How much should I be paying for a 30k service?

During the recession they all started raising prices for service since they were selling so few cars, but now they sell more cars and continue the high labor rate and parts markups. So there are a lot of lower cost options in most towns. It is sort of like Starbucks Coffee. I just go to my local gas station for a shot of hazelnut, a shot of chocolate and fill up 24 oz cup that I refill for $1.09.

Then there is my friend who phoned two days ago in a panic that all his warning lights for his 2005 Prius just came on. He went to a cheapy service place who had installed a belt wrong two days before and the new belt was in shreds. Total incompetence! So try to find someone who was trained at Toyota, but now has his own business. Good luck.

 

They likely just quoted you a high dollar oil/filter change, washer fluid top off with quick inspection to profit while you are there for the recall, which Corporate Toyota compensates very little for.

Now if you were getting an oil/filter change (Toyota 0w-20), transmission fluid change (Toyota WS ATF), antifreeze/coolant change (Toyota SLLC) and brake flush (Toyota DOT 3), it would be a good price. But that usually goes for $350 plus.

 

If I were in your shoes, I would personally just get the oil change. You can ask them what services are provided for the $225 they are charging. I would suspect they would only be changing out the air filters for you in addition to the oil change. The air filters you can get yourself for about $15 each. (cabin and engine).

At 35,000 miles, I would bring it into the dealership once more for another oil change. I know the car has 10,000 mile Oil change intervals, however your bumper to bumper warranty ends at 36,000 miles and I would bring it in for an early oil change to get a final inspection before warranty runs out. At 35,000, I would have them do an inspection on everything on the car, make sure everything is in order (shocks, suspension). If anything is not up to par, have them replace it under warranty.

 

Did they tell you what they are offering in the "service package"? (If the words are capitalized it would no doubt cost more.)

Okay, I see it was explained.

 

Wow, no air filter changes for $225. That's a shocker!!!

 

I read both lists and there isn't a listing for engine or cabin air filter change. Only an oil filter change and a bunch of inspections.

My experience with dealers, even if I went in for just an "oil change" only, they would charge me the oil change price and still do the inspections for me. The inspections is where they point out problems and will advise for you to fix them for more money. That service they have provided even if you don't ask for it.

 

Not sure which part of MA you're in, but I pulled up a random MA Toyota dealer and they had specials on their website. A synthetic oil change is $79

Service Coupons | Framingham, MA Toyota Service | Bernardi Toyota

 

The dealer has coupons on the website, next time you go, just print out a coupon. The $79 oil change comes with a tire rotation too.

 

Forgot the tire rotation, but like I said, "overpriced" oil change, washer top off and inspection. I dropped a hint, take it leave it. Happy motoring.

 

I recently was told by toyota that our camry hybrid 30K service would be a minimum of 350. I looked at the service reccomended in the owners manuel. It seems that it is just a oil change with check of the air filter and cabin air filter. So I took the car to Oil Can Henrys and changed oil for 40 and went to local parts store to get engine and cabin air filters another 50 or so. I went to youtube and watched a video that showes how to change these filters. they are very simple and it takes only a couple of miniutes to do. I think I saved my self $300+. having service done at the stealership is a waste of money IMO

 

The 30K service is on your wallet, not the car.

 

The 30k service is only this:

Oil change
engine and cabin air filter replace
and tire rotation

The rest are just inspections, which you don't really need or you can do it yourself.

My vehicle has 45k miles and I recently took my vehicle to the dealership for that Safety recall, that's it. Everything else, I just do my own oil change every 10k miles, change my engine filter every 30k, cabin air filter every 15k, changed my transmission oil at 30k. Nothing special.

Its better to save that money and do it yourself.

 

I don't have any filter recommendation since I've been using the Toyota filters. I have tried Auto Zone engine and cabin air filter as well, they weren't that bad.

thanks for watching our videos!

 

I just took my 2011 Prius in for 3 year/30k service. The local dealer gave me two options: $90 for the traditional 5k service (oil change, rotate tires, multipoint inspection) or $270 for the 30k service. I opted for the $90 service, figuring the multipoint inspection is fine for me.

I just also want to say that yesterday my car turned 3 years old; warranty now officially expired. This is the first car I've ever owned that did not have a single warranty issue! (Now that I said that, it will probably break down tomorrow!)

 

I've been doing my own oil and {oil, cabin, engine} filter changes, etc. The nearby dealers are happy to do a free inspection, with the hope that they'll find something to bill me for. So far, they haven't...