£199 For An Oil And Filter Change

[balli hi]

Right am i right as the headline states ?, basically i had a full service carried out at my local Mr T last Tuesday, and was charged £199, when i originally phoned to book my car in they quoted me £269 for a Full + Service, as far as i could tell the extra £70 was for a few more checks than what was included in the full service, plus they change the spark plugs, i wasn't sure if it was necessary to have the plugs changed as my car has only done 16,000 miles thus far, the dealer knew this as he asked for the current mileage before quoting me, so i was a little annoyed to learn after seeking advice on the need to change the plugs, that they are Iridium and changed at 60,000 miles, why then had my local Mr T quoted me for the Full + Service ?, anyhow, on the day i took the car in i advised them that they were to carry out just the full service and not the full + service, they were also to carry out the annual MOT, when i got the car back i noticed on the service sheet that the air filter had not been changed, it simply had an n/a in the box provided against ( replace air filter ) i pointed this out and was told "that's correct, we only replace the air filter on the full + service".

Well i was gobsmacked, the main reason i took my car to a Toyota dealership was to have that all important Toyota dealers stamp in my service book, and to my disgust they couldn't even give me that, they explained that they were changing all their dealer stamps from Lookers to Lancaster as they had been taken over, but they did not have the new dealer stamps yet so i would have to come back when they have the new stamps in order to have my service book stamped, i pointed out that that would involve another twelve mile round trip, their response was nothing short of "tough", i have to say that i don't think that i will ever be taking my car back to a Toyota dealership for a service again.

So the point i'm making is i don't think its worth all the extra money to have my oil and oil filter changed at a Toyota dealership when you can have the same done at a smaller garage for a fraction of the cost, Toyota don't even change the air filter for gods sake, unless you pay them an extra £70, now i know some people may point out that its not just an oil change, they also carry out extensive checks, well as i was having the MOT done at the same time the vast majority of those checks are carried on the MOT in any case aren't they ?.

I'd like to know your thoughts guys

Below i have copied and pasted the different service types and what they entail.

INTERMEDIATE SERVICE

Free Visual Safety Report

Free Wash and Vac

Check all pedal(s) and component(s)

Check steering wheel

Check horn

Check washers

Check wipers

Check interior lights

Check exterior lights

Check warning lights

Inspect air conditioning filter - replace as necessary*

Check seat belts

Drain engine oil

Replace oil filter

Inspect air filters

Refill engine oil

Check levels and refill as required

Inspect suspension

Inspect steering

Inspect tyres

Inspect wheels

Check and adjust tyre pressures

Inspect brake pads and discs

Torque tighten wheel nuts

Check radiator and condenser

Check belts

Check Battery

Recheck for fluid leaks- underside and engine bay

Recheck all levels

Reset service lights or monitor as required

*Additional charges apply if work is required

FULL SERVICE

Free Visual Safety Report

Free Wash and Vac

Check all pedal(s) and component(s)

Check steering wheel

Check horn

Check washers

Check wipers

Check interior lights

Check exterior lights

Check warning lights

Inspect air conditioning filter- replace as necessary*

Check seat belts

Drain engine oil

Replace oil filter

Inspect air filters

Refill engine oil

Check levels and refill as required

Inspect suspension

Inspect steering

Inspect tyres

Inspect wheels

Check and adjust tyre pressures

Inspect brake pads and discs

Torque tighten wheel nuts

Check radiator and condenser

Check belts

Check Battery

Recheck for fluid leaks - underside and engine bay

Recheck all levels

Reset service lights or monitor as required

Check alarms

Check and adjust gear cables

Inspect glass and light lenses

Replace Battery in locking remote

Check and inspect suspension ball free play

Replace front and rear differential oils (model dependant)*

Inspect drive shaft boots

Inspect suspension ball joints and dust covers

Inspect fuel and brake pipes

Inspect exhaust pipes

Inspect wheel bearing

Inspect brake lining and drums

Inspect hand brake

Check clutch fluid as required*

Inspect spark plugs

Inspect air filter

Inspect charcoal canister (model dependant)*

Check fuel cap & lines

Full 4-wheel alignment check- extra charge for adjustment

Change brake fluid (every two years)*

Replace air filter (model dependant)

Check transmission oil*

Inspect transfer box oil (model dependant)*

Lubricate prop shaft joints (model dependant)

Tighten prop shaft bolts (model dependant)

*Additional charges apply if work is required

FULL + SERVICE

Free Visual Safety Report

Free Wash and Vac

Check all pedal(s) and component(s)

Check steering wheel

Check horn

Check washers

Check wipers

Check interior lights

Check exterior lights

Check warning lights

Inspect air conditioning filter - replace as necessary*

Check seat belts

Drain engine oil

Replace oil filter

Refill engine oil

Check levels and refill as required

Inspect suspension

Inspect steering

Inspect tyres

Inspect wheels

Check and adjust tyre pressures

Inspect brake pads and discs

Torque tighten wheel nuts

Check radiator and condenser

Check belts

Check battery

Recheck for fluid leaks - underside and engine bay

Recheck all levels

Reset service lights or monitor as required

Check alarms

Check and adjust gear cables

Inspect glass and light lenses

Replace battery in locking remote

Check and inspect suspension ball free play

Replace front and rear differential oils (model dependant)*

Inspect drive shaft boots

Inspect suspension ball joints and dust covers

Inspect fuel and brake pipes

Inspect exhaust pipes

Inspect wheel bearing

Inspect brake lining and drums

Inspect hand brake

Check clutch fluid as required*

Inspect spark plugs

Inspect air filter

Inspect charcoal canister (model dependant)

Check fuel cap & lines

Full 4-wheel alignment check- extra charge for adjustment

Check transmission oil*

Inspect transfer box oil (model dependant)*

Lubricate prop shaft joints (model dependant)

Tighten prop shaft bolts (model dependant)

Replace diesel fuel filter (model dependant)

Replace spark plugs

Replace air filter (model dependant)

Check valves

Clean airflow meter

Diesel smoke test

Change brake fluid (every two years)*

*Additional charges apply if work is required

[AURISTR01]

I understand your argument, its not just Toyota at it theres many more dealers out there who will do the same to customers simply because they can because people like the dealer "stamp"

The good news is you have realised & wont be making the same mistake again.

At 16,000 miles your car will be faultless unless you are a person who gives your car some serious abuse. At that sort of mileage you will need an oil change, air filter, spark plugs raises a question if they are Iridium but I would leave them at least 2-3 years, tyres, maybe front brake pads depending on your route, and maybe wipers. A car which runs short local journeys in comparison to a car which is driven motorway miles hence less wear so you be the judge of that.

As you have mentioned any faults would have been picked up at MOT test.

My advice to you would be buy Genuine Toyota parts and have them replaced at a garage you trust works out miles cheaper, or if your confident DIY and at the same time it will keep your resalve value because you have invoices which is proof when buyers purchase a car they will appreciate you used genuine parts, maybe not so interested in the dealer stamp.

I have sold 4-5 cars with full service history and never had a complaint.

Dont think overtime, learn from it hardly your fault.

[Mooly]

I've never heard of a full + service. Your service book should detail the recommended schedules. As you are understandably not happy I would think it worth dropping Toyota customer services a line and asking for their clarification. Engine air filter replacement is a basic service item.

[balli hi]

I've never heard of a full + service. Your service book should detail the recommended schedules. As you are understandably not happy I would think it worth dropping Toyota customer services a line and asking for their clarification. Engine air filter replacement is a basic service item.

If you look at the service matrix you'll see to the right of ( replace air filter ) it says ( model dependent ) and yes i do intend to give customer services a call.

The Full + Service is part of Toyota's new fixed price service matrix, i received a letter from Toyota a month ago detailing the new fixed price servicing, they sum up in their letter by stating " Your cars resale value is considerably enhanced with a manufacturer's service history " , well at those prices i don't think i'll be bothering anymore, besides on this occasion i don't really believe that they carried out all the checks they were supposed to have, my gut instinct is that the service sheet has merely been ticked regardless, the oil change carried out and the body work given a quick cats lick of a wash before being handed back to me, they must have run out of time or something and just rushed the car through, when i checked under the bonnet there was some oil spill on the plastic guard on top of the engine, one side of the car was clean but the other side and the lower front was still dirty, there were greasy marks around the ignition in the cabin and there were no paper mat protectors on the floor mats but there were greasy foot marks on the floor mat on the drivers side, nor was there a plastic sheet cover over the drivers seat, in the past when this dealership was run by Lookers all those things would have been in place when the car was handed back to me, i didn't even get the visual safety report sheet, there's no mention on how much wear is left on the brake pads, but they did check the tyres for wear and measured the tread depth, although there is no mention of the spare, in fact they hadn't even been in the boot, i know this because i had left a few things in there that were in exactly the same place when i checked, in the past i knew they had been in the boot because things had been moved, one other thing they failed to mention was the tracking, i specifically asked them to check and report, they do a four wheel alignment check in any case as part of the fixed price service supposedly, there is nowhere on the service sheet that i can see that an alignment check had been carried out, nor did they even mention to me anything about the tracking as i had requested, i forgot to ask them if they had checked it when i got the keys and paperwork because i got side tracked ( no pun intended ) when they told me that i would have to come back to get the service book stamped, also they could not give me an invoice because they did not have any with Lancaster heading on, so that would be sent out in the post, well they must have sent it out via Japan because as of yet i still haven't received it, they say first impressions last, and if this Lancaster Toyota lot are anything to go by then that dealership will lose business and go down hill fast.

when i had my previous car i did all the minor servicing myself in the latter years, brake pads, oil and filter, spark plugs etc, and from now on i'll be doing the same with the Auris using genuine Toyota parts and keeping all the receipts as AURISTRO 1 has mentioned in the first reply to this topic.

When i go back to get my service book stamped next week i intend to see the Dealership Principal and let him know my thoughts.

[Mooly]

I take it the letter was sent out by Toyota GB and not just something the dealership is doing off their own bat. You definiely need to speak to Toyota Customer Services.

I had my 1.33 serviced two weeks ago, and I never heard mention of this + service when they contacted me. I'm on a service plan but they were initially unaware of that (only because the conversation didn't get that far in the first few seconds) when I made the initial appointment, and I was told that any extra items such as brake fluid etc was a chargeable extra. As soon as I mentioned the service plan I was told it was all covered and all "extra" items were included.

When I had my TSport I always felt servicing costs were high for what was really done. Apart from oil/filter changes it was mostly inspections. The first service I had in 2003 was around £70, and around £130 ? for the two year full service. Then as the dealerships changed and moved into the glass and chrome palaces the prices escalated. In the later years I never seemed to be far from £300 for servicing.

The plan on the Auris is briliant. £15.10 a month covers all servicing and also includes all MOT's and all recommended additional work such as brake fluid for the next 7 years.

Good luck with Toyota and keep us updated.

[tavy]

Right am i right as the headline states ?, basically i had a full service carried out at my local Mr T last Tuesday, and was charged £199, when i originally phoned to book my car in they quoted me £269 for a Full + Service, as far as i could tell the extra £70 was for a few more checks than what was included in the full service, plus they change the spark plugs...

That's a rip off, you shouldn't accept it...

[balli hi]

The letter was sent out when they were Lookers Toyota Romford, as said they are now Lancaster Toyota Romford, its a mass produced type printed letter and endorsed at the end with a printed signature as opposed to a hand written one, followed by, Kind Regards

Carl Finbow

Service Manager

However i'm sure its a letter that's been rolled out across all dealerships advertising Toyota's new fixed price servicing schedules and further backs up their advertising campaign via TV and Radio.

The cost of the service and MOT totaled £238, ordinarily even though the servicing cost was high in the past and is even higher now given whats actually replaced, i was happy in the past because i could tell that all the works had been carried out, i,e you can tell when something has been removed or touched, but there is no doubt in my mind that very little indeed has been done other than to change the engine oil and oil filter, the plastic cover that sits on top of the engine was covered in a light film of dust, also the plastic cover that sits on the Battery, if those covers had been touched and removed there would have been evidence of the dust being disturbed, but it had not been disturbed in the slightest, they would have had to remove those covers to get to and remove the spark plugs in order to check condition, and also to check Battery terminals, as said those covers had not been disturbed, also the coolant level in the reservoir should i believe be between the full and low marks, the level when i took it in was about half an inch below the low mark, and needed topping up, i'm not sure whether or not the price i paid included topping up the coolant level, but they should have at least picked up on it and advised accordingly, another thing it states check wipers, i changed both the Wiper Blades on the front a couple of weeks ago, however the rear one was frayed at either end and was in need of changing, i knew this before i took the car in and intended to buy a replacement and indeed did buy one whilst i was there from their parts department when i returned to collect my car, but yet again there was no mention of the rear wiper being knackered and needing replacing, all these things added together tell me they checked sweet f- all, and their workmanship was so poor that they couldn't even be bothered to wipe up the oil spill on the engine cover after they had refilled, and as already said there were no mat protectors on the floor, leaving me with greasy boot prints on the drivers side floor mat, this is not the level of service i have come to expect from a main Toyota dealership, its more akin to a dodgy back street garage, the difference is i don't think even the dodgy back street garage would have charged £199 for the privilege.

[cabcurtains]

The whole menu pricing thing is interesting, expecially if all the dealers charge the same. Hows that for competition?

When i recently discussed a service plan the main angle of sale was based on the reduction in cost based vs the menu pricing, got to be deliberate.

[bruce e]

I'm looking at my "Health & Safety Schedule & Visual Safety Report Procedure Guide" tick box sheet I receive after each service on my Auris. It appears to be a Toyota form as it has no dealership info on it & has a Toyota part number GBNGH-07AUP-S7. It has two columns one for 10K & one for 20K ie intermediate & Full service items. According to this sheet the air filter is not changed until 4 years or 40K whichever is the sooner.

[AURISTR01]

4 years is way too long to replace an air filter, all I would say inspect after 1 year of fitting it from new and you will soon see how dirty they get, containing leafs and other road debris. Especially if the car is used on dirt track or rough terrain.

I wouldnt be surprised if that explains some peoples poor MPG on fuel consumption and rough running. It plays a big part its the breathing of the car if you have ever heard of the term "Suck, Squeeze, bang, blow" in engine terms its the suction bit

Replace the air filter every 12 months with every oil change or at least clean it with a hoover.

[bruce e]

4 years is way too long to replace an air filter,

Seems Toyota would benefit from your wisdom (?)

You really cannot win, some say the manufacturers are fleecing their customers by unnecessary servicing & others think they are not doing enough. The only answer is to find a garage you can trust & stick with them, if you're not happy then look around.

[AURISTR01]

Its not about wisdom its a fact. Having worked in the motor industry for a couple of years I speak from experience, anybody who understands the basic elements of a service will include the air filter at a 12 month interval, simply because its good economy. Toyotas checklist does not mean it can't be done before 4 years its a recommended interval.

I agree dealers will always be expensive in comparison to a trusted reputable garage, as many customers will pay the extra cash because they can simply for the peace of mind. Assuming dealers offer the very best service for the car obviously not on this occasion. Some people dont call them stealers for no reason :)

[balli hi]

I had been taking my car to Lookers for the last 4 years from new, after an initial disagreement with them when i first bought the car, i found their level of service and customer care to be good, and as said i could tell that the full range of checks had been carried out and advised upon, now this particular dealership has been taken over by Lancaster and after getting my car back and having a look under the bonnet before and after the car went in for its service, i am 100% certain that they checked F-all but just ticked the boxes changed the oil and oil filter and charged me £199 for the privilege , also as said, i will be going in to see the Dealership Principal to let him know my feelings and dependent on his response will then be contacting Toyota Customer Services, either way i will never be using their services ever again, and will definitely be taking my car to a different dealership for the more difficult servicing tasks that i am not able to perform myself .

Regards the air filter, all my previous cars had their air filters changed at annual service so would agree with AURITRO1, however the service book for the Auris does state under ( additional replacements ) " air filter change for models after 2003 - every 4 years / 40,000 miles " , the thing i need to find out is was mine covered by the fixed price full service that i paid for ? as it simply states " model dependent " in the full service matrix that i copied and pasted in my first post, the service book merely has an ' I ' for Inspection , opposite Air filter as opposed to an 'R' for Replacement, at intermediate and full service level's.

[Heidfirst]

The whole menu pricing thing is interesting, expecially if all the dealers charge the same. Hows that for competition?

I suspect that it evened up costs across the country e.g. brought down service costs in & around London but certainly up here in Scotland it put our service prices up

[balli hi]

Just an update, the service manager contacted me after the dealership principal had called him in and explained to him that the dealership had been contacted by Toyota Customer Relations after i had made a complaint regards my service, the service manager asked me when they could have the car back so as to go over all the service items and checks again which he stated he would personally oversee, he even offered to have my car picked up and returned, plus i could have the use of a loan car whilst mine was at the dealership.

So my car go's back on Tuesday and hopefully they will carry out all the checks and adjustments that they should have carried out in the first place.

Oh and iv'e just noticed the advert at the bottom of this thread ' Toyota Fixed price servicing ' no less !!, click here if the add is not available below the last post. http://www.toyota.co.uk/cgi-bin/toyota/bv/frame_start.jsp?id=AfterSalesService&BrochureRCode=RC64591&TestdriveRCode=RC64592&CampaignID=C4305 ,

[jettech]

IMO most dealers service schedules are just big con. There is many checks but not much work really done except oil change. They will charge you extra even for air con filter replacement. I bought Toyota service plan but now I regret it as each time they try to slack on something.

[R1star]

I have just booked mine in for its 4 year service.Independent toyota specialist wanted €250 with mot.Toyota dealer are doing it for €220 all in.Must say can not complain about that.

[Soot1]

Full Service +. Yes thats a new option and the one I had, overpriced yes. Part of it is adjusting the clutch and brake pedals , the tech. adjusted the clutch pedal allright - I had to push the pedal so hard into the carpet to activate the push button start light and the wifes little legs could not press the pedal hard enough. So it went back to be re-adjusted. It's now ok but was a waste of 1/2 a day of my time, should have charged them per hour, what do you think £50 per hour?

[balli hi]

IMO most dealers service schedules are just big con. There is many checks but not much work really done except oil change. They will charge you extra even for air con filter replacement. I bought Toyota service plan but now I regret it as each time they try to slack on something.

I am now of the same opinion, and to further back up my point i am now in possession of the invoice which has finally been posted out to me, the bill totals £238 which includes the cost of £39 for the MOT and VAT at 20%.

Interestingly enough the only parts used are , Oil Filter £8.75, GSKT Drain Plug £1.09, Screen wash £1.19, and 4.5 litres of 5/30 oil £40.95, total for parts = £51.98.

However there is no charge or mention of the locking remote Battery, all my previous service invoices have included a charge of £6 for the aforementioned Battery, once again if you check the full service schedule you'll see that the price you pay includes replacement of the key remote Battery, so there's another issue i'll be taking up with them when i take my car back on Tuesday.

I have just booked mine in for its 4 year service.Independent toyota specialist wanted €250 with mot.Toyota dealer are doing it for €220 all in.Must say can not complain about that.

At the end of the day if you are happy to pay that, but most importantly are getting what you have paid for then that's fine, my issue is that when i saw that they didn't even replace the air filter, i decided to make a thorough check of the service schedule and then go through and check everything on the car, not forgetting the fact that they handed the car back to me with boot marks on the floor mat and greasy deposits around the ignition.

To further back up my complaint i have checked my tyre pressures again, and they are the same as when i took the car in for its service, n/s/f 29.5 p.s.i, o/s/f 30, n.s.r 29, o/s/r 29. So once again there's another item they should have checked and rectified as per the service schedule and lastly the brake fluid reservoir was a tad low and is still low, yet again no mention, just a tick on the service sheet.

I have paid them £199 to do all those aforementioned service items for me, and they have clearly failed i.e in my opinion 'cheated', so i'll not trust them again.

[jedi134]

That's why I don't go near dealerships anymore, their all pirates.......half havn'nt got a clue what there doing....and charge you a fortune for the privilege......:D

[R1star]

That must be some pretty poor dealers you have had the misfortune to use.Around where I live I have had two toyota dealers and so far they have both been superb even though theres only one left now.

[Red Yaris 54]

That's why I don't go near dealerships anymore, their all pirates.......half havn'nt got a clue what there doing....and charge you a fortune for the privilege......:D

Such general statements are just not true......There are many dealerships, Toyota and other manufacturers that offer excellent service and give the owner complete confidence in the product

It is unwise to post such general sweeping statements on TOC as they are misleading and innacurate.

Please try to avoid such generalisation in the future :)

[jedi134]

Opps! Sorry pardon my French, there not all bad :P

[Red Yaris 54]

Opps! Sorry pardon my French, there not all bad :P

Merci Monsieur ! :)

[Old Fart]

I stopped taking my car to Toyota dealers for a service, they don't remove the callipers and check everything is as it should be. When I had a Yaris the piston started sticking on the left front wheel, their reply was "we do not check the brakes, we just inspect them".

All my car servicing is now done at an independant garage and service items are lubricated as they should be for about 2/3rds the price.