Insane pricing

[Falcon_LS]

My work vehicle is a '11 Toyota Land Cruiser 150-Series. Mine's currently at 25,000 km (15,700 miles) and I do the servicing myself, most of which is an oil change every 3,000 miles. I follow the book and my service consists of:

- Liqui Moly Pro-Line Engine Flush
- 7 qts Pennzoil Conventional 10w30 SN/GF-5 (recommended grade)
- Toyota oil filter
- Toyota air filter (every second oil change)
- Tire rotation (cross first and back to front at next interval)
- Blow dust/sand off discs/rotors and generously spray them down with brake cleaner
- Lubricate door locks/hinges
- Clean battery terminals and treat them with protectant

The whole things costs me slightly less than $85. I enjoy doing it myself, and the truck runs like a fine Swiss watch.

My colleague took his in to the Toyota dealer for its 25,000 km service and was charged an insane $284 to do the following:

- 7 qts of some French brand 20W-50
- Toyota oil filter
- Remove brake pads and spray them with brake cleaner
- Lubricate door locks/hinges
- Grease battery terminals

Talk about high mark up prices!

 

[supton]

Sounds like $50 of parts and an hour's worth of work? Seems high in this country too. Although they probably check all fluids and check some other things too. I could see no more thant what, $120 for all that at a dealer?

 

[GMBoy]

I noticed that whenever you discuss oil the service places always use 20W/50 instead of the recommended grades. You had a nice post a long while back that discussed this very issue where I think they gave you trouble for making them put in 5w30 as called for. I give you praise for using the recommended grade of oil and doing the work yourself. I guess that sand over there really does take its toll on a vehicle...making the frequent oil changes, brake cleanings and air filter changes very important!

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Why do they use such thick oil there?

 

[cptbarkey]

the only fault lies in the person who pays that price.

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
the only fault lies in the person who pays that price.


Agreed, I'll only set foot in a dealer service dept for recalls...

 

[djb]

My first reaction, before seeing that you are not in the U.S., is that the price was quite low for a dealer service.

There are places in the U.S. where a BMW "Inspection 1" and "Inspection 2" cost $500 and $1000 respectively. The first is basically an oil change and visual inspection, while the second includes lubing a sunroof, replacing the spark plugs and checking parking brake lining (which actually requires removing the rear brakes, instead of just looking at them).

There is a long list of service actions, but almost all are trivially done. Most are "visually check..." or "check .. for leaks".

When the topic comes up on message boards, it's a common experience that the minor time consuming service items such as lubing hinges and latches, are rarely done. Only the obvious and verifiable items (oil+filter change, air filter, washer fluid top-off and car wash) are reliably done. The visual inspection is likely done, but those are the items an independent garage would check at no cost to generate additional revenue.

 

[FusilliJerry82]

Originally Posted By: Falcon_LS

- Remove brake pads and spray them with brake cleaner


So you effectively do a brake job every oil change? Talk about a pain.

 

[The_Jeff]

Since from your other posts it seems Kuwait is set up for the dealer to be the importer and source of warranty repairs, they may in fact know best how to keep something ticking at least long enough to get through warranty. There may be something to this constant brake cleaning. Keeping the slide pins lubed and maybe drum brake star adjusters working is gratifying, and a little over the top in my non-sandy part of the world but may not be for OP.