servicing LC100

Submitted: Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 09:41
ThreadID: 23978 Views:2278 Replies:8 FollowUps:4
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Thought I'd share this one. My 98 Landcruiser is due for it's 120,000 service. I bought it just before Christmas from a Ford dealer in Newcastle. It has a 3 year 3 months warranty, each repair covered to the tune of $1000. Takes me 90 minutes to get there to the dealer. As I booked the car in for the service I was told it would cost "about $900". When I got back up off the floor he tried to justfy this by telling me it was a 6 hour job. "Ah", said I, "no it isn't. It says 4.4 hours in the service schedule'. He then, obviously not believing a word I said, asked me to copy and fax the info thru. Four hours later I get a phone call: "OK, we'll do it for $600. I've spoken to a couple of mates and they said they charge $600". Impressive eh? "Called a couple of mates" my arse. In the meantime, I rang two local mechanics who quoted me a) $350/400 saying "you don't need to re-pack the bearings. Toyota go a bit over the top here", and b) $600. Then I rang the local Toyota dealer who said $900. Do they make it up?
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Reply By: Steve - Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 09:53

Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 09:53
I suppose the thrust of all this is, is it worth my driving 3 hours return, and spending the day kicking my heels in Newcastle when I can be earning money or enjoying a day out somewhere in order to maybe give myself $1000 cover for a possible repair? I doubt that I'll be given $300 discounts on subsequent and smaller services, but then again, they won't cost as much as a major service anyway. So is it worth it? Might as well take my chances and get it serviced locally with a bloke I've used for years. Drop the car off, hav it serviced for less and earn a decent wedge at work whilst I'm waiting. I'm self employed, so no work - no pay.
AnswerID: 116326

Follow Up By: Member - Davoe (Widgiemooltha) - Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 22:26

Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 22:26
If the local blokes are Qualified mechanics and service by the book the warranty will still stand. they dont need to use genuine parts this was all sorted out legally a few years ago. Your local motoring org will be able to give you proper details on getting it serviced away from the dealer and having the warranty still valid
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Follow Up By: Member - Davoe (Widgiemooltha) - Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 22:27

Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 22:27
I had one of these warranties and although pressured to take it to the service centre of the selling place just too it to my usual guy
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Reply By: Member - Banjo (SA) - Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 10:45

Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 10:45
Evidence is so abundant that it is fair to say in general, that service departments at all major dealers are "rip-off joints" ...... purely, simply just that. Seen it first hand, know so many others that have had the same, lots of posts here to the same effect.
If we leave our car with "nice" people, to fix what they see as "necessary", and charge what they think as "fair" we will of course be made fools of. I have nothing to do with the liars and cheats that started servicing my car when new. Your report suggests that the manager was setting you up - rest assured, the $900 was only a softener - that would have increased by a hundred or two, due to "unforseeable factors". Its natural to that commercial sector ! Ripping off is normal to them.
AnswerID: 116330

Reply By: Member - Royce- Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 10:49

Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 10:49
Go the local bloke. Get them to document what they've done and condition of the vehicle and then argue hard if the dealer doesn't cover any mechanical costs in the future. Take the risk and keep your day's pay. It's all about risk isn't it?

AnswerID: 116331

Reply By: Steve - Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 11:27

Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 11:27
I took his $600 offer up initially, but on second thoughts....I feel inclined to take it to my local bloke. Bugger em. I think you're right Banjo. That $600 will be back up to $900+ before you can say "what else can we get him on". Now that I'm out of the 3 month statutary warranty, if anything does go wrong, of course, I'm on my own. Royce, don't think any arguing will do any good if I don't have it serviced by them. Ah well.
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Reply By: Footloose - Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 11:48

Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 11:48
Just be careful of those wheel bearings. They do loosen up over time, and need regular repacks/replacement. I think the interval from memory its around 40 000K. I've experienced the effects of lack of maintainance. Not great. Loose steering etc.
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Reply By: Exploder - Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 12:53

Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 12:53
G'day Steve

First up is the 120,000 a major service on the land cruiser.
If so $600 is not that bad. Remember it is a dealership (A ford dealership)

The fact that ford and Toyota both quoted $900 it sound’s like there were not trying to screw you that much!

Now if they did find something else wrong during the service, They must ring you first to tell you what it is and do you want it fixed, and if this item was not listed on the service schedule you could probably ague that warranty has to cover it.

2. Do some research and find out what expensive problems the 98 cruisers have (if any) and when do they normally present them self, Then decide whether it is worth risking you warranty over.

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Reply By: Horacehighroller - Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 16:44

Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 16:44
G day Steve.

The major services for toyota are 40K increments so this is one.

If you do go ahead insist on watching the service performed to ensure ALL fluids are replace. Ensure radiator/brakes system flushed. Bearings removed cleaned repacked replaced. If live front axle then swivel joints serviced etc etc.

Ensure the price includes fluids & parts - /Oil/Fuel filters - Not sure wether air is replace or just clean also fluids are not cheap - Engine, Transmission, Transfer case, both diffs, radiator, brake fluid

If all this is included $600 is probably OK

Peter L
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Follow Up By: Steve - Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 17:55

Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 17:55
yeah Peter, quite agree as long as it stays around $600. I can hardly hang around the workshop all day looking over their shoulders though. You can check some fluids but others remain clean anyway and are more difficult to check that they've done it. Bearings and swivel joints are amongst the items to be serviced on the 120,000k service. I suppose the other way to look at it is that considering the scope of service $600 is probably ok. The remaining two and a half years I may give a miss. At least this service will have given me 12 months warranty. But for future services, dunno. I'm aware that things are probably more likely to go wrong the older the car gets, I'm just loathe to pay top dollar and spend a day kicking my heels whilst they perform a minor service at premium price, and let's face it, in the unlikely event (fingers x'd) of gearbox or donk needing major surgery, it'll come to a lot more than the $1000 cover I'm getting. I won't go into this but I'm mightilybleepoff with these big dealerships after my wife's Commodore went into the Gosford dealership for what should've been a $200+ service and ended up with $1300+ on the plastic with an accumulation of odds and ends. I wouldn't mind but the past couple of times she's taken it in, it came out with no handbrake, for instance. We told them to "make sure you check the handbrake this time" still no hand brake. Three times it took. This time it was the alternator. "oh it's just the bushes" they said. Wife drives car home, goes off shopping the next day and ends up stranded with NRMA roadside assistance. It needed a new alternator. They eventually replaced it at no extra cost after a few verbals from me and the bride.
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Follow Up By: Steve - Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 17:57

Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 17:57
sorry, said I wouldn't go into that last bit, but that was the edited version.
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Reply By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 22:24

Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 22:24
Those extra warranties are merely a way of getting your car serviced there. $1000 limit is a joke.

So would you trust a Ford mechanic (?apprentice) to service your LandCruiser?

Don't skimp on wheel bearings - they can let you down badly in the worst places.

Get a local bloke who knows LandCruisers to do it.

Cheers
Phil
AnswerID: 116458

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