Genuine oil-filter.... At any price?

I've seen these offered in the US for under $4.00 - here in the UK it's possible to pay just a little more!!!

£35.99 + £7.71 UK delivery so a total of £43.70 or $62.17 US!!!

 

P'raps after Brexit, we can get some of the tariffs removed and it might even be worth importing something, anything, from the USA. But, at the moment it is usually not worth the eye-watering shipping costs plus the duty to be paid at this end..!

When I see prices like this - and it happens a lot - I wonder if it is an error, or do they really catch enough suckers to make a business out of this sort of thing?

 

There is a huge variation. I get the impression that almost no one but an accredited Toyota dealer sells 'genuine' parts in the UK. But, every now and then, one of them will have an Ebay shop and will offer discounts. eg I was able to buy 1 litre bottles of ATF WS for £9.95 including postage, where the local dealer charges £15.00 over the counter. (They say you can ask them for anything, and they will place a listing on Ebay)

My local dealers (all the same group) want £295 for a service which is really just an oil and filter change, plus 'inspection' of a bunch of other things. Even if I buy the oil and filters from them at full-whack retail price, I can do the same job myself for about £80.00. Buying quality, named-brand filters and oils, I can do it for maybe half that again.

They do, BTW, offer a free Hybrid Battery check when you buy a service (normally costs about £40) - once out of the 5 year or 100 000 mile warranty, they then extend the warranty on the battery by one year or 10 000 miles based on the result of the test. ie They'll offer to guarantee the battery so long as they are darn sure they won't need to!.

It's nice to have a factory guarantee when something really expensive blows - but I see low mileage (sometimes less than 2000 miles) - engines, transmissions, and main invertors, going on Ebay for amazingly low prices. So I really am wondering if it is worth maintaining the warranty by paying a kings ransom to a dealer, or srather take a gamble. Service the car extra carefully and conservatively myself, and take the bet that I don't ever have a major breakdown? After all - these cars are supposed to be amongst the most reliable on the market. That's why we bought them... I certainly get the impression from Priuschat, that its only at very high mileages you tend to get problems?

 

BTW I just bought two MANN filters for my other cars - that happen to be the same as used on my Toyota Yaris (and the Prius) . They are a very highly regarded brand, and I got two for £4.99 each including free delivery to my door.. The Genuine Toyota version, from the local dealer is £14.00 over the counter.

Mann W68/3 Oil Filter Spin On 75mm Height 66mm Outer Diameter Service | eBay

 

You apparently have to prove that servicing was one to the correct standard using the correct parts. I've heard it said that it needs to be by a business that is VAT rated. ie has more than - I think it's - £70 000 a year turn-over. But I would be inclined to carefully document my servicing, keep receipts etc, and do it under my business name (which is NOT VAT rated, being too small) and make them look very bad in the media if they failed to stand by the warranty.

My costs, using genuine oil and filter from the local stealer, would be £14 for the filter, £52 for 5l 0w20 and about £1.50 for the washer. so £67.50 - $121 CND - $96 US


If I use 0w20 of the correct grade from elsewhere - £22 for 5 Litres, Top quality filter £4.99, Washer about the same, £1.50 so £28.50 in total or $51 CND

 

I think profit margins on new cars are so small, to make money and support those very fancy dealerships, and all the advertising, they need to extract the maximum amount of cash from the customer after the sale. Not only charging high prices, but I'll bet a lot of up-selling goes on too. Just the atmosphere in my local dealer gave me the creeps. I sat waiting 20 minutes or more to speak to someone from the spares department, then gave up and walked out...

 

Two cars that I have recently based my business around, were two little Daihatsu Kei cars - one manual, one auto . I bought them both when they were 7 years old, and had been owned by elderly folk who did low mileages. So they both looked like new and had done about 9000 miles. They've never been near a dealer. In fact Daihatsu (part of Toyota) have now pulled out of Europe completely.

I change the oil, I change the exhausts every couple of years and very occasionally the first o2 sensor loses the heater circuit and has to be replaced. I think I know somewhere where I could get genuine parts if needed to, but I never have yet.

They seem to be pretty bulletproof, and have helped me make my living for about 8 years now at minimal cost or trouble. I'm hoping the Yaris will do the same!

 

Yup - that's my thinking too. Silly really, if I'd had good service from them, I might well have taken the easy path and let them do everything for me... My friend Arthur isn't so keen on me working on cars these days - Arthur 'Itis, that is... I see there is an oustanding voluntary recall outstanding on the car, so when the annual MOT inspection is due in August, p'raps I'll get them to do the Inspection and do the recall job at the same time.

I wonder if their is anywhere you can see what the actually recalls are for? No details are given in My Toyota.

 

No letter. Also nothing in the service record etc in 'My Toyota'. It's just by chance that I saw they had a 'Recall checker' elsewhere on the site.

Here's what it says about my car:

<quote>

To find out whether a current safety recall includes your vehicle we have developed a 3 step process below.
Confirmation

We have identified that your Toyota is subject to a voluntary customer service campaign or outstanding safety recall.
This can be rectified at no cost.

If you require any further information or wish to make an appointment, please contact your local Toyota Dealer.

We like to ensure your records are always accurate, but you can help us by updating your details in My Toyota.

</unquote>

I'll have to phone them sometime, just in case it is something important.

 

I managed to get through to their central Recall Administration Dept - Turns out it is the Drivers Airbag that needs to be changed!

I should, it seems, have had a letter - but it was pure chance that I found and used their Recall Check, otherwise I'd be none the wiser. yet another black mark for Toyota... I get less an less impressed by Toyota UK all the time!

They need the car for an entire day - which seems odd given that the drivers airbag can be removed and replaced in less than 5 minutes! (I know, because I did it when fitting the Cruise Control switch. Still - its Toyota corporate will be paying for the part and labour, not me.

 

Apparently its a two-hour job. So I guessed it might be more than just changing the bag itself. It really annoys me that they would sell a car with an outstanding recall - one that has caused death and injury....