2 years "free" scheduled maintenance has been nothing but a headache

You mean "trying to get warranty work". I'm on my 5th new vehicle and warranty work is always a pain in the ass to get done. I love it when the service advisor rephrases or just omits your concerns on the work order.

 

I keep getting post cards telling me I am missing my free maintenance visits. I have been doing them myself and can take my time and inspect everything. I ordered the Blackstone Oil Analysis Kit for my next change coming shortly.

 

Seems everyone is in agreement: do as much yourself as possible. The stealership has not touched my truck since it left their lot. I kept getting bugged to take it in for service from them etc... No thank you!

I replaced the tires very early on, about 1k miles if I remember correctly and I rotate them every 3k or so. I change my own oil at 5k and use Mobile 1. I've replaced air and cabin filters myself as well. I'll be changing/flushing the brake fluid when the weather here in Florida cools down as well as the coolant.

Luckily, nothing has needed fixed yet but more than likely I'll repair what I can and have a local shop I trust (they have done the hard work for me the last 20 years).

 

being a 20 year tech (not anymore though) i can say your 2 year included maintenance has killed it, and ANY included maintenance for that matter, is the downfall of making money working for any dealership.

when i left lexus for the last time, the owners were fending off (for the last time) lexus included maintenance. now im not above screwing up, but i did at least take pride in what i did.

when techs are getting 1/3-1/2 the time they would get if it were customer pay to do stuff, it is disheartening. im also not saying that the OP's dealership isnt full of a bunch of thieves. im just saying, that the 2 years of IM i had, i had no issues. i now do my own services.

having been a tech for so long, i had to play devils advocate even if it were for that >< much. sorry to hear your experience sucked.

 

One of the reasons I switched to a LX570 after years of LC. At least service experience is better. Though I do 80% of the work on my own vehicles. Dealer touches it for T-belt water pump services.

 

The corporate end of the dealership has completely ruined service departments pretty much everywhere, techs don't make what they should and have little to no incentive to do better at least while working for a dealership. Its not that their all idiots, its the dealership environment that their forced to work in that that's killed all incentives for them to do a better job. In other words, management doesn't care so why should I.

 

A tech on another Toyota forum echoed this awhile back. Pay has been cut considerably. He admitted that present day dealer lube techs are no different than the ones who work in the quick lube places.

I pity people who believe they're better off going to a dealership for service. Warranty work would be the only exception and that too often times ends up with an unhappy ending.

 

I've always had a great experience with my dealership. Been going there since the day I bought my truck. Like other people said, I also think it's hit or miss on wether you get a crummy dealer or a good dealer. I would also like to switch to changing my own fluids but it's not fun doing it in the middle of winter haha.

 

Its not so much the dealer as it is the random "tech" you get. Most of them are idiots but not all, if you play the odds your going to loose just like Vegas. At least in Vegas you have a chance to win, at the dealership the most you can hope for is you got what you paid for which is just bad business.

 

What about the grease fittings on the driveshaft? Oops all 2nd gen come with them!

 

No, they don't. Some do some don't. You need to look and see.

 

there's two reasons my tacoma still going strong after 11 years...It's a Toyota and I do all my own maintenance

 

Since day one when I bought my taco I have done every service myself. Dealership suck

 

tatts have you drained all your long life coolant yet? I just been draining and filling radiator...thanks

 

I havent done that yet but my coolant is good. Next service I'll be doing a full tune up.

 

Copeland in Brockton has always been good to us..

 

I paid for the 30 - 45 k extended warranty service. Got the 30 k service for "free". Basically they changed the oil, not much else. They left a oil catch can below the oil filter in the truck. It was rubbing on the serp. belt, I found the can the next day checking on the oil level. They did rotate the tires.

The past several weekends I changed the fluids for the brakes, F&R diffs, and transfer case. Also changed the spark plugs. I have been greasing the D-shaft. After my free oil changes are up (at 45K) I'll start doing my own oil.

 

Any tech being paid under the flat rate pay system is going to take short cuts. Their financial survival demands it. The hope is that you get one that takes pride in what they do. Doesn't matter if a tech works for a dealer or independent. Of course in any profession you'll get morons that shouldn't be there. That is hopefully the exception not the rule. As a dealer tech of 23 years, I'm fed up with flat rate and what it does to you as a person. You begin to look at life in 6 minute increments. Every time a customer comes in with a list of complaints and expects a free diagnosis, the tech works for free. When was the last time you saw your primary care physician and told them you weren't going to pay? Pretty sure you didn't get seen. As long as flat rate exists, you will have a hard time getting quality service. The pay system is what is pushing qualified techs out the door. My rant for the day...

 

Thank you.
Someone that gets it....