Dealership or independent mechanic

I've had good luck with both dealerships and independents. As others have said, during warranty it only makes sense to use the dealer. Outside of warranty, or for routine maintenance, either do it yourself of use an independent if that is your preference.

If there is a complicated issue, the dealership may be in a better position to diagnose the problem because they've seen it before (see: Ruggybuggy above) and because they may need (and possess) specialized tools for your repair. Some independents also specialize by brand and may have this level of knowledge too, but general mechanical repair shops may not.

Also, the dealerships have access to the full Toyota database of repair manuals. They can also download software updates if needed that independents cannot do.

Not all dealers are owned and operated by a single kind of person - some are committed to great customer service and some are more interested in a fast buck. It's up to us to identify the dealer nearest us that falls into the first category - if you choose to go with a dealer and not an independent.

 

I think everyone is entitled to their own methods of fixing the car. My wife often asks me what I do with the car, why I change something, and why I leave it somewhere. And you know, I don't understand the reason for such questions. But if you're interested in such a question, I can tell you about it to make it easier for you to choose between the two. I don't use my car brand dealers because they ask for too much money. Often the dealer is an intermediary between a professional mechanic and me. So the charge for fixing the car becomes higher than if I took the car to a mechanic center. In such a center, I immediately ask for help and get my car fixed on the spot without any middlemen.