A Free Inspection That Wasted Time and Money

July 15, 2024

I made an appointment with Priority Toyota Springfield last Friday at noon for an inspection on our 2018 Toyota Sienna SE. The service rep told me it would take 5 hours. He advised me to come early in the morning without making an appointment. I took his advice.

I woke up early this morning, packed my laptop to work remotely, and headed to the Priority Toyota Springfield. I arrived 10 minutes before 7:00 am, which was its opening time, and I was the first one in line. The inspection still took 3 hours to complete.

I was taking advantage of the free inspection, which was part of the deal for purchasing a car at Priority, but the wait wasn’t worth it. I should have just taken it to a gas station. It would cost me $20, but the waiting time would have been shorter.

While waiting, the inspector at the dealer informed me that the 2 front side marker light bulbs were out. Each bulb cost $3.26. The labor for screwing in two bulbs, which took 5 minutes, cost $70. These costs are just insane. I could have replaced the bulbs myself. Even with a free inspection, they still got me.

Next time, I will check all the lights first before taking my car to be inspected. Here’s the complete checklist:

Brakes
Headlights
Signal lights
Other lights
Steering
Suspension
Exhaust system
Tires
Hood latch
Emission control
Windshield
Windshield wipers
Other glass
Mirror
Doors
Seats
Seat belts
Floor pan
Defroster
Horn