Crap 2 dealers put wrong oil into car

Probably no damage at all. Toyota actually recommend a wide range of oils. In Australia the dealers are using 5-30. I posted on this recently and quoted from the Australian manual.

 

It amazes me just how incompetent Toyota dealers are as about 2 month ago they overfilled my engine w/ 5 quarts of oil for my 10k service.

 

How did you figure out that they used the wrong oil? I would REALLY like to know that trick!!!

Dealers are supposed to use TOYOTA Synthetic 0W20 oil. Not Valvoline or another brand.

 

AFAIK, they're only supposed to use 0W20, doesn't have to be Toyota oil. Our closest dealer (who's doorstep I only darken to purchase parts) offers both Toyo and Mobil.

That said, Toyota 0W20 is what I've been using.

 

around here its easy to determine which oil is used since Prius synthetic oil is $9.19 a quart. keep in mind; the oil will protect your engine no matter what it is. sure there are differences, but the change interval is HEAVILY weighted towards the Service Depts profits and NOT your wallet. the Prius oil is recommended because its designed for the high rates of start ups hybrids experience. so, if you do a lot of in town driving; the oil recommendation goes up. if you do primarily freeway driving; the recommendation stays the same per your Toyota Service Dept but in reality, any good 5W-20 will work. just make double sure you go back to 0w20 the next time.

in your situation since you just had your oil changed, i would go back, pay the extra money for the difference and have them do it right.

comparison; i just had my oil changed and used 5W20 only because it was overdue, it was convenient and they did not have 0w20. it was $45 compared to the normal $75. i knew before they even told me that they substituted the oil. but i am ok with it. my Prius is pretty much a commuter from Oly to Centrailia. it does about 80-85% freeway. i will be fine

 

read the sticker on the windshield

 

I went in for the 1000 mile free check, and obviously they shouldn't have changed the oil, and they also did not charge me for it. But I have a sticker now that says it's due in at 5000 mile for oil change. I wouldn't count on that sticker to tell me anything.

 

Right, so how does the OP know the wrong oil is in the car? The sticker that says when to change it next? Is it possible the mechanic used the correct oil but out of habit wrote the wrong description on the sticker? It ain't rocket science, and the difference between 0 and 5 is only going to matter below 32degrees, and the difference between 20 and 30 is only going to matter if it's over 100degrees (outdoors), I'd certainly be positive about any wrongful action here before I posted anything on Toyota's web site.jmho,ymmv

 

^ I believe it says 0W20 on the oil fill cap, that's pretty conclusive. (probably been mentioned already)

 

The Australian report, and other posts on this site, showing that oil viscosities other than 0w20 are recommended by Toyota in other countries for the same Prius engine in the same or similar operating conditions as we experience in North America are cause to question the dogma that if you don't use 0w20, bad things will happen to your engine. 0w20 is probably best for MPG, but may not be the best overall choice for engine protection and longevity. Maybe the Toyota dealers are not so dumb after all. With that said, I still plan to change my own oil and use 0w20; however, I don't think the people who have had 5w20 or 5w30 put in their engines should worry.

 

But you can't really tell what oil you use unless you siphon some put and take it to a lab, right?

 

With all due respect, regardless of how easy it may seem to be to some?

A lot of people simply do NOT want to do it themselves. And for some with physical and perhaps enviromental limitations, doing even the simplest Oil and Filter change is not so simple.

If you buy and operate a vehicle, it is perfectly reasonable to expect a dealership would be able to perform this service correctly. It shouldn't be surprising that when people discover that they evidently are not,- they complain.

The answer for everyone simply cannot be DIY.

 

Amen, so many of us now live in home owner associations that limit severely the repairs that we can do on our cars. Add to that some counties do the same.

 

How cold does it get there constantly? You'd need to be living below freezing point to really need 0W20. It's winter here and although it doesn't snow here, it can get cold but not enough to warrant such a thin oil. I am running 5W30 synthetics and will continue to do so happily, summer or winter. I just find it funny that the American Market cars use the thinnest oil and the lowest octane fuel whereas the rest of the world uses the mildly thinner oil and the highest octane fuels.