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Help! Dealer price gouging servicing ($650 for oil and filters).

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by uart, Mar 28, 2010.

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  1. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Background.
    I bought this 2005 prius S/H from the local dealer about Sept 2009. The car is in excellent condition and car came with a dealer 3 yr warrantee. When I enquired about changing the oil myself they told me no, and that I must have it serviced by them every 10k km (6k miles) or the warrantee is void.

    I was a bit worried about this because I’ve always changed my own oil also it gave me the feeling that they might price gouge as it appears they have a monopoly my servicing, lest I void the warrantee.

    Well now I’ve had the first service I can see that I had good reason to worry about this. It was $650.00 for just a very routine change of oil and filters (oil and air), which seems super high given that the car is in perfect condition.

    Here is the breakdown of the charges.
    Code:
      Labour                              $273
  Oil Filter MVP                      $19
  Oil pan gasket                     $2
  Element Sub nice person W603              $37
  Filter Assy, FU W603               $117
  Element Air T799                  $75
  Windscreen Washer Fluid            $1
  Oil Castrol FMX 4L                 $41
  Brake Fluid                         $18
  Misc                                 $8
  GST                                 $59
  -------------------------------------
  Total                               $650
    Does any else think that is excessive?

    Anyway I’m trying to figure out what to do for next time around. I’d like to check the legality of them voiding the warranty if it’s not serviced by them. I’d like to either get it serviced by someone else or to do the routine stuff myself (like oil and filters) and maybe just give it to them for an inspection or something. Does anyone know the legality of this type of thing in Australia?
     
    #1 uart, Mar 28, 2010
  2. thegreatll

    thegreatll New Member

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    What does this dealer warranty cover exactly?
     
    #2 thegreatll, Mar 28, 2010
  3. Silver bullit

    Silver bullit Right Lane Cruiser

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    Oh yes it is unbelievably excessive. I get my oil and filter changed for about sixty dollars. They also rotate the tires and check the brakes. This is a private shop that does Toyota and Lexus work. My understanding is that if you do the Prius maintenance with someone besides a Toyota dealer or do it yourself that is does not void the warranty. Perhaps some of the more knowledgable people on this site can verify this. Maybe you have some kind of special warranty with this dealer, I don't know. Best wishes.
     
    #3 Silver bullit, Mar 28, 2010
  4. Bob64

    Bob64 Sapphire of the Blue Sky

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    "or the warrantee is void."

    What the hell? If I were you, I'd read up on laws in your country. In the USA, there are laws (Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act) against these sort of bullshit claims.
     
    #4 Bob64, Mar 28, 2010
  5. ETP

    ETP 2021 Prime(Limit),24 Venza Limit,B52-D,G,F,H

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    Looks like a brake flush/can you confirm?
     
    #5 ETP, Mar 28, 2010
  6. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Edit : Sorry for the pervious mis-information (I was looking at the wrong schedule before, I thought it was the 70,000km service but it was actually the 80,000k service).

    So Yes, according to the 80,000km schedule they would have changed the brake fluid.
     
    #6 uart, Mar 28, 2010
  7. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Hey good call, I hadn't even checked that out properly yet. I thought the warrantee would have been a life saver in the event of something rare but costly, like a dead transmission for example, but now I read the fine print it's a pretty poor warrantee anyway. It only covers repairs up to a maximum of $1000 for any one event. Wow, at the rate these guys charge that's not going to cover one single major breakdown of any kind!

    BTW Here's a copy of (a summary of) the warrantee . (See attachment).
     

    Attached Files:

    #7 uart, Mar 28, 2010
  8. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Problem solved then. Don't let the dealer gouge you on service for a close to worthless warranty. Advice to read the contract and ask these questions *before* you buy the car is no doubt a lesson learned. By all means change you own oil ... and filters, other fluids, and assorted maintenance as the years pass. This forum has fantastic help for DIY'ers.

    Your dealer makes some of the scumbags I have read about seem almost reasonable. Hopefully you car will never require a dealer mechanic, but going to this one again seems like a poor idea.
     
    #8 SageBrush, Mar 28, 2010
  9. ursle

    ursle Gas miser

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    All items in red are wrong, you can't argue with labor, only the reason it was performed...
    The two W603 items are extremely suspicious, must be they changed your transmission filter (I hope) I can't imagine they would do this every 6,000 miles, they bled your brake fluid also, at your mileage(?) it wasn't a bad thing but you shouldn't need it again for a few more years, 75$ for an air filter is steep, you can install a K&N for that and just clean it twice a year.
    So if they did service your transmission it was a good thing, you already indicate you won't be having them service your vehicle further, a lesson learned.(for all of us)
     
    #9 ursle, Mar 28, 2010
  10. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    What is the odometer reading, and does any Toyota warranty still remain in effect on this car?

    There is no transmission filter in the Prius transaxle. In any event, if the transaxle fluid had been replaced, the service invoice should show 4 US quarts (or the liter equivalent) of Toyota ATF WS.

    I suggest the OP should return and challenge the AU$117 charge. Ask them to show you what the filter looks like and where it is installed, and take photos of the filter and its purported location.

    The engine air filter costs US$13 and the cabin air filter costs US$15 (plus shipping) if you buy from one of the Toyota dealers that offer 25% MSRP discounts for Internet sales.

    I suggest that the OP should find both filters and see if they were even replaced. If not, the OP could ask to be refunded that money as well.

    Maybe this dealer should be reported to the Australian equivalent of Better Business Bureau, should such an organization exist there.
     
    #10 Patrick Wong, Mar 28, 2010
  11. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    No there was no transmission service of any kind here.

    Does anyone know what filter "W603" is, that was $154 in total! I know they changed the air (intake) filter becasue I looked at it, and I assume that they also changed the oil filter. The 80,000 km service schedule does call for the replacment of the fuel filter. Could that be it?
     
    #11 uart, Mar 28, 2010
  12. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    The fuel filter is located inside the fuel tank, so it cannot be separately replaced.
     
    #12 Patrick Wong, Mar 28, 2010
  13. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Hi Patrick, I now have a bit more information (I just found the exact 80,000km maintenance schedule that they should have been following) and it has a fuel filter replacement that I hadn't previously noted.

    Below is a full list of the items which are listed as "replace" (which I assume they did).

    - Replace Engine Oil/filter

    - Replace air filter

    - Replace Brake Fluid

    - Replace fuel filter including in-tank filter.


    So maybe that last one is the costly "W603" thing?
     
    #13 uart, Mar 28, 2010
  14. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Hi Pat. I haven't looked and I've got no idea of whether or not it's possible, but it is listed as an item to replace at the 80,000km service. Could this be a fuel tank difference on the Australian model prius? Remember we dont have the fuel bladder so suppose there could be some other tank differences
     
    #14 uart, Mar 28, 2010
  15. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Yes, that is possible. If the fuel filter replacement is listed in the Toyota maintenance schedule then I suppose there must be an inline filter somewhere. Still, I am used to a filter costing maybe US$20...
     
    #15 Patrick Wong, Mar 28, 2010
  16. bac

    bac Active Member

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    Red Flag anyone? You should have RUN the other way at full speed. They are crooks.

    -Brad
     
    #16 bac, Mar 28, 2010
  17. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Yeah the $117 one really blew me away, I wasn't expecting that. Perhaps the FU W603 is the "internal" fuel filter and other one is the external unit. Also I thought $75 for the air filter was way over the top. It looks like I'll have to shop around a bit next time it's due for a service and see if I can find a better place to source genuine parts.

    Element Sub nice person W603 $37
    Filter Assy, FU W603 $117
    Element Air T799 $75
     
    #17 uart, Mar 28, 2010
  18. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Yeah I thought the same thing. Anyway I've been happy with the car they sold me, I just wont be going back there for parts or service after this caper.
     
    #18 uart, Mar 28, 2010
  19. justin time

    justin time Junior Member

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    Like everything else there are good and bad service shops, whether dealer or independent, and it's unfair to tar everyone with the same brush. Just as it's unfair to condemn an entire company due to a few unsubstantiated complaints.

    Best thing to do is ask around and get feedback from folks with experience with other shops. You can also just do a general web search for the name of a shop and see if there's negative or positive scuttlebutt.

    I would get some hard facts together relating to your situation, and if they have gouged you go back to the dealer and remind them that they aren't the only game in town and you plan on contacting Toyota directly.
     
    #19 justin time, Mar 28, 2010
  20. fgoodyear

    fgoodyear New Member

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    Excessive!!! WOW!!! $273 for labor, how many hours did it take to change the oil, plus air filter and check all the fluids? If it took that long, they must be the SLOWEST around. And what is the element sub assembly and the filter assembly? Was something broken? You need to ask what that was for. Also, $75 for an air filter that is less than $20 at an auto parts store. $10 a ltr for oil, that is way high even for synthetic. And $19 for an oil filter... I get mine for less than $3.

    Yes you got ripped off big time. Also, what is GST for $59? At my dealer, when it was under warranty and I took it there...... My regular service was under $100 TOTAL. Even for the warranty, you are not obligated to get your air filter, washer fluid or brake fluid at the dealer. Dealers that I know of don't require you to have the oil changed and serviced there as long as you have your receipts. Do question this....... I would have gone through the roof!!!! Dealerships don't like me, I question everything.



     
    #20 fgoodyear, Mar 29, 2010
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