Is Toyota dealer abusing me regarding service and maintenance?

I have had my used 2012 Tacoma for over six years with no unpleasant surprises. I bought it with about 35,000 miles and brought it in today for service at 77,000.

Every six months when I bring it in for " basic service" I never get the 50 dollar basic maintenance. They always tell me that I am due for this or due for that, and I rarely pay under $250 for the bi-annual service.

In May, I spent $656 total, including $400 for Engine valve cover gasket replacement and about $150 to replace spark plugs. $511 was for labor.

Today my bill came to $309, of which about $180 was for a " new factory coolant and install conditioning package. The tech said this should be done every two years, and I had never had it done. Of the $309, $211 was for labor.

I have put up with this because I have had no problems, unlike previous vehicles, but I think enough is enough.

My concern, however, is that if I bring it to another mechanic, he will only do the basic service, and I might miss out on something that I truly need that the mechanic did not look for or find.

Am I being financially abused? What other type of mechanic should I seek who will honestly tell me what i need at a fair price?

 

If you suspect the dealer is milking you for $$$ only have them do what is recommended in the manual (you bring them a list of what you want done) or find a local mechanic who can follow the recommended service intervals listed in the owners manual. Another option would be to start doing the work yourself.

 

You went to a Toyota stealership? Oh man.

 

It kind of sounds like they're milking you for a bit, but if they're actually doing the work it's definitely not hurting the truck.

 

in answer to the question yes. They have an enormous amount of overhead to pay each month BUT...you have a schedule. There's no need for surprises.

 

As everyone will tell you, it's worth learning to do maintenance and basic repairs yourself. If you don't have the time or ability, find a local mechanic who specializes in Toyotas.

When I can't figure something out I take mine to an old guy who worked at Toyota and Lexus dealerships forever before opening his shop. Not the cheapest mechanic but much cheaper than a dealer and I trust him to know about the truck

 

You got bent over, man, and you keep going back for more....

 

Do you like getting raped? Because you keep getting raped, again, and again and again.

Coolant is every 5 years. Read your manual, don't trust the service writers, their ONLY job is to maximize profits for the dealer.

Were your valve covers actually leaking? If those had to be changed, plug replacement would have been a breeze.

Some of what you listed isn't scheduled maintenance, it's done only if there is an issue.

And what the hell is ''conditioning'' anyways, you drain, maybe flush and refill the coolant. I did that on my 2015 this fall, It was cheap to do even with the cost of the Toyota type coolant.

 

Let me introduce you to your stealership.....

 

Other places may do it cheaper, you could definitely do it yourself cheaper, that being said if you can afford it there’s nothing wrong with using the dealer. This isn’t like a 5 minute oil change that will pull a grimy air filter out of a box to upsell you. Too many of the keyboard warriors here think everyone has access to a full garage and all the spare time and knowledge to do the work themselves.

 

When I read ''install conditioning package'' when coolant is being replaced, especially when it's 3 years ahead of schedule, I dang will know someone is getting screwed over.

 

Normally I'd say yes with any standard cooling system setup, but there is one flaw which is being overlooked here, Toyota coolant is known to become acidic over time. That same acidity is a major contributor to failing seals and damaged cooling system internals due to that acidity. The manual will not acknowledge this and in order to preserve the system to avoid even more costly repairs down the road I would heir on the side of caution over regret. E

Example: GM's Dexcool of the early 2000's had issues with gunking up the entire cooling system if not exchanged frequently, some would get to the point of overheating because the entire system down to the heater core would get so clogged up with what ended up looking like chocolate. I can't tell you how many early 2000 models I've had run through my work that had this issue. GM learned from their mistakes and developed a new formula of Dexcool and it's now great stuff.

As for the OP, the only reason they are being financially abused is because they are allowing it to happen.

Paying high prices or prices in general for items and services that are not needed is for the ignorant. This situation stems from the fact that the OP has not educated themselves enough in the automotive field regarding their vehicle or vehicles in general to know the difference between what's right and what's wrong.

Do vehicles which sit in garage have their own set of problems which originate from the fact they sit without allowing for fluid to circulate through them and letting the moisture in the air creep into their exposed electronics? Well yeah absolutely. They also tend to get a whole different set of problems than vehicles which are actually driven frequently.

If there is anything to take away from what I'm saying, if I'm saying anything at all, it's to be or get educated regarding subject matters in life. Knowledge is power.

 

Did you check the condition of his coolant system before they changed it? It may have been looking funky and needed changed early? You have almost none of the facts and are over here crying foul.

 

Are they milking/extorting you? yes. Is this completely normal for a dealership? Yes. Will you be better off going to another dealership? No. Another mechanic? Maybe yes, maybe no.

most of the “service” you described, except maybe the valve cover gasket, you could easily do yourself with minimal effort and a cheap set of hand tools. And of course a little bit of searching on TW and YouTube. Just saying.

 

I confess to being a total ignoramus regarding auto service. My late father had a mutilated hand and avoided anything hands on, so knowledge was never passed to me.

I am not the least bit mechanically inclined.

The cooling performed today was to keep clean air coming in through the air conditioner. He did show me a photo of my dirty compartment covered with leaves to "prove" I needed this service.

I do not get the impression they are being dishonest about the need for service, but I do think the labor costs are absurd, so I need to investigate a change.

This is the first vehicle I have owned that has not given me problems, so I have let them soak me as a trade off, but enough is enough.

Conversely, my tire company is as reputable as they come, so I am hoping they can recommend a good reliable mechanic for Tacomas.

This is also the first vehicle I have ever brought to the dealer for service. Lots of problems and repair expenses for my previous vehicles where I only used other auto shops.

 

Search your local threads and see if there is a decent shop/mechanic in your area

https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/regions.36/

 

I have no words...

OP Please find a local shop that will take care of you.

That dealer is so crooked they have to screw their hat on. What they are doing should be criminal.

 

Dealerships profits are increasingly driven by service and parts, rather than sales. Their crews are so large, and their customer traffic so great that it is difficult if not impossible to develop a "personal" customer relationship with any one person. I was fortunate 25 years ago to take my Hondas to a local shop called "Made in Japan" (now "One-Stop"). I dealt with the owner directly. He retired and sold the shop and I still go to his successor. The service manager, service-writer, the owner, and the owner's wife all know me by first name. "Do you need a ride home?", the owner drives me home in my Tacoma, and picks me up at home when it is ready. If you can find a smaller, competent, independent maintenance and repair service, begin to develop a relationship with them. BTW, whenever I have considered buying a used vehicle (including my current 2000 Pre-Runner, 6 years ago) I take it to this mechanic for a complete pre-purchase inspection and report. Their report is 3 pages long, and detailed down to thickness left on the brake rotors, tread depth on the tires, condition of all fluids, etc. It includes their detailed $ estimate for any optional or required maintenance or repairs they find. Best $80 I ever spent, it gave me considerable negotiating information with the seller. I have attached a copy of the report and estimate.

 

Seriously dude? Sounds to me like you’ve never changed spark plugs in our trucks if you think we need access to a full garage to do that. And driving, waiting, and driving back from a dealer VS the 30 minutes to do it at home = spare time? .....uhhhhh ok.

and OP clarified the “coolant” service was to replace the air filter which literally takes 3 minutes to replace and this cost him $180. So hate to tell you man, but you need to stop...

 

Dealerships salivate on owners like you. The factory pink coolant is good for 10yrs and 100k miles so it confirms that the dealership know they can upsell to owners like you.
Find a local mechanic but preferably learn to work on your own vehicle especially for maintenance items. There's plenty of youtube videos or writeups on here to guide you. Welcome to TW.