Road trips give you time to think, and more importantly, time to read things like the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule for your car, which would otherwise sit undisturbed in your glove box. I’m used to driving cars that are essentially maintenance-free (excluding oil changes, air cleaner, etc.) for the first 60,000 miles, so imagine my surprise when I found “replace spark plugs” at 3 years or 36,000 miles as a recommendation for my 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser.
It gets better: if you read the footnote by the recommendation to change spark plugs, it tells you “required for emission warranty.” Uh oh, this is one that you’d better not ignore, and because the service is necessary for warranty compliance, it’s best performed by a Toyota dealer. Yes, I know that I can change the plugs myself and save all receipts, carefully documenting the date and mileage that I did the work. Still, if I ever have to file a warranty claim on the emission system, I know I’ll have to battle Toyota to convince them the work was done. Having it done by a dealer eliminates this headache.
Also, don’t forget that you can get discounted new car pricing with a free quote through qualified local dealer partners.
I haven’s scheduled the appointment with my Toyota dealer yet, so I don’t have any idea how much extra peace of mind will cost me (versus doing the work myself). Worse, I expect I’ll have to do the usual Service Department dance, where they call me up and tell me that my truck needs tires, brakes, blinker fluid and a new left-handed Rankin valve. I tell them to only perform the work specified (and I’m good about providing detailed lists), then they remind me that stale blinker fluid is the number one cause of sudden car explosions, like you see in Hollywood. Times are tough for car dealers these days, so even auto journalists with pro-wrenching backgrounds are potential marks for service scams.
On second thought, maybe I’ll just drop in a set of platinum-tipped plugs myself, being careful to save the receipt and log the work. Sometimes, peace of mind simply isn’t worth the cost or aggravation.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
