I bought a new Toyota Highlander last year. Part of the deal is that it came with free scheduled maintenance for the first two years. So I just took it in for the first 5,000 mile/6 month checkup and learned that an oil change was not included. The manager said that Toyota has changed their policy to that oil changes now occur at 10,000 mile intervals. I know they use synthetic oil, but that seems like an awfully long interval especially for a new car. I'm considering changing it on my own, but maybe 10,000 is OK? I know things change. When I first started driving spark plugs weren't expected to last for more than about 30,000 miles. Anyone have thoughts on this?
I would go by what the manual says while your truck is under warranty. If it says 5k, that is probably what they would use to try and weasel out of doing warranty work on your vehicle if something were to go wrong. So change it at 5k even if you have to pay. If it says 10k let them change it at 10k.
Sounds like they are already trying to weasel out of the service plan you were supposed to get. The "policy change" could be just your dealer trying to save a few bucks and not Toyota.
You stand about as much chance of getting abducted by ET and taken to another planet than an honest to goodness oil related engine failure based on not changing it often enough happening to you at either interval. But to get out of warranty work they may try and blame a "design flaw" that no one knows about now on it.
