legal aspects of doing own oil changes, etc under Warranty.

They quoted $200? Ugh. Up here I get 4 litres of Toyota ATF WS for $9.14 (CDN) apiece, plus two replacement washers for around $2.50 apiece. You raise and level car, remove underpanel(s) as needed, drain fluid, replace drain bolt (with new washer), remove fill bolt*, run hose extension on a funnel down from above, and pour in new fluid till it starts coming back out. Reinstall fill bolt (new washer again) and torque (requires 10mm male hex "socket") to 29 ft/lb**. Recycle left over fluid (maybe 1/2 liter, or less), as Toyota recommends to only use fluid from freshly opened bottles.

* it's a good idea to break loose BOTH bolts at the outset; you don't want to drain the fluid and THEN encounter a problem loosening the fill bolt.

** That's a third gen torque value; I can check and post 4th Gen Repair Manual except. Torque value might be a little higher.

IIRC, my first question here was along those lines. I've done every oil change, 3 transaxle fluid changes, a couple of brake fluid changes, and about 3 brake services. Kept receipts (buy most everything at dealership parts dept, they note the vehicle on invoice) in a chronological binder, and keep a text file log of what's done and when, what the kms were.

 

I raise the front first (with wheel chocks fore-and-aft of the rear wheels), support on safety stands, raise the rear, going a little beyond level (judging with a level pressed against underside of rocker panel crimped seam), place rear safety stands and lower rear of car onto them, aiming to be near-level. I DON'T use the proscribed scissor jack locations, found them way too flimsy and skittish. The red rectangles show where (and the cradle orientation) I use:



Here's a snap of a front, driver's side jack stand:



I don't have a good pic of rear safety stand placement, but it's turned 90 degs, at a heavy gauge hump. There's an oval slot with a rubber plug, you can't miss it.

 

if toyota denies warranty, what does it cost to sue?

 

See “Resetting the message indicating maintenance is required (U.S.A. only),” Owner’s Manual (PDF), page 494.

If the work you’re planning to do isn’t covered in the “Do-it-yourself maintenance” section of the Owner’s Manual, be sure to review the relevant information—including the general and specific precautions against serious risks of personal injury or property damage—in the Repair Manual (more info) and technical service bulletins.

If you have a question about your legal rights, I’d encourage you to consult a lawyer who knows your state’s consumer and automotive laws. That said, in the Warranty & Maintenance Guide (PDF), see the text under “General Information,” page 30: “You should keep detailed records of vehicle maintenance, since under some circumstances they may be required for warranty coverage. These records should include date of service, mileage at time of service and a description of service performed and/or parts installed. [...] Toyota will not deny a warranty claim solely because you do not have records to show that you maintained your vehicle. However, damage or failure caused by lack of proper maintenance is not covered under warranty.”

The Toyota Warranty Policy and Procedures Manual, available by subscription to techinfo.toyota.com, has nothing to say about what is, or isn’t, adequate evidence of proper maintenance. That document has more than 350 pages and covers many other aspects of dealer-level warranty administration in minute detail, so I’d have to assume that the sufficiency of customers’ records doesn’t often come up as an issue.

For myself, I keep the records Toyota suggests, plus copies of any paper or electronic invoices for parts or labor, and for parts I’ve installed myself, the “Toyota Genuine Parts” label or boxtop, as evidence of the origin and manufacturing date.

 

[I am quoting Wikipedia, which is not your lawyer, just a reliable source. Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act - Wikipedia ]

You are in the US, so you do not need to use the dealer or dealer parts, just do the service. Be able to prove you did, a receipt for parts is a good proof.

"Warrantors cannot require that only branded parts be used with the product in order to retain the warranty. This is commonly referred to as the "tie-in sales" provisions and is frequently mentioned in the context of third-party computer parts, such as memory and hard drives." Toyota very rarely hints that only Toyota parts can be used, the ATF WS is the only one I am aware of.

If you worry about the wording, "Under the terms of the Act, ambiguous statements in a warranty are construed against the drafter of the warranty." So the more confusing it is, the more rights you have.

 

Yeah that occurred to me in middle of night lol. There may be sim on yours but yeah, need to look it over. Front point is at front end of longitudinal body rails, fwiw.

I can post 4th Gen fluid change excerpt in bit.

 

Here's a so-so pic of 4th gen underside, and my take on comparable safety stand points (pdf with that image (without mark up) attached as well). Also, I've attached a few Repair Manual excerpts, for basic maintenance.

 

Note: Unless you just are paranoid or want another way to waste money........it is WAY too early to be thinking about changing the transmission fluid.

I personally think that it is more likely to cause a problem if you mess with it.......instead of just letting it go like the recommendation says.

And if you are not "tight" for money, why NOT let the dealership do your maintenance .......since they apparently have done OK on the first two visits ??

 

An early change of trasnsaxle fluid may be the best course of action. FWIW, having done 3 transaxle fluid changes:

first change, around 10 months and 12K kms: drained fluid was markedly darker
Second change, around 3 years and 40K kms: drained fluid slightly darker
Third change, around 6 years and 64K kms: drained fluid indistinguishable from new

 

And you know that darker fluid indicates some kind of degradation........how, exactly ??
Hint: It is entirely possible that it does NOT indicate any kind of a problem.

 

For $40 and an hour out of my life, I don't sweat it.

 

A color change does NOT necessarily indicate a problem......unless maybe it smells "brunt" too.

If that was the standard, people who use Mobil 1 oil would be changing it about every 500 miles.

It's OK to digress a bit.
It's a matter of personal preference. I understand that.

 

The observation I made was that my first, very early transaxle fluid change was by far the darkest drain fluid.

I was trying to debate the first paragraph in your post #11 @sam spade 2.

 

I did the ATF change at 36K miles on my Gen3 and on my previous 2017 PP, both at a dealer for the cost of $~180. But both cars I traded in shortly after that service. With the way I am driving my current 2020 PP, I will not even get to the first maintenance at 5Kmiles before I will trade it in for a new 2021 PP next year.

 

I recall it was around 5/8" (16mm), and had a little room to spare.