I repeat, if you do the math, then the prepaid maintenance is MORE expensive then going to Jiffy Lube. There is no discount for buying the prepaid maintenance from Toyota.

But what if oil prices skyrocket, and the price at Jiffy Lube goes to $150 per oil change? If you bought the prepaid from Toyota, you are locked in at the prepaid price. Is this really going to happen? Not, it's not. But you have bought insurance against this scenario.

And I repeat, you are buying the fact that Toyota has done all of your service work, and therefore you can hold them liable for anything gone wrong. If Jiffy Lube puts the wrong oil in your car and destroys the engine, then even if you have the Extended Warranty, Toyota will not have to honor the warranty because you did something that expressly went against the owners manual and caused the failure. This is an over-dramatization, but it is really no different than if you put sand in your gas tank and then tried to hold Toyota responsible for honoring the extended warranty. Or the opposite if you added no oil to your car for 50k and seized the engine, then tried to hold Toyota responsible with the 100k extended warranty.

CAMRHEE Hybrid
Completed Mods: RK-Sport body kit, 18" LexusGS430 wheels 235/50ZR18 tires, TRD/SE springs, Rear Lip Spoiler, Terk XM-Direct, Smoked tail lights, Rear Bumper Applique, Front License Bracket, Lower Grill chrome inserts, K&N, Blaupunkt THB200A sub, moved rear HSD emblem
Future Mods: fog lights, black chrome my wheels

flopshot...

I think you mis-read the previous posts. It's not about going to Jiffy Lube.

It would appear on the surface that the pre-paid maintenance is more expensive then going to the exact same Toyota dealer and having the exact same service done as you would with the pre-pay, but just paying as each service comes up instead of paying for them in advance.

There is no warranty advantage to the pre-pay, assuming you go to a Toyota dealer just like you do with the pre-pay, and do the same exact service, just like you would with the pre-pay. You are simply paying more, and are paying up front. I'm still trying to understand the advantage?

Dang

On my tch new car sales invoice from the dealer, not the msrp sticker price, it shows the toyota ppm at a price of $340. i had the dealer "throw it in" when i was negotiating the final cash price of the tch, which included a trade-in. after i couldn't get them to lower my final cash-out-of-my-pocket price, i said that i would walk out unless they threw it in. they did. i didn't. i know the $340 had to come from somewhere, probably from the mere pittance they 'allotted' me for my trade-in. i would assume that the $340 is what they value the ppm package at, or at least, the closest to their cost (from toyota) i could get from them for the ppm. as the coupons from the ppm are not dealer specific; i.e., they can be used in lieux of payment at any toyota service center. it comes out to about $31.00 per service, which is what this dealer normally charges for an oil change in my area. either way, it is a win situation for the dealer. what a surprise!

But wait! You also get air and cabin filters and the tire rotations. So it's a win for you as well (even if you factor in the time value of the money.) We just went in for our first service (oil plus tire rotation) and it was $50, so the package at the price you paid looks like a good deal!

Dang, it is you that keeps missing the point. I've said it twice already, so this is going to be my last post on this subject. YOU ARE SIMPLY LOCKING IN THE PRICE WITH THE DEALER AHEAD OF TIME! If you want to pay a la carte every time you go to the dealer, then that's your perogative. My dealer currently charges $69 for an oil change. I end up paying around $80 thru my pre-paid plan. So yes, I am paying ~$11 more. But if oil prices skyrocket and the price of oil changes at the dealer goes to $100, then you are paying $100 while I'm still paying $80. And in my comparison, I didn't even include the cost of the cabin filter, tire rotations, etc., that are not included in the standard "oil change service" at the dealer. You would have to pay for those parts/labor separately without the plan. Also you won't get the roadside service, etc, that you get with the prepaid plan. So in the end with all the services included, I'm probably paying the same amount pre-paid as I would have a la carte. (Note that all these calculations are based on my $875 purchase price. If you pay the MSRP $1300+ for the plan, your calculations will be different).

An analogy to buying the prepaid maintenance would be purchasing stock options. You spend money now to buy the option and guarantee your right to buy a product/service in the future at a set price. If you never use the option, then you've spent money and gotten nothing out of it in the end. But if you do use the option, then you've saved yourself money. It's a gamble that you have to decide for yourself.

CAMRHEE Hybrid
Completed Mods: RK-Sport body kit, 18" LexusGS430 wheels 235/50ZR18 tires, TRD/SE springs, Rear Lip Spoiler, Terk XM-Direct, Smoked tail lights, Rear Bumper Applique, Front License Bracket, Lower Grill chrome inserts, K&N, Blaupunkt THB200A sub, moved rear HSD emblem
Future Mods: fog lights, black chrome my wheels

Meh, I got my first oil change at the dealer for like $25 bucks. I can't remember exactly but it's posted in some thread on oil change costs at the dealer. My 10k maintenance was around 50. (And as reference, that's what I requested for each--5k I just said "oil change", 10k I said "10k maintenance". Not sure how much difference that meant in terms of what they did... I'd have to scrounge around to find all the paperwork.) I'm thinking an extreme jump in oil prices (when right now people are buying their oil at what, a buck a quart?) could add a whopping... $5-10 to the price of an oil change? If the price of an oil change ever spontaneously jumps from $50 to $100, there's something very wrong with the industry.

Maybe what's going on here is the widely different prices for both service and the PPM. People on this board have got quotes anywhere from $1,355 to $340. That's a massive varience. At $1,355 it probably doesn't make sense, at $340 it's probably a good deal!

The other catch is what the service is costing. Again, there seems to be a wide varience, anywhere from $25 up.

That's why this is making sense to some people and not to others I think.

Flopshot:
I do understand what your are saying, but didn't realize what you are paying for an oil change. I pay $29, or actually I would, but my dealer through in the frst year for free. So, for me, sure with PPM I'd be locking in the price, but at a rate 175% higher than I can just go to the dealer at. Could oil increase in cost 175% over the term, sure, but I doubt it. Actually, time is a factor as well. Let's say you went halfway before the price increases. Now the price would have to increase 350% just to break even. That's a heck of a lot of "insurance". That said, in your case, the premium over just going to the dealer is only 15%. Not sure I would do it or not, but I do understand that's a reasonable amount to pay to lock it in, so certainly for you makes sense.

By the way, that's assuming oil will go up. As a guy living in the largest oil producing region in North America, currently oil is going down, and is expected to continue to do so over the next year. We're feeling it, though not a "crash" or anything like that. After that it's very hard to predict, but will probably stablize.

So, it depends on three things:
What are your service costs?
What is the cost of the PPM?
What is your best guess and comfort level at the future of oil costs?
For the poster that can get the PPM for $340. Go for it. I'd jump on that in a heartbeat. For the poster that got the $1,355 quote, unless your oil changes are uber expensive, it's probably not worth it.

Hope that makes sense.

Dang

OK....there are two prepaid service plans. CLASSIC and PREMIUM. Clasic does not cover the complete 15,30,and 45,000 mile major service, only oil, oil filter and other incidental items including air filters I think. The Premium package covers these services compleatly. I would say if you can buy the Premium package for around $800 to$900 dollars for the 55,000 mile coverage, it would be a good deal. Notice the coverage stops just short of the 60,000 mile service. You can check exactly what is, and what is not covered ,at your local dealer or call for the booklet and read it for yourself. I hope this helps.

2007 50th anniversary blizard pearl camry hybrid

has any one check with your local dealer to see is there any speical they have??? like one of my local dealer here they have normal 5W-30 they charged $120 for 6 time and those new requie sys. oil they charged $240 for 6 time. They using toyota oil and filter.

My dealer seems to have a running special of $29 for 5w-20 oil and Toyota filter change plus 20 point inspection or $49 for the same plus tire rotation.