Service at Toyota local dealer

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Originally Posted by ddongbap

I never change my oil.

It's really no good for long term, you might have to spend on repairing more than changing the oil regularly.

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Originally Posted by ctrj

It is not cost effective to rebuild an alternator. By the time you add labor and the parts price, you're spending more than a remaned Toyota alternator to start with!

It's not totally right I guess, I got an 09 alternator from a scrap yard for CND $140, with a year warranty.

Then I get a quote from my friend's shop for assemble and rebuild the alternator, it's no more than $200. All you gotta worry is find a reputable and realiable shop.

Also, with the dealership, a brand new alternator is $690 + labour. Really a rip off, I'm not sure about the price in US, but Canada is really ridiculous.

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Originally Posted by bkrownd

In the folly of my youth I briefly went to a dealership for routine service on an old Toyota for 2 years, and in that period they replaced most of the exhaust system for big $$$. Never needed that before or since, and recently I started to wonder if they were just picking my pockets... Oh well.

I guess there is not actauuly any big problem with your exhaust, but the dealership just follow the TSB, and change your a brand new one, which is big $ as you said.

What I think is that they mainly follow the book work, when the TSB mention this, they will just fix that. They don't really stay in out point of view, we just wanna use the least $ to get the work done, and a working car. And of couse, changing every parts with brand new will definietly solve the problems.

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Originally Posted by RacerFreakXXX

I think the main reason for the change is the economy. Customers don't have the money to fix their car is something brakes or want everything for super cheap. You have to remember dealerships have to pay for their technicians to get new training and for equipment. Now allt he technicians aren't amazing but i've had some horror stories happen to me at the local service shops. Replacing wrong tires, filling the air up horribly wrong, destroying tires they took of cuz i didn't tell them to keep them, oil leaking from not tightening the filter enough, wrong diagnosis of cel.

True, horrible things can happen anywhere, local shops or dealership. We gotta depends on some luck and find a reputable and reliable place, and develope a long term partnership with it.

[Adriaan]

There one Toyota dealership in Montreal that will rebuilt the original alternator for you with original Toyota parts. (Toyota Gabriel) But i takes 3 weeks and cost 350$ plus taxes. Also you get one year warranty. If your under the 80000km it will expire then or if your took the extended warranty it will expire at the km your chose in the package. Still cheaper at the scrap yard.