cost estimator

Do we have a chart that gives the general range or costs of maintenace items performed by either a dealer or third part mechanic? things like the diff oil change and transmission change costs?

 

Labor rates vary by region, franchise, and mood of mechanic, so no.

Also, as soon as you mention any maintenance on this site, you will drown in the overwhelming flood of "Jus' crawl under there and do it yerself!" comments. Also, I saved more than a few hundred dollars by crawling under there and doing it myself.

 

I dont mind doing it myself but will doing it myself void my warranty on said items if something goes wrong? like the diff fluid?

 

Only if someone can prove you did it wrong.

And if you did it would be unethical to make a warranty claim anyway.

 

I personally found the diff fluid to be easier than doing the oil. The transmission, not so much. It's not difficult, but it's not easier than an oil change.

If it's under warranty, keep receipts of your fluids/filters and a logbook of dates, odometer, and what was done. That satisfies the requirement of maintenance in order to keep the warranty valid.

Even though my warranty is long gone I also do the third step of logging it under the service section of owners.toyota website. That allows any dealer tech and future owner to see what I did.

 

Stick around for a bit and you will see that cost estimates that members post for basic repairs and maintenance can be all over the map! If you are even remotely mechanically inclined, you can learn how to do the basics (oil changes, brakes, filter swaps, etc). Even doing these basics will save you money and will also give a good deal of personal satisfaction to. And if you have to buy a few tools to support you doing things yourself, you will quickly recoup and surpass the cost of new tools.

PS: but always remember that famous line by everyone's favorite movie cop Dirty Harry; "a man's got to know his limitations".

 

As long as the front diff plugs come out without rounding the plugs! Definitely swap over to the Lexus plugs when doing the front diff.

 

Find a good reputable shop that specializes in Toyota.
Discover their fee and multiply that by 2.50 and that will be the dealer cost.

 

The best way to figure out the cost is to call a service center and ask for flag time on the job you want performed and multiply the number of flag hours by the hourly shop rate. Then figure the price of parts from the parts department. Add about 10% for shop fees and you will have a close estimate. I've seen shop rates anywhere from $135 an hour in podunk midwest towns to over $250 an hour in busy metropolis coastal towns. Parts prices also vary by almost 100%. A short cab bed mat was $65 just outside Kansas City compared to $150 in LA.

A chart wouldn't be very practical but anyone with repairmate or similar software would be able to provide flag time to perform a job and you can shop around for labor rates at local shops and dealers. Always be sure to account for parts markups (anywhere from 30 to 100% markup) and shop fees.

 

Do it all by yourself or learn. In fact the lowest rung dealer employee WILL be working on YOUR tacona. So YOU cant do any worse esp with tons of vids out there to hold your hand

 

It also entirely depends on their('they' being anyone else the vehicle was brought to) ethics.

See this thread, first post.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ffs-lets-all-stop-referencing-the-magnussen-moss-act.609911/

 

In no way are you ever obligated to get work done at the dealer you bought the automobile from.

Auto manufacturer warranties cover manufacturing defects. The person that did the maintenance is not applicable.

I still recommend that you read your warranty, because I certainly haven’t and I’m also not a lawyer.