What did you pay for you 30k check up

$24.99

 

$760.90

based on purchasing the premium pre paid maintenance plan at the dealer for $1395 and using 8 coupons @ 30,000 miles!

 

Cost:
-Oil Change&Tire rotation $35
-Engine Air Filer $20
-Cabin Air Filter $25
Total Cost: $80

Reason: All that is required at 30/60/90 (as per the Prius Service Schedule) is an oil change, tire rotation, engine airfilter, and cabin airfilter. To simplify things (and make a lot of extra money) many dealers charge a flat rate for 30/60/90 services, no matter what your car actually requires. So they take the cost of doing lots of additional services (which some cars require) like coolant flush, transmission fluid and filter change, spark plugs, fuel filter, etc. and then just apply that price to everyone. By simply changing your own filters (10 minutes max. and the instructions are in the owners manual), or telling the dealer to only do those two tasks (~$50 for the filters), you save anywhere from $300-500 at each of the service intervals.

P.S. I know the manual also says to 'visually inspect' a number of items but that is a joke, I watched them do the visual inspection the first time and only time I got ripped off for a 30/60/90k service. It was a quick peek under the car while draining the engine oil. So please save yourself the money and don't ask the dealer for a 30/60/90 service, just have them do the services that are required, or even better do them yourself

 

I DIY so my materials cost is around $61, including:

$8 for 3.5 qts of engine oil and Toyota oil filter
$25 for 4 qts of Toyota ATF WS transaxle fluid and two aluminum washers
$13 for Toyota engine air filter
$15 for Toyota cabin air filter

 

Don't go to the dealer and ask for a "30K service or chechup". They will rip you off for $200-$300.00 .

Get the oil changed / tire rotation however you usually do it, and purchase the engine air-filter / cabin filter and do-it-yourself. So easy.

If so inclined, do it all yourself. It'll cost maybe $60.00

 

All you need is an oil change & 2 air filters (if not changed earlier). A year ago on-line prices for the air filters ranged from $12-$16 each plus shipping. If you buy enough the shipping costs less than sales tax.

 

First read the Scheduled Maintenance Guide, and then take it with you. Show the proper X months/Y miles page to the service writer. Tell them you want those items and nothing else. If they want a lot more than $80 take it somewhere else.

 

When I did my 30K it was about $256, but they wanted to include new tires and fuel injection service on top of that.

 

I took my car (now 33K) to a local place that does the regular maintenance on our Benz. Since I am using synthetic oil...and I provide the Toyota's oil filter, (I bought a case) they charge me about $40 for the service.
Tire rotation is done at Mavis, since I purchased tires from them, I receive a life time free service ....every 5K.
I purchased both filters from the Toyota dealer, approx. $30 (next time I will shop around for a better price) and changed them myself.
I too did a "visual"...visually my car looks and feels great! (except for the vibrating dashboard - that's another story)
30,000 maintenance service cost me approx. $80 plus my time and effort.

 

Wow paprius, it looks like those of us who read Galaxie's "What Maintenance you need & DON'T need" thread are in the minority.

 

LOL I guess your right. I change all the filters ect. myself. Since I have a decent dealer I don't bother changing the oil myself I let them do it. The first time a "new service advisor" was there he tried to talk me into one of those packages. After i asked him what they do different from the "courtesy checks" when they do a oil changes he sheepishly admitted "well nothing I guess, yeah you just need an oil change":deadhorse:

 

in anticipation of the expiration of my warranty, is there anything in particular that the dealer (or I) should inspect/replace? I a bit paranoid about the expiration and would like to cover my butt.

 

Once it expires, it doesn't matter what you did or didn't do.