I have a 2007 Toyota Sienna with nearly 172,000 miles. Bought the car 3 years ago at 56,000 miles. I have put 2 sets of tires and 2 new batteries in the car, but otherwise have had no problems. Has been in the shop only for regular oil changes and for spark plug change and filter changes a year ago. Need advice on preventive maintenance - is there anything I should do preemptively to avoid a costly repair? What’s likely to go bad first? Thanks for any advice!
Wow, 120k miles in 3 years…you’ve been busy!
First, avoid quick-lube chain shops at all cost. Use a trusted independent mechanic or dealership.
Auto transmission: have fluid and filter changed. Don’t get talked into an expensive “flush.” Just drain and refill with new fluid.
Brakes: have fluid flushed and changed. Brake fluid absorbs moisture from air, corrodes brake lines/calipers and can cause expensive brake repairs.
Antifreeze: flush and replace
Then get an owners manual if you don’t have one and follow recommendations for maintenance intervals.
I would also have the suspension checked; especially the ball joints. Environmental conditions and road surfaces have a lot to do with the longevity of those components and a ball joint is something that you never want to have fail at speed.
Buying used cars can always be a roll of the dice but it sounds like you bought a very good vehicle considering the accumulated miles.
I would have your serpentine belt and tensioner changed if it has not been changed.
Your owner’s manual will tell you what fluids you should change as well as any other preventive maintenance you should be doing.
Thanks for the advice. I have followed the scheduled maintenance in the owner’s manual but the schedule stops at 120,000 miles. I always have the oil changed at the dealer or a full-service shop. Interestingly, at about every 3 oil changes at the dealer, I’m told I need an average of $1,000.00 in repairs. I then take it to another garage and they can’t find the problem identified at the dealer. The latest problem the dealer found was a leak in the rear seal. A different garage did not find said leak.
Just keep an eye on all fluid levels and you’ll be good. The biggest problems people have with cars is not maintaining them and not checking fluid levels regularly.
Buddy has heated, immaculate garage. He had a tiny drip from rear seal on his truck. In his world, 1 drop of oil on spotless floor was issue. He wiped oil spot everyday. Day after day, could not live with it. He had new seal installed. I guess it’s your level of comfort sometimes.
@Cavell Agree, my solution is one of my wife’s old cookie sheets with some kitty litter on it. Had a Ford Granada that leaked some oil for over 10 years. The cookie sheet served me well.
" I have followed the scheduled maintenance in the owner’s manual but the schedule stops at 120,000 miles."
Luckily you didn’t interpret that to mean that no maintenance was needed after 120k miles!
What you should do is to revert to the original maintenance schedule, and do a little bit of addition. For the 15k service, interpret that to mean 135k miles (120k + 15k). For the 30k service, interpret that to mean 150k miles…and so on, with a really “big” service coming when your odometer hits 180k miles, and again when it hits 210k miles.
Where you need to go beyond the mfr’s maintenance schedule is in regard to the transmission. Even if the maintenance schedule lists no maintenance, the fluid and filter should be changed every 30k miles.
Will someone recommend a garage in the Piedmont Triad (Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point)? Thanks.
Check the link for Mechanics Files above and read the reviews. There are 11 garages in the Winston-Salem area, 50 in Greensboro and 15 in High Point.