To dealership or not to dealership (Service)

Maybe it is close to Possum Lake, home of the fabled Possum Lodge. I'm a man, and I can change. If I have to, I guess...

 

They check the cabin and engine air filters. I plan on asking if they're no charge items at my last Toyota Care in June. If so, I'll have them changed.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Toyota care does not cover any parts other than oil filter. They'll charge you for everything else

 

The purpose of Toyota Care in my opinion is to get you into a habit of using their services so they can sell you more services.

 

I agree.
Plus it's a nice advertising hook. "Every New Toyota Comes With Toyota Care...."
It's something salesmen can mention when they are showing vehicles.

I would say this about Toyota Care...
While it pretty much is only covering a few Oil Changes and Tire Rotations, Honda has no equivalent offering. So while the first few years of Prius ownership was maintenance charge free, I've had to pay for even the first few "simple" maintenance cycles of The Fit.
It is not a lot out of pocket but it is something out of pocket.

I took advantage of Toyota Care as long as I had it.
It's a bit underwhelming when you discover it really is only covering a few Oil/Filter changes and tire rotations, but at least it is covering that, and Toyota really doesn't have to do even that.

If Honda had a corresponding offering, I'd use it.
I think it's a good idea of Toyota's. One way or another it does promote getting people into their dealerships, and their dealership service departments.

 

Beware the dreaded dealer wallet flush! If you go to the dealer only have them service the items recommended by your owners manual, all the rest is unnecessary upset.

 

Except for transaxle fluid change. Toyota considers that lifetime.

 

A few more "off the radar but worthwhile":

1. Brake fluid change. Toyota Canada says 48K kms (30K miles) or 36 months, whichever comes first, for this, for maybe 5 years now. Toyota USA is still mum on the subject.

2. Exhaust Gas Recirculation clean out. Neither Toyota USA nor Toyota Canada acknowledge this as a maintenance, but have aknoweledged possible problems, the form of "Warranty Enhancement Program". My take, waiting for a code, while your engine cokes up and overheats, not good. Somewhere between 50K and 100K I would pull this off and clean thoroughly. I did mine at 72K kms, don't regret it.

3. Clean Intake Manifold. Kind of tied into above, because EGR gasses pass through specific channels, plus it gets the dump from PCV valve. Interval per above?

4. Installed Oil Catch Can on PCV circuit. ASAP, I would say.

5. Complete brake inspection, including removal/inspection/cleaning of pads and shims, relube of caliper pins and (at least if there's any pulsation): check of disc runout, thickness. This is an outlier, because it is in the maintenance schedule, but it seems like a lot of owners, and I'd assume dealerships, choose to ignore this, postpone it till pads require replacement. It is listed, as 30K miles or 36 months IIRC.

 

Get your filters at Wallymart or Amazon and save lots. Those are simple to change.

 

You cannot get Toyota brand filters from Walmart. Many other brands are inferior.

I order Toyota brand filters either from Amazon or an online dealer, whichever is less expensive at that time.

 

Prodigyplace I have used non dealer filters from Walmart and other retailers for many many years. Fram filters, for one example, are of equal and sometimes better quality than Toyota "brand" filters. You don't think Toyota makes their own filters do you?

 

I quit using Fram filters specifically a few years ago when it was obvious their engine air filters were inferior. After using a better oil filter on my older car I noticed the oil noticeably cleaner after a couple of changes.
Toyota does not make their own filters but they must meet Toyota’s specifications.

Actually Hastings is another good brand. That is what I used after Fram.

 

Google that if you want a good read.

In every test I've seen with oil filters cut open to see what's inside, Fram have been the worst-in-class: cardboard instead of metal/plastic end caps, sub-par filter media, sketchy valves.

 

Apart from the crappy ads used to monetize the video, this mechanic gives a good demonstration of why Fram filters are horrible.

LG-H918 using PriusChat mobile app

 

Let me preface that this is just what I did and others did differently but... I bought my 2010 brand new and the dealership has done every single service. I'm going in next week for my 140k mile oil change.

The reason I did it this way is 2-fold:

#1 Most importantly, I greatly value the hybrid warranty (10 years/150k miles) and didn't want to do a single thing that might jeopardize it. (for instance, something expensive goes out but I can't prove I did Service X at mileage xxxx so warranty denied). Yes I know this is rare and maybe paranoid, but so be it.

#2 The Prius services are rare and cheap enough that the savings to do it myself was never significant enough to warrant my time, or potentially jeopardizing #1.

I will say that one plus to #1 is that when something did need to be done, I could say with confidence that that dealership had sold it to me and been the ONLY one to ever service anything on it (besides tires) and they quickly took care of it. They've always done free bulbs and state inspections and everything else. When I eventually replace it, they will take very good care of me.

Hope that anecdote is helpful. As I said, others may vary, but that's what I did.

Once my hybrid warranty ends I'll probably start doing my own oil changes (full synth every 10k is no sweat) but otherwise I've been very happy with my local dealer (White River Toyota).

EDIT: I do buy and replace my own air and cabin filters.

 

I buy Toyota oil filters by the case on eBay from which ever dealer sells them the cheapest.

I never worry about Toyotas warranty.

 

I buy 'em one at a time, at the dealership ($8.62 CDN), every 6 months. Plus the drain bolt washer, which practically rivals the filter for cost ($2.53).

 

In ten years of ownership of my Gen 2 Prius the only thing I bought from my local Toyota dealer was four quarts of transmission fluid and the aluminum gasket for the transmission drain plug and no service. They don't send me Christmas cards.

 

Maybe you're afraid to walk by the shiny new cars in the show room...

 

You got that right, that's almost what happened this last time. Took my Grand Marquis in for a recall and walked to the Toyota dealer next door and "BAM" another new car. Did I need another car, NO.