maintenance. While you use OEM Toyota filters, others would maybe use inferior ones. While you seem to send every sample off for testing, others don’t. I think it is taking a risk for someone who isn’t as knowledge or dedicated as you are to follow in your steps.

Then you must suffer from pure delusion of your driving conditions. It does seem you have little to none automotive background, so I understand on how you may not be able to understand the effects of winter blended fuels and consistent sub zero temperatures. But to deny that even the roads completely suck in the winter is absolute ignorance. Folks, I'd definitely second guess taking this mans feelings and opinions into consideration when making your choices, as they are not based on fact or his own experiences.

People on this forum should also remember that many more read these posts than reply on them. It is irresponsible to belittle and mock those who take steps to make sure they maintain their vehicle properly, all while trying to spread their inexperienced opinions.

 

My opinions are based on Toyota's service interval as written in the manual, as well as numerous other companies recommending a 10k+ miles interval, oil companies touting 10k+ miles on their oil, and numerous oil analyses showing 10k is well within acceptable limits. Maine isn't special. No, the paved roads aren't dirt in winter, no, the temperature being cold does not ruin the oil. Read the severe service description. Yes, if you had a one mile commute in freezing temps it would be wise to change it At 5k, but cold weather alone is not a reason. Funny, i dont see winter blended fuel on the severe service list. Is toyota stupid too and never heard of it?

Many in Canada have it worse and stick to factory intervals.

Your opinion is based on what? A single 'AAA' article? While you are free to waste your own money, it is disingenuous to try to convince everyone else that toyota is wrong and they need to change their oil twice as often.

 

There is also a time limit in the owners manual. 10k/12 months. Wonder if the dealerships would baulk at a oil change with less than 10k but a year had gone by? There are low mileage drivers out there.

 

Your inexperience in automotive shows by consistently only referring to the four points it lists for a severe service and not taking all other factors into consideration.

Severe temperature swings do impact life of lubricants. Winter blend of fuels are not always as pure and do have some impact. I find it odd I have to explain that many roads use dirt, gravel, salt, and their "liquid salt" to treat the roads, and how these products do not magically disappear. Just look at any vehicle in a parking lot in January....

Spring and summer in Maine is not nearly as detrimental. So if one just uses it to cart their selves to work and back, not loading up the vehicle, not going off road, not idle for excessive amount of time or stuck in traffic with the a/c on, or really basically not using their truck like a truck, going the full 10k wouldn't really be a risk. This is also taking in consideration that they are ONLY using OEM quality oil filters and quality oil. Pretty much a DIYier that buys their own stuff or someone who goes to the dealer for their service. General, any automotive shop is going to use the filters that they stock, which generally are not the same quality.

Many in Canada are not oblivious to their environment and do maintain their vehicle differently than in the USA. Again, something where your inexperience in automotive shows.

My recommendations are based off many different studies. The article I posted in one thread was something I found with a very simple search. I have worked and been in the automotive aftermarket for many years. This is commonly shared information from professionals that spend a lot more time and money figuring these things out.

A lot of this stuff is just common sense to those who actually work and live in the automotive field...

 

So like i said. A lot of typing but No substance. What is automotive aftermarket? Define that. What do you actually do? How is it relevant to engine wear and engine oil?

 

I was surprised with the 10k oil changes too.. guess thats why they gave free maintenance for the first 25k or whatever.. lol they basically just do spot checks.

 

Yeah, basically just bringing it in to have the tires rotated. I used the Mobil 1 15,000 mile oil back in 2003. Changed it at 10K and it came out clean and looked like new oil so I don't doubt the oil they use can handle it, filters shouldn't be a problem, if the oil doesn't break down there is nothing to clog it.

 

I did my first oil change at 5k. My second at 10K. Both were FREE under Toyota's 24k free maintenance. The advisor basically told me the following........"you get 2 free oil changes between 0 and 24k miles. It doesn't matter when you want/take them. Once you use them up, there gone." Makes total sense to me. And honestly, if the dealer wants to be an ass about it, just tell him it has been driven under "severe" conditions which require oil and filter change at 5k!!!! best of luck

 

fyi they are supposed to be free every 5k.

https://www.toyota.com/content/ebrochure/toyotacare.pdf

https://www.courtesytoyota.com/toyotacare-faq.htm

What Does the Toyota Care No Cost Maintenance Plan Include?
The ToyotaCare plan covers the 5K, 10K, 15K, 20K and 25K normal factory recommended maintenances, a maximum of five (5) services, for 2 years/25,000 miles from the day you purchased your vehicle (also known as the vehicle's date of first use), whichever occurs first. It also includes 24-hour roadside assistance for two (2) years from the date of first use.

 

They do the service every 5k miles but the oil only gets changed every 10k miles. Notice the little oil symbol is only present at the bottom of the 10k and 20k services listed in the brochure. Bottom-line, you only get two free oil changes.

 

My dealer on my old 2016 tacoma pissed me off. Under 25k toyota service, they insisted that it was only needed at 10k intervals and thats all they paid for. But the second the 25k toyocare was up, they told me it was really re ommended that I do it every 5k...bastards.

 

I had my 5,000 miles maintenance done after work today which consisted of tire rotation.
When I got home and went to re-torque the lug nuts I noticed the wheels on front were still covered with brake dust and the rear wheels were completely clean just like before I visited the dealership.
I am still waiting on a massage back from the service advisor.
I did decide to change the oil/filter myself over the weekend as I see no reason to try going the recommended 10,000 miles between oil changes.
Sure glad I didn't trust the dealership to going the oil change since they couldn't seem to get the tire rotation right.

 

I took my truck in for its 5k service back in June, and Kerry Toyota in Florence KY did an excellent job. I did pay for an oil change, because $60 is cheap piece of mind. They did absolutely everything they were supposed to do, including properly torquing the lug nuts (or they’re using a highly calibrated impact wrench ). I’m about 1500 away from the 10k service right now, and I’ll be taking it in. At 15k, I’ll be changing my own oil as I enjoy doing it, but I’ll still let them do the ToyotaCare service.

 

All I can say it the current 2.7 has been around for 13 years with a recommended 5k oil change interval....why in the hell would Toyota change the interval to 10k with the new body style.....sounds fishy to me. I’ll go ahead and stick with the 5k interval that has been recommended for many many years with the same exact motor.