Who Do You Turn to For Toyota Service?
Toyota has grown amazingly in the past century since its inception, to become one of the leading car manufacturers in the West. There are a huge number of popular Toyota models – the brand is well-recognised for its reliability. In fact, in July 2008 Toyota came out ahead of every other brand mentioned in the Global Pulse Survey, administered by the Reputation Institute of New York. Toyotas definitely have their own quirks and oddities, though – today we are looking at how to choose a good mechanic for your Toyota, both for new car service and ordinary car repairs.
Toyota car service – what to look for
Toyotas are very reliable cars; drivers note that their main tendency is just to keep on going and going, no matter what punishment you administer! Because of this you run a very real risk of leaving problems until they require major repairs, and have possibly caused related problems. Look for a car servicer and mechanic that:
- Makes it simple and easy to have your regular services performed (otherwise it can be tempting to leave them too long)
- Is experienced. Toyotas can be deteriorating before they show any overt problems, and it takes a skilled eye and ear to diagnose problems with them sometimes.
Other than this, we’d recommend a mechanic that follows all the general guidelines for high-quality work and excellent customer service. Your Toyota repairer should:
- Offer a warranty on their work, at least 12 months in duration.
- Give you an upfront quote
- Offer you the option to have your Toyota repaired at your home or work
- If you travel a lot, look for a mechanic that has a nationwide network to have your repairs done easily, no matter where you are.
Popular models of Toyota and their quirks
The mechanic doing your Toyota repairs should have experience with several of the popular Toyota models:
- 4 Runner
- Coaster
- Kluger
- Prado
- Supra
- Aurion
- Corolla
- Landcruiser
- Prius
- Surf
- Avalon
- Echo
- Lexcen
- RAV4
- Tarago
- Avensis
- Estima
- Lite Ace
- Soarer
- Townace
- Camry
- Hiace
- MR 2
- Spacia
- Vienta
- Celica
- Hilux
- Paseo
- Starlet
- Yaris
Each of these models has their own quirks – for example, Yaris’s are known for their transmission issues, as well as ‘cosmetic’ faults with climate control. Landcruisers need attention in the chassis and underbody area, especially if they do a decent amount of four-wheel-driving. The steering and electrics are often trouble spots on Corollas, and a mechanic skilled in Toyota repair will pay particular attention to these trouble spots.
Toyota Extra Care Vehicle Service Agreements- Right for You?
Toyota offers an addition to their factory warranty, the Extra Care Vehicle Service Agreement. Often you are able to include the cost of this service agreement in your lease, and in return you get scheduled servicing at a genuine Toyota dealer.
These agreements are good in some circumstances, but for many they mean extra costs on their car repairs and servicing over simply calling a mechanic when necessary. They are somewhat like an auto club membership – you have to pay the periodic fee, even if you don’t use the available cover. There are also quite a number of mechanics Australia wide that can perform scheduled servicing for new Toyotas as specified in the log book, and using genuine parts – at a fraction of the cost of a service agreement. Having a third party perform your scheduled servicing will not void your factory warranty for new cars – this is guaranteed by Australian consumer law.
Owning a Toyota is even easier than usual if you find a convenient, skilled mechanic that ticks all the right boxes. In many cases the right mechanic is just in front of your nose!
