Misleading car service practice

[an000 Member Find all posts View Profile Close an000]

I had my Prado in the dealer for a 20k service today. On the tax invoice it showed:

- Rotated wheels
- Balance front wheels

Which I normally just take their words for it. Except this time because of a slow leak my rear left tyre was swapped out at the weekend by Bob Jane TMart while we waited for a replacement from Yokohama. A brand new spare was at its place. And it was still in the same spot (rear left) after the service.

So it is either my understanding of Rotated wheels is wrong, or the dealer didn't really rotate the wheels and just listed a generic list of things in the invoice.

No biggie as I had to go back to Bob Jane to fit the replacement tyre and had the wheels balanced anyway, but it does cast doubts on the list of 26 items that they claimed was done on the invoice.

Anyone seen anything similar?

[big-trev Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close big-trev]

AN000 my caper offered a Three year warranty with a fixed service fee.Didn't cost any more so I took it in for the first service after purchasing,This is second hand,any way I got it back after they took $200.00.When I got home I looked under the bonnet and the only thing that they replaced was the oil,not good for a diesel.Any way they never saw my Prado again.Also I damaged the left door with a gust of wind,and took the car to our local Toyota dealer to get fixed.When I picked it up my UHF arial was broken off,and the door hand't been repaired.Moral of the story do it you're self and you know that it has Been done propparly.

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

Not all Toyota service centres are bad

[Prado BB Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prado BB]

Car dealers and real estate agents. Say no more!

[Auss15 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Auss15]

I have never taken my cars to a dealer,always a trusted regular garage where I have a good repore with the mechanics.

[Davros Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Davros]

Not all Toyota service centres are bad

That is very true.

[croozza Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close croozza]

Read the post i put up in the ebay thread, it tells you of your legal rights when something like this happens, It is mostly about purchasing online, but it also goes into servicing. You are entitled to a refund or the service to be redone.

[tassie tiger Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close tassie tiger]

What did the dealer say when you spoke to them about it?

[yowie Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close yowie]

Had my 150 petrol serviced in western Sydney on Monday, and I asked for the tyres to NOT be rotated, as they were rotated a few weeks ago at Jax tyres (running Bridgestones and Jax look after them as part of their warranty plan).

The non-rotation of tyres was written on the service docket. When I returned to collect the Prado, the young customer service bloke started quoting me what had been done, including rotation of the tyres. I told him that I did not want that done, he checked and they were not rotated.

He told me that as part of the fixed service program ($210- per service) the service docket prints out everything that should be completed for a particular service. So it makes you wonder whether all of the listed service details are actually carried out or not.

$210- per service does sound like a good price. After I returned from towing my van around S.A., I rang Toyota and asked for an in-between oil change ( the one recommended for severe conditions such as towing, and which is not part of the fixed price servicing) and was quoted $190- just for an oil and oil filter change, so I took the Prado to my wife's mechanic, who is a good mechanic, and he did the same for much less, including an inspection of most of the vehicle, diff oils, transmission, etc.

When I asked if something could be changed during the fixed price services, I was told that what is listed is what is done at the specified interval, and nothing can be altered from what Toyota specifies has to be completed.

Yowie.

[ntp Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close ntp]

When I asked if something could be changed during the fixed price services, I was told that what is listed is what is done at the specified interval, and nothing can be altered from what Toyota specifies has to be completed.

That's Bullsh*t.

[LargeInAPrado Member Find all posts View Profile Close LargeInAPrado]

I would simply say its a generic printout for the particular service. BUT if there is something outside of the generic printout it needs to be either added or removed. Sometimes this doesnt happen and i dare say this was the case. It doesnt make it right but certainly nothing to get all hot and bothered over, just have a calm chat with the toyota service manager and point it out and im sure if you want it you will get it ....

[yowie Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close yowie]

That's Bullsh*t.

ntp, that is what I was told.

Yowie.

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

The service booklet on my old Prado said "replace wiper blades". When I picked the car up and noted that they had not put new wiper blades on the car I was told that they only do that when the customer asks for it to be done! I replied that I didn't ask for the oil to be changed but you did that, and that's what it says in the service booklet. Why the different approach? Of course, there was just that long stupid pause with no spoken words by the service manager.

[mickmac_42 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mickmac_42]

This is always one of my favourite topics to get into. It's sad how many of us take our cars to be serviced and wonder how we're going to be ripped-off this time. I too have been fed the "we only do it if you ask for it" tripe, both at Toyota Salisbury and Motorama (Holden) Springwood. It's usually about little things like wheel rotation, but the point is, if they're not doing the wheel rotation, what else are they not doing?

I've gotten into the habit of checking the work that was done after a service and the last service i recieved at Springwood Holden was rubbish. When i got home i noticed that a brake light had not been replaced. I had neglected to mention it to them, thinking that they'll pick it up as part of the logbook checks. So i looked closer and found a number of other things including door hinges not greased, washer fluid not topped up. When i called them up they were very apologetic of course and couldn't understand how this could have happened when a senior mechanic had done the service. They then offered excuses. "We don't grease the hinges because the doors close too fast" and "we topped up the washer fluid but then we used it to test the washer function." What really got my goat though was that when i pointed out that i had been charged labour on these things that hadn't been done and i should receive a partial refund, i was told a flat "No, we don't do that." I will credit them for sending a mechanic out to my house to fix the problems.
They subsequently sent me a text message asking me to rate the service out of ten. I gave it a 1 without hesitating, simply because i pay big dollars to get the car serviced (not a difficult thing to do) by professionals with specialist vehicle knowledge (according to their advertising) and anything less than perfection is unacceptable. Their offer of an apology was some complementary tickets for some Hot Laps at the Holden Driving Centre (you don't get to drive).
That was the last service we will ever have with them.
I've also had a mobile mechanic try to charge me $400 for an injector clean on a Navara. When i asked how he cleaned them he admitted it was just a bottle of fuel additive.
I once queried the high cost of oil on my service. I pointed out that the oil was sold in the parts department for 2/3 the cost of what the service department charged me and was told that i have the option of providing my own oil. No apology for obvious profiteering.

I could go on, but i'm sure we've all got these stories. It's taken me a long while, but i've finally learned that (for the most part) manufacturer servicing is overrated and unecessary. If they find something during the service which needs repairing/replacing, ask them to quote for it, then tell them you'll see what other prices you can get. Finally, know your rights. The ACCC is your friend and can provide heaps of advice and support in redressing your grievances.

End rant.

[fishfinder Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close fishfinder]

i purchased a vehicle a few years back and part of the deal was free labour on log book services for the next 2 years , on the first service all the did was sprayed tyre black on the tyres and wiped the top tank of the radiator on the "no labour charge" invoice they apparently changed the oil and filter replaced spark plugs rotated tyres but still had the cheek to charge me for the parts and consumables.Did the service advisor's jaw drop when I opened the bonet and asked him why did they put an "X" on the same spot I did on the oil filter and why is that little peice of masking tape still attached to the dip stick and dip stick tube and why has the blue tack I placed over the screw to remove the cover to get to the spark plugs is exactly how I placed it . By practicing these work ethics end result is there are no winners and no one is happy so why does this continue ?