$1250 for a $120k Service?

My '06 Tacoma just hit 120k miles, so I emailed my mechanic to see what kind of hit I'm gonna take on this major service. He came back saying there's a good chance the valve adjust would be expensive because I'll probably need a number of shims installed, and they can be pricey. Quoted me $1250 or more. He did say that there's a chance that I won't need the shims and it'd be a little over $400 if that's the case.

Ok, so I cancelled my suddenly unaffordable New Year's plans, and when I explained to my buds why, they told me I was getting taken for a ride, that a 120k service shouldn't be anywhere near $1250. So I called around to a few shops, including Toyota dealerships, and none of them even knew what I was talking about when I mentioned the shims. One guy went so far as to say, "Must've been a slow week for your mechanic."

Let me say that I have always trusted my mechanic, and he's done me right in the past. But before I blindly fork over what may be a $1250 check, I thought I'd turn to you wise folks to get your take on it.

BTW, the truck seems to be running fine. I'm just takin' it in for its prescribed 120k service.

 

I wouldn't have anything that drastic done by ANYONE but a toyota mechanic

 

It's called "rape"

 

never heard of a truck needing shims.


lol unless your talking about a 4 stroke dirtbike then i think your getting taken for a ride. but i may be wrong.

 

V6 or 4 banger? If you have a timing chain then most all the other stuff is DIY.

 

120k im assuming would just be spark plugs, air filter, cabin filter, fuel filter, timing chain (shouldn't be necessary), brakes, fluids? am i missing something?

 

Did he remember you have a tacoma or bimmer?

 

Lube probably wasn't on sale that day at your mechanic.

 

Unless you've been fueling up in Mexico a lot even the fuel filter shouldn't be necessary.

 

Yea that mechanic is taking advantage of you. He's probably low on some income and figured he can take advantage. Stay away from that deal. Take the truck in to a toyota dealership if you feel like it needs to be serviced.

 

RapeX1250... And I agree with this

And most of that stuff is a "check" not guaranteed replacement so it's all paying for the mechanics time mostly.. Personally I'd do all this myself cuz none of its hard but TEHO

 

I would say thats individualized. i would check just in case. and i live in texas or as the locals call it "Tejas" so i yes i apparently do live in mexico

 

Your mechanic should take you out for dinner and kiss you before he F$%! you.

 

very well said!

 

$1,250 for a service?... Lol I can only imagine how much he's been taking from you over the years

 

I thought they did away with the fuel filter completely with the change to the 2005 body style.

 

See, that's the thing. I've been going to this guy for years and he's always been extremely reasonable in his pricing (usually beating other quotes by hundreds of dollars), he's taken excellent care of my truck, and I've never once felt like he wasn't on the up and up. So I'm having a very hard time chalking him up as a con artist. I'm still clinging to the thought that there's something to this equation that I'm just not seeing, but after the responses here, that's fading fast.

Below is my mechanic's post to me. Am I overlooking something that would justify a quote of $1250 for a Tacoma 120k service?

>120K is calling for everything we did at the 60K service plus replacement of the Differential fluid. Also pretty good chance that the Valve adjust will be a lot more than 60K as will probably need a number of shims installed. Labor to replace all valve shims (or even 4 if on different cams of the engine, you have 4 cams and 24 valve adjusting shims & the cam has to be removed to replace the shims) $792. Shims are $16-$17 ea. Sometimes we can just switch some of them arround. Average adjustment 8-10 new shims. About $40 for gaskets. Then About $250 for the cabin & Air Filters/oil change/ tune up/ tire rotation/ rear differential service. Could end up being $1250 or even more. You might be real lucky and not need any shims like 60K service. If so would be about $410 for everything.<

 

It is a "lifetime" filter. For the most part, any fuel you purchase from the pump in the US is so clean and filtered that there is almost no particulate floating around in it, so Toyota uses a larger filter that should never get clogged under normal conditions.

That's the theory at least.

 

Only high-dollar repair these engines should ever need is a timing belt/chain. That can be expensive. But he's not talking about that. I've never heard of a "valve shim", maybe I'm just stupid as a result of driving pickups for the last eleven years, but damn I'd sure want a second opinion because "adjusting the valve shims" is not in the 120k maintenance interval in my manual, and it wasn't something I ever had done on my old Nissan.

 

Sounds like your mechanic has a Christmas he needs to pay for.