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Prius "Recommended Maintenance" at 25K miles

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by gr8mpg, Jun 29, 2022.

  1. gr8mpg

    gr8mpg Junior Member

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    I took my 2016 Prius 3 with 25,000 miles on it in for an oil change today.
    My Toyota dealer service advisor told me I also needed the following additional services:

    Alignment + Brake Flush $300.00
    Hybrid Battery Service $185.00
    Engine & Inverter Coolant Flush $315.00
    Engine Clean w/ Throttle Body $385.00
    Transmission Flush $275.00

    Total: $1,460.00


    According to my 2016 Prius manual, none of these
    services are required at 25,000 miles / 6 Years.
    Should I report my dealer to Toyota for trying to
    sell maintenance that is not actually recommended by Toyota?
    Maybe they are trying to sell unnecessary services because
    the have practically no cars to sell?
     
    johnHRP, Mendel Leisk and bisco like this.
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    run!!!:eek:

    unfortunately, toyota already knows. and yes, with a dearth of cars to sell, service is where it's at.

    but this behavior is not new, i've been seeing it for 40+ years

    good for you for recognizing criminal behavior! (y) too many get hornswaggled
     
    #2 bisco, Jun 29, 2022
    Last edited: Jun 29, 2022
  3. CooCooCaChoo

    CooCooCaChoo Active Member

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    Call them out on their bullshit. If they persist, ask them to show you where in the maintenance schedule for the car it recommends to do those things. Gotta love stealerships.
     
  4. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    This is FRAUDULENT. None of these should be needed for years and years. If ever.

    I'd report them to Corporate Toyota.
     
  5. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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    There's only two things I would consider on that list - but the prices are way too expensive.
    1. Brake Flush; brake fluid absorbs water over time - NOT mileage dependent. Should be around $100; if they do an actual system flush. I've seen some shops take a turkey baster and only suck-out and replace the brake fluid in the reservoir - THAT IS NOT A FLUSH. They would only be changing 1/3 of the total volume of brake fluid in your system. There are specialty tools that can measure the amount of moisture in your brake fluid. If they show you one of these tools, have them dip it in a new bottle of DOT3 brake fluid - to ensure it's working properly. That tool shouldn't be able to measure any moisture in that new bottle of brake fluid.
    2. Transmission fluid replacement; should be less than $100 in OEM Toyota WS ATF. Normally, I wouldn't replace ATF till around 75K; but with my experience, on my old Prius C. It came out pretty dark @ 25K miles. I'm assuming it was mostly break-in, wear and tear and dirty assembly process. I changed it again @ the normal 75K mile interval - the ATF was much cleaner than the 25K mile drain-out. I consider this cheap insurance and reduction of internal wear and tear. Then again these transmissions are mostly bullet-proof - I just hate to be the one that has to get one replaced or rebuilt.....

    Just my 2-cents....
     
    Doug McC likes this.
  6. thomassster

    thomassster Member

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    curious what hybrid battery service is? cleaning out the filter which takes 5 minutes and possibly running techstream to verify voltages?

    Alignment (as needed) + Brake Flush (100k, but typically as needed)
    Hybrid Battery Service (not sure what this is)
    Engine & Inverter Coolant Flush (50-150k)
    Engine Clean w/ Throttle Body (100k)
    Transmission Flush (75-100k)

    here is what I think when things should be done (all in miles). For others, this may vary depending on the typical environment you drive in.
     
  7. gr8mpg

    gr8mpg Junior Member

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    Thank you so much for all of your helpful comments. I shall post Bredemann Toyota's response
    as soon as management gets back to me. Up until yesterday, I have been happy with
    how I have been treated at this dealership, but trying to sell me unnecessary services
    leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and is quite disconcerting.
     
  8. gr8mpg

    gr8mpg Junior Member

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    This is the response from the Service Manger regarding my questioning their 25K / 6 Yr maintenance recommendations.
    What do you all think of this... does it make any sense? I am still not convinced. Thank you!


    Dear Customer:

    The recommendations made by our service advisor are meant to help maintain your vehicle for years to come. Some of these services are not mentioned in Toyota's manual for a long time, like the example of the engine coolant. However that same fluid (Engine Coolant) who's 1st replacement is recommend @10yrs/100k is also recommend to be replaced every 5yrs/50k after the 1st time. The fluid installed at the factory is the same fluid used now when it's replace at the dealer. As for the other items, they also have different time frames for replacement/exchange.

    The manual only address the minimum requirement for maintenance. Some items ie. (Alignment and Brake fluid) are never mentioned for replacement. The manual only recommends they get inspected @ maintenance intervals.


    Alignment: This helps extend the life of your tires, preventing premature wear.
    Trans Fluid: This fluid lubricates the moving parts inside of trans, also helps keep them cool, along with providing hydraulic pressure and friction to make the internal parts work.
    Hybrid Battery Service: This helps extend the life of you Hybrid Battery and its Cooling Fan by removing any and all debris/dust that builds up over time. ie. like a ceiling fan in you home needs cleaning so does the fan inside of the car.
    Inverter Coolant & Engine Coolant: This helps keep the Gas engine and Inverter from overheating while lubricating as well.
    Total Engine Cleaning & Throttle Service: This an internal cleaning of the gas engine to remove all of the carbon build up inside. Like a steam cleaning of the internal components of the engine. This will help minimize oil consumption due to Carbon build up. Helping to extend the life of your gasoline engine.

    Alignment + Brake Flush $300.00
    Hybrid Battery Service $185.00
    Engine & Inverter Coolant Flush $315.00
    Engine Clean w/ Throttle Body $385.00
    Transmission Flush $275.00
    Total: $1,460.00


    In conclusion Sheldon these are all recommendations being made to help you keep your vehicle operating at it designed performance to help minimize your cost on repairs down the road. I do agree with you that the estimated cost is high @ $1460.00 however when you step back and compare it with the cost of repairs to the components we are maintaining it makes sense. I ask you to look at the $1460.00 not as an expense but as an investment. An investment that broken down by the age of your Prius 74 month is $19.73 per month.

    You can also choose to perform service individually, gradually, all at once or not at all, totally up to you. No pressure. We are here just to help and advise. I hope all of your concerns have been addressed. If I can be of any further assistance please feel free to reach out.
    Regards,


    Service Manager
    Bredemann Toyota
    1301 W. Dempster St.
    Park Ridge IL. 60068
     
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    BS :cool:
    but hey, they have to defend themselves, they're never going to admit lying. but if their lips are moving...
     
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  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i mean, if coolant at 50k is better, why not 25k? :p

    same for any other service. sure, some things are good to do outside of toyotas rec's, but i couldn't stomach paying them $185. for a 15 minute job they may or may not do.
     
  11. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    Yes - and with TOYOTA PRIUS always in the top few models for reliability - and that would include an awful lot of TAXIs which would NEVER have additional service done - why fiddle with TOYOTA's maintenance schedule.
     
  12. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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    That was a very nice letter. Did they also send you a tube of KY jelly; to keep it from hurting too much?????
    Find another dealer or better yet; a well respected independent Prius specialty shop to support your local economy. Chicago is a large city; I'm sure there are a few to choose from.
     
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  13. CooCooCaChoo

    CooCooCaChoo Active Member

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    Yeah, follow the maintenance schedule instead of what the service manager is telling you. Toyota engineers know what the car needs and when.

    Service manager is trying to make money for the stealership because that's what they do.
     
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  14. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Just to address one of the items

    A Prius transaxle fluid “flush” for $275 USD is robbery. $100 would be tops you should be quoted.

    If you want to stick with dealership service, hopefully there are other dealerships nearby, and they’re maybe more down to earth.

    there’s a link in my signature going through the transaxle fluid change steps, with some tips. It’s 3rd gen, but 4th gen is very similar.

    attached is 4th gen instruction from repair manual. It goes on a bit much about reinstalling plugs temporarily during the process, which you can ignore; just don’t dawdle.
     

    Attached Files:

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  15. Doug McC

    Doug McC Active Member

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    The brake fluid is easily tested (and probably does need to be changed due to moisture); the coolant is easily tested, not just for its antifreeze level but for acid content (MIGHT need to be changed); the battery service in Northern Illinois? Not likely.

    You are very close to the Car Care Nut’s new shop and I would make the short trip to have him do any service you can’t. Check him out on YouTube.

    I would definitely not trust that dealership.
     
  16. thomassster

    thomassster Member

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    Your situation falls in a unique stage cause many of us typically have way more miles than 25k in 6 years. So I can see dealership recommending all the services listed as recommended at 60k miles. I don’t see the dealership as scammers. I personally feel like their miles recommendations of service is rather on point or too conservative. But I can’t speak for their service recommendation by year. As a DIYer, I may do services earlier than intended all because I intend to keep my car 10+ years. If you are thinking of keeping the car for very long, then you may consider some of these services cause although with little miles, some fluids weren’t intended to stay in the vehicle for many years. But if you are aiming for 10 years or less, then I would consider all the services overkill and not worth the value.
     
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  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i suppose you could do the brake flush without the alignment

    skip the hybrid battery srvice unless you carry shedders

    skip the engine clean with throttle body

    take the $800. balance and shop it around for $500.

    that being said, i'm at 80k and 10 years with only oil changes so far, and 12v and tires. no idea how long i'll keep her.
    same with my 17 year old dakota, runs like a top
     
  18. Doug McC

    Doug McC Active Member

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    “REALLY????
    Alignment + Brake Flush $300.00
    Hybrid Battery Service $185.00
    Engine & Inverter Coolant Flush $315.00
    Engine Clean w/ Throttle Body $385.00
    Transmission Flush $275.00
    Total: $1,460.00


    $385.00 “engine clean w/throttle body” ?????
    Transmission Flush for $275.00?????
    $315.00 for Engine and Inverter Coolant “flush”??????
    Just out of curiosity (assuming you know what these “suggested services” ACTUALLY entail) what would it take for you to see “the dealership as scammers”?
     
  19. johnHRP

    johnHRP Active Member

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    We called Toyota Stealership not a dealership. I suggest you run away and leave YELP and google review there including proof of the paper/pictures of their quote. It will help others not to get Scammed by them.
    Up to 100k miles, you only need an oil change, better every 5k miles/6 months if you can but max 10k miles/1 year, about $50 in any dealership. You may need a brake fluid flush every 5-10 years and sparkplugs at 120k miles/10 years, about $100 in any shop. There is nothing else. The coolant change interval is 150k miles/5 years that the earliest.
    The transmission fluid is very simple, only drain and refill for about 3.4 L with Toyota ATF WS, typically $100 in an independent shop. You can do it every 60-100k miles in hybrid. Ensure you always use full synthetic oil 0W-16, which does not have to be Toyota oil. Mobil1 extended performance and Pennzoil Ultra Platinum are excellent and you can safely do 10k miles intervals because of higher detergent and TBN on that oil.
     
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  20. Doug McC

    Doug McC Active Member

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    The Car Care Nut was (he left about a month ago to start his own shop) an experienced (10 years +) Toyota Tech. His new shop is TCCN Automotive and is down in Homer Glen, Il. SERIOUSLY You are so close to at Least watch his YouTube videos and give him a call. I have never met him, but if he is anything but what he claims to be I’d be surprised.
    I really think we as consumers need to stop talking this stuff laying down!