2019 Tacoma TRD Off Road 60K Service

Hope this is not off topic, but I think there are a lot of Tacoma owners here. I am not much of a wrench guy, and my odometer is getting ready to pass 60K. Called the dealer to schedule the service, and was surprised to hear they are recommending $1,600 worth of checks and services; rotate and balance, air filter change, awd service, and spark plugs… no oil change as I did that at 55K. Is this worth it? Is it necessary? Am I getting taken advantage of? Thanks for any advice. Beginning to think I should start wrenching some. Cheers.

That sounds about right for any vehicle for a dealer service dept. It will be at least 1/2 that at a good independent mechanic. Just use yelp to try to find one near you. 

Go to an independent shop. Rotate and balance checks out, I'm assuming 4WD service is probably just transfer case fluid change. Both would make sense to do around then. Maybe transmission and differential fluid change too (Idk the service intervals on a Tacoma, also getting into stuff that's maybe not necessary.)? At 60k your spark plugs are probably fine. Air filter and cabin air filter are things you can easily do yourself with an online guide. 

Major service for tacos is spark plugs st 125k as per my car guy 

Plugs are expensive, $22 each and in my 6cyl a bit hard to get to, book says 2 hrs to change , I was charged for 1.5 hours 

Fluids depending on thumped of use can vary 

Julian Smith wrote:

Hope this is not off topic, but I think there are a lot of Tacoma owners here. I am not much of a wrench guy, and my odometer is getting ready to pass 60K. Called the dealer to schedule the service, and was surprised to hear they are recommending $1,600 worth of checks and services; rotate and balance, air filter change, awd service, and spark plugs… no oil change as I did that at 55K. Is this worth it? Is it necessary? Am I getting taken advantage of? Thanks for any advice. Beginning to think I should start wrenching some. Cheers.

At least the dealer was honest about the price up front, dealers around here will be evasive about the price and then hit you with an inflated invoice after they’ve already done the work (or will do the work without asking when you drop it off and ask them to call with estimate before starting work)

No idea what else they are doing but what you are mentioning is less than $200 worth of parts 

I think those checkups (30,000,  60,000, etc) are unnecessary and a ripoff. If you know nothing about cars and have the money, you could do it for peace of mind.

Changing fluids should be performed, but the overall "checkups" are way overpriced.

Replacing timing belts & chains & water pumps used to be the most expensive  60,000 mile services for most cars at one time. Maybe dealers have not forgotten those good old  days. .

That dealer is taking advantage of you.

"awd service" which I take is transfer case oil change and spark plugs can be done in an afternoon. Since you've changed the oil then it'd be a similar process. 

A tire shop can rotate the tires for you if you don't have the equipment to lift your car. Call some places for quotes.

Inspect your engine bay for leaks and make sure the brake fluid, coolant is topped off. Also check your belts for cracks, etc.

The nerds over at TacomaWorld have a lot of useful info.

Sounds about right any dealership charges 200$ an hour now in labor. Best thing to do is do the work yourself its easier than climbing rocks.

phylp phylp wrote:

That sounds about right for any vehicle for a dealer service dept. It will be at least 1/2 that at a good independent mechanic.

That's kind of a myth now. All the independent shops around here are at the same $140-$150/hr shop time.

FrankPS wrote:

I think those checkups (30,000,  60,000, etc) are unnecessary and a ripoff. If you know nothing about cars and have the money, you could do it for peace of mind.

Changing fluids should be performed, but the overall "checkups" are way overpriced.

60K is generally a fair bit of service - not just a "checkup".

Also...

The 60,000 mile (60K) maintenance service is critical in keeping your new car warranty in effect if its warranty period exceeds 60,000 miles (Most drive train warranties do, independent of the overall bumper-to-bumper warranty). It should be noted that it is just as important to follow the correct 60,000 mile (60K) service schedule. There is the “Normal Service” schedule and the “Severe Service” schedule. Of course, most all of us would believe we fall into the “normal” category. However, if you live in the desert southwest, you fall into the “Severe Service” category based just upon our normal temperature averages.

Your dealership can, and will, deny a warranty claim for major engine or transmission failures if the factory recommended services have not been followed. This includes following the correct service category recommendations. It is also illegal for the manufacturer to deny a warranty if the proper services have been performed by independent repair facilities. The dealership would like you to believe that your warranty requires them to do your maintenance services but that is simply not true. You can even perform the services yourself and keep your warranty in effect by saving the receipts for the products purchased and installed.

From: https://www.yumacarcare.com/is-the-60000-60k-mile-maintenance-necessary/

Marc801 C wrote:

60K is generally a fair bit of service - not just a "checkup".

Also...

From: https://www.yumacarcare.com/is-the-60000-60k-mile-maintenance-necessary/

You realize this is an automotive service that is endorsing 60,000 mile checkups? No conflict of interest there!

I think it's questionable if your warranty would be voided if you didn't get the checkup. Especially if you do it yourself.

Edit: If you car's warranty has expired, the "checkups" are an unnecessary cost. Keep changing your fluids and filters.

If you have the factory maintenance booklet that comes with the 3G Tacoma, read the list of required and recommended procedures at the 60K interval. Replacing the spark plugs isn't one of them, and it's by far the most costly and time-consuming of the procedures that the dealer is claiming that you need. Although it requires a couple of tools that you probably don't have, and is a bit awkward on the V6, it's by no means difficult to do. What's more awkward is dealing with those big truck tires, even if you've got a floor jack and jack stands. Any tire store can do it quickly and cheaply. And you might end up at one, anyway; sometimes after rotating the tires one finds that wear during the interval causes some unfamiliar vibrations to become evident when the rear wheels are moved to the front. So you may need to go to some place where they can be re-balanced.

Gerson R wrote:

That dealer is taking advantage of you.

"awd service" which I take is transfer case oil change and spark plugs can be done in an afternoon. Since you've changed the oil then it'd be a similar process. 

A tire shop can rotate the tires for you if you don't have the equipment to lift your car. Call some places for quotes.

Inspect your engine bay for leaks and make sure the brake fluid, coolant is topped off. Also check your belts for cracks, etc.

The nerds over at TacomaWorld have a lot of useful info.

This is correct in my opinion… owned many tacos…if you are on a budget stay away from the dealers… you tube can show you how to fix almost anything on your truck… buy some cheap tools at a pawn shop..  you will save a lot of money

FrankPS wrote:

You realize this is an automotive service that is endorsing 60,000 mile checkups? No conflict of interest there!

Yes, but if you read the article it's not as biased as you might think.

I think it's questionable if your warranty would be voided if you didn't get the checkup. Especially if you do it yourself.

(Re)Read  what I bolded.

Edit: If you car's warranty has expired, the "checkups" are an unnecessary cost. Keep changing your fluids and filters.

I thought we were talking about maintenance, not mere "checkups".

Regarding DIY:

1. It's great if you like that stuff and are knowledgeable enough and have the right tools when something doesn't come apart right or you break a bolt.

2. Even with changing fluids - I'd rather pay someone to deal with a transmission, transfer case, and two differentials and their fluids.

3. I also factor in my time.

Take a look at the Just Rolled In videos on YouTube to see how so many people botch a DIY fix.

Your dealership can, and will, deny a warranty claim for major engine or transmission failures if the factory recommended services have not been followed.

This happened to a friend of mine - engine failure warranty claim denied - who had her (required) oil changes done locally (not by dealer).  Eventually after paperwork documentation was submitted proving the requirements were followed, they finally reimbursed the very significant charges for the engine failure. Took their sweet time about it. Document everything and save the paperwork!

You can look up the maintenance schedule here: https://www.toyota.com/owners/parts-service/maintenance-schedule

Spark plug replacement is on there at 60k. You'll get it done cheaper if you pick and choose what you want done at the shop, though generally a good idea to do all of it.

justgoodenough wrote:

You can look up the maintenance schedule here: https://www.toyota.com/owners/parts-service/maintenance-schedule

Spark plug replacement is on there at 60k. You'll get it done cheaper if you pick and choose what you want done at the shop, though generally a good idea to do all of it.

Sir, your username does not appear to match your posts

Above is a picture of the 60,000 mile maintenance requirements. It’s a little deceptive. Apparently replacing the spark plugs is to maintain the federal emissions warranty. Weird thing is that the federal emissions warranty expires at 36,000 miles? Also, the spark plugs were apparently warranty by Toyota until 80,000 lines. So it’s very confusing. It really doesn’t appear that there is $1600 worth of value going on here. Thanks for helping the games and clarity. Cheers!