Maintenance Slacker

You should give the local dealer service dept a chance before you start to judge them. And bad service is better than no service on the car.

Do not drive 200 miles for an oil change, basically all your new car will need

 

definitely don't drive 200 miles for an oil change. if you don't want to use a local dealer, a quick lube place can be a poor choice if you don't know how to watch their work and check the oil level when their done.

your best bet is finding a local garage through AAA. all the best!

 

Go into the nearby dealership, with your eyes open. Do your homework in advance, know what you're there for. Tell them, watch for the upsell. If it comes let them know you just want the basics.

 

I believe that a place you trust is the most important. I'd even forgo the 'free' scheduled maintenance visits to an untrusted dealership, instead paying for it at a trusted shop.

That said, I put far less trust in most chain-franchise oil change places than in the dealerships where I purchased my cars, but do have my favorite local independent shops (one for Honda/Toyota, another for a different brand in the household) that are preferred over those dealerships.

 

I have had no problems getting a Toyota serviced locally by the only dealer in town despite shopping at the same dealer and then going 2 states away to buy just because I didn't like being forced to buy SET options put on all the cars by the distributor, options I didn't want at those prices. The sales manager and the general manager both called me and I explained why I didn't buy from them. Despite that, the service has been excellent and the service managers cooperative and reasonable and I have no complaints.

Before that I was taking an Acura, CRV and Porsche to the local quick lube place and standing 4 feet away watching what they put in and did. Never had any problem once they understood I was paying them for the ease of service, and could have done it myself.

 

I do not live in Atlanta and I know nothing about this garage but I did a little online research to try to help you. There is a garage in Atlanta that has good reviews. The name of the garage is AAA Car Care Plus, 2161 Lavista Road Northeast, Atlanta, GA., phone (404) 235-6754. Why not drop over and talk to them? I would not go to a franchise oil change place.

 

ask them if you can bring your own oil and filter and watch them install it.

 

Please let us know how you make out.

 

sounds like you made a very savvy move. you can do that with your maintenance as well. don't feel rushed just because you're overdue, it's not that big a deal. who was maintaining your high mile lexus?

 

too far to go back there?

 

If we are only talking oil change, just go where it's convenient. Your local dealer sounds like the best choice for that service

 

The scheduled service is free, and considering the cost of 0-20 synthetic oil changes it seems silly to do anything other than take it to a dealer.

 

I always question if whether the dealer puts in the right 0w20 oil or cut costs by giving you a dino 5w20. You would never really know.

 

Unless you have reason to not like it's shop.

'Free' is not always a good deal. In the long run, 'free' but incompetent service is more expensive than correct work at full price from someone competent and trustworthy. There are some shops that will never touch my cars again, even for 'free' service.

 

I can't see the dealership switching oil, especially if it's spec'd 0W20, on the invoice. I mean, I can buy liters of Toyota 0W20 from the dealership up here, for $5.63 Canadian. There's no point.

There's something comically wrong with the picture, if you're supplying oil and filter, breathing down their necks while they do an oil change. If it comes to that, just for peace of mind, theirs and yours: I'd just go the DIY route, screw the freebies.

 

But other people claim to have seen it, when the shop had other oil on hand in far cheaper bulk form. Especially when 0W20 was relatively new.

On a prior car of a different brad, after noticing the shop put in heavier oil than specified, the next time I specifically asked for the grade recommended by the owners manual. They agreed, but didn't tell me until afterward that they had none in stock. They had to send a gopher out to buy it at a nearby automotive chain, at the highest possible price, plus a markup to cover the gopher's labor. I soon found an independent shop with much better service.