What are your thoughts and plans regarding your Prius' oil changes? 3 questions (numbered) 1 selection for each please.
Given that the interval is 10K in the EU, and the competitive pressures here in North America, I think it's just a matter of time that Toyota changes the interval.
That will be different at every dealer, so it is hard to guess which dealer you are asking about. For my 2009, which does not use synthetic, unlike the 2010, it is $43 at Kirk Toyota.
I provide the dealer with 4qts of Mobil 1 0W20 = $25.08 1 toyota filter cartridge w/O ring and oil plug washer = 4.25 They charge $12 for the service. Thats $41.33 I do my own tire rotation, but for $12 I will let them get under the vehicle.
Here are the answers that I made in the poll: 1. I typically will change my own oil. My thoughts: I used to never change my own oil, but ever since getting my 2006 Prius, I have become very interested in my car. I have the pre-paid maintenance plan on my 2006, but in the 10 oil changes that I've had, it has been severely overfilled 4 times. I also have caught them not rotating the tires twice. This is completely unacceptable and has caused me to lose faith in service departments. I also came to the realization that nobody cares about my car like I do...so it's best just to do it yourself. On my 2010, I just changed the oil myself for the first time. Not only was it easy, it has instilled confidence in and I'm certain that I'll learn more in the long run and become even more connected with my Priuses. I'm also fortunate enough to have access to a full lift in a garage, so changing (and disposing of) my oil is very easy. 2. I don't follow Toyota specifications - change whenever I want My thoughts: Now that I'm using Mobile 1, I plan on changing the oil every 10,000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes first. Mobile 1 is a top-notch synthetic that has proven itself time and time again. I also have confidence after seeing a number of 10K samples come back in excellent shape. I have never heard of a 10K sample coming back in poor shape. If anything, I'm fairly certain you can go even longer, but I will be rotating my tires every 10,000 miles so the timing for a 10K oil change is right. 3. I think Toyota WILL change policy to 10K interval My thoughts: Given the evidence on here, and the way that the Prius Marketing Team made their post, I think there's a 95% chance that Toyota will change the interval. I think we'll be seeing something within a month or two. Bryan
I took advantage of this deal for my first oil change at 1,375 miles. The only thing to be aware of is Mobile One does not make a filter insert for the 2010 Prius. However, they do make an oil filter for the 2009 and earlier Priuses. So I took advantage of the deal and then set aside the filter for my 2006. If the 2010 Prius is your only car, then this deal won't really be of benefit to you. Bryan
I was wondering why they didn't have a Prius filter. I had them give me a filter for my Highlander Hybrid instead.
If the US 0W-20 oil was up to the European standards, then we would probably get the 10k change interval, but ... considering the oil/blend that can be sold here as "synthetic" 0W-20 ... we will probably stay at 5k change intervals. However, if you decide to use "better", real-synthetic oil ...
Are many of us losing faith that Toyota will extend the Oil Change interval? I sure am. Seems as if they are stonewalling. Does anyone have insight as to the original dealer in Florida that had the information?
As I wrote in a post earlier in this thread, no they do not. You will need to get a Mobile 1 filter for another car, or perhaps you can see if the store will give you a random Mobile 1 filter (as part of the deal) and then return it for a refund or store credit. Bryan
