Oil change, is it even worth going to the dealer for the “free oil changes to 25k miles”?

[bks25or]

I did the 1000 mile break in oil change (Toyota filter and Mobil one $37). and I don’t think I trust the dealers enough to even do free oil and rotations!

Who else feels this way?

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[maxx075]

I did my 2 free (1k & 6k), but have not to returned to a dealer since then (now at 30k).

Haven't even been to have any of the recalls done since there are so many horror stories of the careless techs messing things up.

 

[JoeMongo]

I did the 1000 mile break in oil change (Toyota filter and Mobil one $37). and I don’t think I trust the dealers enough to even do free oil and rotations!

Who else feels this way?

Same opinion here. Two oil changes performed (by me) so far. No drama, no surprises. A Fumoto valve and a foot of vinyl tubing and no drips on anything.
j.

 

[ixo]

as a bonus, the dealer will usually rotate tires and check alignment, if that helps.

 

[32spoke]

Since the dealer was only changing oil every 10k and rotating tires and performing safety inspections every 5k.. they started giving me oil filters as I was having my oil changed every 5k by a local shop who would also rotate my tires. I also decided to change my oil viscosity to a 5w30 synthetic instead of the 0w20 or whatever it is. I went with what Toyota recommends in their European market for the T24A-FTS engine.. my decision , my risk

 

[32spoke]

Since the dealer was only changing oil every 10k and rotating tires and performing safety inspections every 5k.. they started giving me oil filters as I was having my oil changed every 5k by a local shop who would also rotate my tires, I am not a fan of of extended oil change intervals- especially on DI. I also decided to change my oil viscosity to a 5w30 synthetic instead of the 0w20 or whatever it is. I went with what Toyota recommends in their European market for the T24A-FTS engine.. my decision , my risk

 

[Amorak]

I did the 1000 mile break in oil change (Toyota filter and Mobil one $37). and I don’t think I trust the dealers enough to even do free oil and rotations!

Who else feels this way?

Same.
Not sure if it's trust, but I KNOW I'll put in the oil I want, it's level, washers, etc. I don't mind doing it. Rotating tires ain't fun (our tires aren't light) but I KNOW exactly how they are rotated.

 

[Andrace]

Personally, I DIY whenever possible simply because I plan to keep the truck for 200k/20 years and enjoy turning wrenches. Totally understandable if folks don't have the time, space, or skills to DIY, but with the tech shortage, I feel it's going to be an increasingly valuable skill.

Also, when I've had to take my truck in for the brake line recall, I found greasy hand prints on the hood, and some random magnetic bit of a tool on my brake caliper.

Nobody is going to treat your vehicle like you will, and if you care and you can, it's a no-brainer imo.

All that said, I'm on Valvoline restore and protect, 5w-20 and 2,500ish mi drain intervals, and 5k amsoil oil filter changes.
To anyone who calls that overkill, check out how clean this engine is, and how clogged the oil control rings are.

 

[Amorak]

Nobody is going to treat your vehicle like you will, and if you care and you can, it's a no-brainer imo.
.

This.

And the resource YouTube is for visual instructions like:

Team Oil Drop

The information and knowledge is a click away... why my garage Is now full of new tools and equipment from just a few yrs ago.

 

[tgrneal]

I do now! I just posted about this just now!

 

[TacoFreak]

I have never had a "free" oil change done on any of my trucks - that is how little I trust them to do pretty much anything right.

 

[SmokyMtnTaco]

I’m starting to lean the same direction after what happened with my 4th Gen Trailhunter. A routine service triggered a full dash meltdown for me… “Visit Your Dealer,” every warning light imaginable, and the truck wouldn’t even start afterward.


What made it worse is that the initial code pointed to something completely different from the actual problem. It sent me down the wrong rabbit hole until I dug deeper and found the real cause — which was way simpler than the truck made it look.


These new 4th Gens are just super sensitive, and one small oversight during service can turn into a huge-looking issue. That experience definitely made me rethink how much I trust dealerships with even basic stuff like oil changes.


I recorded what happened because it might save someone else from the same scare:
Full breakdown:


Not saying every dealer visit will cause problems — but after this, I get why more owners are doing their own maintenance.

 

[LincolnSixAlpha]

I did the 1000 mile break in oil change (Toyota filter and Mobil one $37). and I don’t think I trust the dealers enough to even do free oil and rotations!

Who else feels this way?

I dont, but I took advantage of both oil changes. Although I've done quite a few myself, electing to just bring it in. I will say I dont get the warm and fuzzies from the dealer where I bought the truck.

The only vehicle's that I would return to the dealer was with the BMW's that I owned, and that's because they took care of pretty much everything, and gave me a loaner for the day. Never had a single bad experience over the years of owning those perhaps 5 cars I owned new.

American dealers (Chevy), and now Toyota give me the creeps.... As if you couldn't trust them as far as you could throw them.

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