Anybody have any idea steps my mechanic should take to solve the problem of using a 1uart of oil every 1000 miles. Problem has gotten progressively worse. 2007 has 181,000 miles on it. Thanks.
One quart of oil consumption every 1000 miles is considered basically normal by most manufacturers. If you were under warranty they would likely not address it unless it was worse than that. I know my Prius with 155k uses about 1 every 5k, but it varies from engine to engine. Your mechanic could check the PCV system, but assuming there are no external leaks, I wouldn't worry about it unless it gets worse.
Especially considering the odometer reading, this would be deemed normal. If you really wish to solve the problem you would need to have a salvage engine installed, which might cost $500 for the engine and $700 for labor. It's more economical to continue adding a quart of oil periodically.
Check for oil leaks, seems obvious but overlooked. Do a compression/leakdown test. Look for blue smoke on startup, under acceleration, and after coasting then accelerating (valve stem seals.) Too long oil change intervals for the conditions would be my guess for piston ring wear. People who are diligent about oil changes and those who are not, makes all the difference at near 200k IMO. That's a lot of driving on an 07, a lot of life spent behind the wheel.
What type of oil are you using phueber? You could try a high mileage oil. I'd recommend trying Valvoline Maxlife 5W30 synthetic blend. It's designed for high mileage engines that consume a bit of oil and seems to work pretty well.