ot Toyota mechanic
- Thread starter Lowdog
- Start date
CarShop in Ridgeland. Honest and ethical. Whatever they say it is, it is.
I don’t have any specific advice for your area, but Toyota’s are some of the easiest vehicles to service, particularly for engine related issues. So any reputable shop in your area should be able to handle it.
Not sure if still in business, but Freeman's Auto Repair on S. State Street in Jackson was always honest, affordable and timely. He was getting older and I believe his son was beginning to take over.
That man was ancient when I took my care there 15 years ago. Honest and nice guy, but when I told him the cabin air filter needed changing, he acted like he didn't know what that was. So I never went back.
If you are in the Brandon (Reservoir) area, Integrity First Automotive on Hwy 471 near Bay Pointe Golf Club would be who I would recommend.
I know you wouldn't drive up here, but I have found the Hernando Toyota dealership to be very competent and reasonable in their charges. Most good independents in the area are about the same costs as this dealer.
I say go to the dealership. You will have a certified tech. They will tell you everything wrong with the car. You can have them fix what you want. You will know the price before they start. Toyotas are tricky cars and you don't want someone trial and error fixing it. If you go to the dealership and if you don't l like what they say, ask for the Master Technician. If you are still not satisfied, then you can always go to an independent mechanic, see what they say.
A reputable shop will do the same thing at a fraction of the cost.
I took my xt5 to a local GM dealer a couple of weeks ago for an oil change and afterward the service guy said I was in need of a brake job and quoted a high number. I said let me think on it as the vehicle showed no symptoms of brakes being bad. So I went to a trusted independent guy and he looked at it and said in no way do I need a brake job. He also said he sees this all the time from various dealers.
My aunt had one of her headlight bulbs out in her minivan. The dealership was going to charge her 1200 dollars to replace it. They were going to charge 300 dollars for the bulb itself.
Went to Autozone and got the same bulb for less than a hundred bucks and had some of the farm hands replace it for here in about 15 minutes.
Your biggest mistake here is not describing the symptoms and letting the SixPack work it out for you.
Toyotas absolutely are not “tricky cars”. They are about as easy as they come to work on and diagnose. Much fewer bells and whistles and expensive / complex features in the powertrain, which is a big part of their reliability.
That doesn’t mean the dealership is a bad idea, but it’s guaranteed to be way more expensive. Personally, after the warranty runs out, I’m never setting foot in the dealership again….unless there is a recall or TSB that I can get handled for free.
I bought my wife a Ford at the dealer on I55N Frontage about 10 years ago. Took it back for a free oil change and service and they told me they'd get it right in. I sat on a bench in the area outside the waiting room just across from the shop area so I could watch the whole deal. Waited and waited for our SUV to come in. Guy finally drives it in, puts it up on a rack and disappears. 30 minutes later comes back talking on his cell phone. While still talking on phone he drains oil, lowered vehicle, puts new oil in and tells service writer its ready to go. I go in, ask for the ticket and it shows that they changed the oil filter, NOPE. Topped off radiator and window washing fluid, NOPE. Checked air pressure in tires including spare under the vehicle, NOPE. Inspected belts, hoses, battery terminals, NOPE. That fat azz literally drained the oil and replaced it, that's it. I went and checked it and it was half a quart low too. I told them I wouldn't be back to get my other "free" oil changes and that I'd rather pay for a legit one at another Ford dealership. That's when I started taking them to quick change places so I can sit inside the vehicle and make sure it gets done........
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I’d agree with most of this, but Toyotas can have some specific “quirks” that Toyota specific techs can diagnose and repair quicker than most corner shops, which will save you hours on your bill and possibly multiple trips to the shop.
I’d 100% recommend use Toyota original parts. Same for Honda. The market is full of pissss-poor Chinese knock-off junk. If you use them you soon WILL be back for more.
Got a service rep fired for that crap on my F150. Noticed my oil life hadn't been reset nor a sticker put on the windshield, fluids topped off, tires rotated, etc.; all of which I had paid for in a service plan (never again). I checked my oil and it was just as dark as when I drove in and the oil filter was dirty. The tech literally did nothing. She claimed it was done and I said "don't insult my intelligence" and she started raising hell. Service Manager came up and I showed him everything and he apologized and had a different tech pull it back in. Never saw her again.
Another reason I don't trust anyone at dealerships; I took my Excursion in for a oil change and tire rotation when I was in MS about 8 years ago and it was early August so I didn't want to sweat my *** off rotating those tires. Drove off after they were done and made it 50 yds down the road before my left back wheel came off due to the "tech" forgetting to tighten the lugs beyond just getting the threads started. Plus, discovered a few days later that he had dumped oil all over the top of my engine when my coil packs started misfiring. Four of the five plug holes on the passenger side were full of fresh oil. Cost them a new wheel, wheel studs. axle seals, plugs and coil packs and cost that lazy moron his job.
I have a hybrid and it has 2 engines. One gas and one electric. And they switch back and forth. It's a very complicated car with a gazillion computers running everything. I don't feel comfortable with most independents screwing with it. And the cost for what I had done was about the same. I don't even mind paying a little more for a dealer with that type car.
Your mileage at dealership shops will vary greatly. Mazda dealership in Jackson is great. I've also had good success with Paul Moak and Patty Peck Honda back in the day, and with Gray Daniels Nissan. But I've heard multiple horror stories from friends about another group of dealerships.
I second this wholeheartedly. They're honest and will be straight with you. The original owner, Freddie, has retired and his son, Thad, now runs the shop. They've done good work for me and I have sent several people there and they said the same thing.