From great fuel economy to excellent safety ratings across model years and an impressive 200,000 and 300,000 mileage lifespan to boot, it’s no wonder the Toyota Prius has been a top choice among hybrid drivers since it was introduced.

If you want your 2010 Toyota Prius to exceed the 300,000 mile-marker, you’ll need to adhere to the recommended maintenance schedule for a Toyota but that doesn’t come cheap. Luckily, you can cut

oil change costs

by changing the oil in your Prius yourself but you’ll need to know the engine oil capacity and type to do that.

In this guide, we’ll cover all the specs you need to know to change the oil in your 2010 Toyota Prius at home and even walk you through the oil change. Let’s get started.

MORE:

How to save on your Toyota Prius insurance costs

2010 Toyota Prius engine oil capacity

Before beginning your do-it-yourself oil change, you’ll need to know the engine oil capacity–that’s the amount of oil it takes to fill the engine in your vehicle.

The 2010 Toyota Prius engine oil capacity is 4.4 quarts or 4.16 liters. You can also check your owner’s manual to confirm the engine oil capacity for your Prius but make sure you aren’t getting your engine’s displacement instead. The engine displacement is the volume of the cylinders rather than how much oil your Prius requires.

Be aware: your engine’s oil capacity and displacement are not the same and should not be interchanged with one another.

What kind of oil does a 2010 Toyota Prius need?

Now that you know how much oil your 2010 Toyota Prius needs, let’s cover oil type! That’s right, not just any engine oil will do. The manufacturer recommends Toyota Genuine

SAE 0W-30 Full Synthetic

motor oil for the 2010 Prius. So what does that mean?

Your Toyota Prius takes low-viscosity oils that perform well in cold weather conditions and reduce engine wear and tear. The “W” refers to winter while the two numbers in the oil grade indicate the oil viscosity (i.e. thickness) at starting and operating temperatures. The SAE is just an abbreviation for the Society of Automotive Engineers which is the entity that codes oil viscosity.

MORE:

Are Toyotas expensive to maintain?

Jerry sends free alerts to keep your car up-to-date so you can avoid costly repairs

* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score

Get ahead of my car maintenance

* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score

How often to change the oil on a Toyota Prius

Toyota recommends that Prius owners change their oil between every 3,000 and 5,000 miles if they're using conventional oil. For most drivers, this means an oil change every 6 months to keep your oil clean.

But if you use synthetic oil in your Prius, you can go much longer between oil changes. Experts recommend changing synthetic oil every 7,000 to 10,000 miles.

Of course, these ranges are wide and how often you actually need to change your engine oil will depend on factors such as your personal driving habits and where you live. That’s why it’s important to check your oil once a month or every other refuel to make sure your oil is being changed at the right time and keep an eye out for the following signs:

Dark engine oil that’s the color of a cup of coffee or soda

Exhaust smoke

coming from your tailpipe

Change or reduced vehicle performance

Illuminated warning lights such as the

check engine light

oil pressure light

Noticeable smells like burning or oil when you drive

Unfamiliar engine noises

Coarse, gritty, or textured motor oil

Low oil levels

MORE:

Oil pressure light is on inspection cost

How to change your oil and oil filter

If you’ve confirmed that your Prius needs an oil change, you’ll need a socket and filter wrench, a drain pan, a replacement filter, and, 4.4 quarts of 0W-30 motor oil to do the job.

First, run your engine until it reaches normal operating temperatures. After about five minutes, complete the following to change your oil:

Unscrew the oil cap

Remove the drain bolt and washer

Drain the oil into the drain pan

Replace the old filter with the new one

Connect the drain bolt and washer

Fill the engine with the new oil

Next, check the oil levels with your dipstick to make sure you’ve added enough oil to your engine and there are no leaks. If the oil warning lights are no longer displayed on your dashboard, congrats–you changed the oil in your 2010 Toyota Prius!

Don’t forget to pour the old oil into a sealed container so you can later take it to your local recycling center for proper disposal.

MORE:

How long does an oil change take?

“This was the coolest insurance company I’ve seen so far. They saved me $1200 and their Ux is stellar. Go
Jerry
!” —Carla W.

RECOMMENDED

Thousands of customers saved on average $887/year on their car insurance with Jerry

This app is great, but the customer service is even better! Not to mention convenient! My husband and I got the lowest rate (much lower than the rates I was finding online through my own searches), quickly, and pretty much all through text message! Thank you so much for a hassle free experience👍

Gabriella R.

Find insurance savings

4.7/5 Rating on App Store

Estimate your repair costs for free with GarageGuard™

Simplify your car maintenance with Jerry.

Try GarageGuard™