Independent Servicing West Midlands

[Carltona123]

Love my 2007 Prius but keen to form a relationship with an independent - and cheaper - technician.  Anyone know of anyone?

[Carltona123]

Some background. The car's been fantastic last 10 years I've had it but I know it can't go on like that forever.  When the worst does happen I don't want to pay Mr T prices to have it fixed - plus I've had enough of their £150 oil changes.

So I thought I'd found someone that I could develop a relationship with BUT.....a few weeks ago the alarm started going off randomly.  Then I left it at East Midlands airport for a week.  Came back - started - all good.  But after the 50 mile drive home the alarm just kept going off continually and in the end had to leave it unlocked overnight.  The 12v Battery is 7 years old and all of the forum advice pointed to it as a likely cause.  So I phoned this independent guy and asked about replacing the 12v.  He said he didn't see how the 12v could be responsible and to bring it in for tests.  I was dubious and as the 12v was due for a change anyway I got Mr T to fit a new one.  Touch wood problem seems to have gone away.

So I've sacked him off.  Good news is I've found someone else.  He's doing a service for me next week - will report back when it's done for the benefit of anyone who's interested.

[Carltona123]

Well that was an eye-opener.  Just got back from having my car serviced.  My new engineer services lots of different cars but has a good knowledge of the Prius as he has lots of customers in the private hire trade.  He advised me to buy the service items from Toyota and he would fit them.  The oil, filter and cabin filter I got from a dealer via eBay - all genuine Toyota.  The spark plugs I collected from my local Toyota dealer.  When I got back to collect my car he had saved the items he'd swopped out to show me - he was horrified.  The cabin filter was black and choked with leaves and debris - I don't think it had ever been changed.  The spark plugs were even worse; he said he had a real job getting them out because they too appeared to be the originals - 13 years old.  He didn't mention the air filter so yipee they must have changed that somewhere along the line.  My car has a FTSH.  Every year I've paid between £150 and £200+ to get my car serviced and it turns out all they've done is change the oil and filter and check the traction Battery.  It crossed my mind to take it up with Toyota but I imagine they'd just turn it back on me and say it was my fault because I hadn't asked for the items to be changed (like I'm supposed to know) and that the prices were eye-wateringly high because they washed my car and gave me a not-so-free coffee.   As for the MOT, it was carried out today by a different guy across the road. It always passed first time at Toyota but they couldn't resist pointing out that there was a small area of rust on the exhaust, that the tyres were 50% worn, that the brake discs were slightly pitted or the rubber on the rear wiper was slightly perished.  Today the guy just handed me back the key and said yeah it had passed and what a solid motor it was.

I love my Prius - it is the most amazing car - but looking back there was nothing in any of those overpriced yearly routine services I couldn't have done myself - better in fact as far as the cabin fllter is concerned - and for far less money.  And what did the guy who serviced it today charge me?  I nearly fell over when he told me - it was very small change compared to Toyota - and then he said would that be okay?!  I gave him a ten quid tip and had to force him to take it.

I have friend who owns a six year old Yaris hybrid.  I'm going to suggest that as a matter of urgency she contacts Toyota to find out exactly what they're been doing to it on its yearly visits. Then she can take it down to my bloke and he can catch up on all the things they've missed out.

[wass]

Frankly, I dont find these findings surprising. There are proportion of businesses who arent quite doing the work which we like to imagine them completing. My personal opinion of the phrase  "full service history" is that it should be seen with x ray specs whereupon you will see the small words written very faintly "as far as we had time and patience for". The phrase "full service history" actually only means something when you know and trust the people doing the servicing.

I have carried out serving myself on the week end immediately following a service and found unserviced items. I have also been told over the phone that my brake pads  need changing shortly after changing them myself on my gen 2 which was hastily retracted and appologised for confusing my car with that of another client when I explained that the pads were already new.

 There are some very good people out there and we shouldn't tar them all with the same brush. I do feel sorry for the car owners who dont have the time,  skills  or knowledge to be able to check things which to me are straight forward and simple. It seems you have found a good service provider now.

[Carltona123]

I wish I'd done more of my own servicing over the years.  My first car was a Citroen Dyane - pretty tricky to work on - but I thought nothing of taking it half to pieces to change the points and condenser and apply waterproofing.  But over the years I've become more wary of messing things up so have tended to leave it to the "experts."  In future I'll be more proactive, with the help of Youtube, of course.