kam1996

I am taking my car in for some warranty work next week and the dealer said I should get the tranny service done since the car has 39K and the service is due at 40K..
How much can I expect to pay..Do you guys recommend I get it done at Lexus or any Toyota/relaible shop..
\Thanks

rominl

iTrader: (4)

flush the tranny? i think i paid 150 at the dealership

gserep1

Hello,

Normally, transmission services are done @ 30,000 mile intervals. If it getting close to 40,000 miles and it has never been serviced, the fluid is probably very dark. Toyota Type T-IV fluid has a lot of cleaning chemicals, and the fluid gets really dark fast. Please change it at your earliest opportunity.

girvan

So let me get this right:

• Toyota and especially the Lexus subsidiary has the highest reliability of any car manufacturer
• Toyota spend hundreds of millions of dollars on research every year
• Toyota and Lexus have a vested interest in ensuring that your car is as reliable as possible to maintain their legendary reputation.
• Toyota recommends that you do NOT change your fluid unless your car is operated under special conditions (towing, unpaved roads etc)

• Your garage/ dealer has a vested interested in selling high margin services
• Your garage/ dealer also sells used cars
• Your garage / dealer knows better than Lexus?

I’m all for keeping your car in great shape. Reliability is not a one way equation: It also has a lot to do with the probability of mistakes or disturbances reducing the reliability more than the fluid change might improve it. Leaving the car alone may actually increase reliability. Toyota thinks so. Why give dirt a chance to get into a clean factory filled transmission, or worse with the disruption of a flushing machine - (You think that all that flushing fluid is type IV unused virgin fluid?. Ask Toyota’s opinion on that)

P.S. Next time you get a chance to read Motor magazine (the US trade mag) left in a dealership or car place waiting area, you might look for articles on “up selling” and other nice names for selling unneeded high-margin services. I’m now convinced that a service writer position is for graduates from used car sales.

I guess Lexus / Toyota employs a bunch of idiots and everyone else knows better...

Shogun

You hit the nail right on the head with that post.

All the time I see posts here about inquiring about maintenance schedules that absolutely have nothing to do with what is stated in the owner's manual. Most of these posts stem from the Lexus dealer networks "recommending" a certain service. Huh?

I understand special operating conditions and such - I am no way downplaying the importance of increased maintenance under such conditions. BUT, 90% of us fall under the "normal" operating guidelines. If so, why are we so susceptible to dealer recommendations which usually have nothing to do with the longetivity of our cars but have everything to do with the dealer's profit margins?

I trust that Toyota has invested more R&D $$$ than the dealers have in understanding what is best for our automobiles. Should I trust Toyota/Lexus Corp. or should I trust the dealer? Hmmm, seems like a straight forward decision to me.

Thanks for the letting me stand on my box of soap!
Eric

3dog

iTrader: (1)

i paid $80.00 at the independent shop i go to and they do a complete flush which uses more fluid than just draining and refilling. oh and my elite dealer just drains and refills which leaves some of the old fluid in the tranny. if you are under warr. then you need to stick to the schedule. i'm out of warr. now. look and see if the fluid is dark or discolored. you need to keep the tranny in good shape. happy new year ivan.