Question: I was due for an oil change 900 miles ago, but the earliest I can schedule an appointment is next week. I have to drive out of state tomorrow and I’m worried about ruining my car. Do you know how long I can go past an oil change?
Answer: Getting an oil change after 3,000 miles or three months is conservative if you drive a modern car.
Most cars can drive 5,000 to 7,500 miles between oil changes. If your car uses synthetic oil, you may be able to wait even longer: up to 10,000 or 15,000 miles. Your manufacturer may also phrase the recommendation in terms of time, for example, six or 12 months.
Consult your manual to learn the manufacturer’s recommendation.
How long can you go without an oil change?
To find out how long you can truly wait between oil changes, first read your manual. Then assess your driving habits and the environment where you live.
Let’s look at the 2024 Mazda3’s recommendations, according to the manual. Mazda suggests two different maintenance schedules depending on your driving habits: normal and severe. The former gives you up to 10,000 miles, or 12 months, between oil changes—whichever comes first. The latter allows for only 5,000 miles or six months.
According to Mazda, you should follow the severe maintenance schedule if the vehicle often:
- Idles or drives slowly.
- Drives on unpaved roads.
- Drives uphill or mountain roads.
You may also need to follow a severe schedule if your engine often operates at a low temperature, for example, if you live in a cold climate or typically drive short distances. If the engine isn’t getting hot enough, it might not be able to burn off condensation. Likewise, if you drive off-road a lot, dust and debris will clog your filters, and you’ll need more frequent oil changes.
Do an oil analysis for the most accurate gauge
Normal or severe oil change intervals are really just ballpark estimates. To most accurately assess your engine oil, perform an oil analysis. You can mail a sample of your oil to a laboratory and pay them to analyze it, or you can buy a kit and do your own analysis at home.
If you test the oil yourself, you’ll likely pour a drop of warm motor oil onto a test sheet, and then compare the pattern to a visual guide. If you’ve gone past your manufacturer’s recommended interval, but your oil doesn’t reveal any problems, that’s a good sign that you can wait even longer.
Xuyun Zeng is a content strategist with a wide-ranging content background including tech, journalism, cars and health care. After graduating with highest honors in journalism, Xuyun led a newspaper to win eight awards, helped start an award-winning film industry podcast and has written over a hundred articles about cars repair, state laws and insurance. Prior to joining Jerry, Xuyun worked as a freelance SEO consultant with a mission to create the best content that will help readers and grow organic traffic.
Alice Holbrook is an editor with more than a decade of experience covering personal finance, including car insurance. She\’s passionate about creating easy-to-understand content that demystifies intimidating topics for readers. Previously, she worked for NerdWallet, and her work has been featured by Newsweek, The Washington Post and the Associated Press, among others.
