[Clembo]

Supposedly, the factory fill is different from the Toyota full synthetic used at the dealers and helps with the proper engine break-in. Metal shavings? Debris? That's why there's an oil filter.

Unless you're going to the track or drive under the severe conditions described in the owner's manual, 7.5 months or 7.5K miles (whichever comes first) is the recommended interval.

I don't know of anybody who ever had a problem when following the recommended intervals in ANY car unless there were mitigating circumstances.

Oh, and the 7.5K interval is because of the boxer engine - for most cars today using full synthtic, the normal interval is one year or 10K. On some high-end cars the computer monitors the oil and tells you when it's time to change based on the conditions. I imagine this will spread across all product lines eventually.