Thursday, June 18, 2009

$500 Oil Change

We should have bought the full maintenance package when we bought our Toyota. It would have paid for itself by now. We only have 30,000 on our two year old minivan, and the 30,000 mile check up and oil change costs OVER $500.

So pay up front, or pay as you go. I asked what happens if we just do the oil change, and would that void warranty? Yep. If something bad were to happen on down the road, and we could not prove we had been good little customers getting our oil changed, and regular expensive maintenance done, it might be hard to argue about that transmission that went out, etc.

At least they gave me "free" rental for the five hour 30,000 overhaul procedure. Bob pointed out, wow--a free camry for $500. ha. And I don't even fit into it comfortably. Why praytell, do we need so much room eaten up in the middle with the console??? I'll be glad when Toyota starts designing cars for big, fat Americans. It has a moon roof. I have never had one of those. Can't wait to fly down the freeway back to the dealership with that baby open. What fun!!! The temp is still below 80 degrees here, and hopefully, the car will be done before we hit 100 degrees by 4pm. ha

I am thankful I have a car. I am thankful we live in a free, beautiful country with rolling hills and vistas. I am thankful for AC. I am thankful for clean water, clean sheets, comfortable house, and free time to complain about how Toyota should have warned us up front about these maintenance costs.

1 comment:

Bag Blog said...

My Toyota Camry has over 150 thousand miles and has never given us any problems. Now the dealerships can be a problem. I always took my Camry to Ardmore where we bought it and they were great. Then once I took it to Patterson's in Wichita Falls - they tried to tell me I needed all sorts of things that I did not need. I never went back to them. Mostly, I go to Lawton, but recently they have new ownership. Toby sometimes negotiates rather than letting the mechanics do all they say needs doing. I just stand around looking like I know what they are talking about.

We bought Jesse's Scion (actually a Toyota) in Grapevine - those guys are about as sorry a group of dealers that I have ever seen. They scratched the Scion while doing the "clean up" before we even left the lot. Then they acted like it was nothing. Toby demanded that they fix it. We had to leave her brand new car with them for over a week and they lost the key to it. Then they told us we could have one made, but they did not bother doing that for us. It was very trying.