What are your thoughts on the Toyota 3 year service plan ?

[TrackLink]

I was offered the 3-service plan at time of collection, said I’d think about it, looked into costs and considered it just about worthwhile. I then phoned the dealer a few times to speak to the sales chap who had offered the plan but he wasn’t available for any of the calls and didn’t bother getting back to me. Ah well.

Come service time I I certainly won’t want the car to be washed by the dealer and will firmly request that don’t do this.The swirls and halos in my brand new car’s paintwork after the SupaGuard treatment applied at the dealership are quite enough for me and I don’t want them to add any more.

[AndyN01]

9 minutes ago, TrackLink said:

.....Come service time I I certainly won’t want the car to be washed by the dealer and will firmly request that don’t do this.......

Probably teaching granny to suck eggs but...

Make sure that is put in writing on the paperwork when you drop off the car along with a note that if they do wash the car they shall pay for a professional to correct whatever damage they have inflicted. Have this acknowledged by the Service Manager's initials/signature.

Hope all goes well.

Andy.

[badlywornroy]

37 minutes ago, TrackLink said:

I was offered the 3-service plan at time of collection, said I’d think about it, looked into costs and considered it just about worthwhile. I then phoned the dealer a few times to speak to the sales chap who had offered the plan but he wasn’t available for any of the calls and didn’t bother getting back to me. Ah well.

Come service time I I certainly won’t want the car to be washed by the dealer and will firmly request that don’t do this.The swirls and halos in my brand new car’s paintwork after the SupaGuard treatment applied at the dealership are quite enough for me and I don’t want them to add any more.

You actually got to leave a message with someone or an answerphone ? Wow !  I must  have tried 4 or 5 times last week to contact someone  at Stoneacre. Ended in a queue every time listening to how great they are at looking after customers etc 'ad nauseam ' I hung up each time after a few minutes. Have they never heard of answerphones and call backs ?

[TonyHSD]

Honesty this prepaid services and similar are strictly individual choice.
For the OP seems like a good choice, for many others too, however for me this will be a full stop. I even think not to use dealers at all and keep my own services from day one to save money on eventually expensive parts replacement. £940 for 3 years will be my yearly payment (30k+ a year), or even more , so in the first 3 years I will have saved £3000 , enough to cover a traction Battery replacement, a new engine, transmission or inverter, plus something that really bothers me, a new headlights. 
Toyota LED headlights are sealed units at a cost of £900+ per side and if any of led bulbs gone , which they do , those aren’t covered under any warranty!?
Why would I pay a dealer service, when a  headlights aren’t covered by the warranty, not possible to replace bulbs separately, they do go wrong , start seen Corolla with one headlight only works, plus I don’t trust dealers service department at all. These aren’t there to maintain cars but to accumulate profits and often doesn’t do a proper service. 
They can provide a tons of fancy videos walking around the car equipped with tools and talking difficult to understand language about condition of everything, but the same time fail to check, clean or replace Battery filter, cabin filters, or advise on brake service? 
For me until physically fit, having a driveway and a box of tools dealers are only parts warehouses to me, not a places to leave my car for service or repairs. 

[badlywornroy]

26 minutes ago, TonyHSD said:

Honesty this prepaid services and similar are strictly individual choice.
For the OP seems like a good choice, for many others too, however for me this will be a full stop. I even think not to use dealers at all and keep my own services from day one to save money on eventually expensive parts replacement. £940 for 3 years will be my yearly payment (30k+ a year), or even more , so in the first 3 years I will have saved £3000 , enough to cover a traction battery replacement, a new engine, transmission or inverter, plus something that really bothers me, a new headlights. 
Toyota LED headlights are sealed units at a cost of £900+ per side and if any of led bulbs gone , which they do , those aren’t covered under any warranty!?
Why would I pay a dealer service, when a  headlights aren’t covered by the warranty, not possible to replace bulbs separately, they do go wrong , start seen Corolla with one headlight only works, plus I don’t trust dealers service department at all. These aren’t there to maintain cars but to accumulate profits and often doesn’t do a proper service. 
They can provide a tons of fancy videos walking around the car equipped with tools and talking difficult to understand language about condition of everything, but the same time fail to check, clean or replace battery filter, cabin filters, or advise on brake service? 
For me until physically fit, having a driveway and a box of tools dealers are only parts warehouses to me, not a places to leave my car for service or repairs. 

Tony, even the short time I have been on this forum it is obvious you are a ' special ' case 😀 and probably an isolated case ? Most of us do not have the knowledge, confidence or even the desire to maintain such complex vehicles . I'm sure you appreciate that, so do not be too ' scathing ' with  us lesser mortals. 😤

[TrackLink]

I used to do my own spannering and services on my early cars in my late teens and early twenties but lack both the facilities and confidence to do this on the cars of today, so I applaud you, Tony! Ford Cortinas, Escort Mk IIIs and Talbot Sunbeams had much simpler engines, with plenty of space in the engine bay. I still have my points setting tools and spark plug gap measurement gauges!

[FROSTYBALLS]

38 minutes ago, TonyHSD said:

For me until physically fit,

So are you physically unfit?

[Dylanfan]

Although I have a service plan I do NOT let them clean the car! Had two very bad experiences with this, main dealers sub this out and don’t care as long as it’s done.

[TonyHSD]

Sorry my bad English. 
Yes, I am physically fit and as long as I continue to be I will most likely take care of my cars. The main reason is I do not trust most of the garages, mechanics, and in general all involved in the car trade, I have good reason for that  and myself been in the business for over 20 years I know how things are happening behind the scene, that’s why I have my thoughts about service. These cars are simple, reliable and easy to work on. They look very complex but actually they are designed better than anything else on wheels currently and old school diy people can take care if they want to. And yes, I have little bit experience, only done 25 services on my Auris alone.
 

[Pannett]

Our dealership, Stonegate Toyota in Stockton, has so far proved to be excellent. If I call, then option 2 is for servicing, then option 2 again takes me either to the receptionist or at lunchtime to the service manager. The second option 1 takes me to a central reservation section, who are ok for booking service or warranty work but they are technically of no help, but they do put me on hold while seeking advice. As for washing the car at each visit to the dealer, the inside valet is good but the external wash is obviously done using a jet washer as the car dries leaving watermarks. I don't like spotty windows, so I always clean them with Invisible Glass after they have dried. Modern cars and their electronics are so complex that I'd not be sure what expenses I'd be let in for should the car fail out of warranty. I  have no desire to service the car myself, in part to enable the 10-year warranty to apply if the car is dealer-serviced.

[badlywornroy]

Just to round this topic off from my starter post. I eventually declined Stoneacre's Toyota 3 year service plan. My ' long held ' reluctance to pay ' up front ' for future services won the day. I did try for a better deal ?  I suggested that if they included 2 years roadside assistance it would likely change my mind. I think that decision was above the salesman's pay grade. So No Sale 🙄 

[Cyker]

Better off sticking the money in an ISA or something then taking it out when you need it - That's what I tend to do as I like to pay things off in one go, esp. with the service plan since you're paying in advance anyway there's little benefit aside from the fixed pricing.

 

[IanAP]

I'm interested in this as my Corolla is due it's next service and MOT early next month. I had a Merc previously and had my car serviced by a recognised Merc independent who was linked into the Merc computer network. There doesn't seem to be many, if any Toyota indies. If I have the service done outside of the Toyota network, presumably I won't get any software updates. Is this likely to be much of an issue?

[Cyker]

You (or a garage) could get software updates outside the dealer network, but would need a subscription to toyota-tech.eu and then figure out the labyrinthine menu system to find the updates  

You'd also likely need a TechStream licence and compatible interface cable.

 

 

[Heidfirst]

5 hours ago, IanAP said:

if I have the service done outside of the Toyota network, presumably I won't get any software updates. Is this likely to be much of an issue?

You also won't get the warranty extension (up to 10 years or 100,000 miles whichever comes first).

[IanAP]

So what sort of thing would I possibly miss out on - excluding the warranty extension?

What software updates have members found to be beneficial?

[FROSTYBALLS]

The hybrid Battery extended warranty (different to Relax).

Although you could currently have the hybrid health check done at a Toyota dealer at your cost, which then narrows the price difference between independent servicing and dealer servicing.

At the end of the day it is your choice where to get the servicing done - it is not up to members to convince you either way.