On 8/12/2011 8:17 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

With rare exception, dealers cost more than a good independent shop. I
really hate going to a dealer for service and only use them for warranty
work or the occasional deal they may offer on oil changes. Of course,
once they get you in there they want to sell other services.

The upselling is just too annoying and too time consuming to bother with
a dealer oil change special any more. The last time I went to the dealer
for an oil change special they tried to sell me very overpriced tires
(when I asked what the treadwear warranty was they said that tire
manufacturers no longer had them, which is untrue), as well as a list of
additional unneeded services. I finally just left, without the oil change.

I bought the set of filter wrenches that actually properly fit the
filters on my Toyota vehicles and it's made the oil changes much easier,
http://www.tooltopia.com/assenmacher-toy300.aspx. With an OEM filter
and 5 quart jugs of oil on sale, an oil change costs about $15 and takes
30-45 minutes (on my 4Runner I have to remove the skid plates which adds
15 minutes).