My 30,000 mile service experience

With 30,000 miles coming up I had done some research on the Prius Chat forums and decided to
A. Have the transaxle fluid changed (in addition to an oil/filter change)
B. Not pay for the standard 30,000 mile service charge which is mostly inspections and a big profit source for the dealer.

I was going to take it to the dealer from where I had purchased my Prius and had been getting my first two years complimentary services performed. But on a whim decided to call another dealer and compare prices. That one phone call saved me $70.00. Yeah baby! I also asked the service writer, Mark, if they would use the ATF WS fluid for the transaxle change. "Yep."

A few days later I pulled into the service bay at 08:00 with exactly 30,000 miles on the odometer. I'm that good.
Mark and I had an unspoken understanding that I didn't want the standard 30,000 mile treatment. He asked if I was going to take care of the filters and tire rotation on my own, and after telling him I would he mentioned nothing else about it. I was fully prepared to have to resist the upsell but it never came. And it gets better - when I signed off on the work to be performed, I saw a note by Drain and Refill Transmission Fluid that stated, "Make sure to use W/S fluid." I complimented Mark on remembering our phone conversation and that I appreciated his conscientiousness. He told me that a few times in the past the mechanics had replaced the WS fluid with another type and that the Prius owners had rightly complained. So he had a talk with the shop guys and said that Prius owners in particular are very rigid about their car maintenance and if WS fluid is taken out then WS fluid needs to be put back in - simple as that. Needless to say I was impressed.

Cost:
Valvoline 0W20 Synthetic Oil change and oil filter: $51.95
Drain and refill transmission WS fluid: $97.32
Shop supplies: $5.76
Tax: $10.46
Dealer Courtesy Inspection: $0.00
Total: $165.49

I'll have Discount Tire do a free rotation. I picked up an engine air filter for $24.99 which I'll install myself, which puts my total at $192.17. I plan to get my next transaxle fluid change at 90,000 miles. Overall I feel really good about the value I received, in large part due to researching the PC forums. Now it's time to go and wash my Prius.

 

Yeah I've read plenty of bad dealer experiences on this site and so wanted to share a positive one.

Also meant to mention that I took the occasion at 30,000 miles to look at my spare tire for the first time (shame on me). It had 42 PSI so I filled it to 60 PSI. it was also good to acquaint myself with the use of the spare.