THIS is How Some Car Dealerships Get a BAD REPUTATION and They Deserve it!
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
- A Car Technician Shares How Car Dealership's service departments are getting really crafty with overcharging their customers.
BE AWARE of what's going on in the Automotive industry these days folks. Here's a clear example of way overcharging for parts at dealerships and this is not the first time I see this.
Hope this video helps someone out there
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It’s why we call them stealerships. They’ve lost our respect. They have no honor.
They prey on old ladies.
It is all about profit margin. If dealerships use MSRP (Toyota's "suggested" retail price), the margin is probably around 30% for parts. In AMD's comparison, the recalculated gross margin is over 130%. Toyota should be doing something about this, but they won't. Pretty disgusting what the rape and pillaging has become. The alternative? Do it yourself, IF you have the equipment and skill. The other thing that bugs people are environmental fees that are charged. Actually double-charged and over-charged.
It's all about Greed
I agree, but I am also a huge Toyota fan. That said I kind of want nothing to do with them when it comes to my vintage Toyotas because I know decent mechanics in my area will do the job for much less and not hassle me. Even more so I honestly don't trust them to even know wtf my cars are or how to work on them. I mean when I drive my 88' Supra into the local Toyota Dealer, the young dudes there don't even know what the hell it is.
Especially when a woman goes in for oil change... I have witnessed this myself, they try to scare them, make it sound like the car will explode.
My son was charged $200 for an oil & filter change at a local Toyota dealership. He drives a 2014 Toyota Camry! We are doing our own oil changes moving forward!
Please buy high quality floor jack and jack stands. If you use ramps please secure the tire with wheel chocks. Harbor Freight its a great start. They have those low profile. Works so nice. They have a $180 one that is a beast. Your life doesn’t have a price.
Jesus Christ that’s an overkill price.
The highest one I did was not even close to urs at $86 bucks.
A DIY oil change saves u tons of money from rip-off’s dealership.
@@junboo8730 Or, alternatively, a decent pair of car ramps. That's what I use
$200 for an oil change................that is GOOD $ that could have been used at the strip club!!
For my wife's Camry (180k miles) and my Tacoma (155K miles), I bought for $3.99 on Amazon 25-PCS (.16 a piece) Oil Drain Plug Gasket Washer- Aluminum M12 Crush Washers. I go to the dealer and usually buy at least 3 filters per vehicle to save trips $6. a piece.
I use Kirkland Signature 0W-20 Full Synthetic Motor Oil 5-quart, 2-pack $40.00 Each vehicle oil change is $26. Project Farm did a comparison video and the conclusion is Kirkland is a good oil. I change the oil around every 5k. I like clean oil.
I firmly believe in giving credit where it's due, if dealerships are advertising outrageous prices and unprofessional service, people need to call them out includng on Google Maps, Yelp, etc.
The dealership was honest about what they were actually using
Yes, and they were *honestly* a huge rip off and unprofessional.
@@johnh8705 Not true 🤔 we don't know if they used what's on the paper 🤷
@@PkoiCetrBeLoud good point!
They could be using conventional for all we know.
There’s no regulation that penalizes them for cutting corners.
It’s like getting watered down whiskey at the bar.
+1 for this. I always rate in google map. So people are aware.
I can honestly vouch for this. I use to work for a high end german brand dealer. We were required to sell, sell, sell, even when customers came in for maintenance that was already covered by the manufacturer, meaning we had to push alignment, fuel cleaning service, etc, etc.
if we didn’t, you could get written up, or, better yet, the angry customer feels pushed on and they give you a NEGATIVE SURVEY! Then that goes to management and then we get grilled why we angered the customer.
Dealer service centers are not there to help. Us “service advisors” can’t even do our job to honestly help a customer now days. Toxic environment!!!!
same here .
our service manager would just say " they're not buying a product , they're buying a brand " like that justified the scam.
joe public sees car / servicing prices and assumes the technicians are pulling in truckloads of pay .
wrong . they're paid literally peanuts . and they're the kingpins - the ones who keep the cars running ...
the techs HAVE to rush through so many jobs a month to make "bonus", to JUST meet their monthly commitments.
once they have met that target ? ? that same target gets raised . what does that do to mindset ? ? Donkey / Carrot .
GREED is worming its hideous ways into soooo many walks of life - where does it end ?
We're all struggling . Or living on Credit . Either way has no long term future, sadly .
Happy New Year to anybody reading this . Make the Best of Family Time - even when it's driving you up the wall .
(you know what the true cause of your stress is ) . Because , when all is said and done , that's ALL we really have .
Treasure it .
Dealerships are no bueno… they should employ necessary people only mechanics and customer service get rid of over priced management
@itzryyster I was a svc mgr at a GM dealer in NJ for 8 yrs. Was fired for refusing to rip off our customers.
And yes. The survey's are the very worst thing industries invented. People generally bury you because their refrigerator failed at home or the kid came home with an F. Usually things not associated with the car repair.
That was the trend in our store because our service team DID NOT rip people off.
Best to You and Yours, and good luck !
You've gotta follow management dictate to the letter because they track you on every metric, and then you get punished for pissing off the customers. It's positively inhumane. Automotive salesmen have now fallen to the level that telephone customer service representatives were at in the 2000s.
Yes I tried to send a message to the dealership management when I filled out my survey, but I just got the service rep, who was the only person that actually helped me, in trouble. Nobody in management cared about me.
AMD, Thanks for this public service message. You always put our interests first and we appreciate it. For their own long-term corporate interests, we can only hope some day somebody at Toyota USA or Toyota Motor Corporation starts bringing law and order to dealerships displaying the TOYOTA banner. 🤨
No sólo es en Toyota (creo es el más "racional" y confiable de todos los Servicios de Post Venta) sino que TODOS los concesionarios siguen la misma práctica. Lo digo como ex-mecánico de Taller de Concesionario de 3 marcas muy conocidas acá, que comienzan con F. otra con V y otra con Ch.
Bro just say Ahmed, that’s his name
@@flamingkillermc2806 When we correspond, I always call him Ahmed. On RUclips he uses the initials AMD so that's what I put in the comments section. 😉
Problem is the person that runs it wants all the money and the hell with anyone else😂
The excuse I was told that you have to pay the person in Parts that says "we need this part" then pay the person who ORDERS the part. When the part comes in you have to pay the person who STOCKS the part. and then when the part is needed you have to pay the person picking the part for the tech...Uff what bullshit...
My wife's Toyota dealership quoted $870 to replace a front end link (written estimate) on her 2015 Rav 4. I bought 2 end links for ~$100 and replaced both in under 30 minutes. I complained to Toyota USA, and they responded "dealerships are allowed to set their own prices".
They're called "Stealerships" for a reason lol.
I would tell Toyota USA "I will no longer buy your cars !!!
Toyota USA would say fine go buy a Ford and enjoy all the repair bills because Ford does the exact same thing the Dealerships all of them set their own prices. It is up to you to shop around.@@stephen8623
@@stephen8623 It's not a Toyota thing, they are all starting to do it. Not every dealership, but it is growing.
Hopefully you didn’t buy aftermarket end links. They don’t last. Toyota ones are really expensive, but they are really good.
I have been saying this for 30 years!!! You are my kind of guy. I’ve been an auto repair facility owner for 45 years and I constantly (and now more than ever) say that dealerships are out of control.
So good business practice for you, I'm the same.
On top of this they are trying to take away your ability to repair your cars as they force the world to move to EV's. Criminal.
Something I tell all young people starting out, there will always be work for an honest mechanic. No need to lie or cheat or steal. Your customers will come back again and again and again and they’ll recommend you to everyone they know. After watching and enjoying many of your videos I see you as that honest mechanic. Where’s your shop?? Another little nugget I like to share with young people is that “Trust is earned by the drop and lost by the bucket”. Truer words were never spoken. 😊
A local mechanic in the UK left a dealership and set up in a small industrial unit, he now has a business bigger than all the main dealerships in the area! People go to them because they don't scam and they do the work they charge for.
If you have that going on in the parts dept, can you just imagine the shenanigans going on in the Finance office and Sales floor? Great video as usual!
Those shenanigans have been going on for decades. The lowest of the low is a car salesman.
"The lowest of the low is a car salesman"
Heh. No. The finance guys are lower.
Nope. It is lawyers and then car sales.@@davidgagnon2849
This is why I like what Tesla is doing. They're selling directly to the customer. I mean yeah they have their own shady things too but I respect them for not wanting to include 3rd party dealers as part of their new cars
This is old news ,its been this way for decades in all departments
Thanks AMD. This is the issue with Toyota these days. They have a great product, but the dealership ruins the rest of the experience from purchasing to service. Thanks for sharing the message.
Exactly!
Bro just say Ahmed, that’s his name
Most consumers don't realize that Toyota the manufacturer is a completely separate entity from the 1,000s of "Toyota" dealerships that sell and supposedly service their products, which are independent businesses. The latter literally just takes on the Toyota (or Lexus) name as part of their business name and pretends that they also espouse Toyota's standards, culture and ethics--MOST DO NOT. For example, I cannot count the number of times those dealership's service departments have messed up a simple oil change for me.
Toyota doesnt offer water as a courtesy...
Toyota got sued for pushing services you did not have to have. They are having to pay millions back to the customers.
This is now happening in regular shops too. You even got mechanics on YT defending this kind of crazy markup percentage. When if this happened anywhere else, with any other group of items we would be calling it "scalping".
whatever you do for a living do it for less money , not more, that's common sense. Glad everyone in the comments is going to start working for less now. Such good people. Can't wait for the cost of everything to match. Soon by all of us charging less for our work we will be able to afford more. Brilliant.
No, it's referred to as inflation. Compliments of bejing biyden.
@ starguy9 What mechanics charge for their labor is one thing. If they want to charge more for their labor and the market will bear it, then charge more for your labor. Don't sell parts for 3-5 times then what it is worth. Parts and labor are 2 different things.
@@starguy9 Did you notice how he did NOT address the labor rate? That makes your lame gaslighting comment incorrect/irrelevant. Nice try troll.
@ jdtractorman7445 No, its not. We are talking parts, not labor. It is not inflation, when I can go on Amazon and find the exact same part for a quarter of a price. Again, the exact same part, not a lesser model, not a different brand name, not a knockoff, the exact same part. Just like Car Care Nut did in this video on a different site.
Years ago I took a 1984 Toyota pickup to the Toyota dealer in Brewer Maine for a tuneup. When the service writer was writing up the work order he would ask me if I wanted a particular thing done and then make a check in the appropriate box. One of the questions he asked was "Would you like us to check for loose screws and bolts?" Thinking he was joking I laughingly asked, "What's the charge for that?" His answer? "Twenty seven dollars." To which I responded, "You are going to check all the screws and bolts on this truck for only twenty seven dollars?" Without making a check mark he moved on to the next item on his list… When I got home I asked my wife if she would have okayed the "Check screws and bolts for tightness" option and she said, "Of course I don't want any loose screws and bolts on my car!" I never went back to that dealer again…and that's the solution to the crooked dealer problem…don't go back! Problemo solved!
Women! Allowing them suffrage and the right to work has, within the span of 7 decades, cause an extintion-level reduction in childbirth, the separation of church from daily life, the evisceration of educational standards, the rise of socialism in government, and the wokification of nearly every public institution. Next is the downfall of society.
The dealership decided to charge $149.95 for all oil changes as standard policy, so they simply fiddled with the line item prices to get that result.
That's a good idea
@@MrMagichobo21 I was thinking gravity is free so where do they get off with $149.95? I like doing it myself, so I can see the CV boots, trans fluid, battery terminals. And dodge that $6.00 'oil recycling fee'. lol. No thanks.
bring your own oil,filter, and gasket to a repair shop with a reputation. stay out of stealerships and oil change franchises at all costs....stop being a moron helps. Teh same type of idiot visits casinos and stealerships.
Way back after I bought my first car and discovered the hard way that the dealership was not playing fair, I decided to learn how to do basic tune ups and repairs. Not only do I enjoy it, I've saved a ton of money thru the years as well. For those jobs I can't do I wish the Car Care Nut was local to me here in the NYC area.
We sorely need more business men like him!!
Agreed! We could all use a guy like AMD. Maybe AMD could create a network of honest, Toyota centric mechanics. We need one here in eastern PA.
10000000% agree with you 👌
U know, this might go global.
I don't even charge that much and I'm in a big city. I'm also providing a mobile service so I'm doing the work at your house or place of work, you don't even need to spend anytime at a shop. Being fair and honest on pricing will get you WAY more business than trying to get a little bit extra out of customers for a job.
Sadly it seems that the market will bear these prices, unless there is a change in peoples behavior and tolerance to these prices.
I try to stay away from dealerships much as possible, not too long ago, went to my local Hyundai dealer here in PSL FL to buy some OEM oil filters, once arrived homd noticed that they charged me $5 for each crush washer, I felt robbed on the spot. These dealerships deserve the bad reputation. Thank you brother all you do I'm glad you are exposing this stuff.
I just had a 30,000 service at my local Lexus dealer that was included with my CPO purchase. For comparison, the filter was $5.97, gasket $1.16, oil $6.75. Thanks for the video. I have learned so much following your channel.
I just did a 40k mile service at the Lexus dealer. I bought my car new, service is $350 for oil, filter change and cabin air filter for a 21 ES 350…
@@baoanprounited nice
@@baoanprounitedcould’ve done all that for less than 100 bucks. Its 350 it has that ancient engine which has none of the fancy things cars nowadays come with
@Elmamaguebo16 Not less than $100 but I get the point.
@@malcolminthemiddle8777 5 quarts of oil is like 40 bucks the filter not more than 20.
5 quart jug of Valvoline 0w-20 costs at Walmart 26.97. At Lexus site the gasket is 1.06 and oil filter 5.25. If you include dealer labor price 40$, it should have cost the customer 73.28 which is 2 times less. So dealer profit margin is 100%. Great business :)
The 6 quart cardboard box is a better deal....check it out
dealer has plenty of overhead and tax liabilities, resulting in less than 100% profit. But they make plenty and their overhead is costly so avoid dealers when possible.
@@glennhansel9411the labor cost takes into account the overhead. Why do you think a dealership mechanic charges $150/hr? They barely get like $40/hr out of that $150
The lexus dealer will Valet you car, wash it, and have a luxurious waiting room. You don't have to deal with dirty oil. It is worth it to their customers.
@@efil4kizum yeah it's like getting a free quart down here in middle Georgia by getting bulk box. It's good oil....
So refreshing to watch - an honest, highly skilled and fair minded master technician telling the truth. Well done!
The manufacturer must definitely get involved as this will ruin a reputation. I accidently discovered this very practice with my local Acura dealership. As a long time loyal customer I was shocked. I called them out on it and the parts person said these are our prices now. So now I go to a different dealership (after I checked there pricing).
Good on yah mate!
No the manufacturer can't dictate how the crugedship does business
Oil change prices went up drastically in my area 2 years ago; it was about $130 for an oil change for a Sienna, not even full synthetic. At that point I said no more. Bought all tools to do it myself. Doing 5 oil changes myself paid for all tools. I actually enjoy doing the oil changes for our two cars. I use full synthetic and I know it was done correctly.
You can rent those tools too if you don't want to buy them. Autozone has a nice tool option.
Agree! Sometimes (dependent on person's life of course) people just don't have the time to do it. My opinion, sometimes a good "middle-ground" approach is to procure the materials yourself and then ask a mechanic/dealer to only do the labor. Even then, I am in complete agreement that it's enjoyable (subjective) to DIY and also that (not-subjective) you know the job was done correctly.
70 retired lineman diyer. Do all repairs and maintenance myself for familia vehicles only.
@@efil4kizum In BC, the going price is about that much for a van, I think...
A few months ago, I hurt my back, went to a dealer for oil change - I was quoted $110 for a small hatchback!
I can do my own oil changes myself, but it's like $50-60 at my mechanic. I just have them deal with it. I cannot imagine $130 for that work, that's completely insane.
This is why I am so glad I am my own mechanic. I got fed up with the BS I was “required” to do when I worked at my local dealerships. I was told to recommend brakes at 90% wear or less, and oil pans were always leaking/seeping struts always needed replacing on anything over 10k miles. I refused to upsell things that were not needed.
You and me both. I was a certified auto tech at a local Chrysler dealer for 20 yrs. Was told by management that i needed to upsell every workorder by 80 % no matter what it came in for. Saw many junior mechanics tow the line and upsell brakes/suspension that were not needed. Butted heads with management to many times so I retired early cause I just could no longer accept the B.S. from dealers in good consciousness. All us mechs junior or not got thrown under the bus by the dealer principle every time there was an issue. It was always the mechanic's fault whether that was over or under selling. Loving my retirement gift of a '22 Toyota 4Runner where I'm the only one who touches it. Actually happy to be retired and away from the B.S.
@@redwoodforest3572 my cousing was told the same thing by his service manager at a small town Chevrolet dealership he worked for 25+ years ago. I can't recall what the name of the stealership was but it doesn't matter anymore. The owner died and the heirs shut it down and sold the lot and building. The building was demolished and now sits a Burger King and KFC on the lot. LOL!
How about “recommended services “. Power steering flush? Brake fluid flush? Supposedly, Honda kinda started this crap because in the early 90’s their service departments were ghost towns because stuff wasn’t breaking! Recommended services keeps their shops busy.
@@GaryKroeger-wz3tx If the vehicle truly needed the service I had no issue recommending it. We were told to make any little thing seem like a major issue that could threaten the safety of the vehicle. This was pretty much standard fare for the Toyota, Ford, and to a slightly lesser extent the GMC dealership I worked at. All these dealers were in the same area of town so…. After dealing with that for 5 or so years, I left dealerships behind and went to independent shops and found the work far more enjoyable. Today I will only bring my vehicle into a dealership shop for warranty work, I handle everything else myself.
@@redwoodforest3572 The line is toed, not towed. It's not a tug-of-war, you ignoramus. They toe the line because the first one who crosses it gets shot.
I never go to a stealership for any service not under warranty. I would imagine that it is illegal to do a sort of "bait n switch" . These owners need a class action suit against any dealership that does this. Another great informative video!
Ever noticed they never try to upsell or recommend anything once your car is under warranty it's only when it's off then they recommend everything and anything they can scare you with
I agree there should be a lawsuit against these practices to stop them.
I work for a toyota dealership in Dublin, OH. They only use genuine toyota parts, they only go aftermarket as a last resort. After they have checked with other dealers and sources in the area, and exhausted every option then they will go aftermarket. And each estimate is itemized line by line and the service writers will go over it with the customer before any decisions are made. Some people think this is time consuming and annoying, but my manager says "this the way we've done it before and people keep coming back."
Man I wish my local Toyota dealership was like this! They do the hand written quote and when I ask for more information they get annoyed with me. They also know by now that I check their website and compare to ask for a price match. If they aren’t willing to do so, then I just order it myself. I generally just order the parts from their website and take them to my local mechanic anyway. I literally can’t believe the prices of my local Toyota dealership for anything service related anymore. I think they are confused and think they are Lexus now 🤦♀️😂. I only take my vehicles to the dealership if it’s a repair my local mechanic can’t do, such as when my Sienna automatic door broke.
@coston1986 Wow, I'm very sorry to hear that, my friend. It's your vehicle and if you have questions you have every right to ask them.
I wish they would put back all the tire stem caps! 1/2 screwed on, missing, etc. Take pride in your work! Thanks AMD! Excellent info to educate consumers!
Exactly! overpaying and you get a half assed job.
Ask a dealer to air up your tires you will end up with 4 different readings!
It’s under warranty. This just happens every time I take it in for the regular service. I plan on doing everything myself as soon as I’m out of warranty. I change the oil in between the 10,000 mile warranty oil changes. It’s part of their service… removing and losing the tire stem caps 😂
Glad to see someone in the industry exposing some of the hustling that goes on at some dealerships. The fact that they use bulk oil is really a eye-opener. I am glad that I do my own repairs so I get to choose O.E.M. or aftermarket parts & which type of oil I will use. You made a good point about possible contamination with bulk/drum oil.
Wonder how the bulk non-OE oil impacts the warranty.....
Not entirely true about the oil. I work for Toyota as a technician and we have barrels of 0W-16, 0W-20, 5W-20, and 5W-30 that are all Toyota stamped barrels that are just the bulk version of the bottles.
Sucks some dealers buy the Mobil 1, Valvoline, etc equivalent and charge the same if not more lol.
Besides the price it really doesn't matter as long the weight is right and possibly some other specs (such as euro specs for Volkswagons)
You don't honestly think Toyota or any maker for that matter makes there own engine oil? They go out and buy it from an oil company and have it bottled under there name. I've never seen an owners manual, while they may recommend their oil, at the end of the day doesn't specify the viscosity and grade of oil to use. As long as you do that you're not going to have any warranty issues, truthfully as along as you have oil in your engine that's even remotely clean and not a filthy goo you're not going to have any warranty issues. Nothing wrong with bulk oil either.
Dealers don't want to see you anywhere near their workshop, to come in, interrupt the work and ask questions !
Sit in the waiting room, drink your coffee, read your paper, and wait for us to finish !
Then just pay and buzz off ! 🥵🤔
@The Car Care Nut The oil listed is actually called Valvoline SynPower, it's about $30-$36 for a five-quart jug at the local Fleet Farm if I remember correctly.
Love your videos, I wish there were more shop owners like you around.
Its less when on sale at NAPA...Valvoline makes NAPA store brand oil, both conventional and synthetic.
Synpower 0W-20 is about $60/12qt. box. That's $5/qt.
It’s only $27 on Amazon and I don’t pay for shipping because I have Amazon prime.
I agree 100%
I always thought parts markups were 25%. I went to a dealer asking about a valve cover gasket, I knew the price on it through OEM wholesale sites, the dealer price is probably lower. It was a 400% markup on parts. And labor was being charged much more than I expected it would. I thought it was 1.5 or 2 labor hours (that's what it would take me and I've never done one before) and they were more closer to 4 hours. Needless to say, I didn't have them do the work.
It's worse when you have more than one task that needs to be done. Service departments bill on what they call 'Book Hours." Which are the estimated time it will take to complete a given task. If two tasks overlap, they will charge for both, even though part of the work for one task is covered by the other. Further, mechanics are pushed to do the work as fast as they can so the service department can book as many repairs as possible. This leads to rushed work which often is done incorrectly. My own personal example was a leaking transmission line on my Jeep GC. Since it is a 'sealed' transmission and getting the fluid amounts is about impossible, I paid the dealer to do it. Got about half way home and the lines came loose. Needless to say, I was not happy. They had to eat the cost of fixing it and I never went to that dealer ever again.
Of course, now that I've watched AMDs channel, I know how they set the fluid levels with the stand pipe. Another skill for me!
Because of you and others like you, I have learnt to do all regular maintenance myself. If it doesn’t involve disassembling something in the engine I do it myself on time.
Oil changes
Brakes
Brake fluid flush
Rotate tires
Replace spark plugs
Replace diff and transfer case fluids
Replace Air and cabin filters
Transmission and coolant flushes I take to AAA mechanic shop.
All because or my youtube mechanic professors!
The issue is having the time to learn how to and to actually do all this. Some things are easier said than done and I will never believe otherwise. I say this as a person who is savvy enough to do my own maintenance and repairs. However, I will never fault someone for not knowing how to do it themselves. Knowing that basic maintenance needs to be done is a whole other story.
coolant flush is easy dude... add that to the list of stuff you do yourself
@@BH-gh6qm I’m actually a female corporate attorney during my 9-5. I did a coolant flush once and there was an air pocket that I couldn’t get out. After, I decided to take to the shop.
Transmission flush with my truck you have to drop the entire pan. That is a bridge too far for me without a lift.
I currently have a 2019 Ford Ranger.
@@GeorgetteMiller Dropping and installing a transmission pan and replacing the filter isnt difficult, although a bit messy. Ive done them on some trucks without even raising the vehicle.
In some cases you need a new transmission pan gasket, although some are reusable.
If any automatic transmission equipped vehicle hasnt had its fluid changed on a regular basis, I wont change it as fresh fluid can actually cause friction components in the transmission to degrade.
I was told this many years ago by a guy who owned a transmission shop since the 1950s
For Toyota Transmission with no dipstick for Transmission flush I would recommend buying a Scangauge2 to measure transmission temperature & if they have a Haynes repair manual for your vehicle it will tell you the temperature of transmission fluid to level it. Just make sure the vehicle is idling & level when checking the transmission fluid level.
I think Toyota and Honda are in the same space as Ford and GM were back in Detroit's heyday. They're on top of their game and focusing on MONETIZING decades of good will and quality products. This will continue until the game of pumping money out of customers no longer works.
Or the products themselves tarnish thier decades old goodwill and quality and then customers move away from thier products en masse.
GM is looking to do away with Apple Carplay & Google support on their infotainment units "for your safety" - that is, they likely want to make all vehicles have a subscription feature for the similar features you already get for free via your phone... they want to make each car be a continuous revenue stream.
Growing up, Toyota was building its reputation. I purchased used Toyota pickups (the real ones 1983, 1986 etc) used for cheap and ran and maintained them 100 percent myself.
After living through that, I had a 1989 4Runner now an 01 4Runner all bought used. These were all real Toyotas. The Tacomas they sell now are a very sad and pathetic caricature of a truck. They are relying on marketing-on their name and people’s perceptions anymore imo. When you know from experience what a real Toyota is you are no longer interested in their low quality offerings.
Nicely said!
This applies also for Hondas@@torquewrench3909
I've been a car owner for 60 years. I can say emphatically that tricks....overcharging...
and outright lying at dealerships and independent shops has NEVER been as bad as it is now. The sad thing is that most car owners don't know enough to realize how badly they are being ripped off.
Yes they really do prey on ignorance and lack of mechanical knowledge. Our local Subaru dealer wanted $120 on TOP of the service, just to rotate the wheels/tyres!
Same as the UK. 10years ago they started s aiming at franchises and people stopped going. One GM/Vauxhall franchise closed 4 garages down as they went bankrupt. That was because they upset their customers.
They were being dishonest, charging for work that was not required and never completed.
A recent $200 transmission flush prompted me to change the power steering fluid and brake fluid in my '02 Sequoia. Never done these services before myself. I feel really accomplished after doing them.
Part of the problem is dealerships treat the parts department and service department as two different companies. The service department buys the part at full retail from the parts department then adds their markup- could be double for small parts or 15 percent for larger parts. The dealership profits twice. I see the same thing with appliance sellers.
A few years ago, I was taking our Caravan to a Chrysler dealer for oil changes. Then I decided that I could do it at home for a third of the price. The first time I tried to remove the drain plug it must of been on there with 100+ ft lbs of torque! Some underpaid apprentice probably zipped it on with an impact. Why take your car to a dealership when they're going to overcharge you and do a worse job than you can do yourself?
Most people are concerned about clean up after an oil change, but there are so many great, inexpensive oil drip pans out there to catch the oil and make it easier to deposit it back into the empty oil containers.
Another stopping point for average folks is "what do I do with old oil?", one of my questions at 40 years old.
I was surprised at how easy that is to overcome as well! Just put it in the empty oil container and take it to your local auto parts store for disposal!
After that, it's just a matter of raising the vehicle to get to the drain plug, depending on how low your vehicle sits, or in my case, how far my waist expands!
Next time when you're at a dealer showroom with the grand piano, cathedral ceiling, marble floor and breakfast bar, just remember: All of these are paid by you, the customer. This is why dealers will only see me for warranty work.
Greed is a terrible thing , and it’s everywhere not just the car dealerships , people need to do their homework before they purchase a product or a service , great video Amd
This video is the confirmation of what I’ve experienced. The worst scam is the so called mandatory inspections . They say they inspect yourcar but it’s all crap. In one of those inspections I specifically asked to inspect my brakes. When I picked up my car they said the brakes were fine. I took my Prius Prime to one of my friends garage and the front rotors were so rusted I didn’t dare use my car until we had changed the pads and rotors. Never going back to dealershit for car repairs. I realy appreciate your videos. Thank you.
Back when I lived in New England they actually called cops on my coworker when he refused to buy additional service to pass the inspection.
Ha! I had the opposite experience - they told me my brake pads are so worn they are "almost illegal" to drive. Asked me for $270 per axle to replace them.
I took the car to a friend mechanic, he ordered new pads, when the pads came he told me my current pads are thicker than the new ones. Didn't do the replacement. It's been 2 years since then and I'm still using the old pads with no issues.
Yup. Same thing happened to me. With brakes. And I knew they were messed up. They said it was good. So I just learned how to do my own brakes. Save a ton $$$ and it was at Toyota
@@locuus Had the same thing. Told my wife that the brakes needed to be done as a "safety" repair. I thought that was weird because I could have sworn I did the brakes in the past couple years, but told my wife to just bring it home and I would change them that weekend. Pulled a wheel off and the pads were 75% or more life left. I had done the brakes about 2 years prior.
I'm confused. Rotors normally rust if you leave the vehicle parked for a bit, especially in the rust belt. The rust scrapes off the surface that matters once you drive and brake for a bit. Rust elsewhere on the rotor is irrelevant. With regen braking and easy driving, you just need a couple hard braking episodes to clean them up. Unless the rotors are literally crumbling, rotor rust doesn't mean you need to replace them.
Love your videos. I've learned a lot about doing my own repairs from you! Yes, a friend of mine bought her car to a Dealership for a battery 12 volt. They over charged her $400. The Stealership is a good place to avoid. But even mom and pop shops you have to watch. A guy told me $87 and next called to state he wanted $500 to do front brake pads on my Camry 2000 and another $500 to bleed the brakes. I quickly went to pick up my car before he laid a hand on it and drove off. Did the brake pads for $50 myself. Next up Master Cylinder and bleeding the brakes. Thank you for your excelllent videos! An honest mechanic / engineer, who is willing to share his know how. You are a blessing all year round.
I wish there was some way of finding mechanics who are as honest as you are throughout the country (for those of us who don't live in Chicago). Wow, your videos are amazing.
Get to know your techs at the dealership, preferably the old timers,, they can rec. somebody or hook you up outside of work.
I had good experiences with G&G (Skokie & Evanston).
The parts department at the last dealership I worked at didn't keep rotors in stock because it was "too expensive", so they would order cheap rotors from autozone but charge OEM rotor prices. It was one of the MANY reasons I quit working there. Technicians like myself already get a bad rap, we don't need shit like that making us look even worse.
This is the exact reason, years ago, I started learning how to do my own maintenance on our vehicles. It started with the oil and cabin filters then oil changes and, now, I can do almost everything. The money I saved doing things myself went into buying tools and, now, I have a wonderful Quick Jack 7000 that easily lifts my Tundra and my daughter's Sienna and other daughter's Palisade! My local Toyota dealer used to match on-line prices (Sparks Toyota) but doesn't anymore but does, still, give me a 10% military discount which pays for taxes.
Wait for the "Sir, your warranty has been voided since you performed non-authorized fluid changes" -- All car manufacturers within the next 5 years probably.
@@efil4kizum No the 7000 is on Amazon right now for $1,569 US
@@mambi74 Nope I have meticulous records of everything.
Unfortunately this is the rule not the exception. People need to find an honest independent shop with a good reputation. That’s not always easy! After experiencing the same treatment you showed here at every dealer I dealt with I was lucky twenty years ago to find an honest independent shop.
He retired recently so now in my 60’s I am back to doing my own maintenance and repairs! If you can find an honest shop who does good work for a reasonable price, that is like gold.
Even that's hard to do because manual labor has been so maligned and mechanic work is hard on the body with low pay = no incentive for youngsters to get into it and all the old guys are retiring. I talk to a lot of trade and manual labor guys because I've got sons who need to be thinking about their future careers now, not at 18. I've never met a mechanic who's recommended getting into that line of work. Everyone needs to learn how to perform routine maintenance on their own vehicles, at the very least.
@@efil4kizumThey don’t even get close to a third of that!
@@efil4kizum To understand comparable rates, what do local CPA firms and law offices in your area charge hourly? What do local stylists charge for full highlights? Throwing out a number for what mechanics' shops charge in NY doesn't mean the pay across the board is sufficient to attract new labor.
Been a Toyota tech for 35 years, door labor rate at dealer is 210 on are west coast dealership, we would be lucky if we are able to get 45 of that. That’s why you guys will be super screwed when all of old timers are gone!! No new guys are coming in the trade to replace us, and if they do find someone they are not at all competent!!
Got one near Lexington, KY?
I was doing transmission work on my Toyota. Needed a quart of WS fluid. My local Toyota dealership tried charging me $44 for one quart! Online msrp was around $10 at the time. Outrageous.
AMSOIL
A lady stopped in with a KIA SUV that had traveled to the area from out of state. She had it serviced at her dealer 2 weeks earlier so it would make the trip uneventfully. There are no KIA dealers anywhere near here and a local parts store recommended us as a black plastic plate fell from under the dash under the glove box and the dash was rattling. She explained she just had it serviced and gave us the receipt the dealer gave her. Oil & filter change, engine air filter, cabin air filter, wiper arms - "front & back". Checked & filled tires with nitrogen. Body lubrication ?, and $75 for engine oil treatment. $676, LOL. We found when we pulled the glove box down, the cabin air filter cover was the plate that fell. The tech who changed it broke off the clasp on the heater box side. The entire heater box would have to be changed. We brought her in and explained we had a fix using a zip tie, but the tie would have to be cut and a new one used every time the cabin air filter was changed. She OK'd the fix and asked us to check everything on the list the dealer had done. The oil filter had a minor leak that tightening the filter cured. She was charged for OEM filters and Purolator filters were used. The oil filter was base line even though they claimed to use mobile one oil. Wiper blades were Anco. She asked us what we would have charged her for the same work. We wrote a estimate using Advance Auto prices on the exact same parts the dealer used on her car. "Including Mobile 1 oil". I've never seen a face get so red so fast. Our charge, $20 for the cabin air filter cover fix and comped the multi point inspection.
I thought modern cars are too sophisticated and for years and I overpaid a dealership to do all of my maintenance. Then I discovered this channel and AMD taught me that I can do more than I thought. Now I take my son every time I do something with my car and he will never have to get scammed by a dealership.
AMD, you are indeed a giant among men. Thank you.
I didn't know what a radiator was, then found a leak and learned it was the radiator. After a 20 minute RUclips video I bought the part, and replaced it in less than 2 hours. It's amazing what you can do with just a little exposure to some knowledge and a little courage.
@@raiden031sadly my car is way too low to the ground
@@sherlockwho5714 I haave a set of portable wheel ramps to solve that problem. You just lay them in front of the tires and drive up on them. Mine raise the front wheels up about 10 inches and hang on a couple of hooks behind the garden fence when not in use. Mine are metal but a lot of the newer ones are plastic. They are not expensive or heavy and they last a lifetime.
@@sherlockwho5714 Harbor Freight!!!! Get yourself a couple of ramps, a jack and some solid jack stands. Everything is possible one project at a time ALWAYS keeping safety in mind. I'm 71, a lady and I maintain all 4 trucks that we own. Over the years I have learned watching all kinds of youtube videos and I do a damn good job, even if I say so myself.
@@Cocora22 You're awesome! 71 and female and turning wrenches. I'm 69, a guy, and been learning to do it myself for 50 years. I love Harbor Freight too!
I recently bought last year a 2023 Lexus rx500h and I purchased the original oil($7) and oil filter($6). I got 5 cases and 6 oil filters. I do the oil changes myself. I have been doing that for near 20 years for all my cars just because of this. Thank for showing everyone about this which I had known for 20 years now.
I've been doing the same since 1980. While the oil is draining, I lightly spray and clean the engine bay with water mist. Then I lubricate all hood and door gaskets. The interior is then cleaned, as well.
Same here for over 45 years, no one has ever changed my oil but me. My assumption has always been that the kid changing my oil was probably flipping burgers the day before. Amd is a great guy and has been doing other services to my 2 Lexus's since he opened his shop.
I'm an automotive technician at a dealership that's been around for 50years here in Australia. This video is tip of the iceberg, the front desk and management are in such a mad scramble to make any and every cent they can of customers. Mechanics get a really bad reputation but often are honest people and especially when we have no control or power to treat clients with respect. The best we can hope for is to carry out the work to a high enough standard to keep the clients satisfied, and then the front desk will tear their wallet a new one. I have countless horror stories of shady behaviour on this front and it's honestly depressing.
We all have to pay the bills somehow but it's getting out of hand
Sorry, but I don't think mechanics should be excluded as part of shady dealerships. It takes one to see one. Self respecting mechanics would never ever work at a shady dealership with service managers who encourage cheating and short changing customers. They quit and join a reputable shop or start on their own.
@@bbmatfreddy That's really easy to say when you're not a paycheck away from absolute disaster like the majority of americans.
@@auroranovae4493 what has this to do with the topic or my post? Someone lives with integrity in good and bad times.
yeah I love those Indian scam centers stealing grandmas retirement account too@@auroranovae4493
@@bbmatfreddy @auroranovae4493 not trying to create an argument here. neither of you are wrong. It's a difficult situation to be in. It's all well and good to say "if it's shady then leave" but when you have bills to pay sometimes you gotta just keep going with a steady paycheck until in a situation where it's safe to leave. This doesn't make you the bad guy or culpable to the corruption of the sales team either. It's possible to commit no faults and still lose.
The other note though is that it's harder and harder to find the reputable workplaces in any industry, should we all just jump jobs every few months till finding that dream ideal location? Are red flags always immediately noticeable? Especially as a new hire in any place?
And "start your own workshop" would easily cost close to a million dollars in tools, location, rent, staff, specialty equipment and hopefully clientele base. Daresay few light vehicle mechanics have that lying around too.
It's the same in all industry though. How many resteraunts would you say the food is worth the bill? Are pilots liable for being part of airlines ripping patrons off? Are the poor underpaid staff at cinemas responsible for your cinema experience being overpriced or poor quality films?
I was a porter at a major dealership in Chicagoland in the 90’s as a teen. Every negative thing you’ve ever heard or suspected about dealerships is true and then some. Before that I was a caddy at a private country club. The rich are mostly terrible people too…
They are not called "stealerships" for no reason! Thank you for another great video!
I just went to the Naperville Toyota dealership yesterday . Got an oil change and tire rotation. I compared the pricing on the parts you just showed us and it looks like they’re msrp pricing. They did use valvoline oil though. Oil filter 5.69, gasket 1.16, 1qt valvoline oil at 5.06. The labor was $39. Thank you so much for the video.
Sounds like one of the honest dealers... id keep giving them your business
That's where I bought my Camry in 2016 for a really good deal. Then around 2,000 miles when I was going to change the oil myself with my beloved Amsoil (not wanting to wait until the free oil change at 10,000 miles), I discovered my trusty oil-filter wrench did not precisely fit. Since I didn't want to damage the plastic of my new car, I proceeded to the parts department at Naperville Toyota to purchase a proper fitting oil filter wrench and I was nearly floored when they charged me over $60 for a chrome-plated wrench! It was a precisely fitted wrench and I removed the oil filter without any problem. Then at the 10,000 mile mark when I returned for the free oil change, I brought them the top-of-the-line Amsoil and Amsoil filter. I watched the mechanic from an obscure vantage point and observed him placing my Amsoil products in my vehicle. When it came time to replace my oil at 20,000 miles, the mechanics were on strike for quite a long time, so my son changed it. When I reached 30,000 miles, I explained to the Service Manager that I had to forego the free oil change at 20,000 miles, since the mechanics were on strike and I didn't want to affect any warranty issues, so I requested free labor to give me an oil change with my Amsoil oil and filter. I explained that Ihad supplied the oil anf filter at the 10,000 mile service and I was surprised that he compiled! I would go there if I didn't have Ahmed's TCCN Automotive perform the maintenance on my Camry.
I was the parts manager at a Toyota dealership from 1995 to 2020. I'm retired now. I did not mark up retail prices on maintenance items. I also did not mark up retail prices on parts with MSRP over $100.00. The ownership was not happy about my practices but I always felt that my policy would induce the customer to come back. I was lucky to be successful.
Luck has little to do with success, your attitude and work ethic made the difference. In recent years I've noticed a decline in customer service with Toyota dealership parts personnel in my town. 'Unprofessional, unfriendly, no eye contact, with attitude that indicate the customer is an annoyance to them. Dealership management has been informed and yet no positive changes seen. Any suggestions ?
So you marked up parts over MSRP that were less than $100--like these filters and gaskets?
@@donthesheek I was a broken record. I constantly tried to get my guys to realize that if we could convince the customer that his problem was now our problem, we'd have a customer for life. Management ignores the back end in general and the parts dept in particular. That can be an advantage.
No, as I said I did not mark up maintenance parts. @@nicholash8021
Yes, I've noticed the same dealers have no reference on their site to parts counter personnel. I think they're hiding them. @@mikegiammaria
The info and warnings in this video are second to none. Honesty IS the best policy vs. living by buyer beware.
Unfortunately, customers often do not ask questions. When you make an appointment ask for the cost breakdown. Ask what oil they use. Shop around at a few local Toyota dealerships.
My previous car was a Hyundai. One dealership tried charging me $150 for wiper blades. I told them to get lost.
The audacity to even think about $150 for wiper blades. I can't imagine any sane person would pay that price. But, if they are charging that it must be someone paying it otherwise they probably wouldn't set that price.
Regarding the wiperblades, I would Google it and wave the phone at them, showing the actual price and then leave. 😄
@@marty4809 My Ex would have payed it - Smart girl when it came to her field but absolutely 100% clueless to anything even remotely mechanical... $150 for installed wiper blades? OK Thanks! LOL.
Do your own oil changes!
There are a million stories like this out there in both dealerships and Independence.
I can tell 12 myself that happened to me and my friends
stories from co-workers that were service managers
But we've already heard enough
My suggestion is when you can find an honest, fair, competent mechanic.
Treat them right!
Realize what a great value you have found and treat them accordingly.
Because of the stealership practices, we need you to help us by making more DIY videos on how to do repairs ourselves, such as electronic water pumps on all toyota models, and coolant bypass valves. Thanks for what you do.
At most shops, oil changes are such a rip off. A 5 quart bottle of Valvoline full synthetic advanced motor oil at Walmart if $26.97. When I can get oil for $30, a filter for $10, and a crush washer or rubber o-ring for a buck or two, compared to taking it to the dealer or oil change place and dropping $100 or so dollars. I have 3 cars and usually change all threee at the same time and do it in my driveway in 15-20 minutes per car. Between set up and clean up it takes me 1.5 - 2 hours to do all three and there is no way I could get them all to a shop and back home in that amount of time. This also gives me time to look over the underside and make sure everything looks good (no leaks, drips, ripped busings or rubber, nothing hung up, etc). I would recommend everyone learns how to change their own oil, it isn't hard and you can save yourself a lot of money in the long run.
It's nice that you are able to do your own work but many people live in apartments, condos or even homes controlled by HOAs that do no allow car repair or oil changing. Just because you can do it yourself cheaper doesn't mean the shop is a rip off. Shops have to pay employee wages, rent, insurance, utilities, other overhead & then still return a reasonable profit to whomever has invested their money in the business.
As a Toyota technician and corporate employee for 50 years I’m appalled that this stuff is going on, but I see this kind of stuff happening in all businesses, and yes corporate needs to stop this kind of behaviour
Especially with toyota/lexus. Such ripoffs. Now, I've been a technician for a few different companies but I'm at vw currently ( can't beat their incentives!!). But observing throughout my career. I feel the past 5 years, toyota and their dealerships have seriously been taking advantage of their customers when it comes to service.
Asking the "parent" corporation to police dealerships is, in some cases, like asking a convicted child molester to work in a Kindergarten or Primary School. Inspecting, Enforcing and prosecutions of breaches in consumer protection law is the only answer.
And yet, you decided not to leave. Tells me something about you.
Got screwed by McGrath Mazda. Needed a belt tensioner they charged $295 to inspect the car. $575 for the tensioner installed. Then recommend $3700 more in work I didn’t ask for and didn’t need.
Thanks for having the courage to warn your viewers about horrible dealer business practices that are giving your industry a bad name.
Maybe some customers who are lawyers getting their vehicles serviced at Lexus will take them to court for blatant theft?
I would never buy a vehicle from such a dealership; nevermind have one serviced there.
Thank you again for your efforts to inform and shame certain dealers to end their thieving ways.
Happy Holidays to you and your colleagues who try to do the right and honorable thing for their customers every minute of every day.
Bingo! To save yourself at least $5K you got to bring a lawyer with you anymore when buying a car or don't cry me a river when you see later how they ripped you off baffling you with their B.S.
The local Toyota dealership's parts department charged some insane amount for a crush washer set for a 08 4runner, I think I paid about $30, which of course is crazy. I ordered a set from Amazon for $6.58 which was actually two sets for the trani and both diffs. This was back in September.
I did the same for my Matrix.
Ahmed, you are truly a public servant. Thank you and Mrs. CCN for all that you do for us all year long. May you have a blessed Christmas and a profitable new year.
Thanks again for your words of wisdom. I know up here in Canada, you aren't allowed to sell anything over MSRP, and if you do , as one car company up here tried to do, the Gov't is fining them and are told next time they are gone.
I find that fishy, I had to replace the tiny light bulb in my gear shifter recently, called three different Toyota dealerships and received quotes from $5 all the way up to $20.
That's not completely true. They are allowed to sell it over MSRP... just not more than what's being advertised (price + fees). That's why most mark-ups in Canada are being hidden in "mandatory" add-on packages or fees. Dealers can't market 1 all-in price and then charge you more at purchase.
Not in Alberta the dealships can charge whatever they want. I was at a Toyota dealership after the Stampede, someone had ordered a Sienna van and couldn't get the financing. The dealership was selling it for $12K more. I test drove a RAV4 and was told it could only be ordered with every conceivable option, there was a $7K dealership tab and a year long wait. Then there's the maintance, dealerships are not under the same restrictions as auto repair service centres. Dealerships are allowed to charge whatever they want. Corrupt operators can make so much more money and do. Most people go out of province to buy their vehicles and do their major maintance at Canadian Tire.
😳as a former Canadian and now US citizen, another factor you didn’t mention is Canadian repair and maintenance prices are higher for everything (+20-30%), selection of cars is much worse, and all that to be paid for with earnings that are -20% less in Canada vs US.
Here in the US, car dealers greed has no limit.
The Toyota Dealer in my area (Hillside, NJ) broke the transfer case where the right front cv axle connects (2006 Matrix 4WD). They JB welded it and it started leaking gear oil a few days later. I put a stop payment on my Amex and took them to court. My wife and kid could have been in the car and been left stranded. They are lowlifes IMO.
Thank you. They did not try to make it right, which is not surprising considering what they did. It occurred several years ago.@@efil4kizum
What's the name of the dealership?
Was it resolved in court ????
Not really. @@PeterHernandez-lg2eh
I really appreciate car care nut shining a light on dealership fleecing. Unfortunately I don’t think this is a new problem, dealerships have been overcharging for years and hiring sub-par mechanics to boot, but that is another episode for car care nut.
This is why I don't take my cars to the dealer. I have a couple of local shops I trust that do all my work. These shops have repeatedly proven themselves to be trustworthy. Anytime they've recommended replacing a part during an inspection, they bring you in the bay and show you the damage/leak on the part while it's still on the car, and their prices are reasonable.They don't play games with you. Too many dealers are running scam operations and that's why nobody trusts them.
I trust my local Honda dealer. The price is high, but sometimes you just gotta do it. However, the local Toyota dealer I do not trust at all and will never have my car serviced there if at all possible. They creep me out.
Amd, I love your content. I am the proud owner of a 2015 Limited Tacoma. The reason why I know so much about these is watching your videos. I've noticed right out of the gate when I first discovered you is you are a honest mechanic. If you were closer to me, I would love to be one of your customers.
Thank you ! Being in the industry and supplying this info speaks to your dedication to your craft and the brand you love. My routine maintenance is now over $100.00 (LOF, Rotation, etc. and the “complimentary “ Multi point inspection) It is frustrating still hearing the pandemic as a cause for increases across the board. Dealerships and consumers feel/ felt the pinch. The good ones will stop the mark ups and hopefully look to entice the current and future customers. Let’s hope. Enjoy the Holiday sir !
Gotta say I love your channel. The information and knowledge you provide is very useful. I only wish I lived closer to be able to take my toyotas to you to service.
I’m really glad to see you made this video to lay this out there. I’ve been screaming at dealerships this past couple years CONSTANTLY for exactly what you’re showing here. Marking up their own parts 500% over their own OEM’s full retail price?!?!?! Yep. I’ve walked away from people at the dealership’s counter and slammed the phone down on others over this again and again. I go home, order the OEM part elsewhere for myself at the best price I can find, and then wait for my poor but honest independent mechanic to eventually squeeze me in among his six 12 hour workdays each week that are overbooked with lines of other poor customers who just want an honest repair job. The honest, decent mechanic is burned out, overwhelmed with customers wanting a fair repair. Every time - if I get a dealership quote - their parts AND their labor is running 5 TIMES full current market rates. SCREW THEM. I hope all their customers wise up and leave them for good. They’re straight up criminals. Now I’m starting to even see this with smaller corner shops. Why? Because they’re copying the dealerships model and trying to cash in like the stealerships. Do your due diligence on ANY repair job. Get multiple quotes from a variety of sources.
As consumers we all need to educate ourselves on what is involved in repairs and what is a fair cost for labor. I agree with MSRP cost at a dealer, but nothing more. Enough people complain and things will change. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. The problem is that people do not pay attention, just except it, or have a high level of disposable income and do not care what it cost. I was once quoted over $5000 in repairs on my rusty minivan because they wanted me to buy another vehicle I reckon. I did a few of the repairs and drove it a few more years. None of the quoted repairs were critical.
I used to take my Tracker to the local Chev dealership. One day I was quoted $25 on a $8 oil filter, turned out GM spiked the price across the board.
Interestingly enough the oil filter had both the GM & Suzuki's part numbers on it. Turned out Suzuki was still selling at the $8 mark.
Bring back the Tracker!!!
no way that GM spiked the price , that's what the thieves at the dealership marked it up
So many people have absolutely no idea of how a car works, even though they drive them every day. And that allows for the kind of dishonest behavior that we see. With these RUclips videos it's pretty easy to learn the basics. Too many people, especially women, prefer to watch reality nonsense rather than learn how their vehicle works.
That’s why I always do my own oil changes. Brakes too. I hate getting ripped off.
Thanks again my friend for keeping us informed on the dishonest world of car maintenance. I was under the impression that dealerships used Toyota oil but it was in bulk form to make it easier to store large amounts of oil in 55 gal drums instead of all of those boxes of individual quart containers. If they are doing these things how can we even trust that they using factory parts? This just proves to me that I can't trust a dealership to do a proper oil change. I just bought a new 4Runner in September and was going use the "free" oil changes every other change but now I will do all of them myself and they can keep their "free" oil changes.
God bless you and your family. Have a Merry Christmas and a well deserved prosperous New Year.
I am not sure how Toyota sees the oil issue. But at Mercedes, they have their "own" oil, though they dont produce it themselves. But they dont require dealerships to use their very own oil. Mercedes-Benz Operating Fluids shows exactly which oil may be used for each vehicle. For some very common engines there might be over 100+ different approved oils. for others only a handful.
This sort of thing has been going on for years although these days it’s more pronounced. I can recall visiting a dealership years ago to address an oil leak. The dealer told me it would cost some $600 to fix the problem. A local mechanic did the job for less than $100. That was the last time I took any of our cars to a dealership for any kind of maintenance. I have little if any sympathy for any of them, and they deserve everything that is happening to them in this car market.
Pretty judgmental when you generalize every dealership as a whole, not all are like that. Your bad experience should not be judged as every one! If you meet on bad person, does that make all people bad? There are honest people out there you just have to shop! Still good places trying to make an honest living!!!
I had the dealer quote me the lowest price on a brake job for my Accord. Got 70k vibration free miles out of that brake job.
Thanks for being honest! I'm a DYI guy anyway, just taught my daughter how to change her own oil a few weeks ago. Channels like yours help a lot of people and it's much appreciated.
Thanks AMD for raising this issue! I had the exact reaction when I learned that my local Hyundai dealer (in Canada) charges 2x for an oil filter, compared to other dealers just a few hours away. Needless to say, I now stock up on oil filters for the year to avoid getting ripped off by my dealer location :)
Great channel, you're exactly correct. I stopped going to stealership's because they not only overcharged me but wouldn't do complete repairs. It's very unethical how they treat unaware customers.
I was a owner operator in the trucking business, and this subject he is on is one of the reasons I got out of the business. People are scared to ask too many question, thinking theirs going to be some retaliation for being too smart. I started thinking G, that would be great if law makers would require these mechanic shops to give customers an itemized list with parts, "part numbers" & "labor cost". I would go to get my rig worked on, they would give me a quote for new parts, then suddenly a couple hours later they would tell me the wrong part came in, I would get a rebuilt part. And when the bill came in , it was the same as the new part.
Ain't that the truth. I got some struts replaced at a dealer. Figured going to a dealer I'd get OEM. After the job the receipt listed some crappy autozone brand struts that were used but I was charged as if they were OEM.
@@johnlane6558 I watch the parts delivery guys dropping parts off at the mechanics shops in the small town I live in. They all are carquest, or Advance auto or Autozone. Aftermarket parts. Also if you don't know much there's no way you evven know if they actually did what they said they were doing.
Wow, God bless you brother. The world would be a better place with more honest mechanics like you. You are awesome and I love to hear all of your videos. Please continue with your ministry of helping others.
Dealerships are going crazy nowadays.
I was quoted $600 for replacement of brake fluids and coolant, but ended up getting it done for less than $200 at a local shop.
Same dealership quoted close to $3k for front control arms and I declined.
Got the same quote here in Europe, not doing that at the dealership any longer. Chance to lose extra warranty but too bad. Last time they forgot to put a new air filter, left the box open, that’s how I discovered. Also another time they didn’t change the brake fluid, the CHR started breaking real bad with smelling. So mad.
You should do a video about how you can't trust "service advisors" at dealerships either. They are paid a commission to upsell you on parts and service, whether you need them or not. Anyone working on commission is NOT your friend, they are only friends with themselves...to your detriment.
I’m sure none of the advisors have families to provide for, or are let alone human.
I’m sorry you’ve had bad experiences with advisors. It is a two way street though. Advisors may lie and customers may lie.
It’s called dealing with a human.
Regardless being on commission comes with a sense of responsibility. If you don’t have a repeat clientele base you won’t make it. Not too mention most advisors probably make a dime for every dollar of profit. Keeping in mind most profit on an oil change is around $20.
True success comes in the long game and assisting with customers caring for their vehicle. 90% of customers never even look at the owner’s manual or even know when to service what, or why.
Good service advisors care about their customers and want to help protect their assets. Sorry you seem to only find sub par ones.
@@kotyzuroweste7112 I'm sorry, but anyone on commission or someone who has to hit sales targets to keep their jobs is going to lie, cheat or try to scam someone to achieve those goals. If you can sleep at night knowing you scammed an elderly person into spending hundreds or thousands on unnecessary repairs, then your moral compass is screwed up.
They seem to do the opposite, too: several times, I've been told that I can extend the interval on oil changes to 10000 miles. Sure, I could, but a new 2GR-FE engine would cost more than a $43 oil change. I was being talked out of transmission service awhile back. "It's $300!" they cry. Yeah, well that's less than $3-4k for a reman transmission, so I spend the money.
Funny they didn't talk me out of the coolant change last month (it had been 5 years with the same coolant). I treat my car right, it treats me right.
@@junker15 If they know you're a regular customer, they will forgo the extra $ for the oil change, because they know after the warranty they can ding you for an engine or get you to buy a new car. My last new Toyota while under warranty, I took it in every six months and had the oil changed. They said it just needs it every 12 months or 16k kilometers (10k miles). But i said "I want it". They said it doesn't need it. "BUT i WANT IT" was my reply. "Are you going to guarantee that engine for as long as I own the vehicle?" I love Toyota vehicles, but I despise all dealerships, Toyota included. Dealership personelle are right up there with real estate agents, lawyers and many others on the list of people who can't be trusted. Just do it yourself or find an independent mechanic you can trust.
Just had my free 10K oil change. Of course I didn't HAVE to change the air filters but if I wanted to they would be more than happy to do it for me.
Thank you for sharing this! I caught a major Toyota dealership in RI charge me for an oil service and they didn't change the filter. Also, the oil wasn't as clean as when I do it. On a 2008 Highlander I went under to check and when I took off the plastic cover there were debris in it that would have came out if removed. Also there were no witness marks anywhere in the area. When I bought this to their attention they said it was an oversight, LOL, and promised me 3 free oil changes, car pick up and loaner car. I told them no thank you, I will never trust you and wrote a nasty but true review. I always do it myself now.
Exact the same here, I went back to get my new filter installed I already had payed for, coming home to see oil filler cap not on.
I've thankfully had the opposite experience at my dealership. Parts prices have gotten so inflated that getting a basic oil change at the dealership is now cheaper. I used to get oil + filter + gasket for ~$40 and do it myself, now those exact same same parts/oil costs $60 + tax. My dealership is always offering oil change + tire rotation for $70, and they itemize and it's all the correct OEM parts/oil. And they give me a free car wash and top off the washer fluid, can't argue with that. I've definitely avoided bigger maintenance at the dealership though as I've gotten a few quotes and they're always charging ~30% more for labor that reputable independent shops.
When you make an appointment at TCCN, Melie emails an itemized quote detailing every item. You sign the quote
and return to her. Everything is up front and honest. AMD has built a thriving business in about two years
His bloods boiling. So is the bottle of oil. This stuff here is and my son is why I became a technician. World needs more honest technician.
Told my mother to take her 4Runner to a Toyota dealership that had a service department I once trusted. They wanted to charge her almost $400 for a battery and the service rep told me “it was a special battery with special programming” 😂
i've heard of german cars needing to be programmed/told that they now have a new battery so the charging logic accounts for the age of it but never heard of toyota needing that. keep leaving negative reviews on google maps for all these antics
Yes, that’s true for BMW and Mercedes-Benz to let the Brain know they have the new battery or it will over charge your new battery
Toyota doesn't even make there own batteries
@@dinobot_maximizeyou can do it on your own with a good scanner, a scanner that you plan on keeping, I have an X5 and never EVER go to the dealer unless I want a keychain or a cup😂😂
@@dinobot_maximizeit’s a 2020 but can confirm just need to swap the battery with one that fits, even an OEM battery costs $170 from the parts department and 84-month prorated warranty at the parts counter. The guy told me “this isn’t like your old Land Cruiser” go figure, it’s exactly like my cruiser.
See, I do my services through Toyota of El Cajon in San Diego. They give me an itemized estimate every single time, and when they perform their inspection of my car, they send me a video inspection where not only do they give me a breakdown of what my car needs, but they show it on video and explain why said component needs to be replaced.
I have had nothing but great experiences with them, but I am aware that other dealerships within the San Diego area aren't as honest.
I would love to provide you with documentation and the video the next time I go in for a service so you have an example of how dealerships SHOULD be doing things.
I have a positive relationship with the staff. They know me and my car, and they take great care of me. My parts guy even uses his employee code when ordering expensive parts for me to get me a discount.
Phenomenal service, and it really makes me feel the pride in owning a Toyota and working with them.
Again. Next time I get a service done, I'll send you everything so you can see an example of a dealership doing everything right.
I have been a viewer of your channel for a few years
Your commitment to excellent craftsmanship is impressive
Your customers are very fortunate indeed
Keep up the outstanding work
I'm from Toronto, Canada. The horrible price for a simple oil change at a dealership for my Camry Hybrid costs over CAN$115 + tax. Being in my 80s, this kind of gouging from Toyota dealership is putting pressure to customers. I'm sure there are customers like myself are looking for ways to save some money and run away from dealerships.
Well, people are buying online more. I bought a 4Runner on Carvana recently. Paid market price but no aggravating dealership, no unnecessary fees.
My Lexus dealer sent me to the Toyota dealer for the Filter. It was about $9CAD and came with the drain plug washer inside. It's a total of $45 once I add in Mobil 1 (who makes Toyota oil) 0w16. I change oil every 8000km, the shop rates are comprable to the invoice you presented and this adds up fast.
This is why I love watching your channel and always willing to support you. You keep it upfront and honest and hate bs like dealerships over charging
AMD, the reason your shop has so many cars waiting to be repaired at your shop is because you are a skilled technician and an honest man as well as an honest repair shop owner , who uses genuine Toyota/Lexus parts at the correct prices and you charge a fair labor rate. Your customers will be loyal and return to your shop for many years to come.
Calm down man, he may be a great mechanic and everything, but remember that all these videos may help the consumer, but the video also generates big money everytime we watch. He's not doing these videos just to help us.
@@bigmatt503so what lol.
They do not want your business anymore, they don't have enough people to work on your vehicle. The loss leader is now the wallet flush!
I stopped going to the dealership years ago and started doing maintenance myself. Dealerships are shady and greedy.
I agree with you 100 percent. I HATE dealerships! But idk anywhere where you are paying less than $100 for a full synthetic oil change unless you do it yourself. Especially is its a 6 or 8 cylinder.
One of the best financial decisions I made was learn basic car maintenance. I really hope a lot more people do their own routine maintenance and only do specialty, more involving repairs at shops
Excellent video. Dealerships are putting themselves out-of-business with this customer abuse.
We can only hope....
Very good video. You brought up some very important points. I have worked as a technician in Toyota and GM dealerships and have seen this ridiculous unethical practice far too commonly. The most important point to remember is that the dealership is a separate business entity that is voluntarily licensed by the manufacture to represent them. This licensing agreement can be revoked by the manufacture if enough complaints are verified to be unethical. If you feel you have been wrongly charged, make sure to complain directly to the manufacturer. Speak up! Before any work is authorized, be sure and get an itemized estimate and carefully scrutinize it. Tell them you are shopping around for the best price. Believe it or not, their service estimate is negotiable to a large degree. Never pay above MSRP for parts or for the vehicle itself. If you buy a certified used vehicle from them, the vehicle is not complete unless it has the owners manual in the glove box. Insist on this. Many dealers Take the owners manual’s out of the vehicle and sell them online for extra cash.
Excellent review! AutoNation in Irvine California tried to get my daughter to spend $1,400 for an oil leak that didn't exist - 70,000 miles ago and there is still no leak.