A while ago I went to my dealership in California for a routine service of my Prius C (oil change, rotate tires, fix a small item) and they surprised me with a $300 charge, which at the time I decided to grin and bear because I figured it was just that one dealership and they had been kind in the past.
More recently at a different dealership about 500 miles away also in California I was given a similar $300 charge, this time for only tire rotation, inspection and changing the "battery pads". I refused and they still wanted $100 for the tire rotation alone, which I ended up getting for free because of a mixup. This time around though, the service person admitted that Toyota's service costs went up dramatically a while back.
What is the situation with Toyota service costs in your state? Is this just a California thing? If it's nation wide I may have to give up on Toyota after literally decades driving only Toyotas.
That's everywhere.
It's that the vast majority of Americans no longer have any mechanical knowledge. So they pay it.
Brake pads, rotors and fluid flush can run over $1,500 in some areas.
A coworker handed a GM dealer $1,800 recently. And she could not tell me what was repaired. Had no idea.
Nailed it. Learn something new and do it yourself or (over)pay for it.
Also, another reason to go to an independent mechanic shop if you are not willing to DIY. The “stealerships” are called that for a reason. I haven’t been to any dealership for service on my vehicles in over 25 years.
