We secretly shopped local auto repair shops to see who overcharged for routine maintenance

To keep your ride in good shape, you should follow your automaker’s maintenance schedule. And if you have a newer car, failing to perform oil changes and other critical tasks can void your warranty. But savvy customers will choose a repair shop carefully or risk overpaying, sometimes by hundreds of dollars, for basic tasks.

The staff at Delaware Valley Consumers’ Checkbook discovered that many shops charge astonishingly high prices for simple maintenance tasks, and some shops drove up costs by proposing unnecessary work.

Checkbook’s undercover shoppers called shops in seven major metro areas, including the Delaware Valley, and asked: How much would they charge to perform Toyota’s recommended 30,000-mile/36-month maintenance on a 2020 four-cylinder Camry LE? They collected prices from 229 Toyota dealerships, independents, and quick-lube outfits.

The results were staggering. If the Camry had been driven under normal operating conditions, Toyota’s recommendations called for doing a checklist of inspections plus four simple tasks:

Yet some shops — 29 out of 229 surveyed — quoted $400 or more to do that work; six said they’d charge more than $1,000; two Toyota dealerships quoted more than $1,400.

Fortunately, not all shops had such high prices — 47 shops quoted prices less than $200. But for all shops, the average price to deal with the handful of simple tasks was still $288.

Here are some simple strategies for keeping your vehicle maintained without getting taken for a ride.

Checkbook’s researchers quickly learned that requesting prices for a “30,000-mile maintenance” session often meant higher costs than if they asked shops to quote costs to do only the four specific tasks recommended by Toyota, plus an inspection.

Some shops wouldn’t provide package prices. Some said they would check the vehicle and perform Toyota’s recommended tasks only if they were truly needed. Others didn’t know what work Toyota recommended and didn’t seem interested in looking it up. But some shops explained that the recommended maintenance included only a few services, and they priced the work piecemeal. Shops with a la carte prices often quoted significantly lower costs than the shops that gave us package pricing.

That raised an interesting question: What would happen if researchers called back shops that quoted package pricing and this time simply asked for their prices for doing the four recommended items, plus a comprehensive inspection? After waiting a few weeks, that’s what they did. The results were striking.

While many shops’ prices were about the same or, surprisingly, even higher, about 40% quoted prices substantially lower than what they originally quoted when Checkbook asked for a maintenance package. For example, one Toyota dealer that originally quoted $740 as a package price later priced the work a la carte for just $244. On average, shops that quoted higher prices for packages were $125 less expensive when researchers asked about just the specific tasks recommended by Toyota.

Why did so many shops quote higher prices for a package? Perhaps shops know customers won’t look up the work manufacturers require and therefore try to sneak in bigger bills. And the long inspections recommended by Toyota during these visits (checking windshield wipers, fluid levels, tire wear, brakes, etc.) might have added labor costs.

But when Checkbook’s researchers asked shops to quote prices just to change the oil, replace air filters, and rotate tires, they found most shops would do most of the checks Toyota recommends for free. Often, Checkbook’s shoppers didn’t even have to ask them to inspect the car; this was part of their usual service when doing oil changes.

Many of the higher-priced shops wanted to charge for maintenance that went far beyond Toyota’s recommendations for 30,000-mile service, such as flushing the radiator, replacing spark plugs and transmission fluid, and performing wheel alignments and tire balancing.

One Toyota dealer said its $627 package included $176 to change the Camry’s brake fluid and $233 to clean the fuel injectors; neither is recommended by the manufacturer. Another shop said its $500 maintenance package included replacing the Camry’s distributor cap and rotor — parts that haven’t been used in cars in at least a decade.

Checkbook is offering Inquirer readers free access to its ratings of local auto repair shops free until Oct. 5 at Checkbook.org/Inquirer/auto-repair. Before collecting price quotes, look up the maintenance your vehicle’s manufacturer recommends based on your vehicle’s age and mileage. You can find this info in your owner’s or service manual. When requesting prices, don’t forget to ask about any additional fees for giving the vehicle a once-over.

Some local shops that ranked highly for quality and price include:

Many maintenance tasks are easy and can save you a lot. For example, more than 100 of the shops Checkbook surveyed quoted at least $100 to replace the Camry’s cabin and engine air filters (two wanted more than $200). Checkbook’s shoppers found the filters online for a combined total of less than $25. Most drivers can do those tasks without tools in 15 minutes or less. Other easy DIY tasks include swapping windshield wipers and topping off fluids. There are scads of how-to videos online to show you how to do this work.

Delaware Valley Consumers’ Checkbook magazine and Checkbook.org is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help consumers get the best service and lowest prices. We are supported by consumers and take no money from the service providers we evaluate.