Stealerships

I am starting to get fed up with my Toyota Dealership Service Departments or should I say Stealerships.

Example 1 : Cabin Filter Replacement ; cost $45
Filter Cost $26.95

Due to this Forum I found an aftermarket filter for $2.95
Took me less than 5 minutes to install w/no tools.

Example 2: Overhead Clock Compass Failure ; Replacement cost $700.00

Due to this Forum I found the fix. Bad Solder joint on Resistor
Packs. Fixed in 45 minutes with a screwdriver and soldering iron.
Cost: nothing

Example 3: Transmission Fluid Change / Flush, Dealer says you do not
have to change it because it is a sealed unit. Then they say
100k miles. Then they say 60k miles. Then they say $289 for
a flush.

Due to this Forum I can change the fluid for the cost of about
three quarts of Toyota Transmission fluid and some common
hand tools. About $40 and 2 hours of work.

TOTALLY ABSURD RIPOFFS by the Stealerships. These are just a few examples. I am sooo Thankful for this Forum and the Valuable Service it
provides. Thank You So Much Tacoma World.

I will be doing my own service from now on.

Kind of reminds me of those incompetent assholes we have in the Senate, Congress and Presidency ripping us off and stealing from us.

 

Concur, this forum has been invaluable to me. And I agree wholeheartedly with your last line.

 

Yup you can save alot by doing it your self.

GJ man and yes TW is the best

 

I'm hoping I will be able to do a front diff needle bearing replacement myself for less than $100, compared to the stealerships quote of $2600 for a full diff replacement.

 

Nice Taco. Hilarious short Video of the cat riding the Robot and pawing the Pit Bull.

With regard to the other reply about the differential. There are alot of shops that can repair a differential at a very reasonable cost. I have set up and repaired a few Mustang differential. Takes a few special tools and patience but you can do it. Very exacting work to do it properly. $2600 is a totally absurd charge from the Stealership.

 

i was gonna take mine in for a coolant system flush because i was told to ONLY use toyota coolant. with prices like that i might just do it myself. i wonder if the red stuff from napa is the same as the toyota brand ?

 

I agree, recently took our highlander to get serviced and $50 for a propeller shaft "inspection".

 

Those flushes just flush money from your wallet. Regularly changing fluids gets most of the old out.

Plus, doing your own maintenance puts you up under the vehicle to see how everything is looking.

 

everyone expects everything for free,
thing is they are a business afterall, you're the one deciding who you do business with

btw if you think that's bad hah wait until you ever go to a BMW dealership on a past warranty car, $3k a year easily in little fixes...

 

I try to do whatever work I can on the truck myself also, or take it to someone else who won't give me a headache to work with. In general though, I don't trust the dealership to touch my truck, but that's just me.

 

The quality of work and attention to detail at dealerships sucks ASS & is not nearly worth what is charged per hr for labor. They charge you like some master engineer technician rocket scientist nuclear physicist is gonna be working on it and then the work is done by some entry level auto shop fresh out of high school with or without a diploma kid more concerned about where the party is this weekend and whether he's gonna be bangin Rosie and her 5 sisters or will there be the slim to none chance at somethin real. Yeah, it's a run-on sentence but too bad. It needed lots of adjectives to fully paint the picture for people who never go past the waiting area to see who actually "works" on their cars or ever lifts the hood on the thing to see what chimpery has occurred. Stupid when you have warranty but don't want to use it when necessary because you'll just end up with a different problem and a bunch of wasted time. As far as dealership touching it...no warranty, no way!

 

Did you change the transmission filter also or just change the fluids? The flush is supposed to wash more of the particulate out of the torque convertor but, as mentioned above, keeping fresh fluids in there will do almost as good of a job and will keep it just as clean.

I agree, the dealership is a rip off for most items. With common hand tools, some patience and the great write-ups on sites like this you can save yourself a lot of money! Plus, you tend to notice more things about your truck when doing your own maintenance and take more pride in your rig. I would only let the stealership change the oil til mine was out of warranty. That way it's on record with them and they usually had specials and would do it for under $20.

 

In defense just a little to think about...

Dealerships have to send mechanics to schools with each new models. That costs a lot.

Dealerships have to buy and keep maintained/calibrated a stock of recommended tools and diagnostic equipment. That costs a lot.

Dealerships have to maintain a minimum stock of replacement parts. That costs a lot.

There are many other things they are required to do by Toyota in order to be certified for warranty repairs. It all adds tremendous to a cost base that gets spread to customers. A cost base independent shops generally don't have to foot.

That said... crappy workmanship and expensive 'troubleshooting' like swapping LRU's at your expense until it works just doesn't hack it. Calling 'em 'stealerships' is probably not right, but I still find it offensive they expect me to pay for their lack of.... or lazy... troubleshooting skills.

 

I understand your point but I still cannot justify their costs of parts and Labor. I can assure you the Mechanics (whom I respect) are not getting that high wage. Alot of it is nothing short gouging. I fell sorry for the women who get taken advantage of because they do not know any better. It not just Toyota it is the whole auto dealership industry. If you do not understand automobiles and maintenance you are at the mercy of the Stealerships.

I also know a liittle bit about changing and repairing LRU's as I used to train USAF and Foreign Military customers on F-16 AIS and F-16 avionics.

 

It's worthwhile at least while the vehicle is under warranty to have required maintenance performed at the dealer, so it can be proven easily should any issues arise. And now with ToyotaCare, it makes further sense.

After that, I guess it's always up to you.

Dealers make more in the service department than they do in the new car department.

 

That's why the Hyundai model is becoming ever more compelling if you happen to be a mechanical numb-nut: 10 year/100K warranty.

Then you understand unit level maintenance mentality: just take it out and put a new one in, get it back in the air quick. Let depot find the part inside and fix it (unless it's NTF which is like 70% of the time.) Except with our truck there is no depot; we're buying a new one each time and watching the old one get thrown in the dust bin even if it happens to be perfectly good.