I bought my '10 V at Earl Stewart Toyota, Palm Beach FL. No dealer fees, and they offer the following. My question - what would the payback be considering the amount of maint and $$$ required at the dealer. I like that it states - factory maint, and not dealer-revised intervals or add-ons. I may get my oil changed at a dealer anyway - and if it's about $75 as expected every 5K, and 17" tires last 40K or so - this sounds like one hell of a deal. And battery. I am really bummed though - they are 190 miles from my house. Plus about $10 tolls each way. If they were 200 round trip, I'd consider a trip to the Atlantic coast / beach while they're servicing the car. But 400 R/T.... darn it. This is a great deal, right? TIRES AND BATTERIES FOR LIFE PROGRAM When you purchase a New Toyota, New Scion, or a Toyota Certified Used Vehicle at Earl Stewart Toyota and Scion, you will enjoy the benefits of Tires and Batteries for Life! This value is yours for as long as you own your vehicle and have 100% of your factory recommended maintenance performed by Earl Stewart Toyota. Tires will be replaced at no charge when the tread depth falls to 2/32" as a result of normal wear. Under-inflation and over-inflation will result in tread wear that is not considered normal, as will alignment issues that are not corrected. Vehicle owners are responsible for maintaining proper tire inflation pressure. Please check your tire pressure once a month (we'll perform this service free of charge if you desire). When the time comes to replace your tires with our Tires and Batteries for Life Program, in addition to the tires, the cost of mounting and balancing will be covered by Earl Stewart Toyota! If you choose to upgrade your tires to a more expensive model or brand, Earl Stewart Toyota will cover the cost of replacing the original tires - you pay only the difference.
Batteries - are they including Prius HV batteries or just talking about conventional 12V batteries? They're making up for this in the profit from the maintenance. Surely as soon as you miss a maintenance (i.e. done at a different dealer or yourself), this program will be disqualified.
I had the same thing on both of my Honda's and it was a waste. The 2/32 tread depth is dangerously low in my opinion (and they usually measure at the deepest tread depth not the shallowest with complete disregard to the wear markers on the tire). My dealer voided it after I started changing the oil myself for a fraction of the cost (they would charge $125 per oil change). I estimated I could change the oil myself and within a year could recoup the cost of new tires.
A few observations -- My selling dealer claims to provide oil changes for somewhere in the range of $43+tax & add-on fees, to $48.xx total. I'm sure that is for the older Prii, but when specifically asked, they were unaware of any higher price for the 2010. Haven't yet checked with the independent shop that has done the family's Hondas for the past decade. 2/32" is thinner than I run tires anymore, due to lousy wet traction. Many sources now use a more conservative figure (3/32"? I actually go by feel.) For this deal, you must get all standard service done at this particular dealer. Last year I had two trips that exceeded my standard service distance, and even exceeded the longer Prius interval. Mid-trip oil changes were needed. I want a choice of replacement tire models. Then again, your climate is much harsher on tires and batteries than is mine, so this offer would have a higher expected value for you than for me.
Of course the deal sounds good but is only good for the dealer. 1. You'll pay a higher price for the services you do need. 2. You'll pay a high price for the services you don't need. 3. I suspect the dealer will always believe your tires are better than you think and will want to replace them when they look like racing slicks. 4. You'll get the tires they want to put on the car. Don't expect an upgrade. You should only need oil & filter changes and can probably find an indy shop at half the price. At 40,000 miles you paid for 8 oil changes, an extra $160. How much for air filters? How much for the extra inspections & such? You've probably already spent enough to buy the set of tires you want. What happens when you skip something or wait too long? Game over.
They don't say what kind of tires they will use. I think a lot of Prius owners choose to upgrade their tires when the first set wears out. The 12 Volt battery should last 6 or 7 years. I don't think it's a good deal. Considering the distance you would almost certainly lose money.
Granted , businesses are created for making money. No one can expect to sign on a deal where all will be free. Then what would anybody need a business for? I have gone to Earl Stewart Toyota (EST) for the length of my Prius 2008 purchase. The dealership is not perfect but who is? I am not trying to condone them here but just to say my truth. I have received an excellent service so far (since 2008) ever since I bought and signed the tires and batteries for life. Note the "S" next to batteries... Due to heavy driving, my Prius 2008 has endured 211,300 miles and still runs like brand new. The tires have been replaced twice already with no out of pocket money (the replacement tires have lasted longer than the originals.) Relating to the hybrid battery, that has to be seen yet, but as far as I am concerned, all the documents I have from the signing package make no exclusion of the hybrid battery (at the dealership they say that "the hybrid battery is excluded...") but I will fight that with the documents I have and the "S" and the end of batteries. This has been my experience so far. Good luck!
Local dealer does a "lifetime warranty" deal as well, but they WILL NOT negotiate on sales price. It's why I didn't buy from them. More so, while having work done elsewhere DID NOT invalidate their special warranty, the fact is that I'd always have to go to them for the work. It wasn't something any Toyota place would honor. I won't say people get soaked on these deals. A reliable car needs VERY LITTLE "repair" work, and maintenance items are somewhat cheap to stock in bulk. I'm sure they run the numbers. More so, I'm sure these types of deals don't run for the life of the car, but the life of the owner. A lot of people sell/trade their cars after 5 years, so in time, they're seeing cars "invalidate" before any expensive work ever needs to be done. It's just like life and health insurance. The premiums are rigged so they always turn a profit. The higher the risk of claim, the higher the premiums.
363,000 miles with the original battery! After 13 years the hybrid battery finally gave up. I tried checking to see if EST would have honored the Tires and Batteries for Life program, which made no specific exceptions to the hybrid battery, but the response was the suspected one: "the hybrid battery is not included". I was left with no better option than having to buy a refurbish hybrid battery for less than half the price of a new one. But this is a separate story... The question remaining is: is there a history of anyone having been brought this to court ever? It appears to me that a deceitful tactic was been used for making a gain from clients who were never made aware of a limitation they never intended to disclose. (5/16/2020)
