You asked, here's the answer. Unnecessary repair bill proposal total on a Toyota. SCAM!

Toyota Dealership repair scam rip-off!

[@ItsTheCostanza]

Working at a dealership myself I can admit their tactics are scumbag

[@cynthiaduckworth531]

why cant they just be honest? Ethics win in the end!

[@FrugalMeScott]

These people have no conscience! I couldn’t do it, or wouldn’t.

[@mph5896]

You see what the dealerships look like today. They are castles. Gotta pay for that somehow 🙃

[@CP-pb3pj]

They are quoting you like your car is the most un maintained vehicle there is. Just ridiculous!

[@FrugalMeScott]

Thank u! We said NO!

[@calvinmitchell6381]

When my cars are new, I take them in for service as it's included in the purchase price up to a certain mileage. After that they flagrantly try to milk you dry. They have ruined their image to the point of in your face dishonesty and fraud.

[@FrugalMeScott]

Absolutely correct. They have done it to themselves!

[@hanotme.1085]

Why they are selling a "coolant exchange" with the water pump you need to remove most of coolant for that job

[@mph5896]

That is $400-500 in parts/supplies and 4-5 hours worth of labor.

[@FrugalMeScott]

Unacceptable!

[@getsmarter5412]

I betcha if you had all this work done, the car would come back in worse shape. You can't expect a competent job from dishonest, incompetent people. Better if they just charged you the 3K+ and didn't touch a thing!

[@christopherlowery855]

I have to agree with this, honestly. Its sad but very true. "If its not broke, don't fix it"

[@FrugalMeScott]

You are right! This is absolutely crazy.

[@LesWiles]

Rated the easiest model of Toyota to repair and that dealership is wildly protesting that

[@FrugalMeScott]

Thank u!

[@g7003041]

If you have to do it, go somewhere else when they show you such an invoice. This one is like you just bought your Corolla from Junkyard. 😅

[@milfordcivic6755]

Ive found that if you make trouble at the dealership service dept, they make notes in your account and treat you like dirt every visit. Peters Honda in Nashua NH is the worst

[@robertwhite9898]

That’s highway robbery! For that grand total. It sounds like they were trying to upsell you stuff you don’t need .

[@FrugalMeScott]

They were working hard!

[@jamesc9327]

You, sir, are certainly becoming my best friend pertaining to all your videos. My wife just yelled over as I was complementing you sound just like him. Yep, that's a complement. Although we drive different vehicles and live in different states, most shops here sound like down by you. They want to sell you several services. My last inspection they wanted to do a radiator flush 279 and a break flush 289 plus tax. Thanks again, Scott, for looking out for the senior citizens and dreadful sale tactics these bullies use on the unsuspecting customers. 👍👍👍👍

[@FrugalMeScott]

Thank u for the kind words. We have to look out for each other!

[@christopherlowery855]

There's merit to the brake and radiator flush. The rad flush takes about 10min on most vehicles (not sure about today) and the brake flush, about an hour or less. The rad flush is to essentially refresh the coolant, which helps to prevent leaks and prolongs the life of the cooling system. The same goes with the brake fluid. Brake fluid is hydorscopic. This means it attracts moisture. The moisture will corrode brake components over time. However, we're talking about 20yrs time, if neglected. You'll know your brake fluid needs to be flushed if it begins to appear black. Eventually, brake components can and will begin to fail, causing an unsafe working condition. The dealers are just following the service intervals. They are charging too much for the services, but the services are technically "needed". There is a fine line between what you can get away with and what what is necessary. Changing your brakes when the pad is gone is necessary. Keeping the factory brake fluid you can get away with for 10yrs or more. These services are basically needed on collector and very high milage cars. It really just depends on what you deem valuable if you get them done. I do all these services myself, but my cars are 20-30 yrs old. Labor costs are just insane. Reminds me of the "change all your hoses" unnecessary work shops used to push onto customers. The main reasons I do my own auto mainetnance is cost and incompetence. Cheers.

[@FrugalMeScott]

@@christopherlowery855 very well said and thank you for sharing this with the group!

[@FrugalMeScott]

@@christopherlowery855 thank u for sharing this!

[@jamesc9327]

@christopherlowery855 Thanks again, sir, for responding. Like you, I try to most of the work myself but it gets a little harder every year with age. 👍👍👍👍👍

[@ozzierabbit587]

I'd just figure out what should be done and go to a good independent mechanic. Dealerships oftentimes overcharge and recommend unneeded maintenance.

[@FrugalMeScott]

Well said.

[@richardepstein3494]

Some Indies charge as much as the dealer!

[@elultimo102]

My Tacoma needs back brakes and a timing belt replacement (a big job). A local shop wants $1400 for the work. The brakes seem a little high, but it may only be an adjustment, since the parking brake does nothing.

[@FrugalMeScott]

How many miles on your Tacoma?

[@elultimo102]

@@FrugalMeScott ---It has 237K, with a sticker showing a belt change @ 88k. I think it's overdue. No rust exc under the dura-liner (I guess they should have drilled drain holes in the truck bed before they installed them).

[@FrugalMeScott]

@@elultimo102 great vehicle! I’d say you can get an easy 400,000 out of it.

[@chodkowski01]

You buy a Toyota because it’s supposed to be a long lasting reliable car. Honda tried the same with me.

[@FrugalMeScott]

Most of them are snakes. There’s still a handful of honest ones but they are far and few between.

[@buffystclair9042]

Believe it or not ,a good percentage of service writers are not old retired mechanics or have much personal experience fixing cars. I will go out on a limb saying they have at least aBA in English if not a Masters. Specifically in reading. They are only reading you the recommended services published in your owners manual. As far as the induction cleaning and stuff connected to it , your older cars may not need this but any modern car that uses GDI gum and carbon up. A cleaning could save thousands in major repairs. As far as injector cleaning, if they don’t have a Moto-Vac or such machine then it is a waste of money.

[@FrugalMeScott]

Thank u for sharing this with all of us. It’s good information.

[@billsmith281]

Yeah but they have nice coffee in the waiting room 😂😂

[@FrugalMeScott]

That’s for sure!

[@mph5896]

I buy parts at the part counter and drink the coffee. Save the labor $.

[@FrugalMeScott]

@@mph5896 well said!

[@TaylorZ2]

With prices like that can you imagine how much money a steaerlship makes? Yes I know they have high overhead, but enough is enough!!

[@FrugalMeScott]

I agree! It’s out of hand.

[@marksreviewsandrants8554]

I am in Georgia too,Henry county,those shops always try to make that false money,I do what ever I can myself.

[@FrugalMeScott]

Awesomeness! I’m in Glynn County, near Brunswick. Stay in touch!

[@SibRevs]

They shouldn't have quoted the thermostat and water pump unless an active fault was found. The rest of the stuff is a pre selected list of things that are recommended at a certain mileage. A lot of which is extremely easy to do for anyone that is even minutely handy with tools. Coolant flush? Injection service? Spark plugs? Very easy. But the dealership recommends these and charges these prices because the vast majority of people simply don't know how to work on cars or don't car to learn .

[@christopherlowery855]

Don't forget that new cars are basically consumer electronics. You need a $5000 scan tool just to know what's wrong with it. Between the plastics all over the engine and the plague of electrical modules, I've just stuck with 20yr old cars. Our "newest" vehicle is from 2008. And its an Acura without navigation or a backup camera. I miss the days when a base model was a base model. Today, everything is a Mercades/BMW clone. With it, the same flood of electeical issues that comes along with those brands. Hard pass.

[@mph5896]

@@christopherlowery855 A decent bidirectional DIY scan tool can be bought for $400. Autel Mx808

[@nickbilleck1107]

Greed rules the world. 😔

[@FrugalMeScott]

I agree.

[@alaingillot4718]

There are going fishing with a big hook , we call it wallet flush . Why do you go there ?????.

[@FrugalMeScott]

Oil changes and alignments for life.

[@steveg5576]

New sub here -- appreciate you. Wow on this ?? I've been doing my own auto repair for 30 years. Thank goodness !

[@captainnemo6036]

What were you able to do yourself? Thank you for the content.

[@daviddaigle2419]

Just think of all the people who fall for these scams like a Doctor get a second opinion,

[@FrugalMeScott]

Absolutely and thank u!

[@cynthiaduckworth531]

interesting!

[@strategicservices9906]

Aren't you happy you bought a Toyota??

[@FrugalMeScott]

Absolutely! My Camry is 29 years old, runs like new and has the original motor and transmission.

[@lobo176]

How many miles do you have on your car?

[@FrugalMeScott]

400,000 on the Camry, 280,000 on the Corolla.

[@richardepstein3494]

@@FrugalMeScott you're overdue on your coolant if it's original; same on your spark plugs if their original

[@FrugalMeScott]

@@richardepstein3494 my coolant and plugs definitely get changed periodically. It’s very easy on this car. Thank u.