Just had 30,000 mile service: cost me almost $400 bucks!!

Maybe I'm just suspicious, but I'd add to that "And show me the diagnotic code and/or broken part if you're going to tell me that I need something other than the standard maintenance."

 

i took my guide that came with the car, pointed to what i wanted so there was no confusion, and gave them a couple of extra instructions (synth oil, tp @ 50/48, etc)

when it was all said and done (oil change, tire rotation, air filter change, 16-point check) for $90. and I thought that was too much...

if the dealer told me it was going to be more than $200, I'd go somewhere else and/or call Toyota Cust. Service

 

Toyota service departments are suppose to get written permission from the customer before all work that is to be started. The service department writer will inform customers that certain items need to be completed according to the service manual we all get with our cars upon purchase. The customer should know these are simply recommendations. The writers may infer that your warranty requires the work to be done but that is hardly the case.
We all know you should keep your oil changed every 5,000 miles. I know there are oil brands, AMS or Royal Purple that double or triple that recommendation but if something were to happen to these engines Toyota may say these are the base requirements and the warranty is voided f you wait 10 or 15 K between oil changes. Maybe Royal Purple or AWS would replace the engine...I dont know. Some of these suggested recommendations do not affect the cars major parts warranty like the engine.
Once the service people tell you what you need you should get a price on each item. I sold my SUV right after I purchased an oxygen sensor which was expensive. In retrospect, there was no need for it. I did not have any drop in my MPG's to warrant it. I think we need to quickly replace parts that go bad but not because the service manager anticipates we will soon need it.

 

Technically if the O2 sensor was starting to go out and not out completely you may not have had a decline in MPG. A drop in mileage isn't the reason to change a faulty O2 sensor, it's just a symptom. The O2 sensor was probably just beginning to fail. It's a shame we (you) have to pay so much for a $20 O2 sensor. I wish we didn't get raped so bad on simple parts.

 

on the bright side the OP just made someones boat payment ...

 

I just did the 270K miles service on my Lexus SC400. Cost me about $400:

Timing belt.
Timing belt idler pulley.
Timing belt tensioner pulley.
Timing belt hydraulic tensioner.
Cam seals x 2.
Crankshaft seal.
Water pump.
Serpentine belt.
Serpentine belt idler pulley.
Spark plugs (platinum x 8).
Caps.
Rotors.
Plug wires.
Engine oil and filter.
Flushed coolant.
Thermostat.
Flushed power steering fluid.
Flushed hydraulic fan fluid.
Flushed transmission fluid.
Checked compression (all within 3% of each other and at factory new levels still).

Of course I did it all myself otherwise it would have cost $2500 at a dealer.


Brake fluid and rear diff were flushed last year, so they're not due.

Toyota just has the most amazing reliability. I use the cheapest wal-mart brand oil and go 10K between changes. I suspect the car will go another 270K miles easily.

Most dealers that charge outrageous amounts for a 30K service list a lot of stuff that they do to make it look like it's worth the money, but if you look carefully, everything except the oil, filter, and tire rotation is an "Inspect and Check" item. The ironic thing is that:

1) Often they don't actually perform the inspect and check because they know the likely hood of anything being out of order is miniscule.
2) Even if you don't pay the outrageous price, they will often do the "inspect and check" items for anything that might be out of order because they'll get paid to fix it under warranty.

So if you pay them for the "inspect and checks", you're paying them to find stuff that would be covered under warranty anyways. What a great deal for the dealership.

Once we go to electric cars, the dealer service department will be a thing of the past as all electric vehicles have almost no moving parts and don't have any regular maintenance.

 

those weren't oem parts, were they sorka?

 

I just had my 30,000 mile oil change. They wanted to do a 30,000 mile service. I asked what's in it. He started with the air filter. I said. No, I have a filter at home and I can do that myself. Just the oil change and rotation. And that's all they did.

I think one of the things they wanted to do was flush and refill the radiator. I think I remember reading her somewhere that isn't needed at 30,000 miles.

 

I have an electric sewing machine. Even *I* take that in for servicing every 100,000 miles or so (Every 10-15 years.)

 

Well, sort of. They're not branded Toyota but they are all Toyota OEMs. Toyo, NSK, GMB, and ContiTech. The toyota labeled versions would have been about $600 from a mail order dealership like Sewell. Or about $1200 if you bought them at a local Lexus dealership as their typical markup is about 100%.

 

Cabin filter change at my dealership in Ca. is $58.005

 

Honest dealers will do a courtesy inspection before your warranty expires. Failing that, you should go to a an independent specialist who will actually look for stuff gone wrong. Most likely the dealer didn't actually inspect or check anything.

In fact, all they likely did was change the oil. They might have changed your cabin filter if it was obviously really dirty, but often dealers will skip any step they think you won't notice. i.e. if the treadwear was even front to back, then they most likely did not rotate the tires. I've caught dealers in the past pulling this crap by marking my tires in an inconspicuous way with a ballpoint pen just to see if they really rotated them. They didn't and their excuse is always that it was a rare one time mistake.

That's why I always do all my own servicing without exception...unless it's a warranty repair item that won't cost me anything of course.


The reality is that for your $366, they most likely spent no more than 15 minutes on your car and probably not even that as they were probably changing the oil on 5 other cars(the one service tech) simultaneously to cut down on overhead. When I change my oil, I tend to do all of the cars at once which is why I have multiple sets of service ramps.

 

$108 represents a very nice profit margin on the oil filter, 4 quarts of oil, and two filters. As a DIYer I spend <$40 for the correct Toyota-brand parts and Castrol GTX motor oil, buying the parts from a dealer that sells discounted Toyota parts and buying the oil from a local discount auto parts store that offers purchase rebates; presumably the sellers are making a profit on the sales to me.

For fun, I suggest that you look at your engine air filter housing, which is the large black plastic rectangular assembly which is prominent when you open the hood. Do you see any fingerprints on it? Open the housing by removing the four metal clips. Look at the bottom of the air filter. Is it new?

You may also want to check your cabin air filter to see if it is new or not. To access it, you will have to empty the contents of your lower glove box, then remove the damper on the right-side with your right hand by pulling it off the plastic pin. Squeeze the glove box together using your two hands so that it can be lowered to the ground. Look behind the space that the glove box previously had occupied and find an off-white rectangular assembly. This can be pulled out and contains the cabin air filter. Look at the filter and see if it is clean or dirty.

Now that you've learned how to access the two filters, why not change them yourself in the future and save some money. I suggest this be done as often as 15K mile intervals, depending upon the quality of the air in your area. The engine air filter needs to be changed when you hold it up to the sun and cannot see light passing through. The cabin air filter needs to be changed when you become disgusted at the amount of debris on it, realizing you are breathing through that.

Also look at the tops of the four spark igniters which are located on top of the engine valve cover. Are they clean, or covered with a film of dirt? If the latter, any fingerprints visible? If the igniters look like they are covered with an undisturbed film of dirt, then there is no way that the spark plugs were examined.

You were charged for almost three hours of labor. I would really be surprised if all of the listed service items were actually done.

 

new forum member here...great thread and timely since my 40k mile service light just went on. now i will know that when i take the car in i should tell them i just want my oil (and oil filter) changed: nothing else.

Thanks!

 

excellent!!...hmmm too late for TOTM nomination?

 

All of the job that you listed could easily be done by a DIY'er. A Cabin Filter is so easy to acquire and please do not pay someone to replace the filter for you. Save yourself some money. The rest are pretty much safety check....I can see the brake job, but that can be done for free...most places do a brake inspection for free. The 13 point inspection is a joke! You definitely got ripped off by your dealership.

If you plan to keep your car for a long time, know your car in and out. Learn how to troubleshoot problems and make sure to consult this forum for advice. Drive safely. Regards.

 

Live and learn :_> Most dealer's service departments will try stuff like this, but you might take it to another one next time for a comparison.

Oh, and: no matter who does it, always always always check the oil level yourself before driving away from an oil change. Doing that can find some very expensive mistakes before they become expensive.

 

Well, don't feel bad. I just spent $549 for the 30,000 mile checkup in NJ. Then they told me I needed an EFI injection service ($154) and of course the air cabin filter replaced ($43). I had gone in with a flat tire which needed to be replaced with a new one ($153). I didn't get the 15,000 mile checkup because they charged so much so I felt I should get the 30,000. I could have gone to a local mechanic, but worried that the Prius may require special knowledge. He would have charged $179 for the 30,000 mile service. After looking on the checklist, I didn't really see anything that looked hybrid-specific.

 

Mine was more than $50 and less than $55. Oil and filter change and tire rotation. Am I missing something?