cost of 30K maintenance

Find a different dealership. Here in Phoenix, the dealers charge $295, and I think that's way high.

I agree - I do ours myself (on our Classics) in an afternoon, and I work on cars very slowly. $500 is about the price of a timing belt change on a Honda, which is not in the same league by any stretch.

Mike

If you can pass as a senior, it could be even cheaper.

How do they define senior? That seems to vary.

Sigh. I see it would (literally) pay to check around. Too bad my local dealership wouldn't match prices (at least I assume they wouldn't).

Thanks, I will check around. $200 is a large price to pay for convenience.

Egad is right!

2004 US Prius 36 month/30,000 mile service: &y 04&int_id=6

• Replace engine oil and oil filter

• Rotate tires

• Replace cabin air filter

• Replace engine air filter

engine oil and oil filter, and rotate tires is what is done at every other 5,000 mile/6 month service, probably about $40.

Go to your dealer's website, perhaps they have some parts or service discount coupons.

For the cabin air filter and engine air filter, I suggest buying the filters yourself from your preferred Toyota parts source (your dealer or online/elsewhere), and doing it yourself. They're really easy!

Yes, the cabin air filter instructions are in the owner's manual, in the DIY maintenance area. I have listed suggestions on it here:

you need to take out all the stuff in your glovecompartment box, remove a pin to drop the glove box down, and thenslide the drawer out for the filter and replace. For the engine air filter, the hardest part is figuring out how to pop the clips. (reminds me of some suitcases...) Be sure you get all of them! After that, you just flip up the cover, pull out the old filter and drop in the new filter, and reverse the process... You're looking for the big black box that is sitting on top of the engine. Photos of its location, and clip locations, can be found here: page is for replacing the OEM air filter with a 3rd party K&Nfilter, so you don't really need to read past the 3rd photo, but ithelps you identify where to replace the filter.) my recollection of the engine air filter box is that it has 4 latches. most of them you pull up, and then lift off the now loosened hook. One of the latches is different than the others, though.

Also, you do not want to tilt the old engine air filter that you are taking out - you don't want the collected dirt/leaves to fall back into the engine compartment!

After you have replaced both filters, you'll wonder why anyone pays a dealer to do it, it's so simple... (once you have figured out how to do it once, anyways...)

You can find some suggested discount Toyota parts dealers here:

When I last needed to change the filters in my Prius, I had a special parts discount coupon for my local dealer for air filters, so I went local. Otherwise, I would've ordered from: Cabin air filter, $15: 3&SortIndexEngine air filter, $12:5&SortIndex&

and yes, you typically should shop around for dealership pricing for the "major" services, particularly if you only ask for the X mile service (and not for what actually needs to be done to your car per the scheduled maintenance guide). Many dealers like to add in (and charge you for!) a bunch of services at the X mile services, whether you need them done or not.

For example, for my 2001 Prius' 48 month (60,000 mile) service:

&y 01&int_idV

• Replace engine air filter

* Replace engine coolant

• Replace engine oil and oil filter

* Replace inverter coolant* Replace spark plugs 2

• Rotate tires

Taken from my previous post on Nov. 11, 2005:

Be sure to call around for pricing. I just called around today for the 60,000 mile service for my 2001 Prius. (I'm only at ~41,000 miles, but I am behind by months... (The last service or two I only did the oil/filter change and tire rotation.) I just put new winter tires on my Prius today, and I haven't had an alignment done ever on my Prius, so I also priced that too.

dealer 1: $395, though they suggest an additional tire balance ($45) and a 4-wheel alignment ($79.95) at that service, if you choose to do so.

dealer 2: $499.95 which includes a 4 wheel alignment (subtract $79.95 if you don't need the alignment)

dealer 3: $480, and an additional $69.95 for a 4-wheel alignment

dealer 4: $465, and an additional $98 (!) for a 4-wheel alignment

These dealers are in the metrowest Boston, MA area.

The Toyota prepaid maintenance plan at the 5,000 mile/6 month intervals which is oil/filter changes and tire rotations (Premium version, not the Classic), offers:

5,000 miles 2 yr / 25,000 mi $550 (includes 1 majormaintenance) Every 5,000 miles 3 yr / 40,000 mi $1,015 (includes 2 major maintenances) Every 5,000 miles 4 yr / 55,000 mi $1,355(includes 3 major maintenances) But note that the listed prices are the MSRP. You can haggle down this price with the finance guy. The 4 year/55,000 mile Premium version at 5,000 mile intervals can be found for around $600... (hint: see some of the suggested Toyota Extra Care extended warranty dealers on vfaq.net )

If your local dealer is really that expensive, then a haggled-down priced Toyota prepaid maintenance plan would be beneficial in your case.

(Note that it is possible that your dealer has services included in that $500 price for the 30,000 mile service that may not be covered by the Toyota pre-paid maintenance plan, though, if those services aren't what's listed on the scheduled maintenance guide...)

[...]

My european spec Prius wants to see the dealer once a year at 15000 km (10000 miles?) interval. What is the difference to a US spec car that makes it go twice the distance before seeing the dealer?

Little anecdote: back in the 70es when the Japanese started sending cars to Europe, they didn't have an extensive dealer network and wouldn't want to send their customers to give cars to european manufacturer dealerships to get an oil service. So they declared their cars would go

10000 to 15000 km between services. European manufacturers who, until then, expected their customers to bring their cars in every 5000 or sometimes even every 3000 km soon decided that their cars would go 10000 km between oil changes, too.

:-)

cu .\\arc

US (and I think Canada) NHW11 Prius have 7500 mile/6 month service intervals.

US (and I think Canada) NHW20 Prius have 5000 mile/6 month service intervals.

Why the change? I have no idea. Essentially the same engine and such... Although I will speculate that Toyota may have preferred the shorter 5000 mile interval for tire rotations based on the NHW11's preference of outside edge wear...

I know that the UK Prius (NHW11 and NHW20) have used 1 year/10,000 mile intervals, similar to much of Europe. Although the emissions controls are different between the NA and EU models, the engine is essentially the same...

Why the short interval in the US, as opposed to Europe? I have no idea, but local oil change customs seem to play a large role. (Europe is used to longer intervals, while the US is used to the 3month/3000 mile mantra...)

(I've also heard some debate that the motor oil sold in at least the UK is of better quality than what is sold in the US.)

(Besides the service interval debate across the ponds, there is also the tire rotation vs. no rotation debate as well...)

Yes indeed it does vary very much. In one unrelated category of sales, one cashier gives me a discount and the other doesn't. From your own past experience would you advise me to mention this discrepancy to the cashier who doesn't or would you advise against upsetting the apple cart?

what does the 30k maintenance entail?

bob

I'll try to remember to get the maintenance book out of the car later today. Stay tuned.

View the US Toyota Scheduled Maintenance Guides here:

also, be sure that you are getting the correct 30,000 mile service for your Prius. It is different for a NHW11 (more expensive) than for a NHW20.

For a US NHW20 (2004-current) Prius, the 30,000 mile/36 month service is:

Replace engine oil and oil filter 1 Rotate tires Replace cabin air filter Replace engine air filter Inspect the following: Ball joints and dust covers Brake lines and hoses Brake linings/drums and brake pads/discs 2 Differential oil Drive shaft boots Engine and inverter coolant Exhaust pipes and mountings Fuel lines and connections, fuel tank band and fuel tank vapor vent system hoses Fuel tank cap gasket Radiator, condenser and intercooler Steering gear box Steering linkage and boots Transmission fluid

Additional Maintenance Items for Special Operating Conditions: Driving While Towing Tighten nuts and bolts on chassis Driving in Desert or On Dirt Roads Tighten nuts and bolts on chassis

Applicable Footnotes:

1) Reset the oil replacement reminder ("MAINT REQD") light after replacing engine oil. 2) Inspect thickness measurement and disc runout.

For a US NHW11 (2001-2003) Prius, the 30,000 mile/24 month service was provided for free/complimentary by Toyota with the purchase of the car. The service was:

Replace engine air filter Replace engine coolant Replace engine oil and oil filter Replace inverter coolant Rotate tires Inspect the following: Ball joints and dust covers Brake lines and hoses Brake linings/drums and brake pads/discs Differential oil Drive shaft boots Exhaust pipes and mountings Fuel lines and connections, fuel tank band and fuel tank vapor vent system hoses Fuel tank cap gasket Steering gear box Steering linkage and boots Transmission fluid

Note: Maintenance services specified at this interval are provided by Toyota at no charge, excluding items required for vehicles driven under special operating conditions.

Additional Maintenance Items for Special Operating Conditions: Driving on Rough, Muddy or Snow-Melted Roads Inspect nuts and bolts on chassis and body Driving on Unpaved or Dusty Roads Replace air conditioning filter

mrv,

I note with interest your comment on the NHW11 and outside edge wear on tires. I have a 2004 NHW20 and I am seeing the same, but just on the driver's side of the vehicle. I have a composite photo of all 4 tires in a post on PriusChat, see:

As I state there, I'm troubled because the tire with the most outside wear spent 60% of its wear time in back and 40% in front, perhaps suggesting a camber problem with the rear wheel?

thanks,

baumgrenze