Who can do service and warranty work?

Warranty service can only be done by a dealer, the dealer is the only one that Toyota trusts and will deal with, so therefore the only one that Toyota will accept a charge from. All car dealers are the same, they may use a contract service for some things, but the bill has to go through an authorized dealer for the manufacturer to accept the charge.

 

Warranty work would have to be done by a dealer. Basic maintenance (oil & filter changes, air filters, tire rotations, etc.) can be done by anyone. Some out-of-warranty repairs can be done by any independent shop, but others, especially involving the hybrid system, require specialized knowledge, skill, and equipment. Unfortunately, not too many indie shops seem to have that for hybrids yet.

 

just emphasizing warranty work can be done at any toyota dealer and does not have to be the one who sold you the car

 

Why do you want to avoid a dealer?

 

Plenty of dealers to choose from in your immediate vicinity:

Toyota Sunnyvale
898 W El Camino Real
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
(408) 245-6640 1.08 Miles Away
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Stevens Creek Toyota
4202 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Box 9099 (zip 95157-0099)
San Jose, CA 95129
(408) 984-1234 4.24 Miles Away
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Toyota Of Palo Alto
690 San Antonio Road
Palo Alto, CA 94306
(650) 494-2100 5.27 Miles Away
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Fremont Toyota
5851 Cushing Parkway
Fremont, CA 94538
(510) 252-5100 9.34 Miles Away
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Piercey Toyota
950 Thompson Street
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 240-1400 10.09 Miles Away
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piercey toyota tried to hard sell me a extended warranty and i almost walked out.

stevens creek toyota has a really large parts department (more stuff on the shelves)

sunnyvale toyota has a nice waiting room and pretty decent wifi
and sells the little model prius that winds up for 6.99

when i called around to price the wheel ornamanets, capital toyota had the cheapest price

 

I lived in Sunnyvale for 21 years before moving to OC eight years ago, and thought that the S'vale and Stevens Creek dealerships were OK.

 

Hi Geoff,

Tire replacement and engine oil/filter changes can be done by any competent shop. The only hybrid-specific concern with the oil change is to make sure the car is IG-OFF before the work is done, not just left READY where the ICE may decide to come on while the oil has been drained. You should also check to ensure that the engine oil is correct on the dipstick, not overfilled.

The brake components at the wheels can be replaced by any brake shop EXCEPT if the brake fluid needs to be replaced. Then the dealer should perform that work. Any brake components upstream from the wheels must be replaced by the dealer.

The engine coolant and inverter/transaxle coolant have special repair procedures, so this should be done by the dealer or a Toyota hybrid specialist. The transaxle fluid change procedure is a simple drain and replace, so this can be done by any competent mechanic who has Toyota ATF WS fluid available.

Warranty work must be performed by the Toyota dealer of your choice.

I don't know any South Bay hybrid specialists. Arts Automotive in Berkeley seems to have good word-of-mouth and an elaborate website:
Arts Automotive Berkeley, CA Home Page

 

Yes, oil changes can be done anywhere, if you trust them to do the work correctly and show them how to drive the car. One should always check under the hood one's self after every oil change before driving away, no matter who did the work.

Not all dealers are crooks. Mine just completed the 30,000 mile work for $61; mind, I did insist that they perform only the items shown in the Maintenance Guide and not the dealer's 30K service package.

 

piercey has the worst wifi
you have to ask the cashier for a temporary (3 hour) username and password, and it seems to disconnect you if you idle too much, and it wouldnt let me download a small
mp3 file, heh

i believe the close distance from piercey toyota in san jose to the santa clara county elmwood jail is probably the #1 reason why they have it set up like that, other
dealerships service departments run thier wifi more open

 

This is very interesting, I would not have thought that inmates would have access to a PC with a wireless card.