No oil change with lifetime oil changes?

My nearest Toyota dealer is 15 miles away and also where I bought my 4Runner. I knew the Service Manager from high school. When I showed up for the first oil change at 5k, he said I obviously used it for towing and off-roading, which are "severe service" conditions.

Then he got a job somewhere else, Covid hit, and the dealership stopped getting new cars to sell.

Their new service manager was apparently instructed to lie, cheat, and steal every possible dime he could from customers. Had a female friend bring in her new Rav4 for it's first free oil change at 10k miles.

She went to pick it up and they gave her a bill for $160. They claimed that since she bought it at a dealership 70 miles away, that she had to take it to that Toyota dealership for the free oil change. And, they said she needed a new cabin filter, and that a washer was rusty on the filter cartridge.

Basically ripped her off every way they could think of.

I have heard numerous horror stories about this dealer. My dad tried to buy a new Highlander Hybrid from them. He called them and confirmed they had one in stock. He asked what it would cost out the door. He showed up with cash. They then added $5k to the price.

He told them to f*** off and had to order one from another dealer and is waiting for it.

The dealer I'm going to tomorrow to buy my 2023 Taco OR from is charging straight MSRP and said they refuse to deal with the closer dealer and the rumor is that they are going to either lose their affiliation or get bought out.

So, I will change my oil at 3k miles, install an OEM metal housing from a Camry, use an OEM cartridge, and fill it with Mobil 1. Been using either OEM, Bosch, Wix, Mobil 1, or K&N oil filters for decades. I also use either OEM synthetic blend, or full-synthetic Mobil 1. Never had an oil failure or any other issue.

The second oil change will be at the 10k mark, and I will go to the more further away dealer for the free change to see how they do.

 

Thanks for your story.

I had a bad experience with a dealership just 10 miles south of me in Milford. Then I went to the dealership in Dover and established good rapport with the service department who conveys/understands my concerns and relays my expectations to the tech.

After service, I inspect the work done and was even approached by the tech asking if there were any problems--it mattered that he stood by his quality work.

Unfortunately, that kind of service may not be what most experience...and that's sad.

I'll be doing 5K interval oil changes after this 20K (#4) ToyotaCare Service. The last service will be before May 2023, which will be the 2yr anniversary.

I'm about to hit 15K miles on my Sport going to work this morning!

 

Ask any Taco owner with more then 150 k miles…..doubtful they do the 10k oil change.

 

They also put the truck on a lift, pull the wheels off and let it sit there for 5 hours, if you ask them to scan the passenger restraint system for codes... "Technician" used to mean something different.

 

This one is most definitely not true. When you are a flat rate tech you get paid for the hours you flag so having something tie up your bay for 5 hours isn’t going to happen. If your not working on it then it goes to the parking lot. If it sits out there for 5 hours I couldn’t care less as long as I’m working on something that is making me money.

 

This one most definitely is true. Source- me, they did this to me, i could see my truck sitting up there for no reason. It takes 30 seconds to plug into the obd port and pull the code. Absolutely no reason to remove any parts.

 

My first Toyota Care service was @6 months/1956 miles (yep). Oil change, no filter element, rotate tire etc..
Second Toyota Care Service was @12 months 3159 miles. Oil and filter element, rotate tires, etc..
This Oct @24 months 6089 miles I performed oil/filter change myself. The splash shield bolts and oil drain plug was so tight I'm surprised the threads held. I bought new splash shield bolts due to head damage. They also over inflated my tires. I checked the TPMS on the way home and they were @38PSI. Unless something under warranty is really broke, no more dealer service for me.

 

Thats really weird for toyotacare for the 1st oil change. I bought mine 160 miles from home. The dealer i dealt with allowed me up to choose 1 of the 2 nearest dealers from me for the first 6 month visit. I picked the nearest one 25 miles away. The next day that dealer called and confirmed my appointment in 6 months. It all well flawlessly, no charge for anything.

 

Interesting, the first was an oil change with no filter change? Honestly, I'm no mechanic but I've never heard of that.

I was going to update this thread (I'm the OP) because I contacted the F&I woman yesterday and she assured me that I would get two oil changes per year, per the lifetime oil change contract, regardless of mileage and regardless of Toyota's maintenance schedule. Then, I noticed on the Toyota vehicle owner's page online that they had added

PERFORM LITHIA'S LIFETIME OIL CHANGE. INCLUDES OIL & FILTER CHANGE WITH SYNTHETIC OIL,LUBE CHASSI ~|~PERFORM LITHIA'S LIFETIME OIL CHANGE. INCLUDES OIL & FILTER CHANGE WITH SYNTHETIC OIL,LUBE CHASSIS IF REQUIRED, AND COURTESY INSPECTION. NOTE:THIS IS A PREPAID SERVICE WITH A RETAIL VALUE OF $69.95 THE AMOUNT SHOWN IS A PARTIAL REIMBERSMENT ~|~ ~|~3328 00LOC/ 30010 .3/ LOF COMPELTED

So, it seems that they DID do an oil change (it was compelted!), and that I WILL get my two oil changes per year, as long as I own the vehicle, regardless of how much (little) I drive. Should be an oil change every 3.5K for my driving habits.

My one final hurdle is to come to terms with sitting in the dealership waiting area for hours every six months (it took 2.5 hours for tire rotation, oil change, and checking some welds on the child safety restraint thing (safety recall)). I will bring a book and smile. Maybe it's better to get the first appointment in the morning before they get behind.

 

For me drive an hour each way plus wait another while they do service.

 

*CORRECTION* Upon further review of convoluted invoice, oil was NOT changed at initial Toyota Care service. Just tire rotation and inspection.

 

Well your source is full of shit because that would never happen for multiple reasons that anyone who works or has worked at a dealership can explain to you.

 

Since you're calling me full of shit for no reason, you must have some sort of shortman syndrome. Have a nice day kid. One day you'll have a little more life experience and see that shit happens.

 

It happens all the time my guy but I work as a tech at a dealership and no tech is going to tie up there bay all day for no reason or take off your tires again for no reason. We don’t like doing work we don’t get paid for. Service advisors also tend to get very bitchy when they have anger customers at the desk in there face and wouldn’t let a tech just hold a car for no reason. Dealership service is also by appointment so you would have had to have made one and you would have been given an expected time for your service. If anyone did that they would have the master tech and operations manager so far up there ass it wouldn’t be funny. So as you can see…it wasn’t for no reason.