Toyota Dealership Foolery

neilwill

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Jun 6, 2024
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Atlanta, Georgia
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2024 Land Cruiser Meteor Shower
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.
 
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.
 
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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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.
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.
 
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.
 
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.
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).
 
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