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I Have a 2024 Rav4, And the Last Time I Took It For The 10k Maintenance Oil Change, The Technician Stated That I Shouldn't Need An Oil Change Until I Hit 20k Miles. Is That Accurate Information?

Top mechanics and car owners explain how to make your car last above 300,000 miles. Plus, when you should avoid this kind of advice.

Following your vehicle's maintenance and repair guidelines will help keep your new car running trouble-free for the next few years. However, the failure of this practice amongst most car owners according to the host of the Car Help Corner YouTube channel is that it is not enough regardless of how reliable your car may be rated.

Even if it is a Toyota!

"I'm going to share the best maintenance steps to follow, as recommended by top mechanics, that will help your car last as long as possible with minimal repair issues. These maintenance recommendations come from top reputable mechanics that were surveyed by the Automobile Consumer Coalition―the nonprofit organization I work with, which, in most cases, goes above and beyond what's and beyond what's recommended in your vehicle's owner's manual. Following the maintenance schedule and the owner's manual is okay at an absolute minimum but the problem is that it often does not go far enough if you want your vehicle to last upwards of 10 to 15 years without having any major failure."

Going Beyond Your Toyota's Owners' Manual

A good question from a new Toyota owner asks if his service tech is correct about just how often his Rav4 needs its oil changed, which is countered with advice from another comment that gives this as the fundamental guideline all Toyota owners and other car owners should follow:

Is 20,000 miles too long between oil changes?Toyota Owner Recommends Cutting Maintenance Periods by One-Half

Is the second comment correct, or is it going too far overboard as a general maintenance rule to follow? Is it a waste of money?

To find out, follow along with what this car expert has to say on how to maintain your car―regardless of its make―that will increase your chances of making your vehicle last its longest based on what a new survey reveals from some top mechanics about these types of posted questions and comments.

Related article: May I Know How Much Did You Pay For 2025 Toyota RAV4 Front-Wheel Drive Gas? ―The ToyotaModels Car Dealers Are Gouging Buyers the Most On

In the video, you will find out when you really should change or have serviced regardless of what your owner's manual says that includes:

  • All of your vehicle's fluids
  • Your engine air filters and fuel filters
  • The spark plugs and belts
  • Your car's tires, brakes, and suspension.

Plus, whether to go to the dealership service department or an independent mechanic and how to avoid being upsold on your car's maintenance by either.

A quick summary is provided for your convenience immediately below the video.

How To Maintain Your Car Perfectly To Make It Last 300,000 Miles

 

The Least You Need to Know Video Summary

  1. Oil Changes: Surveyed mechanics recommend changing your motor oil every 5,000 to 6,000 miles using the manufacturer-recommended OEM oil. Be sure to keep a record of each oil change.
  2. Transmission Fluid: Ignore the lie about lifetime sealed transmissions and ensure you will avoid a costly repair by changing your transmission fluid every 50-60 thousand miles. If your model is known for having transmission or related engine issues, changing the fluid every 30,000 miles would be prudent. Also note that vehicles with AWD transfer cases/differentials should have their fluids changed at the same time as the transmission.
  3. Coolant Changes: Because the coolant helps prolong engine and transmission life and its chemistry changes over time, your car's coolant should be changed every 4-5 years.
  4. Brake Fluid Changes: Brake fluid changes every 3-4 years is a good interval to stick to.
  5. Filter Changes: Engine, cabin, and hybrid battery air filters should be monitored and changed as needed. Your driving environment dictates how often this is necessary.
  6. Engine Spark Plug and Drive Belt Changes: Every 50-60,000 miles is normal for most vehicles. However, if your model has a known timing belt or chain issue you will want to consider having the belt controlling your engine's timing at least inspected―if not proactively replaced―before then.
  7. Changing Tires, Brakes, and Suspensions: These systems are changed on an as-needed basis because every car, every driver, and every road condition differ and also dictate how much wear is going on with your vehicle. Strict checking as regular maintenance rather than waiting until a problem occurs is sound advice.
  8. Is It Better to Go To The Dealer or an Independent Mechanic? Going to the dealership during the first few years of ownership is preferable because your car is under the manufacturer's warranty. Plus, it allows you to build trust and confidence with the dealership manager and mechanics. However, managers and mechanics do change, and there is no guarantee that good service will continue. Going to an independent mechanic and garage is less expensive after a car's warranty period has ended. In addition, it is a good time to find a long-term mechanic you can trust.

A Special Note: Despite what you may have heard, taking your car to an independent garage before its warranty period ends will not invalidate its warranty as long as the garage is reputable and uses OEM parts whenever possible. That said, keep a record (including the receipts) of all repairs, whether from the dealership or an independent mechanic, in case something goes wrong and a repair is questioned regarding warranty issues.

9. How to Protect Yourself From Excessive Service and Charges: Upselling car owners on services and parts is easy and a common way for dealerships and garages to pad your maintenance and service visit. The best way to protect yourself from this is to know if what they are offering is normal by reading your owner's manual, keeping a good record of maintenance and repairs, and asking the mechanic or service manager to show you what the problem is and why they recommend their "fix." You can also decline the "fix" and research afterward before deciding.

10. When to Avoid This Advice: Going above and beyond what your owner's manual says is really only for car owners who care about their car and plan on keeping it for 5 years or longer. If you know that you will sell your car before then, you are better off saving yourself the added expense and just sticking to what the owner's manual recommends. However, you should always keep a maintenance record and receipts as proof you maintained your car to show the new buyer or dealership to get the best value for your used car.

For additional articles related to Toyota Rav4 models, here are three recommended articles to help you keep your car on the road and out of a repair shop:

  1. I Almost Bought the Wrong 2024 RAV4
  2. Common Problem on Toyota RAV4 Many Owners Fix Incorrectly
  3. Calculate the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Cost Against the Non-Hybrid RAV4

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati who currently researches and works on restoring older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. He also reports on modern cars (including EVs) with a focus on DIY mechanics, buying and using tools, and other related topical automotive repair news. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites as well as on Facebook and his automotive blog "Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair" for useful daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

COMING UP NEXT: This Guy Sold Me A Defective Car, And I'm A Veteran

Image Source: Deposit Photos

Comments

Jonathan C Bonnette (not verified)    January 18, 2025 - 10:25AM

Anytime you do any work on your vehicle without taking it to a dealership or a auto repair store they will not send it to the national database that shows you performed maintenance. This can void your warranty. It's just best not to say anything to the dealership if you do anything beyond what it says in the warranty manual and handbook for the car.

Timothy Boyer    January 19, 2025 - 9:54AM

In reply to by Jonathan C Bonnette (not verified)

I agree with your point that "It's just best not to say anything to the dealership if you do anything beyond what it says in the warranty manual and handbook for the car." My practice has been to buy the OEM oil and filter for MY every 5,000 miles-DIY-change with a visit to the dealership with THEIR every 10,000-mile oil change interval when it applies per the warranty. Telling them you DIY change the oil every 5K is info they don't need and will not add to your records. That said, keep your separate maintenance record with dated receipts to back it up. I recommend scanning those receipts as a printed copy because many receipts fade after a year or two. If an issue arises maintenance/repair-wise, a record you can produce in court will give you credibility. As an added precaution, I mark my oil filters so I will know if they really did change the filter.
Thank you for your comment.

Jason G (not verified)    January 18, 2025 - 11:47AM

This 10,000 mile intreval is a lie. Dealers want you to wear out your car quicker so they can sell you another one. We had 2004 Toyota Camry 4 cyl engine. We changed the oil every 6,000 miles. It was still going strong when we gave it my uncle with over 260k miles. He drove it several more years with no problems until he wrecked and totaled it. We bought a certified pre-owned 2013 Toyota Camry 4 cyl. The dealer called for an oil change every 10,000 miles. We did this until it had over 100,000 miles and we took it to our independent mechanic. He said no way on the 10,000 mile oil changes and we went back to every 6,000 mile intervals. The car made it to 200,000 miles, but it burns oil like CRAZY. No way will I ever go back to a 10,000 mile oil change interval. I know getting an oil change is a pain and expensive, but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than a blown engine and I promise you if you change your oil every 10,000 miles and keep the car long enough your going to have problems.

Timothy Boyer    January 19, 2025 - 10:03AM

In reply to by Jason G (not verified)

I know that some owners and "mechanics" argue that 10,000 miles is OK, but I believe it is only valid if you have no intention of keeping the car beyond its warranty and do not care if the next owner gets a potential problem car.

In any case, your "...it's a heck of a lot cheaper than a blown engine and I promise you if you change your oil every 10,000 miles and keep the car long enough, you are going to have problems," makes sense for owners who do not know who or what to believe on this topic as a good maintenance rule to follow.

Thank you for your comment.

Tom Dailey (not verified)    January 18, 2025 - 12:26PM

Wife just BOUGHT a '22 Rav4 (lo miles, nice shape), and dealer SPECIFICALLY STATED ... 10k mile oil changes (synthetic). Engines these days run at MUCH higher temperature, so far less chance of acid buildup, PLUS the synthetic lubricant doesn't break down. That said, I go with what my aircraft-mechanic Uncle's always said... "Oil's cheap... motors ain't!"

Joe (not verified)    January 18, 2025 - 6:30PM

I have done my research and if you want your RAV4 engine to last switch to 5,000 mile oil changes as recommended by many Toyota master mechanics.

PAUL HAYDEN (not verified)    January 18, 2025 - 9:19PM

I have visited many auto manufacturers around the world. I keep card many years, have very low maintenance costs.
My schedule of maintenance is :
Change oil and filter at first 1000 miles.
Then every 5000. Use Mobil I oil..
Change transmission fluid (power flush) at 30,000, then every 60,000.
Change engine air filter every 20-30000 depending on looks.

Arr Dee (not verified)    January 19, 2025 - 12:55AM

In reply to by PAUL HAYDEN (not verified)

Transmission “power flush” is a well known mistake for obvious reasons I won’t go into here. Google it.
Simple drain and fills done in short succession is the sensible service.
Google it.

Mike R "Pop" (not verified)    January 18, 2025 - 9:53PM

When we bought my wife's 2019 Lexus NX300 FSPORT the dealership told us the same 10,000 mile oil change nonsense, I laughed at him. What's important to understand is that Turbo charged engines require more frequent oil changes than non-turbo charged engines. The heat generated by the turbo brakes down oil quickly. You need only look at the black water that was once oil on the end of your dip stick after about 3,500 miles to understand what I mean. I agree with your master mechanics regarding non-turbo engines and oil changes between 5,000 & 6,000 miles. Always use quantity oil and filters. Take it from me "Pop" from Pop's Custom Creations.

Merlin Valencia (not verified)    January 19, 2025 - 12:56AM

I change my Rav4 Prime oil every 10k miles like the manual states. The oil is synthetic is good quality. I made a youtube video about this topic an I provided scientific evidence (an oil analysis) that the oil is still doing it's job LUBRICATING moving parts after 10k mile oil changes. This was with some towing as well. That's how the engineers design it. If you change oil less 10k miles you're wasting your money.

Timothy Boyer    January 19, 2025 - 10:20AM

In reply to by Merlin Valencia (not verified)

Well, not everyone agrees on his topic, which I can understand. My thoughts are to give it (whatever "it" may be) the benefit of the doubt but that you should always verify. I recommend watching The Motor Oil Geek YouTube channel, which has changed my mind on some engine-related issues after listening to his explanations and watching his testing. 

Thank you for the input.

John (not verified)    January 19, 2025 - 8:30AM

Dealership vs independent shop- I am fortunate enough to be able to perform almost any repairs/maintenance myself, but if there is something that I am unable to do, I am more likely to use an independent shop vs the dealership mainly because they tend to be less expensive.
I worked at dealerships for many years (BMW, Porsche, Audi) and while it wasn't a pleasant experience, I have to defend some of the things that I hear people say about it. Some of the Pros for going to the dealership are first- the technicians are factory trained on your specific vehicle whereas independent shops work on many different makes and models so their breadth of knowledge just can't be as good.
As good as some independent shops are, there are some vehicle makes that I personally would only trust a dealership for. Porsche is definitely one that comes to mind. Any vehicle that is so complicated such as this I would only feel comfortable taking to the dealership.
Factory parts are very important in many cases, although some independents use factory parts or they will if you request them.
One practice that I have to defend is "up-selling". I do admit that not every shop is completely honest, and there's no secret that up-selling is "very welcomed" (I prefer to describe it that way instead of encouraged). When items are recommended honestly, they are intended as just that - recommendations. I had a co-worker use a phrase that we always teased him about, but is very true which was "we just put the cards on the table. You just have to decide whether to play or fold". It's your car. If you want to keep it in the best shape to make it last as long as possible, then...
One thing that many dealerships and independents are using more often is estimate software that shows pictures and videos of your actual car, so you don't have to take their word on any recommendations.

Timothy Boyer    January 21, 2025 - 11:46AM

In reply to by John (not verified)

Thanks for the input from someone who has been there. What many forget is that mechanics at dealerships are working for "The Man," and as such, job security is a real issue. Our feelings about some policies have to be followed despite what we would do with our own cars, and we should just do the best of what we can for others.