Is the Toyota dealership a good place to have your truck serviced?

I would also consider the warranty the chosen shop provides...parts warranty and the shop's labor warranty/guarantees.

 

I've removed and replaced a fuel tank on a 3rd Gen 4runner but not a 1st Gen Tacoma. I've heard some guys remove their bed in order to have an easier time getting the fuel tank out. Here's the video we made for the 3rd Gen 4runner fuel tank removal:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/GrzX_K-jcuo

 

I use the same dealership for 20 years, the trick is to find an old school mechanic to work on your truck.
I have had the same 2 mechanics working on my truck forever and they are old school and know everything there is on these trucks.
If you get some green horn that just started then you have problems.

If You get in good with a service manager he will automatically give you a discount 10 percent.
If he doesn’t work with you go to the next service guy next.

My service manager will actually let me bring in the OEM parts too, that way the parts department is not
doubling up the parts price.

 

yes the bed WILL BE removed for this pending procedure

 

how very different things are just 550 miles apart!
3 local dealers here and all are garbage imo anymore, they focus on 3rd gens and some 2nds as far as i have experienced (its probably all in my head though who knows)

 

It wouldn't matter if it wasn't sought after, they're hyenas.

 

Yeah that's really it. Whether it's a service dept in a stealership or an independent mechanic, just make sure it's an experienced guy and even better if you find he's passionate about your model. Then you know he enjoys learning more about it and doing more work on it and wants to do quality work and get it right the first time. They're out there. Usually just booked a couple weeks out

 

I appreciate the idea and the work is well within my skill-set, the problem is a place to do it. It's cold and rainy here in the PNW and my garage is full of everything but my vehicles.
Without a warm place to do it out of the weather it's not worth it to me. I'm not as young as I used to be and working in the cold hurts a lot more than it used to.
thanks

 

I've had good luck with Sunnyside Automotive in Clackamas. They don't specialize on Tacoma's but seemed real fair to work with. 503-658-2176

 

Yeah, without a place to comfortably do the job, that presents a problem for sure. I guess I've been lucky and have always had a garage available to work in. My current garage is getting more and more cramped because I keep on buying tools and other stuff so I'm going to have to get rid of some things soon or working in my garage won't be a reality much longer.

 

Yeppers that is always nice to have a spot but space is always a premium. I used to own a service station with 3 bays, 2 lifts and all the goodies. It was out of the big city so we did everything. I had a place up here to work in but my friend sold his property so been without a place for a while now.
Good luck finding more room. Maybe you just need to expand your garage???

 

I would trust my lack of knowledge and tools over the dealership, but I don't know any of the shop techs. Maybe if I knew them on a more personable level it would be different.

 

I used my local dealership for timing belt, water pump etc. It's warrantied work. Was $864 total which wasn't a bad price. All depends on how competent the techs are I suppose and how honest the dealership is. I also get things in my e-mail all the time about trading in and other services and total spamming.

 

Parts and labor, right? That sounds like a fair price for competent work. Don't we see most stealership service depts charging around a grand?

 

If I lived out in a rural area with land, I could build a large outbuilding with a lift. I'm in San Jose, California and there is room on my lot to expand but I'd have to tear the whole house and garage down and start over which isn't going to happen.

 

All our Toyota,s in the past have been serviced by the Dealer only same with all of my Mercedes and Mini,s. Going in for my 1st Service on the Tacoma to Toyota on Bell Rd. Will Report back.

 

I had a clutch replaced years ago maybe at
250k , and 6 months later the clutch had an issue as defective


Good think about the dealership is theres no issues with them replacing it again on warranty

 

You must have lots of money. I cringe what a routine service at a Mercedes dealership would cost. It's bad enough at my local Toyota dealer. Their hourly rate is now $200/hour and they don't cut you any slack on the billable time.

 

[QUOTEYou must have lots of money. I cringe what a routine service at a Mercedes dealership would cost.][/QUOTE]

LOL as a Truck Driver you do not have a lot of money. What I did in the past buying Mercedes and Mini Coopers I bought there Loaner cars that you get when you car is in the shop and they give you a loaner. The have very few miles on it an excellent Service History and the remaining factory warranty and deep discounts over Sticker. When it was close that the factory warranty expired I traded the car off. Sure you always have a car payment but I also did not get hit with out of pocket repair bills when the warranty expired. It is a no win win.

 

$200 is holy heck! ... must be why they want $280 to change an upper radiator hose