Prius Servicing

[RWaggers]

My Gen 4 Prius (non- plug in) is now coming up to it's first full service.  Places like Halfords are advertising a 'Toyota Service' at a price of £175.00 as opposed to Mr T's £335.00.

Anybody have any thoughts on using a non-Toyota garage to carry out servicing?

The vehicle is a 2016 Business Edition Plus and our annual mileage is around the 8 - 9k mark which includes the occasional 1.5k miles on a European road trip.

Thanks in anticipation.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Under block exemption, non-franchised dealers can carry out servicing during the new car warranty. The work can be carried out by an independent garage as long as that garage uses manufacturer approved parts and correctly follows the manufacturer's service schedule.

However, in the event of a future warranty claim upon which servicing may have had an effect,  the onus would be on the owner to prove that the service schedule has been correctly followed and that the parts used were of equivalent standards.

Servicing outside of the dealer network would usually deny any goodwill help with repairs from the manufacturer outside of the new car warranty.

Also as regards hybrids, non-Toyota garages don't undertake the hybrid health check as part of the service.

[BhxTrev]

Hi Richard, 

You've just spent 20 odd thousand pounds on a great car so I can't see why you quibble about £160 to have a decent proper service using the Toyota garage. I would certainly take on board Frosty's comments regarding the warranty. I wouldn't dream of taking my Prius to anywhere other than a Toyota garage for a service. Besides that just remember Toyota agents have the specialised diagnostic equipment needed to maintain the running of their hybrid cars in tip top condition! 

 

[Harters]

16 hours ago, RWaggers said:

My Gen 4 Prius (non- plug in) is now coming up to it's first full service.  Places like Halfords are advertising a 'Toyota Service' at a price of £175.00 as opposed to Mr T's £335.00.

Anybody have any thoughts on using a non-Toyota garage to carry out servicing?

The vehicle is a 2016 Business Edition Plus and our annual mileage is around the 8 - 9k mark which includes the occasional 1.5k miles on a European road trip.

Thanks in anticipation.

WOW, that's expensive, I was quoted that price for my second service which is fair enough.

I recently booked my Prius in for its first service at my main dealer and its £185.00 which I think is pretty good.  I will have done less than 6000 miles when I have it done in March.

[Heidfirst]

The Toyota GB Fixed Price Service regime has, for a Prius:

Intermediate £185

Full £335

Full + £395

These are maximum prices for those dealers that operate it - they are free to discount should they wish. 

You might want to compare what is included with both - I have a suspicion that Halford's "Full" service may be the equivalent of the Toyota Intermediate rather than Toyota's Full.

[danowat]

15 hours ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

 

Also as regards hybrids, non-Toyota garages don't undertake the hybrid health check as part of the service.

Isn't the HHC part of the warranty stipulation?, I guess you could get the servicing done elsewhere but still have Toyota do a HHC?

[FROSTYBALLS]

10 minutes ago, danowat said:

Isn't the HHC part of the warranty stipulation?, I guess you could get the servicing done elsewhere but still have Toyota do a HHC?

Think not - as this wouldn't meet the block exemption regulation. 

It would be useful to have to ensure the hybrid system is operating correctly. Having the service done elsewhere and the HHC done by a Toyota dealer would reduce the difference between the servicing costs - bringing it down to 

[PeteB]

1 hour ago, Harters said:

WOW, that's expensive, I was quoted that price for my second service which is fair enough.

I recently booked my Prius in for its first service at my main dealer and its £185.00 which I think is pretty good.  I will have done less than 6000 miles when I have it done in March.

Yes, I was surprised by this price.

My first 2 services were £158 and £254 respectively, which while not too bad, is still way, way increased more than inflation since my Mk 1 Prius 16 years ago.  If anything, with more electric ancillaries, there's even less to do than for the early models.

That said, some dealers have always known how to charge - I remember reading a post from someone who bought a 2nd hand Gen 2 Prius about 7 or 8 years ago.  It was five years old, and the previous owner had supplied the service invoices which averaged about £400 per time for the first five services.  And, the only really big one, is the sixth!  Boy, where there some interesting replies to that!

[RWaggers]

10 minutes ago, PeteB said:

Yes, I was surprised by this price.

17 hours ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

Servicing outside of the dealer network would usually deny any goodwill help with repairs from the manufacturer outside of the new car warranty.

Also as regards hybrids, non-Toyota garages don't undertake the hybrid health check as part of the service.

The dealers in my neck of the woods are pretty spread out so I suppose there isn't an incentive for them to undercut each other.

I take the point that FROSTYBALLS is making regarding the goodwill, so it will probably make sense to use a Toyota garage.

Apart from the price difference, my original question was prompted by the fact that I've heard a few bad things about my local Toyota dealership.  If I end up using Mr T, it will involve a 70-odd mile round trip on the dealership I bought the car from and a lengthy wait in the service area whilst they do the work.  Halfords, on the other-hand, is a 10 minute walk from here. 

[FROSTYBALLS]

2 hours ago, Harters said:

WOW, that's expensive, I was quoted that price for my second service which is fair enough.

I recently booked my Prius in for its first service at my main dealer and its £185.00 which I think is pretty good.  I will have done less than 6000 miles when I have it done in March.

 

1 hour ago, PeteB said:

Yes, I was surprised by this price.

My first 2 services were £158 and £254 respectively, which while not too bad, is still way, way increased more than inflation since my Mk 1 Prius 16 years ago.  If anything, with more electric ancillaries, there's even less to do than for the early models.

That said, some dealers have always known how to charge - I remember reading a post from someone who bought a 2nd hand Gen 2 Prius about 7 or 8 years ago.  It was five years old, and the previous owner had supplied the service invoices which averaged about £400 per time for the first five services.  And, the only really big one, is the sixth!  Boy, where there some interesting replies to that!

Toyota revised the service costs schedules in 2016, and for the full and full+ services included what were previously service options, which were chargeable additions. One example is the brake fluid change which was a service option costed at £40, but which was due every 2 years/20,000 miles - so often customers had to pay for the full service and the brake fluid change, whereas now it is included in the service cost. The full+ service includes, depending on model and service requirements, the previous service options of spark plug change, coolant change, etc. Obviously the revised cost does also include a percentage rise.

See -

 

[PeteB]

3 hours ago, RWaggers said:

...Apart from the price difference, my original question was prompted by the fact that I've heard a few bad things about my local Toyota dealership.  If I end up using Mr T, it will involve a 70-odd mile round trip on the dealership I bought the car from and a lengthy wait in the service area whilst they do the work.  Halfords, on the other-hand, is a 10 minute walk from here. 

My dealer was 100 miles each way from where I lived for the first 9 years I used them, although they were only 27 miles from my mother, so I used to tie in a service with a weekend visit to her whenever possible.  I'd have a very nice breakfast at the Premier Inn next door while they did the work.

I went to them in the first place because when I bought my first Prius in 2002 no one knew whether the hybrid system was going to be troublesome so I wanted an ex-demonstrator at a relatively sensible price to reduce my exposure if it turned out to be a lemon.

A brand new Gen 1 Prius cost £16½k, with almost no possibility of a discount (Toyota claimed they lost over £4k on every Prius sold in the early days) but there was a government grant of £1k which meant they cost £15½k.  However, most dealers in the south east wanted £15½k for a 9-12 month old demonstrator, which seemed crazy.

My Norwich dealer had an 18 month old demo for £12, which was in perfect condition so I bought it.  Turned out they were much cheaper for servicing than local dealer, plus very reliable and helpful, so I've used them ever since.  Fortunately, for the last 6½ years I've lived much nearer to them.

[TAuris]

You can pick up genuine Toyota service kits / parts for very good price. All is needed is to negotiate labour cost.

[Duffryn]

Just this week I had my Gen3 in for a Full Service + HHC + MOT + aircon service. Managed to get £10 knocked off MOT, plus £20 off aircon service. Total bill came to £444, but I'm reasonably relaxed with that. I'm also happy to do a 60mile round trip to get to my preferred dealership.

And, when I booked the car in and asked for a service loan car I was told that they now charge £12.50 to cover insurance on the loaner (previously free), however that charge did not appear on my invoice later....

[Chris Dance]

I would not even consider taking a Prius to a non Toyota Dealer. It is a high tech car and Halfords or others would not have the necessary expertise to service or repair it.

Our Prius due its first service next month and is booked in at the local Toyota dealers. I have a service plan so the service is fully covered. The car is being collected and returned for the service. This service is free.

 

[FROSTYBALLS]

6 hours ago, Duffryn said:

And, when I booked the car in and asked for a service loan car I was told that they now charge £12.50 to cover insurance on the loaner (previously free)

Most car insurers used to provide comprehensive cover for courtesy cars for the main driver, so one didn't need to use the dealer's insurance.  For example our policies with LV provided this. However, more of them are now limiting the cover to third party, which obviously isn't adequate cover for the courtesy car.

[QuantumFireball]

On 24/01/2018 at 5:44 PM, BhxTrev said:

You've just spent 20 odd thousand pounds on a great car so I can't see why you quibble about £160 to have a decent proper service using the Toyota garage. I would certainly take on board Frosty's comments regarding the warranty. I wouldn't dream of taking my Prius to anywhere other than a Toyota garage for a service. Besides that just remember Toyota agents have the specialised diagnostic equipment needed to maintain the running of their hybrid cars in tip top condition! 

Fair enough if your car's still under warranty, but would you still go to a main dealer after that's gone? At the end of the day the actual service items are like any other petrol car - oil, filters, plugs, etc. You can still take it to a Toyota dealer just for the Hybrid Health Check (£39 in the UK?). Even then, the hybrid check can be done with an OBD-II scanner and following the procedure (I've seen it before on PriusChat or somewhere online), or you could even get the Toyota Techstream kit yourself. It's essentially just visual inspection and plugging it into a computer.

I'm going to start servicing my car myself this year (warranty is up), and just do the HHC at the dealer (as I think I can maintain the hybrid system warranty by doing that).

£335 for a first service still sounds crazy though - it's not like they'll be changing plugs or brake fluid after one year. Why does it cost so much?

[PeteB]

1 minute ago, QuantumFireball said:

...I'm going to start servicing my car myself this year (warranty is up), and just do the HHC at the dealer (as I think I can maintain the hybrid system warranty by doing that).

£335 for a first service still sounds crazy though - it's not like they'll be changing plugs or brake fluid after one year. Why does it cost so much?

In fact, you could do your own even during the manufacturer's warranty period.  Back in the pioneer days of 2000-2004, several Gen 1 Prius owners on the Yahoo Prius-UK chat group wrote to Toyota and got written confirmation that the warranty would not be affected, as long as they could demonstrate with receipts and records that all the required maintenance had been done to an acceptable standard using suitable quality parts and fluids that were up to spec.

However, the Block Exemptions rules that make this possible do not apply to extended warrantys, so if you chose to buy a Toyota extended warranty you would then be tied to Toyota dealers for the duration.

The plugs are only replaced every 60,000 miles or 6 years and like you I'd be livid at being charged more than half that for a first service.

[FROSTYBALLS]

10 minutes ago, QuantumFireball said:

Fair enough if your car's still under warranty, but would you still go to a main dealer after that's gone? At the end of the day the actual service items are like any other petrol car - oil, filters, plugs, etc. You can still take it to a Toyota dealer just for the Hybrid Health Check (£39 in the UK?). Even then, the hybrid check can be done with an OBD-II scanner and following the procedure (I've seen it before on PriusChat or somewhere online), or you could even get the Toyota Techstream kit yourself. It's essentially just visual inspection and plugging it into a computer.

I'm going to start servicing my car myself this year (warranty is up), and just do the HHC at the dealer (as I think I can maintain the hybrid system warranty by doing that).

£335 for a first service still sounds crazy though - it's not like they'll be changing plugs or brake fluid after one year. Why does it cost so much?

In the UK, for Toyotas outside the new car warranty (ie over five years old), Toyota have their Essential Care servicing scheme which offers cheaper servicing for this category of car. See https://www.toyota.co.uk/owners/service-mot-maintenance/servicing.json

The Essential Care scheme also satisfies the servicing requirement of the Toyota Extended Warranty.

For the Prius current costs are - Silver service (equivalent to the Intermediate) £120; Gold service (equivalent to the Full) £200.

Currently Toyota GB also have a service and MOT offer of £99 (Essential Care Silver service)  valid until 31st August 2018 - 

 

[kithmo]

12 minutes ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

In the UK, for Toyotas outside the new car warranty (ie over five years old), Toyota have their Essential Care servicing scheme which offers cheaper servicing for this category of car. See https://www.toyota.co.uk/owners/service-mot-maintenance/servicing.json

The Essential Care scheme also satisfies the servicing requirement of the Toyota Extended Warranty.

For the Prius current costs are - Silver service (equivalent to the Intermediate) £120; Gold service (equivalent to the Full) £200.

Currently Toyota GB also have a service and MOT offer of £99 (Essential Care Silver service)  valid until 31st August 2018 - 

 

So why do they charge a ludicrous £335 when older cars get the same service for £200 ?

Why should I pay more just because my car is newer ?

[PeteB]

2 minutes ago, kithmo said:

So why do they charge a ludicrous £335 when older cars get the same service for £200 ?...

to be fair, this is a quote from one dealer (one that I'd certainly avoid by the sound of things!).

My dealer, and at least one other quoted in this thread are, whilst not cheap, closer to being reasonable.

[FROSTYBALLS]

4 minutes ago, kithmo said:

So why do they charge a ludicrous £335 when older cars get the same service for £200 ?

Why should I pay more just because my car is newer ?

The forum went through this when Essential Care was first introduced.

Most manufacturers offer a reduced cost servicing scheme for cars outside the new car warranty - VAG, Ford, PSA, etc. These schemes are intended to attract owners of older cars to stay with the manufacturer's dealer network, rather than go to independents. It is as simple as that.

Cars within the new car warranty aren't eligible.

 

[FROSTYBALLS]

13 minutes ago, PeteB said:

to be fair, this is a quote from one dealer (one that I'd certainly avoid by the sound of things!).

My dealer, and at least one other quoted in this thread are, whilst not cheap, closer to being reasonable.

£335 is the published, maximum price for the Full service for the Auris, Avensis, Celica, Hiace, MR2, Previa, Prius, Proace, RAV4, Verso, and Toyota C-HR - https://www.toyota.co.uk/owners/service-mot-maintenance/servicing.json?utm_source=bing&utm_campaign=Servicing%2BUK%2BENG%2BSPART%2BEXACT&utm_term=toyota servicing&msclkid=4ba9a5e3e9611a18d8bcff88c5489b23&gclid=CMnpopXd9dgCFQ_iGwodEscK4A&gclsrc=ds#/ajax/%2Fowners%2Fservice-mot-maintenance%2Ffull-service-details.json

Dealers can, if they choose, offer a lower cost.

[RWaggers]

30 minutes ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

£335 for a first service still sounds crazy though - it's not like they'll be changing plugs or brake fluid after one year. Why does it cost so much?

This price of £335 is for the first Full Service (as opposed to the first intermediate service which costs £185).

[FROSTYBALLS]

 

12 minutes ago, RWaggers said:

  34 minutes ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

£335 for a first service still sounds crazy though - it's not like they'll be changing plugs or brake fluid after one year. Why does it cost so much?

I didn't say this - it is a misquote

[QuantumFireball]

44 minutes ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

In the UK, for Toyotas outside the new car warranty (ie over five years old), Toyota have their Essential Care servicing scheme which offers cheaper servicing for this category of car. See https://www.toyota.co.uk/owners/service-mot-maintenance/servicing.json

The Essential Care scheme also satisfies the servicing requirement of the Toyota Extended Warranty.

For the Prius current costs are - Silver service (equivalent to the Intermediate) £120; Gold service (equivalent to the Full) £200.

Currently Toyota GB also have a service and MOT offer of £99 (Essential Care Silver service)  valid until 31st August 2018 - 

That doesn't seem to be an option here - Toyota Ireland will still charge €160 for an intermediate Prius service that's out of warranty - and going by previous experience, that will be with 5W30 oil (they'll probably want more for 0W20). Even so, I could buy the service items myself for less than the £99 above (our MOT equivalent is at dedicated test centres, so dealers/mechanics cannot do this).