The 2019 Toyota Highlander is a family-friendly, three-row SUV that gets you safely wherever you need to go. To keep your Highlander humming, you’ll want to know how much oil it needs—5.8 quarts, to be exact.

Car maintenance and

car insurance

are all part of the package when it comes to vehicle ownership, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to either one! It’s easy to learn how to change the oil in your Toyota Highlander yourself, you’ll just need to know what kind of oil you need. Your owner’s manual should tell you the right kind of oil to use.

Let’s roll up our sleeves and get started!

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2019 Toyota Highlander engine oil capacity

So, how much oil do you need for your 2019 Toyota Highlander? There were three different kinds of engines available in the 2019 Highlander, but all of them have an oil capacity of 5.8 quarts.

When you look at your Highlander’s engine specs, you’ll see either a 2.7-liter inline four or a 3.5-liter V6 listed as the internal combustion component. Don’t let those other numbers throw you—those are the engine’s displacement, not its oil capacity. These two specs are not the same thing at all, so don’t assume that those numbers are interchangeable!

What kind of oil does a 2019 Toyota Highlander need?

But knowing how much is only part of the picture. You also need to know what type of oil to use, and there are a lot of different types out there to choose from! It’s vital to use the kind of oil that the manufacturer recommends, as the wrong oil can potentially ruin your engine.

For the 2019 Toyota Highlander, the owner’s manual recommends Toyota Genuine SAE 0W-20 full synthetic motor oil. If you can’t find the Toyota brand, don’t stress too much—as long as it’s a high-quality 0W-20 synthetic, you should be fine.

So, what does “SAE 0W-20” mean in plain English? The numbers refer to the oil’s viscosity, or how thick it is, and the W stands for winter. An oil’s viscosity changes with the temperature, kind of like warm or cold syrup, and it’s important to get one that works well in all conditions.

So the “0” means that this oil flows nicely at extremely cold temperatures, while the “20” means that it’s also going to be fine when things heat up. You want the oil in your engine to flow freely so that all the moving parts stay lubricated and protected, which keeps wear and tear to a minimum.

SAE stands for the Society of Automotive Engineers, which is the organization that codes engine oil viscosities.

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How often to change the oil on your 2019 Toyota Highlander

Toyota recommends that you change the oil in your Highlander every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. If you don’t drive that much, an oil change every six months is a good frame of reference.

No matter what, you should check your oil on a routine basis. Here are some signs that you’re due for an oil change:

Color change: clean oil is a light amber color, while spent oil is dark brown or black

Texture change: oil that feels gritty or coarse needs to be changed

New sounds or smells coming from the engine

Issues with your Highlander’s performance

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Toyota Highlander specs you should know

How to change your oil and oil filter

The time has come! Let’s

change your oil

You’ll need a drain pan, a socket wrench, and a filter wrench that works for your oil filter. You’ll also need a new oil filter, 5.8 quarts of premium, full-synthetic 0W-20 oil, and some shop rags—working with engines is a dirty job!

Run your Highlander until it reaches normal operating temperature. Once the engine has hit the right temp, shut it off, pop the hood, and change your oil!

Take off the oil fill cap

Get underneath your Highlander and remove the oil drain bolt and washer.

Let the old oil drain into the drain pan

Take the old oil filter out and let all the old oil fully drain out

Install your new filter

Replace the oil drain bolt using a new washer and tighten it to 29 lb-ft

Fill the engine with fresh oil and replace and tighten the fill cap

Start your Highlander again and let it run for around 30 seconds to let the new oil fill the filter and spread through the engine. Use the oil dipstick to make sure you’ve added enough oil—sometimes the filters can absorb quite a bit! Top it off if needed, using your dipstick as you add oil to make sure you don’t overfill it.

Let your SUV run for a few minutes and watch for any leaks. If everything is copacetic, your

oil pressure light

should be off. Wipe your hands and feel proud of yourself!

Last but not least, it’s cleanup time. Never dump dirty oil on the ground or toss it in the trash. Place it in a sealed container and bring it to a place that can recycle it—most auto parts stores take used motor oil.

You’re done! Changing your oil yourself can save you both

time

and money, and it also allows you to have bragging rights over your less mechanically-inclined friends. Win-win!

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