Servicing choices

[S0G17]

Hi All.

Corolla was previously a lease and followed the Toyota leasing service agreement which is 20k/24 & 40k/48 instead of the usual 10k/12.

Essentially means it skips intermediate servicing at Toyota (but is done in-house instead, for stuff like oil, etc).

It's currently at 56.7k miles, with the last service being done 06/10/2023 at 49k miles.

I'm wondering if I should follow the proper servicing and get a major service at 60k/48 which would be 04/11/2024 (would be 4 years by then) or if I should get an intermediate and alternate from then on.

[ThomasL]

Remember that the recommended time+distance schedules are "whatever comes first" not "whatever's cheapest for you".

Oil filter, cabin filter, hybrid Battery filter should be done every 10k/12m whatever comes first. (The cabin filter probably won't be dirty and neither will the hybrid Battery filter unless you've got dogs or never vacuum inside your car or something.)

Brake fluid supposed to be changed every 20k/24m whatever comes first (doesn't really need doing that often though).

Air filter change after 40k/48m whatever comes first.

Sparks 60k (no time limit) (but they will last 120k miles).

So it should have had air filter changed already (40k). And it should have spark plugs soon (60k).

The rest of it is just "checks" which - does the tech do them? Who knows? Can you do most of them yourself? Probably?

If you care about any possible extended warranty you need to ask Toyota (head office not a dealership) what to do.

Otherwise, I'd get an intermediate+maybe plugs done at 60k, and then another intermediate at 70k, and a full service at 80k (which just means oil/filter, air filter, brake fluid) and alternate from there.

[Corolla Mike.]

Think I would adhere to the schedule  and have the 10 years warranty. Brake fluid is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture) so requires 2 year change whatever. 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Presumably as it is no longer a lease vehicle, then it should revert to Toyota's standard 12 months/10,000 mile (whichever occurs first) service schedule. As it is approaching 60,000, then the full service may be due, but, if you're using a Toyota dealer I would seek their advice of which to go for.

As it is a 2020 vehicle, presumably it will still have the remainder of the 5 year/100,000 mile new car warranty remaining, so won't be eligible for the Relax service generated extended warranty as yet.

[S0G17]

Thanks all. I think I'll call them and ask for their professional opinion when the time for servicing is near.

[SDR]

18 hours ago, Corolla Mike. said:

Think I would adhere to the schedule  and have the 10 years warranty. Brake fluid is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture) so requires 2 year change whatever. 

I've often wondered about the brake fluid.   Yes, it is hygroscopic, and the fluid reservoir has a vent.

On VW Group cars the first brake fluid change is scheduled at 3 years, then every 2  years thereafter (a cynic might think that the first change is scheduled to keep the cost down for fleets).   

I have a tester and checked the water content in the fluid just before it was changed at 3 years in my last car.   Tester showed less than 1%.   It was still pale straw coloured so I had no reason to doubt the result (I still had it changed though).

I do wonder if the Toyota scheduled change at 2 yrs/20k miles is somewhat OTT, especially for higher mileage users who would knock off those miles in a lot less than 2 years. 

[FROSTYBALLS]

26 minutes ago, SDR said:

I do wonder if the Toyota scheduled change at 2 yrs/20k miles is somewhat OTT, especially for higher mileage users who would knock off those miles in a lot less than 2 years.

New cars we've had from Mazda and Hyundai have also had a brake fluid change at 2 years.

[SDR]

2 minutes ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

New cars we've had from Mazda and Hyundai have also had a brake fluid change at 2 years.

I think that every 2 years is pretty much industry standard, VW Group excepted.

What surprises me with Toyota is that it is included with the 20k miles service, even if that comes up well before 2 years.

Until I retired I was doing around 18k miles pa, so brake fluid would have been changed every 13-14 months.   Since the issue with water absorption is largely time-related, I have difficulty seeing how that would have been necessary. 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Before being incorporated into the Full service a while ago, the brake fluid change every 2 years or 20,000 miles was optional at additional cost - which presumably led to a proportion of owners not having the change done .......

[SDR]

1 hour ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

Before being incorporated into the Full service a while ago, the brake fluid change every 2 years or 20,000 miles was optional at additional cost - which presumably led to a proportion of owners not having the change done .......

.... and allowed sensible owners to exercise some common sense about the maintenance of their vehicles. 

I wonder - I don't know - whether Toyota and/or their franchised dealers offer a different maintenance schedule for high mileage users, e.g. taxi/private hire.   I'll have to ask one of the drivers when I next walk past the station (Corolla TS taxis are quite common around here).

[FROSTYBALLS]

13 minutes ago, SDR said:

I wonder - I don't know - whether Toyota and/or their franchised dealers offer a different maintenance schedule for high mileage users, e.g. taxi/private hire.

The only current  exceptions are for a Toyota lease, and the Stellantis-built Proace mk2 (12 months/20,000 or 12 months/25,000 depending on engine)

Previously, they offered 1 year/12,500 miles service intervals for the Avensis (fleet users), BMW diesel engined vehicles (1 year/up to 12,500 miles depending on sensors and software), and 1 year/20,000 miles for the Stellantis-built Proace mk1.

 

[Cyker]

Some of the dealers near me offer discounts for taxi drivers as they have to service more often and apparently need to MOT twice a year?