Is it possible for a Toyota Prius 2007 to use up all the oil in less than 1000 km, and if so, how?

Not if it wasn’t seriously burning oil previously, and the coolant is testifying against the mechanic

 

One more fact would be useful: what's it's historical oil consumption; have you kept track of it?

To answer the question in the title, here's a "gem" from Toyota, in the Owner's Manual, page 325:


^ And the 2nd gen Prius engine takes close to 4 liters IIRC, so to empty the oil pan in a 1000 kms, even Toyota's not acknowledging a full drain in that interval, as "normal".

It's odd too: the rest of that text-grab is grammatically complete sentences, and then this info, plunked in the middle. I'd suspect Toyota's legal advisors recommended to put that in, and they couldn't think of an eloquent way to express it, one that didn't make them look like low-lifes. So they just plunked it in, like it's been delivered from on-high...

Addendum: just noticed the coolant mention. To fill the cooling system with straight water, is just nuts, totally unprofessional. Do you have that in writing? Also, it doesn't just "disappear".

That guy's effed your car.

 

If it's using that oil and not leaking it which you're assuming it's not you would see clouds behind you and nobody could see through them for a few minutes for more than likely or the amount of miles you're talking about that kind of oil yeah you should be seeing something and if you're not oh well then maybe you have a massive leak that no one's seeing I don't know using a whole five quarts of oil until none is showing on the stick yeah okay so your drive just happened to stop right is the oil was at the end of the stick pretty good.

 

Maybe almost like a 1/8 vacuum line from your intake just dropped into the oil pan .....holey

 

So, are you saying that the engine ran out of oil and seized up at the end of the drive? If there was no oil or coolant, the engine would be ruined.

 

Sounds like the end of the drive was he got to a driveway or where it was going and turn the car off and I guess decided to check this stuff or something pretty good stuff.

 

The OP may want to consult a lawyer before proceeding further because he may need to sue the person who did this work. Properly documenting the state of the vehicle now would be important in the success of that action.

Do NOT turn the car on again until that data has been collected and stored, and the amount of oil and type of coolant have been corrected.

A car can easily go through all its oil in any short interval if the oil filter, oil cap, or oil drain plug were not installed properly. (Also if it gets a hole in the oil pan, blows a main seal, and a few other very traumatic sorts of failures.) If the oil cap wasn't put on the engine compartment will be a black mess. Speaking generally, I have only ever seen this in person on a Corvair decades ago. Some cars will throw less oil that way than others. If the filter or drain plug were put on wrong, or fell off, it should be obvious when looking up under the car, there will be oil originating in those positions. Omitting the drain washer and having two gaskets on the oil filter are fairly common mistakes - but not ones a mechanic should make. Unlikely the drain plug itself is missing as the car would not have gone 10 kilometers that way, let alone 1000.

Another possibility for a dry dip stick is that too little oil was put in. As long as there are a couple of quarts in there it likely wouldn't have damaged the motor. If there is no oil, well, probably that isn't the case if you didn't hear the motor rattling like rocks in a can.

If there really is just water in the radiator that is straight up malpractice. Modern cars do not use water as a coolant (except briefly in unusual circumstances, like flushing the cooling system). They use a specified coolant. For the Prius that is Toyota Super Long Life Coolant, which is a reddish pink color.

 

The question arises - did you check what the mechanic put in your car?

Or did you not check the levels because gentlemen are taken at their word?

Then the question is how often do you check the oil level?

Then the question is how often do you check the coolant level?

 

Another question, what exactly does "no oil and no coolant" mean? Because by the literal meaning the drive would have ended with a broken car on the side of the road. If the dip stick shows no oil, it means it is low but not necessarily out. If the overflow tank is empty and the filler neck is empty it means that the coolant is low, but not necessarily out. However, if the latter was true, how would the OP know that it was filled with water since no fluid would be visible?

 

He who does not check a fluid level which is easily checked after said fluid has been serviced will sooner or later wish that they had.

Also do not assume that a shop will use the recommended oil for the vehicle. A few years ago I noted on the final bill that a slightly higher viscosity was used in our Prius, and when I asked why, they told me because it was a high mileage vehicle. (It was at around 120K miles at the time.) I told them that they needed to put the specified viscosity in. They asked for another hour, and I went home and returned (they are within easy walking distance), and they claimed that they had changed it. 100% sure they didn't change the oil filter again though, so it would have been only mostly the correct viscosity. And it would surprise me not at all if that oil change consisted of them doing exactly nothing and giving it back to me with the same oil. What was I going to do, pay for an oil analysis to confirm a slight viscosity change? I did the next oil change myself.

 

Oil change and coolant change are fairly simple actions.

This maintenance can be done independently, spending half an hour, an hour of your time.

If you involve some people for simple operations, then control is necessary, otherwise money is wasted.

 

Usually. Changing the oil on a Prius is like on pretty much every other car. On the other hand, changing the ICE coolant on a Prius is much more involved than on most cars, and there is a distinct possibility of ending up with air trapped in the system. Ours is overdue for a coolant change on the ICE, and I will probably invest in an airlift (or knockoff of same) before doing it.

 

Good God I just changed the oil yesterday and my green daily That's like a 4-minute job I mean the pans laying right next to the wall and everything so I don't even jack up the car really I pull it forward on these pieces of iron that are on the floor kind of acts like a ramp so the one side comes up about 2 in I've already pulled it there a while ago so the oil is all sitting right at the bolt the drain plug crack the 14 twist the 3600 filter drop it in the bucket and let it drain The hood's already up and the cap is all I'm sitting in the wiper well so now I have to wait That's what makes it take longer than 4 minutes waiting for it to drain and I usually walk off for 15 or 20 minutes and let it drain drain so I'm doing something else then when I return I take a half of quart of pour through oil it's fresh oil of any kind of viscosity doesn't matter what it is and I pour that in and it goes through the engine picks up a little crap on the bottom of the pan and out the drain hole it goes another 2 minutes to let that all subside to a drip drip and then drain plug returned 4.2 or 3 q dropped out of one big jug I don't even have to check it 3600 filter is taller And I've adjusted my oil fill for that out of the five quart container. I'll check it in a few days just because that's what happens and it'll be right on the full mark. I have been running this European 0 40 oil for a while in the generation too seems to do well

 

It would take me more than four minutes just to wiggle under the car

 

I always think, that little gem should be front-and-center, in the sales brochures. Apparently those aren't produced anymore, so...

 

The first icon is not related to oil and water at all.

This sign appears when the immobilizer cannot detect the key to start the car.

The second icon indicates problems that need to be identified.

Can you diagnose and read errors?