toyota no cost care maintenance about to expire

Opinions Wanted

My no cost toyota care maintenance plan is about to expire 2 year 25,000 mile plan, on my 2012 Tacoma

Question, Do I buy a maintenance program from Toyota Finance for
5 year 55,000 for $1,350.00
5 year 75,000 for $2,210.00

Or do I just take over the maintenance myself?

Thanks for the Input in advance

 

Do the maintenance yourself.

 

What kind of maintenance is really required other than changing your oil and rotating tires?

Sparkplug and any other fluid change isn't really needed until 50k miles on most vehicles.

 

Not on the Tacoma...

Spark plugs have a 30k mile service interval, so do the diffs/transfer case.

Do the maintenance yourself, plenty of tutorials out there if you don't already have the knowledge.

If you don't have the tools on hand, spend that $1,500 you'd spend on the pimple face kid messing with your truck on tools...

"Give a man a fish, he eats for a day...learn to fish, you eat for a lifetime"

 

Buying a maintenance plan carries the same risks that the "no cost Toyota care" plan does. You still don't know who's doing the work or what they're using, though you assume the dealer has competent techs and approved products. (There are lots of stories here of some who don't and didn't.) For these reasons, I don't use free services or have anyone do maintenance unless it's something I can't do myself. When those tasks come up, I search out people with experience and referrals.

 

I wouldn't do it, but I also decline any extended warranty when I bought it new in Nov...that's like expecting my car will have issues down the road...can happen but then I have the $$ to fix it.

I will not even use the free oil changes, since I will switch to synthetic at 5k mls...

Changing 6 spark plugs on my old Jeep GC was quoted at $200+ every 30K mls. Plugs were $2/piece! I picked up Bosch that last 100k for $36 and put those in myself... that was over $600 in plugs over the 100k period VS $36 and 1/2h of my time ...to be honest you won't save a lot of money on an oil change but it feels good knowing everything is done right, but anything beyond an oil change you will save a lot of money.

On the Jeep:
Waterpump replacement quote: $600 - did it for around $80 in 2 hours including changing the coolant.
Rear rotors and pads:$ 400 - did it for $150 in 1h and got to keep the rear disk to hold down my weber grill when it gets windy

 

do it yourself

 

Read the thread on here about the guy that had an oil change done by Toyota. Only problem, they forgot to put the oil back in the engine. Bam, there goes a rod or valve.

Do your own. That way it is done right and you get the satisfaction of doing it yourself. Plus, great excuse to go out to the garage and drink a beer or two.

 

yup my truck only has 9k miles, brought my first oil change to get the free Toyota care. probably going to be my last. id rather do my own. id sleep better knowing my oil change was done right

 

I agree. Do the maintenance yourself.

How much does a dealer typically charge to change the spark plugs?

 

I live in SoCal, too. Pay me the $2,210 and I got you covered!! Mobil 1 oil changes every 5,000 miles for that price.

Okay, seriously... do it yourself.

 

Pro tip: keep all your receipts and also keep a journal of everything you buy or do to the truck. Write down tire rotations, oil changes, everything with dates...

This will support your warranty and when it comes time to sell, you'll be happy when you get the primo price.

 

Thanks for all the input men, appreciated.

 

Unless my truck blows completely to fucking pieces I never let any one touch it but me. Fuck Toyota Free Maintenance. I took my 2011 in 2 times and each time they said they rotated the tires. I marked them with chalk just before just to see. Sure enough... they didn't rotate them. I went back in and asked the adviser did you guys rotate the tires?? He said yes and showed me on the paper all the things they did to the truck. I took him out and showed him where I marked the tires. He said they must have accidentally overlooked them. I asked him "what else did you accidentally overlook?" I took it back at 10K and the exact same thing happened. Hell... who knows if they even changed the oil? I never used them again and they are the biggest and most reputable dealership in the state.

I am the only one that touches my truck now with any kind of maintenance unless it is something that I don't have the knowledge or the tool out weighs the cost of just having it done.

If I do it I know it is done right and it is done like I want it to be done. Just remember... "free" isn't always better.

 

I am using my free maintenance and I have always gotten the work done right.

 

Hopefully mine was a isolated event but I doubt it. I realize they have to run a large number of vehicles through as possible. That doesn't make me feel better though.

 

Thanks Men
all input is greatly appreciated, I go in tomorrow for my last Oil Change under this care program and then, I think Ill save the funds and just do it myself.
Cheers

 

I've always had the stealership do all my scheduled maintenance. Did every 5k service on the Tacoma in the 4 years I had it. No issues. Didn't have Toyota Care with that though. The Tundra has it. It's been through two scheduled services so far. I will still use the dealer for the Tundra as well after my 2 years are up. I wouldn't buy an extended plan though. Looking back at what I paid for the Tacoma, the prices you posted at my dealer wouldn't have been any kind of deal compared to just paying every time the truck is in.

 

Oh boy.... thats early....
I never done anything related with spark plugs... as i have a problem with break sh!!t. Like bolts / screws.... for some odd reason sometimes i can't tell which way i am suppose to loosen and instead i tighten the crap out of it and the head snaps lol.


I hate to risk that with a plug as that will be a BIGGGG problem to remove if i broke the plug half way

The fluid change, i am confident enough to tackle

 

I just had the 30k service done today. They charged me 4.60 a piece for spark plugs. The whole service was 307( a little less than normal because I have an AFE CAI). This dealer recommends fuel injection service at 30k so that was another 189. I had one of those bad experiences with my first toyota care oil change so i always check filter and dipstick before i leave. Also I don't think the dealers know what toyota recommends for oil. Some dealers say no synthetic and some recommend it. I think I am going to start doing all the oil changes and just going in for bigger services.