Why you should never trust a dealership

Once that automobile leaves the lot, they have to keep making money on it somehow.
Unnecessary maintenance schedules to keep you coming back.

I've worked on heavy equipment for 25+ years. The money is in the service not the machine.

 

Owners who don't know or care and workers who don't know or care.
This is how landfills become mountains, wallets become empty, and oligarchs collect yachts.

 

Yeah this is why I go to an independent shop. The owner is actually a former Toyota dealership mechanic that left to start his own business because he couldn’t stand how they lied to customers.

Him or one of his mechanics do all my major work and when a filter or something minor needs replacing the mechanic will just document it and say “hey we can do it but it’s alot cheaper if you do it yourself”.

 

Sounds like mine. Willing to drive 25 miles for that. And they give me a loaner to drive.

 

Yep. I go out of my way to go there but I’m not mechanically inclined so changing filters and bulbs is about the most I’m comfortable doing on my own. It’s worth it to me to know they are honest and doing proper work.

 

It's not about not trusting the dealership, but just understanding they operate on an automated system, and using a schedule based on worst case preventative maintenance.

I learned this a while back when they recommended 4 services I knew I didn't need, including full tire alignment and MAF service. I asked the newly hired advisor for the measurements or if my truck was pulling left/right/etc, and if they sense stalling or hesitation. The reply was "we didn't test drive or check any of that. These are just items our system automatically recommends based on age or miles. I do see you've only ever serviced your truck here, but we don't even review service history because it's rare to ever have the full history."

I used to stop by a Discount Tire next to Lowes, and get their free rotation since my tires were from there. During interval service, I would just tell the advisor no rotation since I do it myself.

I perceive his comment on filter as "hey bud, the factory recommends it every 5K miles, it's not covered by Toyota Care, but we don't live in a dusty or dirty area, so I won't rip you off and change it more than every 15K."

 

It is all based on a schedule rather than a real inspection.

 

We need more of those types. Mine is very honest and fair, and was very involved in the Right To Repair movement in Massachusetts, he told me "sure it means I can get more business with the access, but it's not about that to me..I would feel the same way if I was in a different profession" and I truly believe that.

 

If he said "It's due for a change" as you wrote, I see no implication it'd been looked at. Common interpretation of "due for a change" is age/mileage.

It's also not clear when this occurred. When you were checking in for the warranty work and toyotacare service? Or after the work was done and you were being given your keys?

I'm no fan of dealers, and I rarely use them, but this to me sounds like a basic misunderstanding.

 

One of the keys to a good ownership experience is finding a good dealership and especially finding a great service advisor……..
You actually found one……….he recommended the air filter change because he is supposed to by Toyota and by the Dealership, it was based on Mileage, he was NOT pushy, and he gave you an out………
You could have saved yourself the aggravation by letting him know you had already changed it, instead of using it as some bogus test…..
As others have pointed out, Service Departments are the life blood of Dealerships, either first or second only to Used Car Sales.
I have always changed my own Air Filter, and change my own Cabin Filter…….even taught my kids how to do it to help them save money BUT most people don’t.

ever buy a used car……..always look at engine AirFilter and Cabin Filter……..you’ll be shocked what you see.

PS, when you changed Air Filter, did you bother cleaning/spraying MAF, and then letting engine idle 5 mins ……it resets your fuel computer for improved fuel economy.

 

The thing is the service techs don’t actually check them .. they look at a computer screen and it will tell them it needs a new one lol ..this happens when u hire college kids to do oil changes .

 

Yes, they're using their cheapest labor to do oil changes. Not the highly experienced technicians.

Particularly when oil changes are often on special to get people in and find other work that needs doing.

It could be worse...

 

i worked at one of these in high school.. Which is why im the only one that touches mine or my wifes vehicles

 

I mean, I agree with a lot of the guys here saying that he’s just paying attention to what would be due at mileage…but “inspection” is and should be part of the job. Because depending on the use, things don’t need replacement directly at that interval.

A guy in Idaho could bomb through the desert and up mountain roads for a month and desperately need a filter change. Or…drive on payment the whole winter and not have a speck of dirt on it.

The lazy way to do maintenance(and way to make profit) is to just say “it’s due” without the actual inspection. Time is money for the dealership…

 

While we’re on the subject of engine filters…which is the correct part number? Is it

17801-0P051

or is it

17801-YZZ11

or neither of the above?

 

The dealership was doing its job based to Toyota's recommend service intervals. This goes for oil changes, plugs, gear and tranny fluids, etc....

The OP intentionally set the dealership up. The OP set out to prove that dealerships should never be trusted.

I just had my 10,000 service at my dealership. I had changed my cabin filter a couple weeks prior and informed the service tech mine did not need changing. When I picked up my truck the service tech informed that a brand new OEM fiter in the box was on the passenger seat for me because it was included free of charge in the free service.

 

I'm that guy......always have been, always will be. I assume all dealerships suck and error on side of safety and prosperity which is me doing it. OEM parts are cheaper online and dealer has to order most things other than maint and tune up parts anyway......


Being one of these guys is how you get 20 yrs or more out of a good vehicle......dealership service only keeps you a financial acct of theirs for life. It's a really great feeling getting decades of use without any down payments, interest and monthy notes from something you maintain and refrain from abusing much. If you know you know and I know a bunch of you do........

 

When I bought my current truck, it 'came' with (more like I prepaid for) a certain number of oil changes/whatever. I wasn't going to continue with dealer service beyond that as I prefer to do as much as I can myself. The sealer was while I was waiting in the lounge for the last service, the 'tech' came out to me with this nasty-assed looking air filter, saying I really needed to change it. I said: Oh, really...that's my filter? Are you sure? I know that's not my filter. He started to argue with me and I stopped him and informed him I have a K&N, complete with a sticker on top of the airbox. He sheepishly retreated to the shop and completed the service.

When I picked up my truck, the service writer said: I see you refused the suggested air filter change. I told him that I let the tech know that I knew they were full of shit and how I knew. Then I told him I wouldn't be back.

The dealer then sent me an email to rate their service. I doubt they liked my review.

 

I do agree with this, trust but verify. My independent I trust fully, having built a 20 yr relationship plus knowing at least one of the long time techs.

That is the type that gives all a bad name, that is just vile.

 

Hopefully you checked the filter before you left. I've had independent shops pull the same garbage and steal my new filter and put an old one in place.