Assessment of Toyota Prius Dealership Service Departments

[dzitlow]

What has been your overall reactions to and impressions of the service department at your Toyota Prius dealership? Is there anything they could do to provide a better quality of service? :idea:

[Bill Merchant]

[font=Comic Sans MS:d441ebba50]I thought the dealer I bought from, Vancouver (WA) Toyota, was really wired in. They told me I could have my own login page on their web site to look at my serevice records, etc.

So at around 5K miles (with no promised reminder email) I took my Silver Cloud in for an oil change. They did a fine job, didn't overfill.

Then they started sending me emails and snail mails about how I need to take it in for service... I contacted them and told them THEY did it. They responded it takes EIGHT [FRIGGING] WEEKS to get the data recorded on their online system.

I won't rely on their online notifications, or pay much attention to them. Plus, their system doesn't feed the national Toyota DB, so I had to enter the details there on my own.

I love my Silver Cloud. This was only an oil change and tire rotation. I hope I never need any real PRIUS SERVICE.[/font:d441ebba50]

[dzitlow]

[font=Comic Sans MS:7d75dd7423]I thought the dealer I bought from, Vancouver (WA) Toyota, was really wired in. They told me I could have my own login page on their web site to look at my serevice records, etc.

So at around 5K miles (with no promised reminder email) I took my Silver Cloud in for an oil change. They did a fine job, didn't overfill.

Then they started sending me emails and snail mails about how I need to take it in for service... I contacted them and told them THEY did it. They responded it takes EIGHT [FRIGGING] WEEKS to get the data recorded on their online system.

I won't rely on their online notifications, or pay much attention to them. Plus, their system doesn't feed the national Toyota DB, so I had to enter the details there on my own.

I love my Silver Cloud. This was only an oil change and tire rotation. I hope I never need any real PRIUS SERVICE.[/font:7d75dd7423]

Gee...what is the "national Toyota DB"? How do you access it? What do you input to it? :mrgreen:

[Bill Merchant]

Gee...what is the "national Toyota DB"? How do you access it? What do you input to it? :mrgreen:

[font=Comic Sans MS:643e63bc0e]Glad you asked! It's Toyota Owners Online. Theoretically, if you put your maintenance data up there, any Toyota dealer can get to it, so if you need help in the boonies...[/font:643e63bc0e]

[smasho]

I've been using Russ (Beaverton Or) Toyota since I first got my '02 and plan on using them for my '05. Sure wish this one came with free service too.

Never had a problem with them. They've been perfectly happy to do it by the book and have never tried to upsell high profit extras. I particularly like that the first thing they do is to wrap the driver's seat in plastic.

As far as service reminders go, most dealers contract this out to a third party. After a while the reminders can come surprisingly close to being timely.

I know that some have written horror stories about their dealers so there are some bad ones out there, but there are good ones too. Reward the good ones with your patronage.

Bill - You're happy in Vancouver, I'm happy in Beaverton; does this mean that Portland's a particularly good place to own a Prius?