for service? I am at 45K now, and I was thinking to bring it to other local shops for service.

 

If you know of a good shop, preferably one that specializes in Toyotas, or you have a mechanic, you could always just use the guide in the owners manual and let them handle it.

I would avoid your run-of-the-mill Jiffy Lubes and the like. Just my two cents.

-THE DON

 

entirely up to you. some people don't even use their free three oil changes at the dealership. some people do it themselves all the time, some people have a trusted local oil change shop they take it to, and some people take it to those chain places like jiffy lube.

so long as your dealership does a good job and charges and fair price, why start looking for another place to take your box?

 

Thanks. I was thinking to work on my car.

 

You can do most maintenance jobs yourself, just takes some tools and some knowhow. My Box hasn’t been back to the dealer since I brought her home

 

Since I work for a dealership, I stopped taking it after the 3 free oil changes were done...

 

Good question carson. What about major service intervals(i.e. - 50,000 sevice)? Do you guys take it in for that? What are the major things to change beside oil?

 

i do it "ALL" myself, something can always go wrong when you take it some were.

ive worked as a auto tech for meny years at a great shop and i saw all kinds of crazy things come to us from other shops, makes me cringe just thinking about it.
we had one that i remember just off the top of my head:
customer took it to Jiffy Lube for a oil change and check fluids.
they put something other then brake fluid in and it locked like a lava lamp. the entire brake system was locked up. they came in draging the locked up back tires.
$800 worth of repairs.
if you are unsure of what you are doing then take it to a good shop, thay have ins. and are respoasble if they mess something up.
if you f it up your self, your just SOL.
i remember one other one, and this happened at our shop:
it wasn't a lube guy, this as a certified tech. he did a state insection and a oil change. took the old filter off and didn't notice that the gasket stuck to the block and put the new oil filter on. Dodge intrepid ( 2.7 i think ) 35,000 miles, the customer made it 2 blocks befor the engine seized.
our shop put a new engine in at no cost to the customer.
the gut had been a tach at the same shop for 12 years, it can happen any were, anytime.

 

I'll only go to the dealer for warranty work, otherwise I'll do everything myself.

After learning the hard way that most of these guys don't really give a damn about your car I'll never take it anywhere unless it's something I have no way of doing.

I had a Toyota/Lexus dealers inhouse bodyshop put on a new rear bumper after I got rear ended. Half of the fasteners were f*cked up and some were missing, they also managed to crack the white plastic mount which is right under the taillight under the bumper almost in half. When I went to put on rear bumper #3 I discovered all this and ended up ordering all new hardware for it.

Jiffy Lube and other joints like that...stay away! half the time they get oil all over the place and who the hell knows if they are really putting in the oil you requested.

After driving out to California on a cross country trip in my Camaro SS the first thing I did was go for an oil change at some express lube place along with a fuel filter change. While I was there the tech pointed out my coolant was orange and rusty, well newer GM's use DexCool which is orange in color, I don't know what the hell he was trying to pull. After moving into my new place with a garage I went to check their work, the fuel filter was never changed!

These are just some of things I've had happen.

I've got a garage and I've got the know-how, no reason to ever take it some where for work. Not only that it's way cheaper when you do it yourself and you'll know the job was done right.

 

+1 to doing your own maintenance.

many people often go with "i dont have the tools, i cannot do the job." you need to realize that it's usually cheaper to use the money the dealer rapes you for to BUY THE TOOLS and always have them for yourself for the future than to just overpay the dealer.

my box has never seen a dealer since i got it, nor will it ever unless it's warranty work which will still be a tough decision.

once you drive off the lot, you should not need to return there again. if you really just despise doing your own maintenance, take it to someone you trust at a local shop.

you can document your service manual yourself.

 

...the moment they handed me the keys on the day I bought it!

 

i do all my own! and my own warrenty work too!

 

i go to the dealership at least once a week when its not winter time. free car washes for life if you buy a car there!

 

Mine has NEVER been to a dealership since I picked it up almost 4 years ago. Except for when I go to club meetings and the occasional show at a dealership. I sure we we could have sold those dang "free" oil changes. I never got any use from them.

 

Same here.

Still have my 3 free oil changes after 1.5 years.

 

This is especially cheap for the xB. You can take apart 90% of the vehicle with just a 10mm socket wrench, philips and flat blade screwdriver. it will run you $5-14 at Wall-mart.

I was going to do the free oil change thing until I found out I needed to make an appointment with the dealer. Yeah, let me sit for three hours in a crappy lounge for a 10 minute job. Haven't taken it to any dealer since I bought it, I wonder what they'd say about the killerglass tube and blue antifreeze. I bought a $60 Craftsman floor jack with stands from K-Mart and just did it in my driveway with a tarp underneath, no oil stains yet. I recently found out I can use the auto shop on base and they do oil recycling. $6 an hour for a full lift and all the tools there, if you're military or government civilian, check your local base.

For the other fluids (trans, power steering, brake, etc) I'm looking up service intervals, hopefully they're in the manual. It should be all DIY, especially on this car. Check your brake pads when you change your oil to see if they need replacement, you should be pulling your tires off anyway every 5k to rotate them.

 

My car has never seen the dealer. I either do the work myself or ask a buddy for help.

 

the day i bought it was the last

 

X 3!

 

yea after my free oil changes warranty work will be the only reason to go back I do the rest myself. Im only at 16k tho