Dealer vs. Indy shop

[RN89]

Hi All,
Just wanted your opinion on something. Both of the vehicles in my signature have been strictly maintained at the dealership thus far. The HL having 35k miles and the Tundra having 17k. I like that the info goes on the car fax (does it really matter though?) and also if there is ever an issue I can hold the dealer accountable.

Recently I got the HL inspected at a local family owned shop. I was very impressed by the people, work ethic, and their reputation from others around town. They use Pennzoil for oil changes and are priced competitively.

Not interested in doing oil changes myself. Too hot now in south Texas and would rather use the time spending with family and friends. Is there any real advantage to going to the dealer? I'm due for an oil change on the Tundra (it's been a year) and am interested in trying out this shop.

Appreciate your opinions.

 

[Eddie]

Depends on the dealer management and personnel. Some dealers are very good like my Mazda dealer, but, some like to upsell you on "Extra" not required or even recommended by the manufacture. Ed

 

[Jimzz]

Many dealers use low-skilled tech for oil changes, think jiffy lube with a better cover on it.

I do all my own work, am a tech, but I would go to who every you trust the most. Usually an independent shop is what I recommend. Find a good one and stick with them.

 

[SatinSilver]

The draining and refilling of oil is simple. However, with your vehicles they probably have a cartridge oil filter that's a little more complex to deal with. The Toyota dealer works on these cars all day long. Plus tgmo oil is very good. If something does go south at the dealer then they get to fix it with oem parts. For other repairs out of warranty I'd have the indy do it using oem or quality parts. That's where you save plus the indy makes decent money this way.

So use both depending on what the maintenance/repair order is.

 

[mclasser]

You'll be fine going to the indy shop. Just do your due diligence and save all your receipts.

Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Plus tgmo oil is very good.

I bet most Toyota dealers use the cheapest bulk oil they can find.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: mclasser
You'll be fine going to the indy shop. Just do your due diligence and save all your receipts.

Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Plus tgmo oil is very good.

I bet most Toyota dealers use the cheapest bulk oil they can find.


I bet whatever they use meets factory specs.................

 

[mclasser]

Originally Posted By: CKN
Originally Posted By: mclasser
You'll be fine going to the indy shop. Just do your due diligence and save all your receipts.

Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Plus tgmo oil is very good.

I bet most Toyota dealers use the cheapest bulk oil they can find.


I bet whatever they use meets factory specs.................

True, but many people probably expect a Toyota dealer to use Toyota oil, yet this isn't always the case.

With my Hondas, for example, I haven't found one dealer that actually uses HGMO.

 

[SatinSilver]

I had a free uoa done and it confirmed they use TGMO 0w20 full synthetic oil. For their other oil changes, at the bottom of a coupon it says they use Toyota bulk but who knows about those. Plus they use a good quality filter versus a jobber filter.

Years ago the dealer started using TGMO after the 10k oci's became more common with their cars.

 

[Ram01]

Dealer because they use OE parts and there techs have up to date training . And beside you can enjoy the free donuts and bagels the dealership has to offer .

 

[NormanBuntz]

I live in a rural area where the closest Honda/Infiniti/Subaru dealers are 65 miles away. So I prefer to use a solid independent shop for some things, but I find dealer specials to be cheaper on things like brake service, coolant service and transmission service. I'm 65 and do my own OCs.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted By: NormanBuntz
I live in a rural area where the closest Honda/Infiniti/Subaru dealers are 65 miles away. So I prefer to use a solid independent shop for some things, but I find dealer specials to be cheaper on things like brake service, coolant service and transmission service. I'm 65 and do my own OCs.


My local dealer was quite competitive on both a transmission flush and coolant exchange recently. Both were done before the promised time and to my satisfaction.

 

[360kid]

When we got our 2011 Camry with Platinum warranty, I decided that this was the car I was going to dedicate to dealership service. I was taking it to the dealership for oil changes and seasonal tire swaps at quite the premium. It seemed that every time I took it in, they found more problems and none of it was ever covered under the Platinum Bumper to Bumper warranty... never!

The one that sent me over the edge was when the car wouldn't pass inspection because of corrosion on the rear brakes on one side. They said that it would need a new rotor and that you cannot use existing pads on a new rotor... all would need to be replaced. They also said that they cannot do only one side, the other side would have to be done as well. I was looking at a $450 rear brake bill... none of it covered for a car I've owned just about 1 year on barely worn brakes. After 45 minutes of negotiating with the service manager, he agreed to turn the corroded disc on a lathe and that it was on me if it fails. [censored]? It's on me anyways as you're hitting me with a $450 bill. I'm paying regardless! I still ended up with $150 bill for a typical inspection for what was just some brake residue build up.

I thought I could do it, but I can't. Dealerships really are stealerships when it comes to service. This Toyota dealership broke me after just one year. I'm back to DIY maintenance and an independent garage that I have come to like when it's something I cannot handle myself. I once heard that many service departments make just as much or more than the sales department for the dealership.

 

[01rangerxl]

It kind of depends on what you are wanting the independent shop to do.

For example, programming a module, updates, reflashes, etc., will require access/tools an independent shop may or may not have.

But beyond that, the service manual is available to everybody. Any shop you would want to take a vehicle to should have an account with some kind of service information website like Mitchell ProDemand. Dealer techs are not necessarily any more specially skilled than someone at an indy shop.

It all comes down to the individual shop, whether its an independent or a dealer. They all vary.

 

[SatinSilver]

The dealer I go to still has the 80 something year old owner flying around the sales floor trying to make deals. I just saw him last week. They've been around a long time. Service dept takes care of me. I was over the warranty on a water pump and they still replaced it since I mentioned the coolant level was low on the overflow tank during the previous visit. Getting the right service advisor also makes a difference. I will wait for the ones I like.

The Honda dealer service dept I used to go to was even better.

 

[fdcg27]

A lot of indies are the better dealer techs who find that they can make more money running their own shop.
Most have buddies in a dealer shop who can help with anything that requires proprietary equipment and most dealers will allow this because the indie will give them all of his parts business.
Most dealer-experienced indies prefer to use OEM parts and are leery of anything else.

 

[01rangerxl]

^ The indy shop my parents take their Ranger to is one of those. It's owned/operated by former Ford dealer techs and specializes in Fords.

 

[Silverado12]

I would reconsider doing it yourself. In the morning it usually isn't unbearably hot, and you'll actually have more time to spare because an oil change in your own driveway only takes about 20 minutes, just going to the dealer and back then waiting around for the mechanic to do the work takes a good bit longer than that. You'll have the satisfaction of saving money and knowing the job was done right w/o guessing.

 

[edyvw]

Originally Posted By: RN89
Hi All,
Just wanted your opinion on something. Both of the vehicles in my signature have been strictly maintained at the dealership thus far. The HL having 35k miles and the Tundra having 17k. I like that the info goes on the car fax (does it really matter though?) and also if there is ever an issue I can hold the dealer accountable.

Recently I got the HL inspected at a local family owned shop. I was very impressed by the people, work ethic, and their reputation from others around town. They use Pennzoil for oil changes and are priced competitively.

Not interested in doing oil changes myself. Too hot now in south Texas and would rather use the time spending with family and friends. Is there any real advantage to going to the dealer? I'm due for an oil change on the Tundra (it's been a year) and am interested in trying out this shop.

Appreciate your opinions.

IDK how much time you need to change oil, but by the time you go to indy shop, wait, go back you can DIY.
My take: Use recommended grade (though if I had HL, I would use W30 in Texas heat) and full synthetic oil like Mobil1, Castrol, Pennzoil.
It is Toyota, you can almost run olive oil in it.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: edyvw
It is Toyota, you can almost run olive oil in it.

It may with extra virgin, but who wants to use expensive oil in a Toyota ?