It was that time of the year again that my maintenance light went on. Being not that knowledgeable with cars I just went to take my 2007 Prius for a simple oil change and tire rotation. Anyway , the mechanic changed me about $20 for the service. And besides that, he recommended many services that had to be done on the Prius. I have a trust issue when it comes to mechanics and most of the time they're just trying to rip you off. So he recommended an air filter change, cleaning & adjustment of brakes, fuel induction service / 2 Part fuel injection , Coolant exchange , coolent flush, and replace spark plugs. The total cost they wanted was $433.06. It's insanely ridiculous! Fortunately i have a dashcam and I was able to record the whole thing but it's not much of an evidence. Is there anyway I check one of the things myself (like the air filter) and determine if he's telling the truth. I really don't know what to do here. And if they manage to get me sold , they'll think I'm an idiot and try to rip me off some more. Worse case scenario I don't want to break down in the middle of the road. Any help please?
anyone who charges 20 bucks for a tire rotate and oil change is the opposite of dishonest, unless they actually didn't do the work.
Well I forgot to mention I supplied them my own oil and oil filter so they gave me a little discount there. My miles is almost at 145k
at 145k, you need a lot of work to be done. the major is 120k. without knowing what you have done, we can't advise what needs to be done.
all the fluids and spark plugs should have been done at 120k, and the serpentine belt around 100k. you'll probably need a water pump soon.
I've bought this car used with 136k miles on it, all I've been doing is getting oil changes and this was the first tire rotation I've had. Besides that I dont have any information what kind of maintenance the previous owner done on it.
I agree with @bisco. If those things haven't already been done, they are overdue. But there's no way I'd pay to have my air filters replaced unless I had no hands or feet. It's easier than tying your shoes. The fuel induction/injection service is debatable. You could get a second price elsewhere, but I don't think those are outrageous.
Use the owner's guide and OEM maintenance schedule to determine your service needs. With a used car, it can be really tough to know what the maintenance history really is and you are right, most shops WAY oversell high profit jobs like various cleaning and flushing services that are not recommended by any OEM, regardless of time or miles.
The price for all of that work is NOT "insanely ridiculous". Does someone PAY you a salary for your time and expertise ?? A couple of things are "exaggerated" however. Coolant change is good; a "flush" isn't needed. You can do the injector cleaning with a can or two of Techron. If saving a few dollars REALLY is critical to your life......then just keep driving it until it falls apart. Otherwise consider supporting your local mechanic. You might need him someday. P.S. If the 12 V battery looks old, you probably should consider changing it.
