I drive a 2023 transit van for work and I’ve reached about 13,700 miles. The oil change calculator on the dashboard shows I still have around 14% oil life left. Is this typical for a 2023 Transit to have such a long interval between oil changes according to the computer?
I load mine up quite a bit and stick to changing the oil every 5,000 miles.
Harper said:
I load mine up quite a bit and stick to changing the oil every 5,000 miles.
What year and engine do you have?
Harper said:
I load mine up quite a bit and stick to changing the oil every 5,000 miles.
What year and engine do you have?
2023
If your van has the PFDI 3.5 engine without turbos, it needs 11 quarts of oil. That’s why the oil change intervals are pretty lengthy. They designed it that way to help the engine and timing chain last longer, especially since it often idles like a delivery van does. The manual suggests shortening the interval if you’re using it heavily. I typically change mine every 10,000 kilometers, which is about 7,500 miles. Just a heads up, that’s for the 2023 and up 3.5.
@Allison
I just discovered that it takes 12 quarts for the first oil change. The service writer was surprised when I mentioned the miles and oil percentage left, but then he realized it was 12 quarts and said that explains the longer life on the computer. Also, most of my mileage is on the highway at 65 to 75 miles per hour, so there’s not much city driving or idling.
@Kennedy
I usually wait until around 10 to 20 percent. When I change the oil, it’s often dirty, which leads to more wear and tear, in my opinion.
My dealership mentioned that the oil life indicator and the ~10,000-mile change are based on ideal conditions according to Ford. Unfortunately, there aren’t many places in the US with those ideal conditions. I own a 2021 model and change my oil every 5,000 miles. It’s not too pricey since we mostly use our van for long weekend trips and camping. I prefer to stick with the saying that no one has ever regretted changing their oil too often.
So, I wouldn’t trust that 10,000-mile interval based on what the indicator shows.
It’s possible depending on your driving style, the type of oil, and the conditions. The only way to know for sure is to take a sample for analysis. I plan to change mine at no more than 7,500 miles, regardless of what the indicator suggests. They told me I wouldn’t need a break-in oil service, but even though modern engines have tighter tolerances, I took mine in early for its first oil change. Changing oil too frequently can waste money and resources, but waiting too long can cause issues.
If that 13,700 miles is since new, I’d definitely change the oil. I changed mine at 3,700 miles because I was worried about it. I usually do my own oil changes and I know what the oil looks like after a break-in… Best to do it early for peace of mind.
@Sterling
I posted while sitting in the waiting room for my oil change. Yes, it’s the first oil change since new, and I’ve put on 13,700 miles mostly on highways over just over 6 months.
I’m just surprised because my last van (a Chevy) would trigger the change indicator around 6,000 to 7,000 miles. The dealership did recommend changing it every 5,000 miles or no lower than 20% oil life.
@Kennedy
In my view, 13,700 miles on a new engine is too long. I didn’t even want to wait until 3,700. Every new vehicle I’ve owned needed a short break-in service, and it seems risky to run a new engine that long on the original oil.
I doubt 5,000 miles is needed for your use, especially if you use high-quality synthetic oil. To get the real answer, pull samples and send them for analysis to check the oil condition and find out when to change it. If I do a lot of short town trips and idling, I change around 5,000 miles or less. For longer highway trips, about 7,500 miles seems fine. I don’t want to stretch the intervals to the max but I also don’t want to waste money changing it too soon.
My previous car was a Porsche with 10,000-mile service intervals, but I still changed the oil at 5,000 or once a year, whichever came first.
I have a 2023 150 cargo with the 3.5 engine. My first oil change was at 23,000 kilometers, the second at 46,000 kilometers, and the latest at 67,000 kilometers. I usually change the oil when it gets down to about 15 percent. Also, it requires 11.5 liters of oil. You heard that right, it has a large oil pan.
@Eden
That aligns with what I’ve been seeing. Thanks for the confirmation.
I managed a fleet of around 100 Transits from 2020 and newer, mainly used for local delivery, so it was a tough duty cycle. Some operated in very cold conditions too, like -30 or below. We followed the oil life indicator, which prompted changes about 30% sooner than yours is suggesting. But since you drive on highways, that makes sense. Even with vans that have over 150,000 miles, we only experienced a few rear main seal leaks and timing solenoid leaks, and I doubt those were linked to long oil change intervals.
By the way, 2023 was the first year that requires 12 quarts, previous models only needed about 5 or 6. Interestingly, the change intervals seemed to remain similar.
We have around a dozen 2021 and newer Transits, mostly with the non-turbo 3.5L. We change oil every 7,500 miles. We have two Ecoboost models, one from 2023 with 1,900 miles and another from 2024 with 3,000 miles, so we haven’t established a solid oil change interval for those yet. Our highest mileage 3.5 non-turbo is over 100,000 miles.
I think it really depends on your average speed. If you drive on the interstate frequently, I’d recommend changing the oil every 3,000 to 4,000 miles since the RPMs run higher because Transits are typically designed for city driving.
Just make sure to reset the oil life sensor when you do the change.
@Callen
Engines last longer when used for long drives. Short trips are tough on vehicles unless they’re full EVs. It’s better to flip that advice. Longer highway trips allow for extended oil change intervals, while short trips that don’t let the engine fully warm up need more frequent changes. A modern engine with quality oil can easily go 10,000 miles between changes, provided it regularly has longer trips to warm everything up and remove accumulated moisture. I usually change mine earlier because it won’t hurt. But changing at 3,000 to 4,000 miles seems excessive unless that’s all you drive for a year. Change it every year regardless of mileage. I have a couple of Ducati motorcycles with 7,500-mile intervals, but since I don’t ride them that much each year, they get fresh oil and filters every year.