I'm Going in for 60,000 mile Service. What Should I ask Toyota to Do and Look For ?

I'm closing in on 40 months and 60,000 miles. I know there are a few items with 60,000 mile warranties, and I want to be certain I ask the mechanic to take a look at them. Are there some TSBs out there that I should be aware of that may apply to my 2010 Prius V (Model 5, these days)?

I've already discussed the transaxle fluid issue with the service manager, and I've yet to decide whether to pay the ~$150 he is asking. I haven't had any trouble with the car (and I'm not looking for any!), but I want to know if there are wear items to check.

Suggestions? Comments?

 

Having heard nothing . . .

I'm sitting in the waiting room at the dealership. My car has 59,866 miles and is currently in surgery (minor).

I had the regular 60,000-mile service ($149) and asked for the transaxle service ($100). The tech then recommended the following:

1. EFI service (cleaning)
2. Throttle body cleaning
3. Brake line flush (due to water found)
4. A/C sanitization (recommended at 50,000 miles and I didn't do it)
5. Alignment (based on uneven wear on the inner sides of the tires).

No need to add suspense by having you guess which service I requested.

The EFI and throttle body work seems like things to do together. They also seem to be things I should do if/when I notice a performance drop. Although my FE has dropped over time (less than 1 MPG per year), I don't notice any other issues, so I think I'll wait on this.

The brake line flush seems like something of value if there is water showing up, because I do not want other issues to crop up. Not being a mechanic, I'm at a bit of a loss here, but I opted for this service.

The A/C sanitizing is something I also opted for, because I already have enough allergy issues.

Alignment will wait until after I get new tires. That will be happening within the next two weeks, so no reason to do it now.

Comments?

 

I wondered the same, and I rejected the "offer" for the work.

I also wondered the same, and I was told this was something that happened because of a particular line they used. It sounded to me more like a design flaw, but I bought it. If there was water in the brake fluid, it needs to be removed, and I don't know another way to do it.

This is one that has come up before with the Prius. I've heard of this and I've heard it recommended at 50,000 miles. I don't have a problem with this one.

Exactly. I'll be getting new tires within a week or so, and I'll have the alignment done then.

I don't know that I'd go so far as to put the "all" label on, but I would say most are doing their best to get a significant profit on their service departments.

 

Good idea. I went through them and he said most didn't apply to my car. I asked why, and he said: "Well, they apply mainly to the older ones." I said: "Older ones! I took delivery in May 2009. Who has an older one?" We then looked on the Toyota system, based on my VIN, and it wasn't showing most of the TSBs. I then asked to talk with the tech/mechanic working on my car. He came up and talked with me, and I learned quite a bit more from him than from the service writer (as if that was a surprise).

 

This one continued to bother me, so I went out to the Service Writer to ask him about it. He kept saying that water could get in through the master cylinder, and I kept wondering how and whether that wasn't a design flaw. Eventually, because of the other questions I had, also, he asked the tech/mechanic to come talk with me. He was straight with me on the other things (oil change, cabin filter, transaxle fluid change, etc.), so I said: "What about this water in the brake line?" He was a bit confused and the service writer got busy doing other things. I pressed a bit more, and he said: "Oh. The brake line flush? That's preventive maintenance."

It had me a bit peeved, but this was not long after the mechanic had talked with me about the transaxle fluid change. He said the fluid was clean and clear, just a little dark. He said there were no fines on the plug, which he said was a bit different, but not remarkable. He did say the fluid was very clean and didn't need to be changed. He also said: "Toyota says there is no need to change until well after 100,000 miles, but if it were my car, I'd change it at about 60,000." He also would go with 5,000 mile oil changes, but is fine with 10,000 mile intervals. Finally, he asked me if I could park my car away from trees, because the leaves were getting into the cabin filter and causing me to change filters earlier than necessary.

All-in-all, I may have spent money needlessly on the brakes -- or not. At least I am doing my best to prevent damage (and give profits to the dealer).

 

There is some fluid or spray used that costs $19.95, and there is a $30 labor charge. All I know is that people have complained about musty smells from their air conditioning, and for me to have something like that crop up would be disastrous. I have significant mold/mildew allergies, so that would make my car a very uncomfortable place for the 1,500 miles I drive each month.

 

Chicago: humid July-Sept, a little bit humid April, May, October, fairly cold and a bit drier the rest of the time.

 

I figured that because I haven't noticed any performance drop, I don't need to spend the time and money for this service.

I've heard similar things from others. To me, this seemed to be a safety and maintenance issue, so I felt it worthwhile.

Perhaps, but having heard of many people concerned with the development of an awful smell related to A/C, and considering my allergy issues, it was worth the $40.

I think I'll have this "straightened" out when I get new tires, sometime within the next week.

 

Thanks for the input. Didn't do the EFI, but I did change the brake fluid. I've now had many people tell me that the Prius is no different from other cars in that the climate here in Chicago will allow water infiltration and that the brake fluid will need to be changed every three years or so.

Don't know that he inverter coolant needed a change, but I wanted the transaxle fluid changed, so I had that done.