Do Toyota Service Departments Drag their Feet or What?

Every dealer that I have ever taken a car in to for the basic oil change, tire rotation and inspection has quoted the 1 1/2 to 2 hour time frame. In most cases, they have done better than this but not by much.

I do not see this as unreasonable. The third party jiffy oil changes can do it in much less time but I would not personally take my Prius to one of these.

 

My dealer will do basic service like that without an appointment and in less than a half hour. I suppose it all depends on the dealer.

Tom

 

I don't think it should take that much time, I don't think it does take that much time. I think what happens is they make appointments trying to be flexible from the standpoint of when you can bring your vehicle in, but then give themselves plenty of time to execute the task(s) in relationship to all the other automobiles and repairs they might have in the shop. Also if at a dealership you might just kill the time looking in the parts or accessories department, or walking through the showroom...who knows what might happen then...

I took my 1993 Honda into a dealership that advertised something liked "Rapid Service" Oil Change...they still kept me waiting an hour or more, and then when finally finished presented me with an unsolicitated evaluation of about $1000 dollars of repairs they were just being friendly enough to recommend I needed.

 

It is the specific dealer that is having the problem. Our dealership guarantees 30 minutes or less or the next one is free. That is with the express lube only.. no rotating, no air filter check, no car wash, etc. Can we do it faster, yes.. and often times we do. But since we don't take appointments for oil changes, we have to allot a little more time, just in case.

Why are you being quoted 1.5 - 2 hours? Because it usually goes to a line tech, not an oil change guy. The line tech will go over the whole car. Since we generally have more cars in for service than we do techs, it makes sense to over allow on the time.

Ask yourself this... would you rather the dealership said 45 minutes and it took 2 hours or saying 2 hours and have it be done in 1 hour? In sales, you should always under promise and over deliver.

 

The Service Writer is usually the one that quotes the 1 1/2 to 2 hour time frame to me. For clarifications, I am talking about a typical 5K service and not just an oil change. Yes, most dealers will do an oil change in 30 minutes.

I agree with you. I would rather the Service Writer tell me 2 hours and complete in 1 than vice versa. Most times I will see the car back and ready for pickup at least 15 minutes before the Service Writer can finish one customer before coming to get me.

When I went to the local Toyota dealer for my first 5K, he quoted 1 1/2 hours but completed it in 1 hour, including washing the car. It was about twenty minutes later before the Service Writer finished the paperwork and handed me the keys. Just short of 1 1/2 hour.

 

A 5K service *is* an oil change. That and perhaps a quick glance to make sure nothing is falling off the car.

Tom

 

Tom,

Mine included tire rotation and changing the reverse beep to one beep from continuous.

Dwight

 

That is just plain wrong. Unless your car was ready but the service writer wasn't. Not trying to make an excuse for them though.

And I agree. There is no excuse for wasting a customer's time. Speaking from the floor, you have a VERY small percentage chance that someone will come in for an oil change and drive out with a new car. Most salespeople won't even bother you once you mention you are just waiting for service. So I can't see the dealership wasting your time and annoying their client base on the off chance of an impulse buy.

 

I had something (quite obviously) falling off my Prius months ago and a dealership service dept totally missed it doing a major (I think 30k?) service interval so I'd say they don't even check if something is falling off the car.

 

I always had great service at Carlsbad. They would quote a longer period than they actually used. I just use my waiting time wisely, I have my computer or other things to do. El Cajon Toyota has a great new waiting area that makes waiting a pleasure and there is nothing pushing sales of any sort while you wait.
Relax, you're retired!

 

also the appointment really doesn't mean anything. That goes for reservations at most places these days. I use to make appointments, but started to notice that depending on how busy they were that day my service time would vary. not to mention i can see my car in the back lot sitting there waiting for a mechanic to get to it. Now i just drop it off without an appointment.

 

I've been back twice for routine service to the dealer I purchased my car at. They are to be watched carefully. They did do a good job on my radio warranty repair though.

Last time, the mechanic did an adjustment on the parking brake, which it did not need. The car came back and would barely creep forward in D, foot off accelerator.

Fortunately, a senior technician came quickly and took the car back in. I saw them having a talk with the original technician.

I like to have a good service advisor, but they can be tough to find when showing up. Some of them are sort of full of it. Example, last time that lady just wouldn't admit the parking brake 'adjustment' was a mistake. She just kept saying that is part of the service. I won't be talking to her anymore.

 

Basil Toyota in Lockport, had 2 oil changes done there, only because I had "free" oil change certificates. No appointment, evening hours, in and out, probably 20 minutes.
Free coffee or soda, TV in the waiting room, pretty good.

I have a lift in my garage and a fully equipped shop, so since then I've done my own. an hour and a half is too much, take your oil change business elsewhere and let them know why.

 

Our dealer (Jim Norton Toyota) has such a nice place to wait with free coffee, cookies, free wi-fi and really comfortable leather leather furniture that it is a pleasant outing to take the car in for maintenance. I just take my laptop and have a nice restful time surfing priuschat while I wait.

 

I do not disagree that a dealer should be able to complete an oil change and tire rotation in 30 minutes if they were set up to do so. We just do not have a dealer in my area that will do this.

I know the local Honda dealer started a 1 hour, no appointment service back in the first of the year when car sales were miserable. It was an obvious attempt to drum up business and keep their technicians busy. My wife took her car in one time after school and really liked it. As soon as C4C came along and business picked up they dropped this service.

Both of the Honda and Toyota dealers have great waiting rooms with big screen TV's, Wi-Fi, coffee, muffins, etc. I have no problem using the 1 1/2 hour wisely why I am there. Like above, I take my laptop and either just surf or get some work done.