Hey Scotty, I bought a used 2020 Toyota Corolla LE a few months ago in preparation for my move from Chicago to Dickson, Tennessee. I inquired about a transmission fluid change (drain and fill, not flush) but my mechanic told me they don't do them or believe in them. My car has about 70,000 miles on it and I want to make sure it runs as good and as long as possible. Do you agree or should I be looking for a new mechanic before I make the almost 500 mile drive down to my new home?
my mechanic told me they don't do them or believe in them
Well that's not smart on his part - fluid in CVTs gets dirty too.
The results of wear due to poor fluid condition are very noticeable (whining at high throttle openings, eventually jerkiness or slippage, and later total failure)
I want to make sure it runs as good and as long as possible
Well 70k is a bit much for the original fluid, 30-40k is the most I'd recommend - 25k-30k is best.
Do you agree
Scotty has made his opinion very clear over the years.
should I be looking for a new mechanic before I make the almost 500 mile drive down to my new home?
Well personally I wouldn't do that before a long drive to a new area, it's just trading some long term longevity for the peace of mind of knowing that no one has touched the transmission before a long drive
but - after you've arrived and settled in, replace it.
Just remember that it's always best to use the OEM fluid (or at the very least fluid that states that it's compatible with the standard required by your tranny), I believe it's Toyota "Toyota CVT fluid FE" for the all of the CVT transmission options in the Corolla (both the K313 in the LE, and K120 in higher trims)
Thank you for the detailed reply! I am new here and don't really know much about cars, This is my first one actually lol! I have relied on public transportation since I have lived in Chicago my entire life and parking here is a nightmare to say the least. The maintenance schedule I had told me it should be changed at 60-70K miles so I was kinda shocked when they said they don't believe in changing the fluid lol. I will be getting it changed after my move. Thank you again for the advice!
There is no such thing as "lifetime" transmission fluid. See the FAQ for details on changing fluid.
I can't stand hearing mechanics say that. They told me the same garbage when I asked for the drain and fill plug gaskets for the trans on my 2013 prius at the toyota dealership. I didn't ask him for his opinion, I changed the fluid at 80k shortly after I bought it, and it ran great when I sold it at 180k.
I was shocked when he said it. I couldn't understand why someone would say that when Toyota even says it should be changed around 60K miles. I just got the car and it cost plenty of money, I'm not losing a transmission because I didn't change fluids lol!