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You have just driven your new Toyota home from the dealership. It’s gleaming in the driveway in front of your home with a glow that only comes from a new car. Now you start to think, “what’s it going to take to keep this feeling going?”
Maintain, maintain, maintain.
Automobile manufacturers set up service schedules that are detailed in your vehicle’s owner’s manuals. Based on their prior experience, they know how long a vehicle should go (on average) before needing an oil change, changing windshield wipers, refreshing the transmission fluids and other service items.
Synthetic Motor Oil has become the big equalizer in the industry. Many manufacturers are now saying their vehicles can go 10,000 between oil changes. There are different schedules for certain vehicles within a manufacturer’s model line but in the case of Toyota, they recommend the following services.
The most important call is to replace the engine oil and oil filter. Right behind that is a tire rotation to maintain even tire wear at all four corners of your new vehicle. Inspect the brake pads, and wiper blades for any accelerated wear, and replace if necessary. Replace the in-cabin air filter which helps to trap dust, pollen and other debris before it has a chance to enter the cabin.
Tire Rotation, Replace engine oil and oil filter, replace cabin air filter, inspect brake linings, drums and brake pads. Inspect and adjust all fluid levels and add electronic fuel injection (EFI) additive.
More extensive, this service once again involves an oil and filter change, along with tire rotation. Change engine air filter and in-cabin air filter and add the EFI additive. Inspect: brake pads/discs/drums, exhaust system, wiper blades, automatic transmission for leakage, suspension ball joints and other components, drive shaft boots, and steering linkage and boots. Adjust, fill, or replace as needed.
Replace old oil with fresh synthetic motor oil and a new oil filter. Rotate tires, replace in-cabin air filter, inspect windshield wiper blades, and visually inspect brake pads, linings, drums and discs.
All Toyota models come with free maintenance for the first two years or 25,000 miles of ownership. If you plan to keep your Toyota for more than three years or 36,000 miles, it might be a good idea to purchase a prepaid maintenance plan covering basic servicing like oil changes and rotations, at today’s pricing. Toyota Financial Services also offers an extended warranty plan that is in effect for up to 10 years or 125,000 miles. It covers many parts included in the original warranty plan, for a longer period of time. As in most cases, the extended warranty begins at the in-service date when the car was originally purchased with zero miles. Pricing varies; See your Toyota dealer for more accurate figures.
How and where you drive may accelerate the need to service sooner. For example, if most of your driving occurs in dusty, desert-like surroundings, or involves high speed driving or travel along mountainous grades, you may be well served to change oil and filters more frequently than the schedules above. As always, your mileage may vary.