Purchased a new Corolla from the dealer, religiously followed necessary maintenance, (oil changes, rotations, etc), but NOT serviced at the dealer. Approaching 36K miles, I am going to take it in prior to expiration of drive train warranty, and need to know what to say. When I tell them to check it out, I expect them to look at me like I am nuts as there have been no major problems. Suggestions for asking what they should check? Thanks in advance.
Ask for an inspection. They may charge for an hours labor though.
What you are asking is the same inspection as though you wanted a safety certificate for the vehicle.
Be aware they just ‘MAY’ find something wrong. Although some suspension components begin to wear by this time.
As long as you have records of the service being performed the warranty is valid.
Read the maintenance schedule to determine what might be necessary at 36K. If you ask the dealer mechanics to find something to charge you for, they will.
Checking a car over in an attempt to detect looming problems is a near impossibility.
There are a number of things that could be inspected as an aid but don’t expect to have this inspection done for free/have it covered by warranty. Warranty pays for the repair of a factory defect in materials or workmanship at that point in time but does not pay for fishing expeditions.
Really have to wonder why you’re asking for an inspection? Don’t trust the mechanic who’s been doing the service??
Expect them to charge you HOURS of labor for this one.
Don’t expect the Dealer to tell you about any problem that would be covered by warranty,they don’t do this type of thing, unless instructed by the manufacture as in a campaign or recall. You certainly can ask the Dealer to check if all campaigns have been performed on your car.
If your Corolla is doing well, I wouldn’t go looking for trouble. You have all your receipts that you did the necessary maintenance. I’ll admit that I have a bias against Toyota dealers–we had a terrible time getting a problem fixed correctly on a 2003 Toyota 4Runner we bought new in 2003. After we got the problem resolved, I had all the servicing done by my independent garage. The 4Runner hasn’t seen the inside of a Toyota dealer since.