'$12 On Amazon': Florida Woman Goes To Toyota Dealership For Her Free Oil Change. Then The Mechanic Gives Her A List

"Go down the street..."

Woman goes to dealership for an oil change. Then she sees what it costs

Photo by: madeleinegrace20 & Dmytro

Mustafa Gatollari

By: Mustafa Gatollari

Feb 24, at 6:00pm ET

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A Florida woman said that she now has beef with a Toyota dealership after bringing her ride in for a supposedly free oil change.

Madeleine Grace (@madeleinegrace20) recently aired her grievances with Delray Toyota Service Center. She alleges that dealership techs lied about some of the work that needed to be done on her car.

"So I went to go take my car to the dealership because I need an oil change. For like the first year or whatever I get like free oil changes," she says. She claims a tech told her there was a nail in her tire. They recommended she purchase a new one. When she asked about a patch, they said they couldn’t.

Then she says they rattled off a list of additional services Grace would have to pay for, including windshield wipers and an air filter. She declined. When Grace returned, she said the dealership provided her with a list of recommended fixes. Instead of getting a new tire, she opted to take her tire to a local tire repair center for a patch.

"One time I got a nail in my tire and these guys just patched it for me for free. And then I brought them donuts to say thank you. So now I love them and they love me," Grace says.

Did The Toyota Dealership Lie?

Grace says employees at the tire shop accused the dealership’s service team of trying to scam her. According to them, her tire was perfectly fine. They also offered some advice on how she could save money on the air filter, too.

"They’re like one there’s no nail in the tire. And two, go down the street, buy these two air filters, they told me exactly what to buy, we’ll show you how to install them or we’ll do it for free," Grace says.

Throngs of commenters who replied to her video stated that they had similar experiences at dealership service centers.

"I got both filters for my car and cabin for like $12 on Amazon and all 3 wiper blades for under $20. Hate dealerships," one person remarked. Another simply wrote, "Damn dealership always scamming people." A third said, "Dealerships are the worst with service and lie consistently."

According to another, you’re better off going to a local mechanic.

"This is why I go to my local mechanic. The dealership is a rip off," they wrote.

Some commenters chalked up Grace’s experience at the tire shop to "pretty privilege."

"That shop was simpin … You'll be amazed what they will do for free for a beautiful woman. At the same time they gained a customer so it's a win, win for everyone I guess," one said.

Free Oil Change For The Upsell

It’s not uncommon for drivers to leave dealerships miffed after going in for a free oil change, only to be recommended a bunch of services and repairs. A user on the Bob is the Oil Guy forum said, "I think manufacturer supplied free oil changes are simply a way for you to get introduced to the dealer and the longer you delay doing your own they have you for life. I think that's the scheme behind it all. It makes you dependent from the start."

Another person agreed that the primary goal of "free oil changes" is to "get you back to the dealer service department … [which is] an opportunity to offer more services." They added that mechanics at dealership shops will even try to refer you to their sales team after your car reaches a certain mileage. Although they did note that they didn’t mind getting their oil changed at a dealership, they don’t mind telling them "no" whenever they bring up additional procedures for their vehicle.

On the flip side, some people like taking their vehicles to dealerships, where staff are trained on their vehicle’s specific requirements and may have any necessary specialty parts on hand. And then there’s the fact that dealerships often have more creature comforts than your local quick lube.

What do you think?

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As one wrote on Bob is the Oil Guy, "I find myself raiding the coffee machine and snacks all the time. Then I grab some to go, not that I didn't eat enough already."

Motor1 has reached out to Grace via TikTok direct message and Delray Toyota’s service center’s contact page for further information. We'll update this if either responds.

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