'These New Cars...': Mechanic Pops Toyota Corolla's Hood. What He Sees Makes Him Think 'Planned Obsolesence'

• Toyota

A mechanic has gone viral on TikTok for sounding the alarm on a Toyota Corolla Cross he says is “a disaster waiting to happen.”

Thomas (@carsrme) popped the hood on a Corolla with just 4,000 miles on it and walked viewers through what he claimed were signs the car was already headed for trouble. The culprit, he argued, was Toyota’s use of 0W-8 motor oil—a super-thin formula he said trades long-term reliability for short-term fuel savings.

The clip struck a nerve. Some commenters praised Thomas for flagging the issue, while others accused him of overreacting or unfairly targeting Toyota. As of this writing, the video has racked up over 106,000 views and plenty of debate.

What’s Wrong With the Corolla Cross? 

So what exactly did Thomas find? In the video, he pulled out the car’s dipstick—a dark gold despite the low mileage—and said it was a warning sign of what’s to come.

“Running these super tight tolerances and super thin oil for a ‘fuel economy,’ is great up front when you save money on gas,” he said, “[but] it’s absolutely terrible when it comes to maintenance.”

His advice: Change the oil every 3,000 to 4,000 miles without fail or risk destroying the engine.

“There’s no room for error on these new cars,” he warned. “If you go past the oil change on this … you’re not going to have an engine.”

Is 0W-8 Oil Inherently Bad for Your Car?

Most experts would say no. In fact, 0W-8 is an advanced full synthetic oil designed specifically for today’s fuel-efficient engines. It usually needs less maintenance than conventional oil, not more, and can go 7,500 miles between changes, sometimes even longer, depending on the car and driving conditions.

Any fears that 0W-8 requires constant oil changes come from a mix of outdated advice and worries about its ultra-thin viscosity. This oil is designed for modern engines with tighter tolerances and precision engineering, meaning it lubricates and protects even when running at whisper-thin tolerances. Because it’s fully synthetic, it resists breakdown, sludge, and deposits much better than old conventional blends ever did.

Some of the skepticism about oils like 0W-8 came from early concerns that they would “shear,” or permanently lose viscosity, under stress. However, modern synthetic formulas have been extensively tested and hold up just fine. The more likely reason some drivers still hear about 3,000-mile oil changes is marketing: Quick-lube shops have a financial incentive to keep that outdated rule alive.

The best advice is to follow your car’s owner’s manual. Many newer Toyota and Mazda hybrid models require 0W-8 specifically, and their recommended intervals are based on how those engines are designed. Cars equipped with oil life monitors are even more precise, tracking your driving habits to tell you when a change is actually needed.

So while 0W-8 isn’t inherently dangerous to your engine, it does mean you should stay on top of routine maintenance and check your oil levels monthly. If you do that, it should help protect your car just as well as—if not better than—thicker oils.

Commenters Debate Whether Mechanic Is Correct

The comments section quickly turned into a battleground over whether Thomas was right about the Corolla Cross. It’s not clear how many commenters actually drive Toyotas—or cars that use 0W-8 oil—but plenty were ready to defend it.

“That oil is perfectly fine!! People said the same thing when they came out with 0W-20, and those engines are running 500,000-plus miles,” one user wrote.

“Oil is golden when it goes in, wtf are you talking about?” another shot back.

“So people should listen to some random dude on TikTok rather than engineers from the most reliable, trusted car brand in the world,” a third commenter asked.

Others reminded viewers to stick to the basics and follow their owner’s manual.

“Toyota tech in training here. The oil is thin because of the very tight tolerances of the engine’s rotating assembly and moving parts,” one person wrote. “It needs to be thin to squeeze between those very tight spaces. If you take care of your vehicle at the manufacturer’s recommended intervals, you’ll be fine,” one said.

“Manual says every 10 thousand miles for oil,” another driver wrote.

“Lmaoo Toyota tells u to change it every 10k miles,” a third added.

Still, at least one commenter backed Thomas completely, arguing that the issue is bigger than a single TikTok video.

“Toyota now seems to have the business mindset of planned obsolescence,” they wrote. “I’ve been warning people not to buy Toyotas made past 2016.”

Motor1 has reached out to Thomas via direct message on TikTok.