Transmission Fluid Service Necessary?

scam. some like to change it once early, then every so many miles. others agree with toyota, lifetime.

idk what's best, have to call it a personal decision. i've never changed any of mine, but i can be from the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' school.

 

I don't know how they could've saw how dark the ATF was without dumping some out. There's only a drain plug and full plug; no dip stick to see how dark the ATF is. Scam all the way.......

FWIW; I did change the ATF on my 2012 Prius C @ 25K miles; because I was new to CVT transmissions and wanted to see how the ATF was doing. Standard generic ATF oil change intervals for older cars were 80K miles; HD trucks and tow vehicles intervals were usually 30K miles. I don't think Toyota had a recommended change interval in the 2012 Prius C manual.

I was planning on driving that car till the wheels fell off; but an uninsured motorist had other ideas. RIP @ 92K. First ATF change @ 25K; very dark. Second change @ 80K very clean and pristine - much cleaner than the 25K mile change. IMHO, do the first change, then forget about it.

Just my opinion and experience.... PS $300 is too much; It requires 4 qts of Toyota WS ATF and less than one hour labor to do it....

 

That bit's a scam. It's comparable to an oil change, if you're comfortable with that you could DIY the transaxle fluid change; it's "different", but not by much.

A fair price: I would not pay over $100. $80 USD would be a good price: $40 for four quarts of Toyota ATF WS and the two washers, and $40 for 1/2 hour labour.

There's a link in my signature regarding transaxle fluid change.

 

OK.
First question is this your normal dealership?
Second question: If it is, have you trust them to this point?
Third question: If it is, Did you ask them how they knew the color of the fluid?

The answer to those questions will help make an informed decision. So, let’s assume the answer is no to the first one: Then I would check with my usual dealership, especially if I trust my normal dealership.
Then, let’s assume answer #1 is yes, and answer # 2 is also yes. That creates question number Four: What are you doing asking us since you have trusted these people to this point? (No offense intended here, so please don’t take offense).
Question number 3 applies to either situation (in regards to questions 1& 2. If that answer is no, then why not ask them. If that answer is yes, what was their response?

As far as having your Transmission fluid changed at this point, many people (not necessarily PC self proclaimed Toyota Engineer Wannabes) would definitely say it would be a prudent move.
As far as the price; well clearly there are those who have already posted on this thread that are willing to do it for less (well, maybe not, but they are encouraging you to walk away from the dealership and find another way). Can you get it done cheaper? Yes. Do you want to? Only you can answer your own question in that regard.
As far as a scam? How much does the dealership usually charge for that? If it’s their normal price, then nope. If it’s higher, then, yep.

Now let’s address how they could see the fluid? Perhaps they took the filler cap off and took a small sample (not completely so far fetched for a conscious technician to do so, though rare in this day and age). However, probably beyond the skill level of our PC Toyota Engineer Wannabes.

 

Wow, the stories from mechanics trying to get work approved is always entertaining!

The answer is yes and no. I change transmission in our vehicles every 5-years OR 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. I've never had a transmission problem and I've owned many cars since 1977 (a piece of crap used Ford Pinto was my first car)

It's a simple procedure, just drain and fill, so shouldn't cost more than a few hundred bucks. I'd call around and remind them it's a simple job, and try to get a better price.

But INSIST they ONLY refill with Toyota WS transmission fluid....if they try to use anything else, walk away...not worth the risk with a transmission.