Anyone not use Toyota Care?

I’m coming up on 5k and to be honest I’m seriously considering doing the 5k myself since it’s just a tire rotation and torquing bolts. I’ll have to check if I have grease zerks on my drive shafts. I’ve already done an oil change and it took less time to do that than it would to drive into town and back, let alone wait for the dealer. I keep good records so no concern there.

My main issue is I don’t trust my local service department. The dealership is under new ownership since I brought my Tacoma in under Toyota Care 4 years ago. At that time I put new cabin and engine air filters in prior to the service since it was significantly cheaper to DIY. When I was in getting the 25k service done the service writer brought a dirty engine filter to show me that was clearly not from my truck. I haven’t been back since.

 

I only have 3300 miles on my 2021. I wasn’t willing to sit around the dealership just yesterday for rotation that was not needed ( I went there expecting an oil change). So yeah, guess I skipped the 5k/6 month service.

Now I have to ask…could that impact my warranty?

 

I would have filed a BBB complaint.

 

I don't use it. I don't trust them, plus I use 5w 30 and I know they wouldn't listen to me and put in 0w20.

 

My "free" service had a $ amount attached to it.

I put mine towards TRD sway bars and use my local mechanic for service/work.

It may be worth asking if the Toyota Care is the same.

At minimum.

What the dealer did is fraud and a criminal offense.

 

Since Sept 2016 I've bought four (4) new-from-the-dealer Toyotas and never once used Toyota Care. I can proudly say I have ZERO dealer horror stories.

 

I use mine every 5k miles. I purchased the extended Toyota Care covering me until 75k miles. I'm just over 70k now and no issues or complaints. I guess it depends on the dealership.

 

NEVER took my 18’ to dealer for any “free” services - I don’t like there interviews and have herd to many “stealer “ horror stories - not about my particular dealer but the only time my truck will go to dealer will be for recalls and or computer shit I can’t fix myself

 

Even if they paid me $500 to bring it in for a free oil change, Nope! My trust is gone! Yes, I know, I could turn around and immediately replace their water with my oil plus pocket some beer money. Just not worth it to deal with their shenanigans.

 

I’m glad I’m not the only one. Not concerned about warranty as with proper records that won’t be an issue.

 

Never even had Toyota Care?

 

I have a 21 4runner and a 19 TRD Pro Tundra. I live hour and 20 from nearest dealer. Never even considered the toyota care.

Even if I lived across the street from the dealer, no way in hell am I trusting a 16 yr old kid to change the oil on my toyotas nor am I wasting an entire day waiting for an oil change.

 

Nope. The free operations are too simple to let some lube tech screw up my truck. The true cost of those free oil changes might be realized when you’re under your truck doing your first solo one and the filter housing is on so tight you have to take it off in pieces.

 

Nope. Dreading taking it in for recalls too (fuel pump and headlights are 2 currently open on mine). For one, I'm in what I consider a grossly overpopulated area, so just going to even the closest dealer is an inconvenience. And 2, the last recall the nearest dealer did (airbags in 4R) they screwed it up and I had to make them redo it. Wasted my time with that extra trip. Dealer I bought from is an hour away, so I haven't taken anything there for service or warranty yet. After 20+ years of mixed experiences and shenanigans, I have little confidence in dealership competence, regardless of brand.

 

As someone who works at a dealership in the service department it’s sad to see how much distrust there is.

 

Not all service departments are the same.

I wish mine was reputable and honest.

 

You’re doing things perfectly. I would never let the idiots changing oil at the dealerships touch my vehicle.

 

I can say that I do trust my Toyota service department. Good folks, and it seems like most of them drive Tundras Tacos and 4Runners anyway. Always fast and efficient. 10 years and 5 vehicles, they have done right by me.

The BMW service department on the other hand tries to sell me shit before they even get me out of the car. “Sir your tires are worn and flux capacitor is getting really low. Good news we can take care of you for $6000 out the door today.”

 

The quick lube departments are for the most part an embarrassment. They don’t even follow Toyota’s engineered specs. And addressing it only gets a person short term satisfaction.

 

Well I am willing to bet that each of them earn the rep they carry whether good or bad.

It is important to not paint this with too broad of a brush too and try to find good ones wherever they are but like the rest of our lives there are good and bad days we each have too which can make it tough to really tell overall what might happen trusting a dealer service department.

I will say that the day the dealer I would get oil changes at installed alignment machines in the service driveup is the last day I ever went there.
Well not entirely true really,I went back shortly after to install cameras in the driveup bays as they started getting accused of door dents and dings the minute they actually tried to sell shit even before getting your VIN into the system!?

 

I trust my local dealer and have it serviced at every interval. They do concierge and pick up and drop off my truck from the house so it’s very convenient.

Pro tip: If you use your truck under any of the special operating conditions (off road or heavy towing/loads), you could make the case to get oil changes at every 5k and diff oil changes at every 15k.

 

I used the Toyota Care on my Sienna twice for oil changes. Then I realized how much I was paying for it. I cancelled it and I do everything myself that I can, and pay them for the rare tranny fluid proper flush and coolant change.

I stay as far away from their service AND parts department as I can!

 

I like to change my factory fill oil between 1,000-2,000 miles so I had the dealership do it. Technically they won’t change the oil at the 5k service, so I told them to perform the 10k service. Did the same with my Corolla. But the dealer won’t see either again for oil changes

 

Some dealers are bad, some are good, some are adequate. Yours needs to be reported to Toyota and maybe the local police.

 

Yep. Exactly. Zero trust.

There is a massive, glaring conflict of interest between the dealership needing to sell you vehicles and you needing the dealership to keep the one you have working properly for as long as possible. Those needs should not be met within the same establishment. It is in their best interest to sell you a new car. Why would you rely on them to keep the one you have working as long and trouble-free as possible?

I turned down Toyota care, do it all myself, and haven’t been back since I drove it off the lot.

 

Mine could have changed with ownership. If some dealers didn’t try to nickel and dime on services not need the overall reputation would be a lot better. I will say at the same dealership I had mixed experiences with warranty work. First time I had the common Tacoma diff needle bearing growl due to a 1.5” lift and they fixed it without issue and it was solid work. The second time on the same truck I brought it in for a screeching clutch pedal and they sprayed the pedal with lithium grease and tried to charge an hour of labor for a truck still under comprehensive warranty.

 

Been taking mine since new…my dealership is amazing so I guess it does all depend on the dealership. I request the same service tech and he actually videos all the work done. Free oil changes for life so I will be utilizing it forever.

 

Do the service yourself and log it into your Toyota account, that will be considered "proper".

 

I’m in the same boat. Sitting on 4908 in the ODO. What exactly are the complementary services you get on a new Toyota?

 

I got my truck serviced 1 hr away because the Toyota dealership 7 miles from me is dishonest and incompetent!
I trust the one that did toyota care and the recalls.