Extremely high repair bill on 99 LX470. Does this look reasonable at all? (1 Viewer)

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Mar 3, 2022
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Location
South Carolina
Brought my 1999 LX470 into the dealership for what I thought would be minor to moderate repairs. I had moderate shake in the engine when stopped, some overheating issues when climbing high elevation, and clunky steering. The bill ended up being $9000 for a multitude of issues. I brought it in for inspection at another dealership 3 months ago for a coolant flush inspection among other minor wellness check, and they sent me off with no large issues. I know 301,000 miles is a lot, but 'm very confused how all these issues could appear now. I have been driving it in rougher areas, but nothing too ridiculous. The dealer is preparing to make an offer for it, because I can't afford the bill even if it was half the price. I'm linking the bill as well. Are any of these issues something I could ignore? Should I take it somewhere else for a second opinion?

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Reminds me of a tire store that I worked for back in the seventies…Shocks,brakes,all suspension components,complete tune up and anything else that we could think of…..
 
Yes, get a second opinion.

How do you bend a steering shaft? Do you have an ABS warning / no brakes? The ABS pump is pretty extreme preventative maintenance. I’d be pretty leery of a dealership that wants to buy your truck after presenting you a service quote like this.

These trucks are not inexpensive to maintain, especially if you aren’t a diy type.
 
And those plugs and coils must be solid platinum…
 
So they did the work without your approval? Or didn't tell you up front

Your post sounds like they did the work already but also sounds like they didn't

If not crumble it up in the trash and move on
They haven’t done the work yet. I want to crumble it up. I’m wondering which of these fixes have to be done. They won’t give me a straight answer unfortunately
 
Wow that looks like they just rattled off everything they could think of, or maybe trying to scare you out of it so they can pull it out from under you for cheap.
Look around and see if you can find an independent and get a second opinion, I always reference this thread when looking for a mechanic somewhere new CRUISER MECHANICS - Listed by State - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/cruiser-mechanics-listed-by-state.349535/

I can see some of those things being needed on a truck with that many miles (CVs, plugs & coils, rotors) but those numbers they gave you are crap. Heck that timing cover leak isn't too far of from getting the WP/TC work done.
 
Yes, get a second opinion.

How do you bend a steering shaft? Do you have an ABS warning / no brakes? The ABS pump is pretty extreme preventative maintenance. I’d be pretty leery of a dealership that wants to buy your truck after presenting you a service quote like this.

These trucks are not inexpensive to maintain, especially if you aren’t a diy type.
No idea. I bottomed out pretty hard a couple weeks ago, but I have no idea how it could have effected the steering shaft.

Wow that looks like they just rattled off everything they could think of, or maybe trying to scare you out of it so they can pull it out from under you for cheap.
Look around and see if you can find an independent and get a second opinion, I always reference this thread when looking for a mechanic somewhere new CRUISER MECHANICS - Listed by State - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/cruiser-mechanics-listed-by-state.349535/

I can see some of those things being needed on a truck with that many miles (CVs, plugs & coils, rotors) but those numbers they gave you are crap.
Thanks i’ll take a look
 
Insanity. Rule #1....never go to a dealership for bout anything. Rule #2.....obey all rules.
 
My dealer is awesome, very reasonable on costs, and gives a discount on parts for the local club. That said, if I dropped the truck off and basically said "find things wrong", they will. I would much rather be dealing with a shop who's people have been Toyota trained than those that are working on a Dodge car one minute and then my truck the next. And yes, if you can find an indie that knows Toyota and even better Cruisers, those are great.

As for your list, you could do yourself a favor and just get under your truck and visually inspect what they're talking about. Both axles blown you should see tears in the CV boots, grease on the axles and surrounding area. Do you have any of the prior maintenance done on the truck? At 300k who knows the last time brakes, bushings, etc have been replaced.
 
As a former dealership service manager, this quote is indicative of a couple of things; they like to shock LC owners by overwhelming them into trading the vehicle and they can make a pretty penny on them, or someone at the shop wants to buy your ride. All of the things listed can be found at an actual dealership cheaper. Check any that are mentioned on this site. Most of these jobs can be done in a driveway and are pretty straightforward. See many of the posts found on this site. If you want someone else to do the work check the above-mentioned cruiser shops. They will do right by you. Do not be frightened off by this quote. Everything here is listed at or above MSRP for the parts. Although, their labor rate seems pretty fair. Maybe source your own parts and see if they will install them? Some shops won't do this because of liability but maybe if you can source it cheaper at a dealer with OEM parts they might just match the prices to get the job. If you want help feel free to PM me, and I will do my best to help you source cheaper OEM parts. But do check with vendors here as most of them are very reasonable and take one job at a time starting with the ones that will leave you on the side of the road and work back from there.
 
The "estimate" ended up being $9,000, not the bill. In addition to never taking the vehicle to a dealership, never take it to a repair shop or a mechanic that wants to buy your vehicle. It's called a conflict of interest and you could never trust them. If you're not willing to roll up your sleeves and do at least 80 percent of the repairs on this vehicle you shouldn't be owning it. It's a 300k mile vehicle - labor rates are crazy high as are full price parts. The whole thing is an unviable proposition destined for a bad ending.
 
Maybe you can try making that list minus prices, take it to a couple indie shops and ask them to inspect those parts and get quotes. I think you would get a better idea of where you stand. Then you can make an educated decision. You can always use non OEM parts. Your wallet will thank you.
 
Unless you are willing to do the work yourself, a 300,000 mile vehicle will be EXPENSIVE to maintain. Especially at a dealer. I'd find out what they offer you and then sell it to a private party for 2-3 times as much, that is if you don't want to do the maintenance yourself.
 

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