Sooooooo, it turns out, that whole three months thing is kinda bogus.
According to Ford, a typical driver in an ‘08 or newer vehicle can go six months or 7,500 miles (whichever comes first) before needing an oil change.
The opposite of a typical driver is defined as someone who frequently off-roads, drives in dusty conditions, tows or carries heavy loads, or drives at low speeds for long distances, which would be a lot of in-town driving. If you fall into this category, your oil changes should happen every six months or 5,000 miles (whichever comes first).
And that's the truth.
Have We Been Lied To!?
The answer is no.
At least, if you have a good mechanic the answer is no.
Your oil may only need to be changed twice a year, but your vehicle needs three to four routine checkups a year, which normally happen during oil changes.
These checkups are crucial to ensuring your vehicle is running properly and keeping you safe on the road.
So-for the love of! Sharon! Put down that pitchfork! And put out that torch! You’re going to hurt someone. Geez.
What I was trying to say is, not every vehicle is built the same.
You should always, always, always check your owner's manual before taking the advice of some Internet stranger who’s using information on a large scale to give you an answer that’s right for most people, but not all people. (Sharon, I'm doing my best here. And as much as I hate to admit it, my best is a one-size-fits-all answer for this particular subject.)
And not every vehicle is driven the same.
So even if you do find a study on your exact vehicle that says get an oil change every 6,437 miles on the dot, get a second opinion from your mechanic.
I found research for a very small section of drivers that says oil changes are necessary every 1,000 miles.
Only someone who can see your vehicle's condition in person and ask about your specific driving habits could tell you if 1,000 miles is waaaay too often or just right.
