Just got back from the dealership for my first oil change 5000mi and surprise, Toyota only pays for the complementary oil change if you bring it in at 10k miles intervals! Does that make my sense to anybody? Who cares if I bring it in at 5k or 10k, just give me a set number of free changes and be done.
Toyota Dealership Foolery
- Thread starter neilwill
- Start date
The Toyota maintenance intervals are now based on leasing and warranty, not optimal engine break-in.
I'm not sure why I care, as I've never kept a vehicle to 100K miles. But it bothers me to run measurable elevated metal levels for 5000 miles.
Lower mileage drivers who live in areas that have winter should probably be changing oil 3X/Year if the intent is to keep the vehicle long term.
I'm not sure why I care, as I've never kept a vehicle to 100K miles. But it bothers me to run measurable elevated metal levels for 5000 miles.
Lower mileage drivers who live in areas that have winter should probably be changing oil 3X/Year if the intent is to keep the vehicle long term.
Setting aside the notion of an early bonus oil change to account for manufacturing material - I wonder if there is any data out there that supports a 3000 mile oil change interval as necessary or optimal for engine longevity. And why is it 3000? Why not 2000 or 1500, following the logic is that more often is better. Maybe weekly?
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The ability to track a program for a set number of free oil changes across the Toyota dealer network would be a massive and massively expensive systems undertaking. Simply put, I don’t think the dealer network shares information about your car other than whatever they might report to Carfax.
I got my oil changed at 1000 and again at 5000 at two different dealerships and both of them wanted to use it as my free one. To keep things simple I told him no I will just use the free ones at 10 and 20.
Also, based on all the posts about the incompetency with tire pressures and rotations, I opted to have discount tire do my tire rotation. I maintain pressure myself via Costco nitrogen.
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They track it by VIN number across the Toyota network. My taco was purchased in one region, serviced (oil changed) in a different region and repaired in a third region, all three dealerships had the full service history to include the new hood I purchased and had painted (I wanted the hood scoop).
They will do tire rotation and various checks at 5K for free.
I just did the 5K and paid $79 for an oil change. Life is too short to pay $60K+ for a vehicle no one needs and worry about paying for a couple of oil changes.
If Toyota did "five free oil changes in the first 24 months" the program would cost them a lot more.
I also paid for an oil change at 800 miles.
I just did the 5K and paid $79 for an oil change. Life is too short to pay $60K+ for a vehicle no one needs and worry about paying for a couple of oil changes.
If Toyota did "five free oil changes in the first 24 months" the program would cost them a lot more.
I also paid for an oil change at 800 miles.
Yeah, a lot of manufacturers are moving to 10k mile oil changes intervals. In the manual it shows oil change at 5k for heavy duty use, or at 10k for ordinary use. I totally disagree and believe it should be done every 5k miles or six months.
We just have to pay for them in between the prepaid ones at 10k miles. 5k miles I pay, 10k miles Toyota care pays, 15k miles I pay, 20k miles Toyota care pays, then it’s on me every 5k miles. Not a big deal, small price to pay to keep it reliable.
Car Care Nut talks about this in a few videos and articles. He recommends every 5k miles to keep it reliable.
We just have to pay for them in between the prepaid ones at 10k miles. 5k miles I pay, 10k miles Toyota care pays, 15k miles I pay, 20k miles Toyota care pays, then it’s on me every 5k miles. Not a big deal, small price to pay to keep it reliable.
Car Care Nut talks about this in a few videos and articles. He recommends every 5k miles to keep it reliable.
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As someone who has worked in tech for over 20 years, I disagree that it would be a massively expensive systems undertaking. Moving data around is cheap and easy, and tracking it is even easier.
My local Toyota dealer has always allowed me to use my two “Free” (although these costs are of course calculated into the MSRP) oil changes at whatever interval I choose, with the caveat being that there are only two oil changes that are free of charge. I’m sure this varies by dealership and the fact that I have bought several new Toyotas from them over the last few years likely plays a role.
Typically, I have chosen to use these dealer oil changes at either 1,000 and then 2,500 miles, or on some of my Toyotas, 2,500 and then 5,000 miles. After the first two, I always do the rest myself.
Typically, I have chosen to use these dealer oil changes at either 1,000 and then 2,500 miles, or on some of my Toyotas, 2,500 and then 5,000 miles. After the first two, I always do the rest myself.
I wasn’t making that point from an uninformed position.
As a dealer employee I can tell you that the dealer should not have charged you. You can cash out the included services whenever you would like.
Understood. But an app to track service isn't expensive, difficult, or a massive undertaking.
I guess I’ll engage.
What Toyota would have to do here is set up a CRM system with a single contact record for a given vehicle that would cross dealership and service locations and would also cross ownership changes. It’s easier to do with cloud software than it would have been with on-premise because at least you have a single target data model. It’d be easy enough if you were doing it for a greenfield company, but this would be for an enormous network of existing companies that don’t all have the same ownership and all of which have their own processes and data.
I’d bid it with ServiceNow or Salesforce as the platform. But you’d have to migrate existing data from every current dealership database and there would be hundreds of those, often with duplicate vehicle and customer data. That part would be monstrous. The training effort would be huge as well.
A project like this for Toyota North America would be enormous. I know what I’m talking about.
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Interesting...appreciate the response. I'm willing to bet that Toyota already has a robust CRM; I can't see any large successful business not having one. Data migration isn't hard, and there are many tools (AI and OOTB) that can handle dupes. It's really not that enormous. I know what I'm talking about too...I do it every day. Good convo though.
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- #16
I'm pretty sure they do. I purchased my Taco in TN, had it serviced in TN twice and in AL twice and once in MD....... With the VIN all three shops had it's history in seconds.
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I had a 2018 Land Cruiser (which I miss so much) and the dealer cut me off because I had exceeded the authorized number of complementary oil changes. So, I think they already have that capability.
Yeah Honda is the same way and won't pay for it. So when I did the first oil change in her Honda, I told him do not reset the maintenance reminder for an oil change % because that is what Honda will look at and won't pay you if you're not at 10,000 or 20,000 for these first two oil changes.
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Will Costco do that if they don’ t sell and install the tires?
- Jun 8, 2024
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I plan to do an oil change at or around 1000 mikes to get rid of any break in debris and fuel dilution from hours of idling at the port. Already bough a Mobil 1 M-103A oil filter for the occasion since the local parts store doesn’t carry Denso filters.
I’ll probably go ahead and add a Fumoto valve while I’m there. Easy maintenance = more frequently performed maintenance.
I’ll probably go ahead and add a Fumoto valve while I’m there. Easy maintenance = more frequently performed maintenance.
