Consumers Guide to Auto Repair

My grandmother bought a new car last year. She doesn’t drive it much and the car dealership where she bought it keeps sending letters that say she is past due for service. Grams wants to keep the car dependable and running good, but if she does everything they say it could cost hundreds of dollars that she doesn’t have. Worse, it is worrying her day and night because when I called, the man there told me the warranty wouldn’t pay for the service procedures in the reminders she had received.

The car is a Toyota Corolla. As of right now it has 3,873 miles showing on the little thingy on the dash that keeps track of mileage. So far Grams has received six letters and another postcard or two. Some of the things they say needs done are brake service / inspection, Rotate and Electronically Balance Tires, 4 Wheel Alignment, Lube Oil and Filter Change, Fuel Injection Service, Battery Flush, and some other stuff that I can’t remember right now.

I talked Grams into buying this car and now I feel guilty about how much it looks like she is going to be spending on trips to the service department. She was happier with her old Ford Taurus, and at least it would start all the time. The Toyota has had to be jump started twice. She had to pay for that too, both times, because the warranty wouldn’t cover it!

Does this car need all of the services the dealer says it does, or is the car lot trying to pull one over on us? If it really does need this stuff, how much should it cost?

Cindy
Lexington, KY

David Williams writes:

First, Cindy, you can tell Grams not to worry. With only 3,873 miles on the odometer her car shouldn’t need any services other than a simple oil change that wouldn’t be covered by the Toyota warranty, unless of course she inflicts damage on it in some way (IE like running over something or locking her keys in the car etc).

Since Grams doesn’t drive a lot, I’m guessing the service mailers she is receiving are generated by computer based on time since her purchase rather than on actual mileage driven. The truth of the matter is the dealership doesn’t have a clue how many miles the car has on it if your grandmother hasn’t been back since she bought it.

Computer programs that generate service reminders for auto dealerships often use data based on driver averages to determine which services to recommend. Therefore, if your grandmother has owned her car for a year, the system would assume she has driven about 15,000 miles and would likely recommend services that are consistent with the maintenance schedule in the owners manual for a car with 15,000 miles on the odometer.

But some auto dealerships recommend services over and above the maintenance schedule auto manufacturers suggest. Many dealership service departments group these recommendations into a package to be performed at 5,000 mile intervals. It’s the dealer’s way of getting you to make a service appointment and spend a few hundred dollars when all you really needed was an oil change.

In your grandmother’s case, the recommendations seem a bit aggressive to me since some of the services the dealership was trying to sell wouldn’t be necessary under normal driving conditions for a long time. Thus, it would seem that the dealership was, as you say, “trying to pull one over on [you].”

Cars are pretty sophisticated. However, the Toyota Corolla is a relatively simple car compared to some others on the market. That’s good for Grams because it means there is less stuff that can go wrong. On the other hand, sitting is much harder on a car than driving it. Auto parts often fail from a lack of use just as they fail from too much use.

The battery failures that caused Grams to have to jump-start the Toyota could be a faulty battery or something as simple as leaving a light on in the car. If the later were the case, Toyota would not be responsible to cover the jump start under warranty since it was not Toyota’s fault, but rather your grandmother’s. However, most dealers would probably supply a service truck to start the vehicle at no charge to show appreciation for her purchase and ask for her continued business.

You might also be aware that car batteries can get weak and run down from just sitting around too long. Even when Gram’s car is in the garage the battery must continue to send juice to maintain clocks and enable various memory functions. The alternator can’t do its job to recharge the battery unless the motor is running. Driving the car for 30 minutes or so after jump-starting it should put enough life back into the battery to turn the engine over and start the car again.

You might want to have what is known as a load test performed on the battery. If a load test shows the battery won’t hold a charge, the battery will have to be replaced. However, if the battery needs replaced, it should be covered under the 3 year / 36,000 mile Toyota warranty, though sometimes you will be required to pay a prorated amount toward the cost of a new battery.

Generally speaking, everything you need to know about maintaining a car can be found in a maintenance booklet that accompanies the vehicle owner’s manual. There is a warranty booklet as well with the car that explains coverages and exclusions. If a service advisor at a dealership tries to tell you something that doesn’t sound kosher, whip out your book and ask him/her to show you that in writing. If you feel they are deliberately trying to take advantage of you, ask them for the name and contact information for the manufacturer’s representative for your area. Then, make the call. Manufacturer’s can’t fix problems they don’t know exist.

There is a lot of pressure on every employee in a dealership to make customers happy. Their grade card is the customer satisfaction survey you receive. Whether they have made a favorable impression on you or a negative impression, your opinion counts, especially on the line that asks if you would recommend the dealership to your friends and family.

Thanks for writing and give our best to Grams! The Toyota Corolla you talked her into is a great little car that should serve her well for many years.

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