Oil is cheap insurance, I'd listen to the CCNG! Or split the difference and go 7k since it's a synthetic.
Welcome to the neighborhood.

 

If you want to do the bare minimum then 10k will be fine. If you want to take extra good care of your car then do 5k

 

5k if you love your car

 

One thing to consider is, IMO, the fact it's a hybrid. Depending on your driving style and conditions where you drive, if it constantly shifts from EV to ICE with more EV, the oil doesn't get as hot as a normal ICE-only vehicle. I am in Hawaii and often drive where it's relatively flat. I try to keep it in EV mode as much as possible, so the oil definitely doesn't heat up as much as a regular engine.

"They say" that kind of usage can lead to 'contaminates' in the oil that don't get a chance to burn off.

Now, maybe I'm falling for a load of BS, [and will probably hear that on replies] but if that's similar to your usage pattern, I wouldn't hesitate to change the oil at the lower mileage interval.

We're averaging 44.9 mpg so that shows you how much EV usage we're able to achieve.

 

But how about the initial 1K?

 

Change it. I changed mine at 2K and will change every 5K from here on.

 

Dump BOTH the motor oil and transaxle fluid by 1k, to get rid of the wear particles from the ICE and transaxle manufacturing process.

OCI =6mo/5k; 2nd oil change will be in 4k more miles to make it 5k on odometer and multiples of 5.
Transaxle: change at 30k, then every 60k

READ post#7 (line embedded)! All compelling info and pictures, for you to make your own decision to upgrade the transaxle drain plug and incorporate a transaxle drain/fill schedule. NO lubricant lasts forever, but Toyota considers the ATF-WS in the transaxle to be a "lifetime" fluid. Go figure.

If you DIY oil changes, stock-up when 0W-16/20 is on sale!

 

After watching the Car Care Nut pull an engine from a Toyota that had a history of 10k oil changes…That video just re-enforced the 5k oil change…That engine was burning oil, the “soft” rings that Toyota uses now is what the problem of oil burn will be down the road…That engine was pathetic….Toyota designers/engineers are only interested in “making it to the end of the warranty period”…Will the engine handle oil changes at 10k?..sure…but its on the owner after the warranty runs out, that problems appear…

 

 

Listen to the car care nut, he knows what he is talking about. Please do not wait for 10K miles.

5K minimum. If you really love your car and plan on keeping it for the long term then every 3k to 3.5K. Hopefully, you can do your own oil changes to save lots of money.

Also, do not do what 90% of people do and forget to change your Transmission fluid on schedule to keep that trans healthy for the long term as well.

If you want to save money and the dealership is offering free oil changes for you every 10K, then do your oil at the 5k, then take it in at 10K and let them do it for free, then you do it yourself at 15K and so on. Personally, I do not like anyone to touch my car so I would be happy to eat the cost and do it myself.

 

I TOTALLY disagree with this! This is what oil manufacturers want you to do: change it, change it, change it. That equates to: pay me, pay me, pay me! There is no reason whatsoever to change your oil 3 TIMES more often than the engineers that designed and built your car, recommend! If you want to do one 'early' change to dump the crud that may be present from the manufacturing process, go ahead, especially if it gives you a warm fuzzy feeling. Personally, I run my oil MUCH longer and often have oil analysis done by Blackstone Labs. Last time I sent them an oil sample with over 12K miles on it (Mobil 1 10W40) their report said they felt I could have run it to at least 15K miles! That oil was out of my daughter's 2006 Toyota 4Runner V8 (4.7L). I have NOT taken any OCI to 15K miles yet (nor do I plan to) but I ALWAYS go to 10K+. Who knows...maybe the engine will die a premature death, but with over 210K on it now, the oil reports are CONSISTENTLY good and say that I could have easily run it significantly longer. NOW...that is a V8 4Runner and I do the same thing in my 1999 V6 Camry w/217K on it, my son's 2005 Highlander V6 w/150K on it and I use Mobil 1, 10W40 in all of them, with a good filter (either K&N or Mobil 1). NONE of these vehicles need to be 'topped up' between oil changes. It might be a different story with newer vehicles that use those super lightweight oils, but regardless, if you change your oil every 3K miles, you are SURELY throwing away your time and money absolutely needlessly! If you want to feel 'safe', you can always change your fluid early, but maybe something reasonable, like 7.5K(?) I hope you enjoy your Venza for a long time...they appear to be very nice vehicles!

 

I recommend to listen to the Car Care Nut's advice. I believe that 10,000 mi oil changes will get you past the warranty, but that's it, after that you're on your own. The service writer won't be able to help you at that point.
I have always done 5k maximum. Several mechanics including TCCN have illustrated the benefits of 5k service. I have 2 '22 4Runners and changed 1st time at 1000-1500 miles and every 5k after that.
My 2002 RX went 325k, with no engine work ever, and it still ran great and didn't burn oil. Changed every 3500 miles on that one.

 

Ask the CCN during one of his talk sessions. There is special break-in oil in the car. It is not the standard oil. The engine may not break in properly unless you use the special oil. Toyota will void your warranty for oil burning and othe issues if you do not use the special oil through the first 10k. Do change it but only if you use the special oil. And if you have free oil change’s Toyota will not pay for this one. But I agree- I would never go 10k miles. I only go 3k and never more than 5k. I don’t care what kind of oil you have - it gets contaminated by fuel, blow-by and moisture, especially when the rings are seating. And 1k initially is good - if you use the right oil. Continue using the special oil through 10k miles. I like to see the bottle or barrel of what they are using so I usually go to an independent and bring my own oil. Always use the severe service maintenance recommendations. It is what the engineers recommended before the marketing and government compliance people got to it.
And beware of counterfeit oils. Only buy from an authorized supplier. You have no idea what you are getting when you buy from a market place online.

 

I am from the (old) school of HARD DRIVING the 1st time a new vehicle finds the pavement - deliberately driving it "like you stole it". Then dumping that oil and going over to Joe Normal driving and oil changes (which means 5K intervals) NEVER 10K - ever. In my experience, vehicles broken in this way return better performance when used competitively. Be it the local drag racing track (for me only 20 minutes away) or weekend parking lot autocross - or just accelerating onto the North - South Freeway out of a sweeping on ramp feeling the limits of tire adhesion approach.

None of this behavior is endorsed by any manufacturer, and there are plenty of haters who will decry such tomfoolery as dangerous and at risk behavior. But here folks share their experiences and it is MY experience to have had several brand new vehicles - of which the ones I beat right out of the box - truly out performed (by my own butt in the seat meter) the ones that were pampered by the manufacturer recommends dogma.

 

I am from the (old) school of HARD DRIVING the 1st time a new vehicle finds the pavement - deliberately driving it "like you stole it".

Wht kind of life do you get from your engines/vehicles? Are these engines good for 200,000 plus? The recommendation for less demanding driving- no hard acceleration, no extended periods at high RPMs- is, of course, counter to what you have been doing.

 

Do it at 5K. But the dealer will not change the filter until 10K. I would insist on a filter change.

 

Do what your maintenance schedule says in your owners manual.........

 

Again..........stop listening to all of these "change your oil every week" responses. Your owners manual tells you what you need to know about your vehicle! You do not need to spend unnecessary money for unneeded oil changes! I have a 2021 LEXUS ES350 and my car recommends every 10,000 miles....which I am sticking to! I would think the Toyota and Lexus Engineers would know what's best for the vehicles THEY designed. In short........READ YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL and follow what IT recommends! I personally have put over 1.7 million miles on 5 Toyota vehicles and every one of them had zero engine issues. Heck I even went up to 10,000 miles past the recommended 7,000 oil change interval a few times but not on purpose. Crazy events prevented me from sticking to the schedule in those instances. BUT..........The vehicles today ARE NOT like our grandparent's cars of the 70's and 80's! PLUS......full synthetic oil doesn't break down as soon as conventional oil does. You have a new vehicle. "Too much" service is a waste of money and time. Stick to what your owner's manual says!!

 

Think about it. Dah...
The Toyota dealership wants you to buy a new car, so why would they want you to add extra care to save what you have.
Engine longevity is based on wear plain and freking simple. The more contaminants in the oil the sooner the engines dies.
I f your car is a keeper take the extra step with short change intervals. If the oil has any hint of darkness change it or the filter, based on your budget. Never let it get dark.

33 year owner with 437,000 miles

mr2tim

 

Venza is a hybrid so the ICE is not taxed like a regular ICE. Do recommended 10K and you should be fine unless you drive in adverse conditions. Also your first oil change is at 1000-1500 miles right after the break-in.

The bean counters, not the engineers control the out come. Once you get through the warranty, it's on your dime. Grease and oil are the cheapest thing you can use to prolong the life of your vehicle. Ask Toyota or Lexus what brand of oil they use, it's bulk and the cheapest they can buy......

If bean counters were controlling the outcome then they would tell you to change oil more often. Especially because they want you to do it at the dealer. And you don't know what oil dealer uses. Most likely the same oil as you can buy made by Toyota but it comes in a barrel.

 

Venza is a hybrid so the ICE is not taxed like a regular ICE. Do recommended 10K and you should be fine unless you drive in adverse conditions. Also your first oil change is at 1000-1500 miles right after the break-in.

Adverse conditions include anywhere with temperate climates. So if your weather fluctuates 50 deg or more do 5k.

Again..........stop listening to all of these "change your oil every week" responses. Your owners manual tells you what you need to know about your vehicle! You do not need to spend unnecessary money for unneeded oil changes! I have a 2021 LEXUS ES350 and my car recommends every 10,000 miles....which I am sticking to! I would think the Toyota and Lexus Engineers would know what's best for the vehicles THEY designed. In short........READ YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL and follow what IT recommends! I personally have put over 1.7 million miles on 5 Toyota vehicles and every one of them had zero engine issues. Heck I even went up to 10,000 miles past the recommended 7,000 oil change interval a few times but not on purpose. Crazy events prevented me from sticking to the schedule in those instances. BUT..........The vehicles today ARE NOT like our grandparent's cars of the 70's and 80's! PLUS......full synthetic oil doesn't break down as soon as conventional oil does. You have a new vehicle. "Too much" service is a waste of money and time. Stick to what your owner's manual says!!

Nah, my money, 5k it is.

 

If bean counters were controlling the outcome then they would tell you to change oil more often. Especially because they want you to do it at the dealer. And you don't know what oil dealer uses. Most likely the same oil as you can buy made by Toyota but it comes in a barrel.

You may not have seen carcare nut videos, he was a dealer tech. No, dealers do not use Toyota Oil. They use the cheapest that meets the spec.
2nd, Toyota want to show as being environment friendly by showing less oil changes, and less maintenance.

Dealers do not do squat, and can't/don't do anything right. Recent oil change on Venza as covered by Toyota, they overfilled by half quart. I had to drain to full level at home.
5k inspection, I was watching thru glass window from Parts department where I can see my car pretty close. All they did was rotate the wheels, nothing else. That too they were using air tools to remove and tighten the lug nut which is big no no. They always over-torque with that.

 

Only if you believe him. Does he speak for all of the dealers?
My mechanic helper overfilled my Highlander by more than a quart. I know my mechanic for over 20 years. So after I complained the helper got fired. Two of my tire guys also use air tools but I never had any problems with any of my cars for a very long time. Over 30 years. Air tools can be adjusted for a certain pressure.
"Toyota want to show as being environment friendly by showing less oil changes, and less maintenance."
Seriously? Never heard this before. Toyota has less maintenance because they make better cars. I am on my 6th now. Never had major problems or even minor ones come to think of it. Parts that supposed to wear out always worn out at predetermined intervals or longer.

 

if you plan on keeping and driving well past 150K miles, just do the 5K OCI, oil & filters are cheap, engines not so much. There are currently no new long blocks available from Toyota, just short blocks. So do the math and you’ll see the hassle and aggravation that will be required if you wait for the 10 K interval, down the road.
You can pay me now, or pay me later ?
Remember that commercial ?
It won’t be pretty !

 

if you plan on keeping and driving well past 150K miles, just do the 5K OCI, oil & filters are cheap, engines not so much. There are currently no new long blocks available from Toyota, just short blocks. So do the math and you’ll see the hassle and aggravation that will be required if you wait for the 10 K interval, down the road.
You can pay me now, or pay me later ?
Remember that commercial ?
It won’t be pretty !

All my Toyota cars are past 160K miles except one and I never had any problems changing oil every 10K miles even before synthetic oil.

 

Engine manufacturing has changed a lot over the last 30 or so years. You always used regular (non-synthetic) oil for break in to help seat the piston rings. No longer necessary (even Porsche specs Mobil 1 synth from the outset).

The 1000 mile oil change was to catch contaminants.that were not flushed out in the manufacturing process. Pretty rare today, and even then, they would have to be so small as to not get trapped by the oil filter. But old habits die hard and really no harm in an extra oil change. If Toyota uses a special "break in" oil, I sincerely doubt any of the techs are checking for that when they do the first required oil change.

Cars that spend a lot of time on the highway tend to get better heat in the oil. Heat helps to burn off the contaminants. So oil change intervals will be affected by how the car is driven. 5000 miles is very safe.

All this talk of interval oil changes and no one mentions "Blackstone"? I suggest folks google that to help you decide on needed oil change intervals that you are comfortable with for your driving situation.

Regards,
Jerry

 

All this talk of interval oil changes and no one mentions "Blackstone"? I suggest folks google that to help you decide on needed oil change intervals that you are comfortable with for your driving situation.

So I googled Blackstone and not sure what I am supposed to learn from this-

"Blackstone is a leading global investment business investing capital on behalf of pension funds, large institutions and individuals. Our mission is to create long-term value for our investors through the careful stewardship of their capital. We invest across the alternative asset classes in private equity, real estate, credit and hedge funds as well as in infrastructure, life sciences, insurance and growth equity. Our efforts and capital grow hundreds of companies and support local economies."

Maybe a little less cryptic would be helpful...

 

At the end of the day, it’s your car & $, so do or don’t do as you please.
3mo/3k interval - waste of $, I’m sure everyone will agree.
6mo/5k interval? Your choice.
12mo/10k interval? A minimum for warranty purposes. But, your choice.

Can you go 12mo OR >10k+ miles? Yes As @diddly UOA’s and the oil fanatics at Bob Is The Oil Guy have demonstrated: used high mileage synthetic is still good.

I’m a 6mo/5k mile, even w/ a R4P. Too cheap to pay for regular UOAs. Stocked up on oil when it was on clearance at AutoZone (0W-16 for $1/quart). Buy Toy oil filters in bulk. Have lots of drain plug gaskets, $0.10/ea. Oil changes cost me <$10. Since the car is on stands for tire rotation every 6mo/5k miles, easy enough to do an oil change. Thus my 6mo/5k mile OCI.

But everyone, do as you please. Its all good.

 

I’m almost 76, but feel as healthy as I ever did. I can’t, yet at least, give up doing my own. Sometimes, I wish I would. I only maintain my Ridgeline, Venza, CanAm Defender Cab, Honda 300 4Trax, Ferris ZTR and Kubota GR2120 Lawnmowers, Cyclone Rake, Kubota 4701 plus attachments, Honda pushmower, , 3 chainsaws, brushcutters, weed eaters, and most house repairs/maintenance.

Going to an Ego Chainsaw and pushmower (while still owning my gas powered versions) has really reduced servicing. I think that though the overall expense will be higher (battery life/replacement) , the advantages of electrical power for an incurable self servicing person might outweigh the extra cost.

The exception, IMO, is a Toyota hybrid. It requires so little maintenance, which is very easy to do. I like my Venza!

 

Having all my tools and equipment, i'm still able to do things. I'm only at the mercy of how i feel, not at the mercy of others.....

 

Yep i remember the good old days, learned to drive on a 1951 Dodge pick up. Gas was 18 cents a gallon delivered to the farm. You had to pump it by hand, You changed your own oil was the norm.... We came a long way....

 

I started in between the ‘51 and ‘74 with a 57 Bel Aire, 4-dr, 135k miles, Blue Flame 6 (2-barrel/140 hp vs the 1-barrel/135 hp), 3sp manual. The incredibly poor quality of my ‘64 1/2 Mustang and subsequent ownership of Volvos, VWs , then by ‘75 , owning a Honda Civic, and working on Toyota Crowns, Coronas, I was hooked. Hondas since 75 and Toyotas since the mid-80s. Neither company has been perfect and has had major flaws in some of their products; but seem to me to have the best overall products.

Being unwilling to let others “work” on my vehicles, I’m trying to minimize maintenance requirements. Toyota hybrids seem about as close as I can get without going full electric. While I love my 2nd Gen 2 Ridgeline (‘22 replacing the ‘17 with it’s terrible 6-sp trans) , the RL is much more servicing/maintenance intensive. Abnormally frequent changes of rear diff, transfer case, 50K mi ridiculously involved trans fluid changes, traditional water pump, tensioner, timing belt, solid lifters/adjustment - hard to get to on rear bank, as are the plugs. Oil quickly darkens due to DI only.

Toyota hybrids are a breath of fresh air for do it your selfers.

 

I started in between the ‘51 and ‘74 with a 57 Bel Aire, 4-dr, 135k miles, Blue Flame 6 (2-barrel/140 hp vs the 1-barrel/135 hp), 3sp manual. The incredibly poor quality of my ‘64 1/2 Mustang and subsequent ownership of Volvos, VWs , then by ‘75 , owning a Honda Civic, and working on Toyota Crowns, Coronas, I was hooked. Hondas since 75 and Toyotas since the mid-80s. Neither company has been perfect and has had major flaws in some of their products; but seem to me to have the best overall products.

Being unwilling to let others “work” on my vehicles, I’m trying to minimize maintenance requirements. Toyota hybrids seem about as close as I can get without going full electric. While I love my 2nd Gen 2 Ridgeline (‘22 replacing the ‘17 with it’s terrible 6-sp trans) , the RL is much more servicing/maintenance intensive. Abnormally frequent changes of rear diff, transfer case, 50K mi ridiculously involved trans fluid changes, traditional water pump, tensioner, timing belt, solid lifters/adjustment - hard to get to on rear bank, as are the plugs. Oil quickly darkens due to DI only.

Toyota hybrids are a breath of fresh air for do it your selfers.

Based on your comments re the DYI aspects of maintenance on 2nd Gen Venza’s, I’ll probably be happy doing my own servicing if I actually buy it after the 3rd year of my lease. With the auto market and supply chain issues still not back to “normal” it remains to be seen what our dealer and the manager who we know and has been the go to guy since 1990 with all our leasing Toyota’s will actually do. He has stated to me that we’ll be taken care of and none of the BS that’s been happening will affect us. TBD, but having something of a reassurance is comforting.
Hearing about changes in the future Venza’s that are not to my liking could sway me to stay put with my ‘21 XLE.

 

I do oil changes myself, so doing it every 5k miles cost is minimal. I rather “waste” some money to give my engine best chance making to over 200k miles. You have to decide for yourself.

 

It really baffles me why there’s such a pushback on 5K OCI. What’s wrong with preventative maintenance ?, oil is cheap, relative to engine wear and replacement/rebuild after 100-150K miles; want to be frugal, find yourself using less of your right foot toeing in the accelerator pedal. Save some gas, less wear and tear on reciprocating parts, your engine will be grateful and with nice clean oil every 5K, and in the end will be ahead of the game.