What should I have dealer look for / do on last Free Maintenance?

they won't do anything for free unless you have a demonstrable problem. they don't even do what they are supposed to. mark your tires to see if they rotate them.

i would take the paperwork in and demand the proper oil, but they'd probably tell you they put in ow-20, and it's a paperwork mistake.

 

I'd just stay the course, especially if you're not noticing anything. Mention the oil snafu, nothing more.

 

If your car is under the Intelligent Clearance Sensor (ICS) Campaign I’d have that performed.

 

Find this booklet... and read the words regarding oil changes. If the last fill was with other than 0W-20, your oil change interval becomes 5K miles, not 10K miles. Bring your last receipt and the booklet, and have them fill one last time with 0W-20.

 

I am taking my PRIME Premium for my last Toyota Care (25K miles) this weekend. Yeah, that is going to be just tire rotation and fluid checks. Nothing more. I am planing to take my summer wheels with tires (and TPMS inside) with me to have them slap them on in lieu of tire rotation. Should be the exactly the same amount of work thus free. After that, starting at 30K, I plan to do minor maintenance DIY, and still take my car to the same dealer for more complicated things. As long as they don't need to replace OEM parts, their services are not too much more expensive than local auto shops. That way the service record will be updated in Toyota Owner site and I get a free car wash and free coffee and snacks, as well as a chance to do some shopping in a city.

 

I would have a dealer check nothing other than existing problems. They are in the upselling business for the most part, and are likely to recommend stuff you don't need.

Since your bumper to bumper warranty is nearing its end, I would have them investigate and document any existing problems that may become warranty claims. That way if the problem extends past the warranty period you can make the case that the problem existed and was documented during the warranty period, which can get it resolved at no cost after the warranty period expires.

 

While you are there ask if there are any minor recall issues that need to be addressed.

 

Free coffee at my dealer, no free snacks or wash. And they charge $100/hr, local mechanic for "non hybrid stuff" charges $75. No free coffee there though.

 

Yeah, "hybrid stuff" is the key. I don't know any local mechanics I can trust on them. Labor charge difference is big, but I hope I don't have to make many trips to dealers. Fortunately, my dealers allow BYOParts for repair. I can buy OEM parts cheaper if I know what to get. I have taken Honda hybrid to the dealer. In addition to free car wash, free snack and coffee, they also have free ice cream! Plus a shuttle service to anywhere in the city.

 

Yep, my local 'regular car' mechanic doesn't touch hybrid stuff. Doesn't touch airbags either. I asked about the clock spring in my car. Cost a bundle at the dealer when my wife's went south. He said nope, stays away from airbag areas. Never did get it fixed. Kept having other things pop up to take money and since the controls are duplicated on the MFD I just did what people without those steering wheel buttons do. Then the car was totalled. Glad now that I didn't spend the money to get it replaced.

 

i stop in for the free coffee and donuts whenever i'm going by any dealer. no one knows what you're there for, now that's free.

 

Sounds a lot like my retirement plan

 

If you're one of those 4-and-out drivers that will only keep the car for a few more years, then it doesn't really matter.

Your "free" service will not be nearly worth what you paid for it, but the good news is that even if they use bulk oil and "forget" to change the filter it will not hurt your car very much.
You pretend not to pay them.
They pretend to "service" your car and suggest "maintenance" that probably isn't even in the Warranty and Maintenance Guide.


IF on the other hand, you intend to keep the car for more than 150,000 miles or 10 years, then my advice would be to skip the last "free" service and never take your car back to a dealer again.
Find a good local mechanic to change the oil, AND the filter, with....like, real synthetic and check to make sure that nothing is amiss between the hood and the tailpipe.

You're in California.
ANY good local mechanic knows how to work on Priuses, and even an out-of-work Federal Cabinet level official (AND....there are a lot of them out there) can change the oil and rotate the tires.
Familiarize yourself with the aforementioned schedule of maintenance, and that way you're not throwing the keyfob and your wallet at the "service" manager down at the dealership and asking them to be gentle with you.

After all.....one of the benefits to rolling a Prime is supposed to be SAVING money.....right?

Good Luck!

 

What do you think? Better?

 

That means nothing. On my first "free maintenance tire rotation & check:
They did not check the 12V battery because "the Prius is different" It had already been under the hood for a year!
When they rotated the tires, they wrote they set all pressures to 32 PSI. That iis way below spec! They were actually a more reasonable 39.

I never went back for any other "free" services. I did my own oil changes & drove to a good dealer 150 miles away for recall work.If they cannot record tire pressure correctly, I was not going to trust them to inspect & tape a wiring harness!

 

MUCH!

 

You might look through the TSB's on your car and see if there are any concerns, recalls are a given.