“They recommend 5k when I’m paying for it.”
A Toyota salesperson’s explanation of manufacturer-recommended 10,000-mile oil changes attracted pushback from mechanics and car enthusiasts. Many argued that the interval should be halved.
Kaitlin Stambaugh (@kaitlinstambaugh), who works in sales at Doggett Toyota of Beaumont in Texas, posted a TikTok responding to a question and spelling out in detail Toyota’s oil change recommendations.
It turns out that some of the oil change hawks in the comments might need to update their knowledge.
The video begins with Stambaugh addressing a comment from user @_t.a___ who asked: “Why does Toyota recommend 10k oil changes and not 5k?”
“I am so glad you asked this because I get this question all the time, especially from those who are used to older vehicles, older model vehicles,” Stambaugh says in the video. “And I’m going to give you a short answer and I’m going to give you a longer explanation.”
“The shorter answer is that modern engines, modern oil, modern filters, they’re built differently than they were 15 to 20 years ago,” she explains.
Expanding, she says that newer engines have “much tighter internal tolerances, better cooling, better oil flow, advanced fuel injection. So less contamination in the oil compared to older engines.”
Crucially, she mentions that “Toyota now uses full synthetic oil. That’s a huge difference, right? Full synthetic oil lasts longer, handles heat better and resists breakdown and sludge.”
Toyota’s official maintenance schedules now specify synthetic oils for most vehicles, with intervals of up to 10,000 miles or 12 months under normal driving conditions. AAA research indicates that synthetic oils do outperform conventional oils in laboratory testing.
Finally, Stambaugh points to Toyota’s warranty, arguing that “Toyota would not recommend a 10,000-mile interval if it hurt the engine. They’re on the hook for repairs under warranty.”
ToyotaCare includes complimentary maintenance for two years or 25,000 miles, recommending 10,000-mile intervals for vehicles using the recommended synthetic oil.
She also acknowledges exceptions to this rule.
“If you tow heavy often, you drive in extreme heat, you idle a whole lot or you do super short trips consistently, then 5 to 7.5K can be pretty smart.”
Despite Stambaugh’s thorough explainer, many commenters pushed back hard.
User kkelley524 posted a cynical observation: “They recommend 10k when Toyota is paying for it. They recommend 5k when I’m paying for it. True story.”
Another wrote, “27 years as a L1 Master tech. DO NOT CHANGE YOUR OIL EVERY 10K! We replace more engines today than ever due to lubrication issues.”
He added, “Doing an oil change every 5k is cheap insurance.”
BulldogAutomotive argued that the consequences of longer intervals would not show up until it was too late, posting, “The damage that long intervals do to the engine doesn’t show up under warranty, it shows up towards the end of the engine’s life… where a 5k interval engine might last 350k-500k the 10k engine might only last to 200k-250k.”
Recent academic research brings much-needed nuance to this debate.
A European team published a paper in 2023 that specifically tested 15,000 kilometer (or 9,320 mile) oil change intervals, and found that after 9,000km (around 5,600 miles) problematic chromium particles accumulate in engines, and after 12,000km (or around 7,450 miles the protective qualities of oil precipitously declines. In 2024, Libyan researchers reached a similar conclusion, noting that there is “discernible viscosity degradation emerging after 10,000 kilometers, most notably within the 10,000-to-12,000-kilometer range.”
However, much of this research focuses on post-warranty performance and doesn’t always address technologically improved oils.
Recent Polish research concludes that the crucial thing is not to exceed manufacturer-recommended intervals. And the oil industry consensus is that synthetic oils allow longer intervals between changes.
Good faith debate is possible on oil change intervals, but some explanations of the new advice are baseless.
“Cafe credits are the only answer. Ask a mechanic,” wrote Braddo.
User bluehorseshoe34 elaborated on the theory, posting “Actually, it’s because the auto manufacturers are gaming the impossible CAFE standards by reducing the ‘cost of service’ by extending all fluid changes.”
The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards require a minimum miles-per-gallon efficiency for cars and light trucks produced in the US.
Persistently, oil change intervals are attributed to CAFE standards, especially in online debates, on the theory that reducing the amount of used motor oil by cars is a way for manufacturers to reduce overall petroleum consumption and meet the standard. Manufacturers, on this view, allegedly push intervals as long as possible to accumulate these credits or present a lower environmental impact.
The issue is that CAFE standards do not specify engine oil intervals or credits for oil changes, and agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency do not regulate oil changes.
Again, the real picture is more nuanced. Manufacturers have used newer, thinner synthetic oils to improve fuel economy, which, among other benefits, helps them meet CAFE standards, and these same oils have enabled them to extend recommended drain intervals.
Stambaugh posted a follow-up video showing herself drinking coffee at her desk, with a text overlay reading, “POV: selling trucks while letting commenters argue about engines and oil changes.”
“I just sell the trucks. Y’all can keep arguing about the engines,” she added. “I’ll keep peacefully drinking coffee while my comment sections turn into cage matches. Carry on gentlemen.”
Motor1 reached out to Stambaugh via TikTok direct message. We’ll update this if she responds.
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