What is included in a car service?

Toyota Corolla 2006 Service / Mot?

• I just bought a 2006 corolla with a milage of approx 70K. Last service was done around 59K. I would like to get its service done from Toyota Center soon. A few questions in my mind: 1) What is the difference between main service and ordinary service? 2) When is the service for a car due? 3) what are the things being done in service of a car? 4) If there is anything particular which I would like to get checked (e.g. Clutch plate health and hand brake etc) will that be included in the service or would be an extra? 5) What are the charges for service? Is it fixed price or depends on every other car? 6) If MOT is done with service, do toyota garages give any concession?

• Answer:

  Depending on where you are from, go to Toyota.ca or Toyota.com, and find the Maintenance Menu there, you might have to be a part of Club Toyota. It's free to join, you just have to put your VIN in. The service at 59K would have been a Maintenance Service, which was good to do before the warranty was up at 60,000 km. Now, depending on where you are from, the service intervals differ a little bit. Where I am from, Toyota recommends oil and filter service to be done every 5,000 km, and that's because we are under the most severe driving conditions. Normally, an oil and filter service is done every 8,000 km. Toyota will recommend that you get the Maintenance Service every 16,000 km or something like that, it is not necessary. We (I was a Toyota Service Advisor for 4 years) recommended around every 40-50,000 km. The Maint. Services included an oil and filter service, tire rotation if needed, brake inspection (including any adjustment if needed), and a full vehicle inspection. Prices will vary from dealer to dealer, at our dealership that was $95.00, and that included the oil, filter, and labour for the complete inspection. Other services that will be due (and PLEASE ignore the first answer, they are recommended for a reason) will be your transmission fluid change, coolant change, etc. Your car does not have a timing belt, it has a chain, so you don't have to worry about that, there is no maintenance for a chain. The pricing depends on the model and year of car, for example for a tranny fluid change, a Corolla takes much less fluid than a Tundra, so yes the prices are different from model to model. I'm assuming your Corolla has a manual transmission, since you said clutch plate, so the fluid change is even less expensive for you rather than an automatic. The intervals for the servicing isn't bad, it's not something that comes up very often at all. Newer vehicles are great for that, some coolant can go for 150,000 km before it requires replacement. Your Corolla will have Super Long Life Coolant in it, so it should last around 120,000 km or so, IF I remember correctly, lol...it's been awhile since I left my job with Toyota! Please follow recommended services when it comes to things like fluid changes. Believe me, they aren't a scam (at least they weren't where I worked, we made NO money on maintenance items) they are for the good of your car, and that's it. Dealers are free to charge what they want, so some may try to scam you, and if you suspect it, take your car to a local garage and just let them know what fluids or whatever else you need done. Doesn't matter where, just keep your maintenance up to date! Anyways, I hope my answer made sense....I know I was rambling on and on!!