Free Toyota main dealer check

[charlski]

Don't know if you know this but recently purchased a 2nd gen 3.0L, dropped into toyota dealer in Northampton (simms), pricing up set of brake pads (yeah i know milners are cheaper) talking to the service manager he told me i could have a free check done on the vehicle. So they took it into the workshop and gave it a check over, looking at everything from suspension, engine, powersteering, brakes, bodywork, transmission, 4 wheel drive, linkages etc, gave it back to me one hour later ... they did it whilst i waited, full wash and vac, with a list of what needed looking at(thankfully not to much), but all totally validated, with no obligation to get the work done by them. pretty top service i thought bearing in mind all the stories id heard about main dealers not wanting to go near imports.
In hindsight i wished id known before, cause i would have got em to look at it before i purchased and then knocked the fella down a bit more.
All said and done for nothing and a wash and a vac, couldnt fault it ............ now anyone know a good toyota mechanic in the Northampton area ??

[Big Jonah]

They washed it! The b*****s...

[Damian]

Cheers for that advice, I'll check my local' 'yota garage in the mornng and find out what they say. It's funny, I have a 'yota garage 2 minutes away from me in Bolton who wont touch my Smurf yet 10 minutes away in Bury they'll do anything as long as I've got my chassis No!

Laters......

[Koi]

Don't know if you know this but recently purchased a 2nd gen 3.0L, dropped into toyota dealer in Northampton (simms), pricing up set of brake pads (yeah i know milners are cheaper) talking to the service manager he told me i could have a free check done on the vehicle. So they took it into the workshop and gave it a check over, looking at everything from suspension, engine, powersteering, brakes, bodywork, transmission, 4 wheel drive, linkages etc, gave it back to me one hour later ... they did it whilst i waited, full wash and vac, with a list of what needed looking at(thankfully not to much), but all totally validated, with no obligation to get the work done by them. pretty top service i thought bearing in mind all the stories id heard about main dealers not wanting to go near imports.
In hindsight i wished id known before, cause i would have got em to look at it before i purchased and then knocked the fella down a bit more.
All said and done for nothing and a wash and a vac, couldnt fault it ............ now anyone know a good toyota mechanic in the Northampton area ??

So what did they say was wrong with it, free check and found some faults hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm???????? ??

[Guest]

So what did they say was wrong with it, free check and found some faults hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm???????? ??

Sounds like Kw*k F*t rules of trading.

[Linda]

But if there's no obligation to get work done by them, then you have nothing to lose. If they say somethings wrong you can get it checked or fixed elsewhere. For anyone not knowing his engine from his exhaust (yes thats a joke) it cant harm if taken with a healthy dose of cynicism... eh?

Mind you , I have to agree that the washing thing is taking it a bit far.....

[Koi]

But if there's no obligation to get work done by them, then you have nothing to lose. If they say somethings wrong you can get it checked or fixed elsewhere. For anyone not knowing his engine from his exhaust (yes thats a joke) it cant harm if taken with a healthy dose of cynicism... eh?

Mind you , I have to agree that the washing thing is taking it a bit far.....

I agree theres no obligation to get the work done but having had experience of this sort of thing, mate works in garage & son was an apprentice mechanic. The stories they tell me of what goes on is unbelievable. Garages work on a percentage of those checked will get the work done at that garage doing the checks, others will go to another garage. So from 100 free checks they on average capture 30% of the work generated from their free checks of which 28% of that work wasn't really needed.
So even if you don't get the work done there and get it done elsewhere it still costs you in the long run, because they find work on your motor that wasn't needed in the first place.

[Gamedawn]

I use that dealer for parts all the time and they've never offered to do a free check on my truck . Maybe they just don't want to get their workshop dirty

[AndyLala]

I wouldn't even let them wash mine...
The circus of the local Toyota dealers in Middx... see my previous post on the subject.

Still a Saturday morning out getting muddy, then a trip to the local dealer... for a wash and brush up... if you are that way inclined...

andyL

[charlski]

found wrong

front brake pads low ----knew that anyway
leaking power steering box (i think thats what they said, not got bit of paper with me), split rear wiper blade. water in brake fluid.

hardly a huge list to run up a big service bill, more like a piece of mind on a ten year old motor you cant vouch for most of its history on

not going to get work done there anyway, but checked this today with, friend of friend who does landies and he confirmed it all.

you can look at this 2 ways ....... 1. robbing bustards, trying to get money out of me. 2. free check, no obligation, decent service .

i know what i thought, and i recomend em to anyone, they didnt get my money, but who,s to say in the future now they might.

fella on service desk (craig) even said if i was thinking of buying it and hadnt purchased they would still have given it once over anyway.

[AndyLala]

I suppose you can't say fairer than that.

Good publicity for them. And of course, you are now singing their praises as a result... they get good mileage out of that.

I suppose they are trying to improve their position on the JD Power survey thing...


andyL

[da SLUG man]

found wrong

front brake pads low ----knew that anyway
leaking power steering box (i think thats what they said, not got bit of paper with me), split rear wiper blade. water in brake fluid.

all simple stuff too!... (depending what's wrong with the steering box of course!)

[Gizmo]

Cheers for that advice, I'll check my local' 'yota garage in the mornng and find out what they say. It's funny, I have a 'yota garage 2 minutes away from me in Bolton who wont touch my Smurf yet 10 minutes away in Bury they'll do anything as long as I've got my chassis No!

Laters......

Which Garage in Bury Damian...would be nice to know as I expected the one in Bolton to not bother. Went in there when looking at changing cars took my name for brochure and heard nothing!

[Damian]

Hi Gaz, strangely enough they're called RRG as the one in Bolton. Just as you go through the first major set of lights when you reach Bury, (when the road suddenly goes to about 3 miles wide!) RRG is on the right. But you can't turn there so you'll have to carry on through the next two lights keeping in the outside lane all the time. Before the next set of lights turn right as if you're going to Bury Grammer and this road will take you to them.

On reflection you might be better off phoning me 'cos those directions sound cr@p!!!!

Good luck, Damian.

[Damian]

OK, just come back from Toyota in Bury after my free 'Visual Safety Report', I must admit to expecting a huge list....... but no!

Only two issues, first was that there is no sign of cambelt change, £127.19 if i wanted it and they advise a A/C service, £69.

Don't know about the A/C service, but the cam belt change doesn't sound extortionate, what do you guys think?

Damian