SW17LS

I find that hilarious. The dealer is so overpriced even the dealer won't use the dealer

evident

yep. and that's exactly why i'm asking. I paid much more money than I normally would for an oil change, i would hope at least they would give me TGMO oil and not something else.

UDel

I have been suspicious if the dealership is using Mobil 1 Synthetic or something lower grade. I decided to change my own oil because I want to know exactly what is going in my car and so I can put my own oil in, plus it saves me $60-75 each time which is probably the best reason.

chikoo

Motorcraft FTW.

mmarshall

The Toyota shop I used for years (the service manager was a personal friend of mine) used either Quaker State or Castrol (I've always liked Castrol myself). Also, consider that, like most auto-manufacturers, Toyota itself does not produce TGMO...it is produced for them under contract from one of the major oil-companies, but I can't remember which one.

chikoo

When I took my IS250 to the local Toyota dealer, he actually went out shopping and got 12 quarts of Mobil1 5w-30 just to service my car. Upon asking, he clarified all he has is the 20w oil for Toyotas.

evident

if this is the case, my (rhetorical?) question is why would car companies subcontract their own brand of motor oil yet not use it at any dealerships? whos their primary customer? the shadetree mechanic who does their own oil changes usually just goes to an autozone and gets their brand of choice (where TGMO, or any other MFR branded oils are usually not sold). I never used TGMO oil for any of my changes till a recent toyota dealership had a coupon for them.

mmarshall

The best answer I can give you on that (from what I know about how service-shops operate), is that dealer service shops, like most other service-shops, buy their oil in large bulk quantities (probably at a discount on each quart). They will often use whatever they get at a cheap bulk rate that meets OEM requirements. As long as it meets OEM requirements as to SAE-grade and viscosity, that's all that they legally have to do.

airgas1998

Mobil Oil Co.

mmarshall

Thanks. I don't think any major automaker produces their own motor oil. It is almost always from an oil company under contract.

SW17LS

Because the manufacturer does not own or operate the dealership. The dealerships use what they can get the cheapest. All dealers are independently owned and operated businesses.

If Toyota had the power to make them, I'm sure they would require they use TGMO.