CCN also knows how to generate clickbait and increase his revenue stream

 

His new found honesty and past hypocrisy is shocking to me. He IS without doubt a great diagnostician and hands-on mechanic. However, now everything he ever said about how good OEM Denso oil filters and OEM TGMO oil quality are MUST be called into question.

 

He uses Toyota fluids in his own shop. He has said it's fine to use Mobile one in diffs.

None of this should come as a surprise. When I took my daughter's car in for a battery replacement, the focus wasn't the battery it was the complimentary inspection and a list of services to deny.

Service advisor = salesman

Every time I go to the dealer I know there is going to be some level of extortion or dishonesty.
With Honda, back in the day you could inquire on the web the cost of an installed accessory, The price variances were all over the place. I have 5 Honda dealerships within 20 miles of where I live. Not one of the estimates matched. You can even make inquires about parts cost with some dealerships. Crazy markups over MSRP.

Honda dealer I used didn't use OEM rotors when I had brakes done there.

When my daughter had the transfer case and rear diff fluid changed on here gas RAV, they used some local oil supply outfit, not Toyota fluids in there to the tune of something like 350 bucks.

Like everything else, dealers are out to make money meaning have a higher profit margin, so surprise.

When I go the the local Jiffy Lube to get a state inspection, they have different tiers of oil changes. The top synthetic was over 4 times what it would cost me doing it diy with a Walmart Mobil 1 jug and a Toyota filter. Many cars in there were approached to have new wipers to pass the inspection. This pattern only happened after the franchise was sold to someone else.

I almost feel like I'm making a donation to charity when going to a dealership and pay for their services.
I've played dashcam footage of diagnostic test drives and overhearing the talk while the car is in the bay. They're not really interested in what's best for your car. Contrast that to when my car was in the body shop after a deer hit and they really cared until the test drive when the guy asks his co-worker to come along for the test drive to see if they could "wreck" it. This is why I laugh when folks talk about dealer service departments in general terms. It all depends on who is working on you car that day and if you know nothing about cars, no way to keep a service advisor honest.

The best would be to find an independent garage where they care about their reputation and their name. Still, you run the risk of them using universal fluids. Do you ever feel you are in good hands at a dealership?

Here in the rusty north, I doubt they break the bleeders loose on a brake fluid flush. I just think they vacuum the fluid out of the master cylinder refill with fresh fluid and charge 100+. That's dishonest. They even use the word "evacuate" on the invoice, could mean a lot of things. I think alignments are a waste of money unless having suspension work done.

 

TGMO is good enough for its intended purpose. I don't care for the conventional ones, but the synth are as good as any other oils. And, they all meet the minimum API license requirements plus the Toyota requires. No point in debating the grade since you will use whatever you want, and am sure grades aren't an issue.

Mobil1 is proven.

Too many dealers use bulk fluids. This is nothing new. And, unless you DIY, you have no idea what is being put into your car.

Being a great youtube video actor doesn't make you a great anything else.

Many need to stop worshipping youtubers.

 

No offense, but CCN is a legitimate expert and not an actor. He knows more than 95% on this site. Certainly more than me. I have a tendency to listen to guys like CCN as he carefully explains his thought process and methodology. But, to each his own…

 

I haven’t watched the video, but even after opening his own shop he has spoken highly of Toyota fluids and filters (for the most part, an exception would be gear oil which is wicked expensive from Toyota).

In his videos like the one below, you can see his shelves stocked with them. Screenshot from around 4:45

Many need to stop worshipping youtubers.

I completely agree. I’m sure car care nut is a smart guy, but a lot of people act like he’s a god and everything he says is the end all be all.

 

Give him another couple of years and he'll figure out there is no Santa Claus.

Bulk oil doesn't necessarily mean it's subpar; in fact, it could be the same oil as you'd buy in 1-quart bottles, only cheaper because the manufacturer shipped it in 55-gal drums, thus saving a lot of money on bottles and shipping costs.

 

Now that the Car Care Nut on YouTube has his own private shop and is no longer a Toyota dealership Master Diagnostic Tech he is FINALLY telling the truth and spilling the beans in his newest video. He says Toyota dealers do NOT use OEM Toyota Genuine Motor Oil (TGMO) and maybe not even Mobil 1. He says they use generic after market brake fluid and antifreeze/coolant...not OEM Toyota fluids. He says the so-called free "Multi-Point"dealer inspections do NOT happen and are not really done.

Give him another couple of years and he'll figure out there is no Santa Claus.

Bulk oil doesn't necessarily mean it's subpar; in fact, it could be the same oil as you'd buy in 1-quart bottles, only cheaper because the manufacturer shipped it in 55-gal drums, thus saving a lot of money on bottles and shipping costs.

Well maybe 330 gallon totes for the bulk oil.
Yea most brands have big bulk oil

There are a few like farm service in my area that have pretty decent oil at a cheap price in the tote
And was synthetic
My cost was $2.85 per quart on the syn 5-30 and the 15-40 syn diesel oil

And on the small engine synthetic 10-30 oil we bought it in the 5 gallon bag box
That was for the honda gx engines for the gens and small equipment
And was 5.00/quart

Handy in the shop to have the oils on tap.

The totes help to cut down on the trash going to the dumpster

And as many know 1/4 of an oz of left over oil in the small qt bottle adds up to large numbers if you are servicing 10 or more a day in a small shop

We had the local case ih dealer would pick up the 330 gallon waste oil tote as they had 2 large btu wast oil burner furnaces to heat the massive barn style service shop they had.
We had a small telehandler to help loading that 3000 lb tote when full on their gooseneck trailer.
Empty the tote did not weigh much
I made a wheel cart setup frame so the tote could be moved easy for shop cleaning

 

You make it sound that Toyota Dealers are ALL scammers and not using OEM fluids. I had to turn it off about 7 mins in.

 

At 8:12 he states...."Good dealerships will not play these games.".

So in effect he is saying there are good honest dealerships out there as well.

 

In fact, he mentions good dealers through his video. I found it informative and now I will ask at every service, are the parts ORM and fluids Factory. I never thought a dealer wouldn’t use manufacturer fluids/or above MSRP for parts.

 

Dealership shops are only humans trying to make a profit. If they can charge you 3 times the amount of money for oil you think is high-quality oil made and carefully refined by the Toyota God himself, but in fact put bulk cheap oil you can buy off the Walmart cheap shelves, and thats what they do, gobless them... lol I'm not saying your car will be harmed because I Believe oil is oil. Nothing in Walmart is going to make your engine blow up or wear out much sooner than any other oil.. I believe the viscosity is more important...

 

I have known for years that they don't use Toyota oil or brake fluid. Nothing new there. They may or may not use Toyota antifreeze. I know when I had work done they did. Saw it on my dash camera. They probably use what their 55 gallon drum supplier is able to get. I know one of the local dealers used Valvoline products. If the dealership is comfortable with it, it is probably fine. If it caused problems it would be fairly easy to trace back why.

 

I'm just going to make this easy. I had a huge relationship with several of the mechanics in the back as well as those who worked in the parts department. When I go to that particular Toyota dealership to this day, those that worked there 30 years ago still recognize me and give a decent discount. Not necessary to name the dealer as every single dealer of of every single make I will almost guarantee do the same thing. The parts manager at the time before his passing was the original parts manager from day one of the dealership opening.

I'm not going to name the dealership. Maybe you need to go enlighten yourself as to what takes place in the service area of every dealership. Do you think you get Toyota or AC Delco wiper fluid too?

 

I don't see what all the fuss is about some dishonest dealers from all car companies. Surely there are many more scammers and cheats regarding parts, fluids and services amongst independent mechanics, DIYers and anonymous people in forums, aren't there?

I would take my chances with a dealer any time ahead of an independent mechanic or DIYer. The independent mechanics and DIYers are the ones I trust least by far.

 

What matters is what the dealership says they put in your car. If the invoice says Genuine Toyota oil in little one liter bottles from the factory in Osaka, then it better be that. If it just says they replaced "the engine oil," then it could legitimately be anything that keeps the engine running until the next oil change.

 

That’s why I always ask for the emptied oil liter bottles as proof, along with the old oil filter, and I throw them away when I get home. It’s not a guarantee, I’d rather they think I’m just being meticulous or careful. I left my selling dealer after the 10,000 km PMS and switched to another one due to trust issues.

 

Now that the Car Care Nut on YouTube has his own private shop and is no longer a Toyota dealership Master Diagnostic Tech he is FINALLY telling the truth and spilling the beans in his newest video. He says Toyota dealers do NOT use OEM Toyota Genuine Motor Oil (TGMO) and maybe not even Mobil 1.

As a point of reference, this is from MC-10253223-9999, a little over a year ago when they did a price increase to dealers. I cropped some out of the middle to show TGMO & Mobil 1 at the drum level. $789 vs $1630 is probably an indicator as to why you would not expect to come away with M1. Have no idea what other drum prices are,
but would think you could find something much cheaper, but for Gen5, is it really 0W-16, don't know anyone who would bother to go to dealer, just to go home & pull sample to prove they did not get what they should have. But, I will never know, as I literally have 12 dealers within 1 hours drive, and none of them will ever see me unless there is a recall.

 

This is why you do it yourself. I sympathize for those that cant but why would you expect a dealer to buy higher cost supplies while keeping the end cost the same? People blindly believe OEM is better. It needs to be a part to part comparison.

I use CCN for guides to do repairs and even those are not all encompassing. Do research and compare what you hear. What I like to use in my cars is M1 for the Rav and PUP for the 350. In 40+ years of driving I don't think I have ever used "OEM" oil.

 

This is why you do it yourself.

I used to do.my own servicing in.my younger days but now don't need to or want to. Prefer to do other things than crawl under a car changing oil or whatever. I'll trust a dealer more than I would trust an independent mechanic or DIYer.

 

oh boy another oil thread... holy moly (that's moly not moly)
IBTL

@ForaFrank, Are Toyota Dealerships really out to get ya ?

 

Toyota is using space lasers, neurolinguistic programming, and pheromone-like scents to lure people into buying their cars, often sight-unseen, above MSRP, and with a long wait. Even my wife, who has been a Mazda girl for 30 years, has been referring to the R4P "our family car". I think her next one will be either R4H or CX-50 with the R4H powertrain.

But seriously, in 2025 Toyota can sell their cars effortlessly, so I presume they are not under a severe pressure to raise revenue by "overservicing" the vehicles.

 

@crisps

Are dealerships "out to get you"? That might be giving them too much credit for a coordinated plot. It's more accurate to say that dealerships are independent businesses trying to maximize profit, and their methods can sometimes feel opaque to the customer. As this thread shows, few topics get the crankcase stirring quite like this one.

The core of the issue is often the use of bulk fluids. Instead of using individual, Toyota-branded quart bottles, many service centers buy oil, coolant, and other fluids in large drums at a lower cost. This isn't necessarily a sinister practice. The critical question isn't whether the oil came from a bottle with a Toyota logo, but whether the bulk oil meets Toyota's specific requirements for your engine's viscosity and certification. If they use a compatible, spec-approved oil, your RAV4 is none the wiser. The trouble starts if a shop bills you for a premium OEM product but uses a cheaper alternative. Ultimately, not all dealerships are the same, and the best defense is to simply ask your service advisor what specific fluids they use. A good shop should have a straight answer.

 

I would do all my DIY fluid changes back before I wrecked my body in the Marines. 8 years of that and a person understands when they say the military is a young man’s sport…. Anyway, I appreciated the video from CCN. I feel silly, but I never really thought the dealer would pull a fast one on fluids. Early brakes, filters, wipers, and stuff like that I considered. But fluids? And higher than MSRP on parts? This surprised me as I would have thought that was contractual. Meaning, they agree to only charge MSRP as a franchise of Toyota.

All in all, I know now the be smarter, ask better questions about what is going into my vehicle, and ask for the replaced parts to be saved. Reminds me when I bought my first home. My Dad said, “Now you have to be really careful. People will thing you have money.” I learned real fast about “driveway pricing.”

Thanks to the OP for posting. I learned something new.

 

The Toyota dealership where I go in The Netherlands I find very trustworthy. I caught them by surprise last year while they were working on my previous car and they were just as precise as I am. The mechanic didn't mind I was there although he told me to be careful because of the safety issues by law. About the oil he told me that they are using Mobil 1 which is modified for Toyota engines. He couldn’t tell me which mods and I didn’t blame him for that. Anyways it looked like water, 0W16. He had to pull the dipstick 5 times to see where the oil was. Of course there are differences in dealerships but I consider myself lucky with this one.

 

With regard to dealers charging more than msrp for parts… it’s not only when you have your car serviced there either, it’s at the parts counter too. It has happened to me with other brands, like Subaru and Acura. It varies dealer by dealer, not just a brand thing. Really ticks me off when they charge more than msrp though.

 

IMO, an independent service shop has a vested interest in staying honest. If they are not honest, word gets around and they will lose customers.

Dealers on the other hand, have a captive audience: those that believe that the dealer for their car is the best place to get service.

Where the dealer has an advantage is in the specialized equipment that is needed to service modern high tech cars. One example would be the specialized battery charger for hybrid EV batteries (I'm not talking about the plug in chargers in the PRIME). How many independent shops would have one of those?

 

One example would be the specialized battery charger for hybrid EV batteries (I'm not talking about the plug in chargers in the PRIME). How many independent shops would have one of those?

I sometimes drool over this one, but it would have to be a group buy...

xRC-3363

The Midtronics xRC-3363 Rescue Charger enables technicians to quickly, efficiently and safely jumpstart hybrid vehicle high-voltage batteries.

www.midtronics.com

 

facts: even if toyota dealerships were 'out to get us'

Rav4 outsells every other vehicle in the USA, retains the highest resale value**,
Toyotas stay on the road under single ownership the longest..etc etc etc.

**absolutely not BS. I crinkled up my 2022 rav4 LE Hybrid I paid 34,000 for,
and insurance paid me off, total loss, for 30,410...it only lost 4 grand in value
in 3 years. pretty dang good. if this was a Kia I'd be lucky to get 15,000 for it


so do you think they could do all this under dirty dealing as a standard, oh hell no.
any 'dirty dealing' would be an exception, an anomaly.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
you want to find a good dealer go into one and look for the Toyota awards and
check how many they display, and note the years. No dealership awards, no service
awards from Toyota ? maybe go somewhere else.

All Toyota dealers I've used have had year after year of Toyota Presidents Awards
which basically guarantees that particular dealer is not hosing people on the regular.

 

As far as oils & fluids go as long as they meet spec, my car is happy. Parts if they want to charge me more for the part than I can buy myself over the counter at the dealership then we have a problem. I do everything myself, unless it's out of my skill set or recall. As for them trying to talk you into all these add on services, thank you for bringing it to my attention I will take care of it myself.

 

What irks me is when we take ether RAV4 in to the stealership for routine maintenance the first thing out of their mouth is "you need to have your alignment checked." Invariably they say it needs an alignment that will be $125.00. They show a paper printout that seems to always has the tires the same amount out of alignment. I asked on time, as they're bugging me, "When was the alignment machine checked for calibration?" They couldn't answer. The machine that gives them a reading is embedded in the service drive that you drive over on the way to the service bays.

Many decades ago I was taking some automotive classes at the local Community College . The instructor said the way to check your wheel alignment is on a calm day drive on a flat road like the interstate at about 70 MPH loosen your grip on the steering wheel, if the car continues to go straight, no pulling to ether side and you have checked the tires for uneven wear and has none. Then your alignment is okay.

 

Many decades ago I was taking some automotive classes at the local Community College . The instructor said the way to check your wheel alignment is on a calm day drive on a flat road like the interstate at about 70 MPH loosen your grip on the steering wheel, if the car continues to go straight, no pulling to ether side and you have checked the tires for uneven wear and has none. Then your alignment is okay.

I agree with that. Unless your tires are wearing out unevenly, or the steering is goofy, you don't need an alignment. If it ain't broke then don't fix it.

 

True. To test your alignment you have to find a flat, mostly uncrowned road. Even then, at 70 MPH the car will only go straight a minute or two before most roads become crowned again or have bumps or tar strips that will make the car change course.

 

All the delaers in my area don't use toyota motor oil. Very disappointed to learn that especially when you pay a lot of money for oil change.

 

That's not the case in my area.