5K Oil Changes (UK Prius 2010)

Hey a fellow Brit, and not too far away either.

No, in the UK our oil changes are 10k miles and a major service at 20k. do not know why they are lower in the US & Canada. Think it's to do with harsher climates and warranty issues. You will find that their service intervals are a lot shorter than ours, even for identical cars.

 

Question for one of you guys: What is the recommended oil viscosity for the 2010 Prius in the UK?

I wish our oil change interval was a bit more realistic, 10K would be about right since we have to use synthetic oil (0W20 weight) for the warranty.

 

Just checked the manual which stipulates 0w-20 Energy Conserving oil. Guess it's the same as yours.

This'll amaze you but the Prius servicing interval at 10,000 miles is regarded as low here! Normally a minimum is 12,000 miles for pertrol cars with some having an interval at 20,000 miles. Warranties are pretty much the same at 60,000 miles for most cars so why you have a much more frequent service interval beats me.

 

Thanks for the replies. There have been rumors that Toyota might change the interval in the U.S. and Canada to 10K but nothing has been done officially yet.

My previous car, a BMW 3 series, had a 15K recommended oil change interval using 5W30 synthetic oil. BMW did require oil that met European specifications, our oil is not manufactured to the same standards as yours and may not be as good.

 

From my readings here and elsewhere, my understanding is that the oil quality/oil standards are lower in the US&Canada than in Europe. The lowest grade in Europe is sufficient to have oil services each 10,000 miles, while the lowest grade here is of very poor quality, therefore the requirement of 5K miles oil changes.

As Toyota requires better oil quality for 2010 models (Gen III Prius being one), many on PriusChat were asking why Toyota USA kept the oil changes at 5K.

This is now being corrected for the USA. I've asked Toyota Canada Customer service to know if the same change was coming accross the border and all I got in return was: please ask your dealer...