Hello, I was wondering what the recommendation is as far as transaxle (transmission?) oil change intervals is for the Prius v. I bought a 2012 used with 39K miles on it and now has 45K. I called the dealer and they said every 30K miles but that is the standard they recommend for all Toyotas. Also, they said the cost was $161.99 which I find is extremely high (and this is what they charge for ALL Toyotas, so price doesn't vary from model to model which I think it obviously should!). Any thoughts from the experts here would be appreciated!! Thanks!!
Ideally, I would advise 30,000 miles, then 90,000 miles then every 90,000 miles, most metals seem to be suspended early. My dealer charges $110, but shipping to Mississippi seems impractical. (any gen 3 'how to' will show you how)
I did a first change at the one year mark, around 15,000 kms. I think it was warranted; the drained fluid looked quite dark. I then went a couple of years, did a second change around 40,000 kms. This time it looked quite clean/new still. I'm a bit past 5 years and 57,000 kms right now, resolving to do the next one around the 7 year mark. My plan, considering regular miles being put on the odometer: first year anniversary: change (go two years) third year anniversary: change (go four years) seventh year anniversary: change (carry on with four year intervals) It's a relatively easy DIY, about on par with an oil change. The main difference being that the car should be raised and level. The fill and drain bolts are a little oddball, are socket cap screw style, with 10 mm hexagonal pockets. They have washers you should replace, and the torque is 29 lb/ft. The simplest way to get the new fluid in is to snake a funnel with 3' hose extension through the engine bay, from above. Just fill 'till it starts coming back out. It'll take around 3.5~ quarts or liters, so you need 4. Last time I purchased was in 2013, liters of Toyota ATF-WS cost me $9.32, and the washers were $1.99 apiece. (Canadian dollars)
