My dealer wants to start servicing my Camry SL twice a year.

[thisguy]

I have a 2018 Camry SL 4 cylinder, which I bought new from a Toyota dealer. For the first five years it was serviced once a year by the Toyota dealer, under capped price servicing. Now, after the five years is up, it is no longer under capped price servicing and it will be changed to twice a year. Is it normal for the servicing, after the first five years, to be done twice a year by the dealer? Or would a different Toyota dealership still do it once a year? My 2018 Camry SL has done 31,822 km.

I once asked somebody if it would be cheaper to get it serviced at Ultratune but I was told it's safer for warranty issues to have it done by the dealer. Is that true? My last service, under capped price servicing, was $195 and my next service is expected to be $763.

Edited September 14, 2023 by thisguy

[ozieagle]

Hi Peter,

As you are out of warrantee, you no longer need to go to a dealer, try a local mechanic. Personally I've never been happy with dealer servicing, one nearly cost my daughter a new engine, they must have tightened the oil filter with a pipe wrench as it had a dint that cracked and sprayed oil everywhere.

I don't know about Toyota, but other manufacturers (VW) make items that only they supply, at a ridiculous cost. No after market items available, so that may impact costs.

I've always done my own servicing, oil and filter change, mainly, and others when needed.

 

Herb

[KAA]

Hi Peter, I change my oil every 6 months or 5000 Klm, they say 10,000 but I prefer to do it the way I always have and my 2009 Presara is still pristine and running like a swiss watch. A lot will depend on how many Klm's you do within 6 months. As Herb said if your out of warranty with your dealer you are not required to go to them anymore for servicing or anything else unless it is a recall. I would do as Herb says and find a good local mechanic one you can trust to always do the right thing. I used to do all myself but age has caught up with me so I have an excellent mechanic who looks after me like family so he does 99% for me now. I do use OEM filters as I like the Toyota quality.

But you should look around find a few mechanics ask loads of questions and see if you can find out how others have found them for work etc.

KAA

[ozieagle]

Hi again, Peter, some random ramblings.

I'm with Robert, don't worry too much about regular time services, have it done about every 5,000km. You do, on average, about 6,000 km a year, so a 5,000km service would be about every 11 months. The timing is not critical, I aim for 5,000kms but usually go over a few hundred. I've done my own servicing for nearly 60 years and have engines and cars run into the 100s , of thousand kms, and never had any issues. At the rate you travel, it will take another 10 years to hit 100,000 kms, and then a Toyota engine is just truly run in.

Herb

[hayden]

All great advices....Just keep up with the oil change and you'll be fine. Toyota 4 cylinders are driven by chain so they should last the life time of the engine. 6 speed automatic transmission is proven formula. Apart from brakes and tyres which are consumable. You've got nothing to worry about.  All the best!! 

[joeallen]

That $763 is quite steep. What are Toyota dealer doing to ask such a high price, esp with such few kms?