Service Department Pricing

[KDENISE977]

I'm not sure if this is normal to have taken my 07 4runner into the shop and they give me a $1000 estimate for services needed? The vehicle has about 50,000 miles on it, V8 sport... and they tell me
$50 air filter
$310 fuel cleaning system
$145 power steering cleaning
$225 4x4 servicing
$345 for front brakes

I went in for an oil change :-0 !!

Are these prices normal? I just don't want to get ripped off if I can avoid it??

THANKS !!

 

[desertrat]

I'm not sure if this is normal to have taken my 07 4runner into the shop and they give me a $1000 estimate for services needed? The vehicle has about 50,000 miles on it, V8 sport... and they tell me
$50 air filter
$310 fuel cleaning system
$145 power steering cleaning
$225 4x4 servicing
$345 for front brakes

I went in for an oil change :-0 !!

Are these prices normal? I just don't want to get ripped off if I can avoid it??

THANKS !!

Sure sounds like a lot for front brakes.

As far as a fuel cleaning system. All I have is a filter that cost about $ 30 and another 1/2 hour labor maybe. It was on the rack already.

Power steering cleaning? WTF is that?
It's not even mentioned in my regular maint sched. At 50k miles you shouldn't need it unless it was leaking.

4x4 servicing should consist of checking your transfer case fluid level. $10.

Take it some where else would be my suggestion.

 

[Baja28]

I have an 07 Camry with 102,000 miles and all I have ever done is change the oil & airfilters myself. Car runs like a dream.

I'm with DR on the brakes & steering cleaning. WTF??

 

[Ken King]

As suggsted, find another shop. For what they are estimating as needing to be done it seems as if you will need lubing too.

 

[PrepH4U]

I have an 07 Camry with 102,000 miles and all I have ever done is change the oil & airfilters myself. Car runs like a dream.

I'm with DR on the brakes & steering cleaning. WTF??

But I did notice that they did not recommend changing out the blinker fluid

 

[OldHillcrestGuy]

Went to MrTire, proably Mechcanicsville for their $16.95 oil change and came out with all this other stuff needing to be fixed. They are famous for that.

 

[KDENISE977]

Yeah, I declined the "recommended" maintenance and will shop around... THANKS FOR THE INPUT THOUGH !!
P.S. no, I would have passed on the "blinker" fluid also

 

[EmptyTimCup]

did you check the "Level" in the Motor Pool, back by the wash rack ........

 

[struggler44]

Went to MrTire, proably Mechcanicsville for their $16.95 oil change and came out with all this other stuff needing to be fixed. They are famous for that.

My ex decided to get the oil changed on our vehicle that had 7k miles on it one day, came home with a $242 bill from Jiffy Lube in Lex. Park. They changed the oil, rotated tires and cleaned the fuel injection system.....totally took advantage because she was a woman......

 

[mingiz]

I just had the oil changed on my diesel and when I called the dealer to see if it was ready,They told me that the battery terminals needed cleaning. So out of curiosity I asked well how much will that cost.Quoted me 45$ to clean the terminals. I said no thanks a 1.25 bottle of coke will do it too.

 

[glhs837]

Wow, the economy is getting everybody.... no, wait, the auto service industry has operated like this forever

The system cleanings are not really needed. The air filter, in most vehicles, takes less than 3 minutes, and the cost of the part is maybe $10-15 tops, if you get a good one. Takes maybe a screwdriver, or maybe a 10mm nut driver or socket. But almost never more than one tool needed. In a lot of cases, not tool at all. That price pays for a Toyota filter thats overpriced to start, and a whopping markup at the dealership level, of about %30 over cost.

4X$ servicing? I assume that's a change of all three differentials, which, unless your running Baja, really inst needed until somewhere after the 70K mark, although some vehicles are supposed to never need it changed, I'm a bit old fashioned on that.

$345 for front brakes? Worst case, your rotors are worn out, as are your pads. Add in 2 hours labor, and factory parts, and that's not a ripoff, if you cant do it yourself. But is it needed? Most likely not, chances are good that at most you need pads only, which shouldn't cost near as much.

 

[LusbyMom]

I'm not sure if this is normal to have taken my 07 4runner into the shop and they give me a $1000 estimate for services needed? The vehicle has about 50,000 miles on it, V8 sport... and they tell me
$50 air filter
$310 fuel cleaning system
$145 power steering cleaning
$225 4x4 servicing
$345 for front brakes

I went in for an oil change :-0 !!

Are these prices normal? I just don't want to get ripped off if I can avoid it??

THANKS !!

Front Brakes (replace pads only) $164.19 with premium pads

The air filter is .2 to change plus cost of the filter which my computer is showing $27.99.. .so $45.67

 

[MMDad]

Sure sounds like a lot for front brakes.

As far as a fuel cleaning system. All I have is a filter that cost about $ 30 and another 1/2 hour labor maybe. It was on the rack already.

Power steering cleaning? WTF is that?
It's not even mentioned in my regular maint sched. At 50k miles you shouldn't need it unless it was leaking.

4x4 servicing should consist of checking your transfer case fluid level. $10.

Take it some where else would be my suggestion.

The P/S fluid has a service life. Manufacturers recommend a flush and replace at some interval. Makes sense - you don't keep the same hydraulic fluid in an airplane for ten years, do you?

I used to watch and listen to Gott's Garage, and he stressed the flushes. P/S, brakes, and tranny.

As far as the fuel system, most of the time they take Gumout and clean the intake with the engine running to remove deposits. They also put a bottle of injector cleaner in the tank. When it is recommended to me, I always ask if that includes the filter. They say no, that's extra, so I say no.

 

[MMDad]

Front Brakes (replace pads only) $164.19 with premium pads

The air filter is .2 to change plus cost of the filter which my computer is showing $27.99.. .so $45.67

They always want to turn the rotors, rebuild the calipers, and flush the brake system. If they see a real sucker, they try to tell them they need new calipers.

 

[GWguy]

Tranny flushes are sketchy. The ol' "if it ain't broke..." applies. I've heard way too many stories of vehicles getting the tranny flushed only to start having major issues and leaks. A simple fluid drain and filter replacement periodically is all I have ever done. The only exception to that is if you have been getting the tranny flushed from day 1 and your tranny runs hot from excessive towing. If you have 75K miles or more and have never flushed it prior, don't.

 

[libertytyranny]

Whenever I go to get my oil changed (and it isn't often, I generally do it myself) unless its wallyworld where they just don't care.. they give you some ridiculous list...and stress to me the "danger" of having a dirty cabin air filter and basically try to tell me my car is going to explode if I don't give them a bajillion dollars and my firstborn. I just smile and tell them where to stick their list and cabin air filter.

 

[LusbyMom]

I always ask if that includes the filter. They say no, that's extra, so I say no.

I will remember that

 

[mattvivslivesou]

Where did you take it to?

I took my 06 Tacoma to Southern MD Toyota for warranty work (to replace the HVAC fan because there is high pitch squeal because one of the bearing has gone bad). After I declined their "$150 Air System cleaning and $65 air filter change”… They wouldn’t change my fan blower motor and they blamed it on the Pine Needles rubbing the blower fan.

I went home, grabbed some tools and a ShopVac and I opened up HVAC system. I couldn’t find one pine needle in the system; I even removed the cowl cover (fresh air intake). I took it to Bayside; they are replacing the blower fan.

 

[glhs837]

Tranny flushes are sketchy. The ol' "if it ain't broke..." applies. I've heard way too many stories of vehicles getting the tranny flushed only to start having major issues and leaks. A simple fluid drain and filter replacement periodically is all I have ever done. The only exception to that is if you have been getting the tranny flushed from day 1 and your tranny runs hot from excessive towing. If you have 75K miles or more and have never flushed it prior, don't.

Depends. There are two kinds of flushes. One is a sort of pressure wash for the system, and that's okay for most vehilces at or below say 50K. Once you get past that, then you start swirling up bits that should not be. Since that system was the first one out, and for years was the only one, thats where the horror stories come from.

Buddy of mine had his +110K Dakota pickup flushed that way back in the spring, didnt mention beforehand, I coulda saved him. Too late, it took a complete rebuild to fix, cost him over $2500, as I recall.

The other method (fluid exchange as opposed to "flushing") is fine for older vehicles, it basically hooks in line with the vehicles trans cooler, if so equipped, and just intercepts the old stuff going from pan to cooler, and feeds fresh into the line feeding the cooler. Complete fluid swap, but no extra pressure or chemicals to disturb the evil particles.

Benefit over doing it in the driveway is you get rid of the quarts of fluid in your torque converter.