I am looking at purchasing a 2017 Prius with 71k miles, from a Toyota dealer. It was maintained there since new. For the first 3 years it had the 10k oil change. From then on, it got 5K oil changes. Did Toyota finally realize that 10k oil changes was a bad idea? What are the common problems that are still around in the 2017 Prius? I appreciate everyones input.
No, IMHO - they went to 5K mile oil changes because they could bill for them - it was no longer on Toyota's dime. The OEM manual still states 10K mile oil changes. The 2016-2018 model years are known to get exhaust gas heat exchanger leaks. Keep an eye on your engine coolant levels. If it starts to slowly creep down, it'll need to be checked. The good news is that it's part of your emissions control system, so it would be covered under those warranty claims. I believe Washington state ascribes to CARB emissions standards, so you get extended coverage. Please double check that, in case I'm mistaken. Good Luck.....
It makes sense, that the dealer started doing 5k oil change, once the 3 year 36k miles factory warrananty had expired. I will double check on the Washington State CARB emission standards. Thanks for the great information.