5000 Mile Service on new 2014 Prius

They told you correctly. Your car has 0-20 motor oil in it. Oil change at 10,000 miles. At 5,000 just tire rotation and check your fluids, etc. Don't worry about it. You're fine. Good luck with your new car. You will be driving that one for a very long time, no doubt trouble free.

 

If you crack open the Warranty and Maintenance Guide that should have come with the car, all will be revealed.

There's no harm in changing the oil at 5000 miles or 6 months, in the US it's stipulated for severe service. In Canada it's still the regular interval.

I gather in the States the first few services are gratis, and this tends to dissuade people from asking for extras. Still, there's nothing stopping you asking for an extra oil change, as long as you pay for it.

 

If you want an oil change at 5K you have to insist upon it.

I did. They did. Now they only "owe" me one more "free" change.
I intend to do my routine maint. in ~10K miles or 12 month intervals in the future.
That includes tire rotation since I don't feel like taking it in at 5K JUST for that.

 

I just did mine last Saturday... as said, checked fluid levels (all were good), and rotated tires (front-to-back). Reset my: tpms and 5k reminder. Done.

 

I had my oil changed at 2,050 miles on my 2014, before a trip. It is my money-- I can change it once a week if I take a notion. Now, I will change it every 7.500-8,000 with first two free. I got a ''Toyota'' Visa card after buying my car, I will use the ''rebate points'' towards service. I still have $450 worth of ''points'' on my Lexus card to spend at the dealer. I buy gas, groceries, whatever on it and pay the total each month--- it adds up. [ I asked the Lexus dealer if they would service the Prius as it is the same as the CT200--- nope, Lexus only ]

 

I think the factory oil and filters are special (for use during break in period - there is a little more metal wear initially) - at least that is how it used to be.

If that is still true (factory oil/filters are special), maybe it is mildly counter-productive to have the first oil change prematurely.

 

I passed on the 5000 mile check. My time is too valuable for fluid checks and tire rotation which I can do in my free time.

 

Premature oil change is the norm in Canada: the spec'd interval is 8000 km (roughly 5000 miles). There's nothing special about the intitial oil or filter, it's just that Toyota semi-recently change the US oil change spec from 5000 to 10000 mile.

 

I absolutely agree. That's why I like to follow the manufacturer's guidelines.

 

Me too

 

How many times did you check your oil level during the first 5,000 miles?
How long are you really going to keep the car?

If the answers go something like <5 and <150,000 miles, then I wouldn't worry about it if I were you.

They don't hand-build motors these days, and there's not a quarter-pound of metal shavings cruising around in your lubrication system, and if there were??? The oil is filtered.
There are people who swear by earlier than scheduled maintenance on the first oil change, and there are people who swear that there is special "wonder-lube" or "break-in oil" that's used by the factory and that you'll wreck the motor if you do change early.

Want to know what the truth is?
Go to a Toyota dealership and count the number of Priuses that are lying around with open hoods waiting for replacement motors....or better yet ask some of the techs inside how many Prius motors that they've replaced in the last 10 years.
My guess in either case that the number is pretty close to zero.

I wouldn't worry about it unless you regularly check your oil volume and you're certain that you're going to keep the car for >150,000 miles.

Good Luck!

 

I think the above is true wisdom. I am at 4500 miles on our 2014 and the Maint. soon indicator is coming up. I was debating weather to change the oil,, or not. In reality,, at our average 12-15K mile per year, that Prius will be 10++ years old before it reaches 150K miles, generally, a 10 year old car is showing sings of wear, and i have never owned a car beyond 160K miles. I too, will just wait till it hits 10K to change the oil, and trust the filter would block anything trying to circulate in the oil. I mean really, Synthetic oil is good for 10K, so you would have to be thinking the oil filter is inadequate at filtering, to want to change the oil for metal fragments. I mean have you looked at the filter? It would have to be darn small to get past that filter!

I would love to see someone's 5K oil change oil -- tested at a lab-- to prove that 5K oil change was worth doing! It would put the question to rest! Until that lab data is in, its all opinions.

I would bet Toyota has done the lab work, or they would not be recommending a first 10K oil change. I mean, look what Toyota is loosing by saying 10K is OK, LOTS of money in sooner, more frequent oil changes! Look what they potentially loose if 10K is longer than it should be, LOTS of potential warranty repair costs! I mean if there was enough metal in the engine to do real damage it would show up in worn bearings, or rings within 3 years. (Plus the mechanics would see the metal filings on all the oil filters cartridges they remove, and there are enough honest mechanics out there that the word would get out to DO early oil changes).

 

I've just got a problem with the language, expressions like "early oil changes", "extreme service oil changes", and "premature oil changes". Dang it: Honda Canada is telling us northerners to change it every 5000 miles (8000 km), or 6 months. And yeah I know, we're all living in igloos, chipping our cars out blocks of ice every morning, right.

Honda Canada does not offer any free maintenance period. Honda USA, who offers free service for how long? Two years or 20,000 miles? And surprise surprise: the oil change interval is double...

My other problem: I like doing oil changes, great Saturday afternoon activity.

 

While that sounds like good logic, the 10K oil change recommendation has only been in effect for a few years.
Not hardly enough time, I think, to get a good statistical sample on engine life.

I believe that a first change at 5K is not "necessary" except that it makes some of us feel better.
And it is a small price to pay for a little mental peace.

 

Don't get me wrong.
I use a 5K periodicity for my oil changes, but I do my own oil changes, regularly check my oil level, and keep my vehicles for >150,000 miles.
OEMs design cars for a specific service life.
I believe that if you use their "never-open-the-hood" maintenance strategy that the car will pretty much hold together for a 120,000 mile service life, which is about when they want you to buy another one of their cars.
Planned obsolescence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Prius is a well-engineered car.
With a little extra maintenance, a dash of luck, and some repairs that are a lot less than the 300-400 dollar monthly car payments you can keep one in service for longer than Toyota's (or GM...Ford, etc....) expectations.

For me?
300-400 dollar monthly car payments for life sounds a lot like a good way to build impressive wealth.........

.....if you build cars for a living.

 

I agree. If Toyota previously had a 5K window for oil/filter change - the 10 K change recommended now is probably driven by 'bean counting' imperatives - rather than 'Engineering or Tribology'.

 

The earlier 5k Oil Change Interval was with conventional oil, the new 10k OCI is with synthetic oil.

So there is a change in technology.

 

Factory oil has always been synthetic, as far as I know. Dealership oil changes, you had to ask for synthetic if you wanted it, and pay extra.