Oil Spec for 2025 RAV4

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ReSTored

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My daughter purchased a new RAV4 XLE 4 months ago and loves it.

We were talking about oil change frequency and she told me the dealer said to do every 16,000 km, 12 months with 0w16 synthetic.

She has the 2.5l gas engine, 8 sp transmission. She plans to keep this vehicle 10 years and only drives about 12,000 - 14,000 km a year. I've suggested to her that the 16,000 km change is way too long and she should be looking at doing it every 8,000 or every 6 months.

IMO 0w16 oil is way too light and largely driven by Toyota's fleet mileage needs

I was thinking run the engine 6 months over the winter on 0w16 and then do the relatively warmer months on 5w20 or 5w30. However, don't want to recommend anything that might risk of compromising warranty coverage or long term durability.

So, what are people's thoughts on this? Stick with the 0w16 and just change more frequently, or use a warranty compliant heavier oil for all or part of the year?
 
I'll say it again. Oil changes are highly over rated. I'd go with the 16K and just keep an eye on the dipstick. If it gets horrible black then change it sooner, but if not then go the distance.

I push things hard and I'm lax on routine maintenance. Of all the ICE motors I've abused (there have been many) the only engine failure you could tie to oil was because I was down a liter and half and playing in the red zone.
 
First, it's Toyota; second, it's a NA engine; third, it's a very low-output motor for the displacement by modern standards. 16k is probably pushing it a bit, but not terrible.

It's different for turbo motors, though. Having had a turbo for the past number of years, and recently swapped for another turbo, I shorten the oil change duration for those motors. NA motors can likely go a lot longer, they don't get the heat a turbo generates, especially in spikes as the turbo is spooled and unspooled.

Hyundai calls for oil changes every 8000 kms on their 2.5t turbo motors, dropping to 6000 in 'extreme' conditions, which includes winter driving and towing. I was initially irritated by that when comparing to the GM and Ford requirements of ~12k, but in doing some research, heard some claims that made me think that perhaps Hyundai was being more realistic (possibly as a consequence of the catastrophic 2.0t motors they made) and the others were pushing their luck.

Apparently the EPA rewards manufacturers for extending oil changes as part of their rebate programs. Manufacturers are happy to play along on the condition that the motors survive the warranty period. Beyond that, there's little incentive.

If true, then how you approach change intervals will depend largely on how long you intend to keep the vehicle. If you have a lease that won't go beyond the warranty, and will hand it back (or buy out and sell separately), then stick with the recommended intervals. If you plan to keep a turbo vehicle as long as possible, then shortening change intervals is probably the safer bet.

We recently bought a GMC Canyon, which has a 2.7 turbo that makes about 50% more power and more than double the torque of the Toyota 2.5. It doesn't take an automotive engineer to figure out that the GM motor will be working a lot harder than the Toyota. As we intend to keep this truck as long as possible, I'm shortening the intervals to about 60% of what the computer calls for (it factors operating time along with mileage). It will definitely cost us quite a bit over the life of the vehicle, but another factor in all this is how expensive modern motors are to replace. The days of a $3000 rebuild swap are over. Modern turbos are often $12-16k, which is more than enough to write off a high-miler.
 
I asked a Toyota master tech with decades of experience. I'm a little surprised about the evap bit but I trust him.

"I know you can use 0W-16 & I’d do intervals 8000K at the most. I’m still a big believer in the 6 months or 6000k’s . The thicker the oil is the less fuel economy will be, using say 0W-20 could start affecting the EVAP system causing the check engine light to turn on. "
 
Simple - Just get a Blackstone Lab oil analysis done and it will help you with your decision.
I had one done last year...figured once a year or after I try a new oil brand would be sufficient moving forward (I plan to try out a 7.5W40 oil once my warranty runs out so wanted to get some baseline in)

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ReSTored said:
My daughter purchased a new RAV4 XLE 4 months ago and loves it.

We were talking about oil change frequency and she told me the dealer said to do every 16,000 km, 12 months with 0w16 synthetic.

She has the 2.5l gas engine, 8 sp transmission. She plans to keep this vehicle 10 years and only drives about 12,000 - 14,000 km a year. I've suggested to her that the 16,000 km change is way too long and she should be looking at doing it every 8,000 or every 6 months.

IMO 0w16 oil is way too light and largely driven by Toyota's fleet mileage needs

I was thinking run the engine 6 months over the winter on 0w16 and then do the relatively warmer months on 5w20 or 5w30. However, don't want to recommend anything that might risk of compromising warranty coverage or long term durability.

So, what are people's thoughts on this? Stick with the 0w16 and just change more frequently, or use a warranty compliant heavier oil for all or part of the year?
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From what I have heard you need a much higher quality base stock to make a zeroW oil versus a 5W. I would be tempted to use 0w20 because it has The same startup viscosity and is slightly thicker at temperature.

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Gary said:
80W90 gear oil.
Why bother with OEM recommendations? WTF do they know?
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To be fair, they are mandated to meet fuel efficiency standards and any failure after warranty ends makes them money. You hope they aim for a reasonable service life but I have no idea where the battle between engineering and marketing has ended.
 
Oil is cheap , engine repairs are not. I have a 2020 Rav 4 Hybrid. Do my oil changes max 8,000 kms (5,000 miles) between 6-8 months intervals. The long duration oil changes noted in the manual is what the Toyota Engineers determined as the min required to keep the engine running without issues during the warranty period. If you intend on keeping the vehicle long term. Then the upfront costs will be worth it.
The concern with vehicles now is not that the oil is thinner than the past. Its that in order to meet emmission and mileage standards set by the Govt . Manufacturers are looking at any way to help improve mileage etc. One way to do this is by using lighter weight engine oils (less friction resistance), lighter pistons rings etc. This is why we start to hear about fuel dilutIon in the oil etc. Honda is known for this. But most manufacturers including Toyota have this to some degree. So changing the oil more frequent is even more important now than the past.
IMO just not worth trying to save a few hundred dollars a year on a vehicle you intend to keep long-term. If it was lease or you switch cars regularly. Yea I would do the longer interval.
 
The modern Toyota engine is built to very tight tolerances ( ok not the Tundra ) and the OW is just fine . Personally I’ll never go sixteen K , I’m a seven eight K guy because it’s cheap and I’m cheap . Engine repairs are expensive.
Toyota has a small army of engineers and analysts testing this stuff . Why second guess them .


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crankcall said:
The modern Toyota engine is built to very tight tolerances ( ok not the Tundra ) and the OW is just fine . Personally I’ll never go sixteen K , I’m a seven eight K guy because it’s cheap and I’m cheap . Engine repairs are expensive.
Toyota has a small army of engineers and analysts testing this stuff . Why second guess them .


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Aren't you second guessing them by cutting intervals in half?

I agree with your position, just not your logic.
 
GreyGhost said:
Aren't you second guessing them by cutting intervals in half?

I agree with your position, just not your logic.
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The 16,000km interval is probably fine and dandy to get the engine to it's EOW (end of warranty).
Switching that to 8,000kms "might" help with survival well beyond that? (my worthless view also).
But, the percentage of owners that drive their vehicle into the ground is very low.
So....are we "saving" these for the next owner?
(kinda, sorta like applying PPF to a new car)
 
I suppose that logic is even more applicable to motorcycles. The amount of time invested in keeping our bikes in perfect running shape. Then most of us just trade up after 4-5 years.
 
250R-ICE said:
I suppose that logic is even more applicable to motorcycles. The amount of time invested in keeping our bikes in perfect running shape. Then most of us just trade up after 4-5 years.
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Add to that very few motorcycles die from oil issues(if we dont count the models with endemic issues that kill them all regardless of maintenance). Most are sent to the grave by crashes or being abandoned.
 
If the owner's book has a "severe service" alternate maintenance schedule, follow that.

It is not a bad idea to have an oil analysis done.

I believe that all of the Xw16 and Xw20 oils are synthetic, which helps.

If it was my car, I would change the oil spring and fall, and use 0w16 in the fall to get through winter and 0w20 through the summer. Use the same brand and type (so that hopefully the additives are compatible).

My van (3.6 Pentastar) calls for 5w20, and I've been using Pennzoil Platinum 5w20 ... 120k, all is well. Annual mileage is such that one oil change every fall is about right.
 
I do all my oil changes at 6000km for conventional T4, and 8000 for cars that use synthetic T6.

My cars and bikes never end their lives with clapped-out motors due to oil. But I have seen my share that did. Drive a late model Ford V8 (Coyote, Triton 3 valve) or Ecoboost? Chrysler Helis with MDS? Better not go a km over the recommended change. Same with any Chev LS with AFM.

Personally I don't go with the thinner 0w oils. Yes, you'll get a little better mileage, but from what Ive seen the tradeoff is engine life.
 
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Look up "The Motor Oil Geek" on Youtube as he's done a video for this exact question. He's very well qualified to answer and gives a proper response that will satisfy you.
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