Hello guys. I am back with needing your advice on these recommended services Toyota gave me today after an oil change. It looks like every time I go in for an oil change, there is always something new to pay for, and before doing so: I like to return to my favorite forum " CarTalk" to ask the experts and those who are familiar with car maintenance for their advice.
So here goes: My car is a 2012 Camry SE and finally is at 63K mileage. Toyota said I need fluid injection service ( I don’t know what that is) and the price is $189. They also said I need evaporator service ( I am assuming this has to do with the A/C?) The AC runs ice cold and heats up pretty fine. So my guess is that they just want to clean the A/C system. Price is $119 for the service.
Then they recommended Climate tuneup, which is for slightly below $100 ( I forgot the exact cost for it, but it is close to 100 bucks.)
First of all anytime a service is recommended if you don’t know what it is keep asking questions from whoever recommends the service until you actually know what they are talking about. Next , your manual will have a service schedule in it.
I agree with tester, those “services” are designed to make money for the dealer, and that is all. Go by what your owner’s manual states, nothing more.
You do read your owner’s manual ? It’s probably in your glove box.
Fuel injection service - Pour a bottle of Chevron Techron or Seafoam to into your gas tank once a year or so.
AC Cleaning - If the AC has a musty smell, spray Lysol into the windshield cowl while with the heater fan on high to spread the Lysol through the ducts.
Climate Tuneup - ???
You might consider an independent mechanic for routine maintenance on your Camry.
While waiting at a Toyota dealer’s parts counter, I overheard a service “advisor” telling a customer that they needed “battery service” which involved cleaning of battery terminals. The “service” would be $45 or so. Toyota “Tru-Start” batteries were selling for $98 at the time.
If you brought a car to the dealer with a fingerprint on it, they’d probably recommend a complete detailing job.
You’ll protect your wallet by becoming familiar with your service manual. Get done what it says. And find an independent shop if you like. They can do it just as well.
100% correct. It sounds like this dealership is using the Iffy lube and their competitors business model. Upsell, Upsell, Upsell! Whether “snake oil” additives or un-needed flushes and services. Stick with the scheduled services in your owner manual and you will be fine. If there is another dealership not to far away I would suggest giving them a try. My Kia dealership passed the honesty test at least twice. I asked about the front driveshaft 15,000 mile lube for my FWD Forte. I was informed it was a misprint concerning the AWD Sorento. I had a coolant change at the scheduled 60 months, The manual required a change every 24 months after that which seemed odd. At 24 months they checked the computer and informed me my 60 month change was with the same long life coolant that it came from the factory with which was good for another 60 months.
Do they just pick certain people to upsell? I rarely get recommendations like this and I certainly wouldn’t get three at once.
And, by the way, these sound like revenue enhancers rather than needed service, unless you specifically mentioned a problem with these systems.
Didn’t they recommend a cabin air filter? My dealer has great prices and coupons for oil changes. They brought out a filthy filter and wanted $70. I said put it back. I bought a filter for $12 or so at Wallmart. When I pulled my filter, it was dirty, but not as dirty as his “demonstration filter”.
My 2012 Toyota Camry came with 2 years, 24000 miles free service. Part of the service that Toyota was paying the dealer for was to remove, clean, by tapping it upside down and re-install the cabin air filter at 15,000 miles. Instead they tried to sell me a new one for $30 for the filter and $30 for the labor. I told them to do just what Toyota said to do, and how could thy charge me $30 labor anyway, when the were already being paid to remove and replace it.
When I went to a different Toyota Dealer for my 24000 mile oil change they tried sell me a cabin filter and air filter even though I had just changed both the week before. When I refused, my invoice came back marked" Cabin and air filter filthy, customer refused to change"
It is a great car but the dealers stink.
There’s only one “extra” service I’d recommend that might not be in the manual, and that’s to drain and refill the transmission fluid every 30,000 miles.
I wouldn’t allow a fuel injection service unless there was a clear reason, b/c fiddling w/the fuel injection might cause other problems you don’t currently have. The other two I’d classify as “couldn’t hurt, might help”. Suggest to ask them to explain why they think you need those services. Did they make an observation or do a measurement on your particular car? If that’s their basis, it might make sense. Or is it just they think that’s needed b/c of the model year or mileage? If the latter, probably ok to defer. The “climate tune-up” may be to replace the air filter in the car’s climate system. If so, that’s worth doing, but something you can probably do yourself for a considerable discount over what they’d charge. Usually the owner’s manual will have that procedure in it.
You might also consider switching from the dealership for oil and filter changes to a local independent shop that specialized in Toyotas. The inde shops generally aren’t as aggressive at selling these kinds of things.
Go to auto dealers ONLY WHEN ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!
They make all their profit in the service dept. Stay away from service departments!
You need dealer only for warranty items and recalls, and even then, they will up sell you anyway they can.
Find a good honest local shop *( see Mechanics Files, this website) and treasure one when you find them…ask around among discerning friends, relatives. Trays of homemade brownies are in order, whenever you ask for a favor, or they have done you a “solid.”
I have been through this a couple of times with dealer shop service writers. They will try to sell you a new kitchen sink and charge you a fortune for it. Like was said by others here, find a trusted local independent mechanic and take their advice. I have saved a lot of money by doing just that and never had an issue that the dealer said would be imminent if I didn’t do it. I have been lied to by them by trying to tell me the manufacturer says to do it. When I asked them to prove it, they shut up. I have seen them bully people that don’t know any better and they paid dearly for it. Now, there are some mechanical issues that may be better to be addressed by the dealer but not many. Always get that second opinion.
I have had some similar problems with a couple of Toyota dealers in my area, I took in my 2010 Camry for a oil change, cost was $45.95. When I got the service invoice there were charges I never approved or expected, like charging me $.50 to top off my windshield washer fluid. Are you kidding me, $.50 for about 2 or 3 ounces of washer fluid which usually costs less than $2.00 per gallon ( 128 ounces ). Lesson is to ask up front what they are going to do and what the cost will be. With car dealers it is “BUYER BEWARE”.
Overhearing what service writers are telling their customers helps me decide whether or not to keep doing business with a place - even if I am OK with what they’ve done for me.