Service recommended at 5K -- worth the trouble?

I went ahead and did the 5k service. Figured it was a good chance for them to take a look and see if anything was amiss after 5k miles. They didn't find anything, hopefully they did a thorough check. If I had to pay for it, I probably wouldn't have done it. Our dealer has an express service operation for things like this and oil changes so it was pretty much stop by and wait for 20-30 minutes for them to do it.

 

I always hit 6 months before I get to 5000 miles so I always take my car in regardless of what is on the maintenance schedule.

 

Think of it like the first day of school: short and relatively painless.

 

i had the oil changed at 5k and 15k. skipped the 10k and 20k.

 

I like a first oil & filter change at around 2500 miles, then again at 10,000 - thereby getting on the 10k interval.

 

Not worth my time. If you visit the dealer go early in the day. They don't replenish the donuts.

 

With my gen 3 I did my first oil change at 5k, my second at 10 k, and then after that I started 10k mile OCIs.

 

I'm thinking of that as a go-to.

 

This is definitely an American debate. Just to the north of you in Canada the drill is new oil and filter every 8000 km (~5000 miles) or 6 months.

Then in Alaska it's back to yearly or 10,000 miles, lol.

 

Preventative Maintenance is the same for most all cars including the Prius. Just because it doesn't break as often as the others using the "minimum" factory recommended...doesn't mean you take less care of it.

 

How long does it take to get an oil change/maintenance check up at Toyota? Also once our free maintenance expires and or we have trouble with our car, is it better to go to local mechanics for better prices or should we to go Toyota since they probably know more about Prius' than the average mechanic? Where should we go if our screen, mirror etc. isn't working? Can non official Toyota mechanics order parts from Toyota to fix something like the blind spot mirrors?

 

about an hour, but it varies from dealership to dealership, depending on how organized they are.
you'll get different opinions on what to do for non free/warranty service. if you have a trusted mechanic, she can do any and all service depending on her level of knowledge.
a good mechanic will tell you when something is over their head, and to take it to the dealer. many of the complicated systems have 3, 5, 8 or 10 year warranty, so you have plenty of time to look around. if not take it to the dealer until you find one.
yes, anyone can order toyota parts, even us.

 

Bisco!

 

i must have had a señor momento.

 

Does any one have the pre delivery check list from the dealer, would be nice to give it a one over make sure it was done properly....thanks.

 

Free tire rotation, free fill up of washer fluid and what have you, and a professional once over.... Absolutely get it done. You will be in and out and your tires will thank you.

Plus free Coffey and Donuts

 

Oh gosh, first day of school is a good analogy. For me though, it is long and grueling. Nothing is learned and there is plenty of waiting and roll calling listening intently for your name to be called.

It's free, why not? I brought it in for 5, 10, 15, & 20. I didn't get an appointment for the 5 and it was a 4 hour wait. I did get them to turn off the backup beep although the service advisor annoyingly told me they couldn't do it. Then paused for dramatic effect while my anger built up just say, they can only change it to one beep. Jerk!

For the 15, I made an appointment and it took 4 hours, same as the 10k appointment which included an OCI.

I couldn't bear to bring it in for the 25k. Been doing 10k maintenance ever since. Don't follow what I do. Obviously, my experience is dealer specific. They always had coffee, doughnuts, and fast WiFi.

 

4 hrs for a routine 5k interval service with an appt is insane. Everytime l've taken my 3 Prius (2 past, 1 present) for any dealer provided service it's only ever taken 1-2hrs max or so..??

I'll edit to say 4 hrs is insane if they know you are waiting for you car and it's not a drop off...

 

My oil was changed at 1k, 5k and every 5k thereafter. Based on owning 50 cars over my lifetime and driving a car with start stop that allows an accumulation of water in the crankcase, I believe in changing the oil and not the engine. If I were accumulating more highway miles per 6 months, I might stretch it a bit. At 7500 a year, I don't adhere to the 6 month rule. I do check oil levels and tire pressures myself.

My 5k was free. I get a ride home from the dealer van. I don't wait.

I'm the guy you want to buy a used car from.