Going to dealer for 5000k

Read the entire post.

 

you could have done the service yourself in 30 minutes

 

Actually they did change the oil in my truck at 5k but not the filter. Plus they rotated the tires, and did a full inspection.

 

I bought my Sport at an Easton, MD Toyota Dealership but have not taken her there for any of the Toyota Care Services.

Decided to take her to Milford for 5K Mile service which the service department said, an oil change was not included--so I paid for it.

A young service tech over torqued the OEM skid (thin metal cover) and the bolts holding the Air Dam. (Not sure why he had to take off the driver side of the Air Dam)

Two days later, I had discovered one of the Air Dam bolt was inserted at an angle which had me curious about the oil change.

I spoke with the Service Manager but it felt like he didn't handle the situation and hold the tech responsible for his error.

Needless to say, when I completed their online survey, I did not give them high scores.

So, I've taken my Sport to the Dover, DE Toyota Dealership and established good rapport with the Customer Service Rep on my expectations--I am pleased with their efforts to take care of my truck.

I believe communication is key to good service.

 

A reminder to those who might not know: dealerships generally have the least qualified people working on oil changes. When I say least qualified, I mean yesterday they were likely working at Chick-Fil-A. The 'master mechanics' do not do oil changes. Keep that in mind when you pay (or don't pay) for an oil change.

 

That's not specific to dealers but generally any repair shop. Unless it's a 1-3 man band.

And that "least qualified" tech will do more oil changes in their first 2 weeks than the home hobby guy will do in the next 5 years.

 

A young tech came out to see what I was doing as I was inspecting my truck after 15K service in Aug 2022.

Hood open and me sliding under the front side to check for leaks...plus I do a walk around to make sure all the lugs are on the tires and check for scratches or anything out-of-the-ordinary. (I also check to see if my lug keylock is returned because I leave it in the center console)

The guy asks, "Is there anything wrong?"

My response, "I'm just checking the work done on my truck."

He says, "I'm the tech who serviced your truck." We had good interaction and he answered all my questions.

He ended our convo with, "I treat your vehicle as if it was my mother's."

I've done the 10K and most recently the 15K and have the 20K scheduled in December.

So far, I am happy with the service and make sure I give the service department high praise on the Eval.

 

Absolutely agree with you there. What I was trying to point out (and what I feel is very wrong) is the dealership service departments hide some work under an advertised veil of 'master' mechanics and 'Toyota trained technicians'. Customer are not advised otherwise and are paying a premium rate for parts and labor. As we know, many of the issues people have (cross-threaded bolts, over torqued oil canisters, oil leaking after change) are, at best, untrained (or uncaring or BOTH) people working on our trucks.

 

I took my '22 to my local dealer for the free Toyota Care stuff. I've been there for the 5k and 10k service, getting ready for the 15k. I plan to stick with them until the free services run out then decide if I'm going to do it myself or let them continue. They did an oil change and tire rotation of my wife's Highlander prior to a big road trip last year (I was short on time so I let them do it). I had zero problems with their work which is why I decide to let them service my Tacoma.

I plan to stick to the 10k oil change interval but wanted the first one done at 5k. They were happy to do it at 5k even though it wasn't part of the 5k service. They didn't charge me for it.

When I went in for the 10k service they changed the oil again as it was part of the service. So next oil change will be at 20k. I'll have to see if I get charged or not since I've gotten 2 free changes at this point.

So far my dealer has been great. Granted all they've really been doing is oil and tire rotations. But when I check my truck afterwards lugs are tight, fluid levels are correct, I have no oil leaks, and I can't find any sign they've even been in my truck. No marks, dings, scratches. They don't even move my seat when they sit in it. So I'm inclined to let them do the future service on it depending on price.

They work by appointment and have had me in/out in under an hour each time.

I say give your local dealer a shot while you have the free services. You may find they're a pretty decent shop.

 

The inspection means absolutely nothing unless it’s out of warranty or the the problem is not something that can be ignored. They are told to look the other way on things you won’t notice because warranty work doesn’t pay anything to the tech or the dealership and they don’t want to do it. What you will hear about is cabin filter air filter alignment. Stuff you have to pay for. They are pushed for up sale. They also give them 20 or 30 minutes to do the whole job. What kind of inspection do you think can be done in that timeframe plus the oil change? Some are dipshits but some really care about doing a good job and do the best they can. They also have to many hands on the car. If they have 5 working and yours is the only car in there they will all try to work on it because they have to stay busy or get in trouble and have to do bitch work plus they are trying to get it out as fast as possible to make the boss happy. They also don’t get trained very well in most cases. They are just thrown in and told to get to work sometimes not having any real understanding of the basics and that’s why you see the mistakes you do. Anytime you can avoid a dealership your better off. That hour that guy said they get you out in that includes the time for the service writer to write you up get the truck in the bay do the oil change and rotation do whatever inspection they have time to do rotate the tires do the paperwork wait for them to ask you if you want a new filter but the air and cabin back in fill it with oil and get it the fuck out of there.

 

Woah, don’t oversell it. They are probably coming from McDonald’s or Burger King.

 

I worked at a Toyota dealership changing oil right after high school as a 18 year old. About 30 years ago,Trust me, you didn’t want me touching your vehicle. Mostly because the dealership focused on quick oil changes and I would have them lined up one after another all daylong sometimes missing lunch with the service manager breathing down my neck. A couple times I filled the vehicles with oil and forgot to put the drain plug back in and pull it around for the customer with a line of oil behind it. Also, I was a typical teenage idiot. Things probably haven’t changed a lot! Also, I did work at Chick-fil-A right before this job, lol

 

I say away from the dealer if at all possible.

 

I would be nice if Tacomas used regular filters so you could scratch them and see if it's new. Two free changes is nice, just afraid they will screw it up or not do it

 

Remember when buying a used car and in the listing it said "dealer serviced" and it actually meant it was probably well maintained? Those were the days.

 

My new dealership has a window that you can see in the shop. I usually do my service at a different dealer so I was skeptical of what might happen. I removed the caps from rear valve stems to make sure those tires went to the front as I just knew I would catch them not doing it. Long story short I just happened to walk back by the window as they pulled mine in the bay right on front of me. The two techs had no clue it was my truck as there are several bays . I stood and watched as they went back and forth rotating tires and measuring brake pads , tire tread depth and marking each item off the check list. They then proceeded to change the oil and filter with everything being done to perfection. They went back over every thing checking the oil level making sure everything was right . As they finished I looked at one of them and gave him the thumbs up and said thank you. Oh and the two caps I removed, they had replaced for me probably thinking I had lost them ! Lol, I guess it all depends on your dealership as to how they do things. They boosted my confidence for sure at the 10k.

 

I paid for an oil change. I don't trust 10k on oil. I think it was $60 or something. Worth it since it was already there for the free service.

 

I had factory little white stickers on each rim that I hadn't removed. I put a little black dot on the rear d/s. I can't prove it but i know they just swapped the stickers They didnt even bother to put them back in the clean spots they came off of. The dealer would have denied it anyway. Left greasy hands on both front doors. Not my first bad experience with dealer service departments. Toyota actually the worst from my experience but they make a great truck so it is what it is.

 

Some dealers forget to put a filter element in the filter housing. After reading this thread, I will pass on any free oil changes on future Toyotas.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/no-oil-filter.748693/

 

I'm a weirdo, but I like getting that first oil change done earlier than 10K. I would recommend doing that now just for peace of mind. Enjoy that Taco.