I purchased a 03 gs430 a couple months ago with 58000 miles on it. Now I think of doing some of the servicing on the vehicle. But the dealer is charging way to much on basic service items. They want to charge me $150 for a coolant flush, and $141 for a brake fluid servicing. I have not did much to the vehicle other than get the oil change and put new tires and rims. What servicing would you recommend for a vehicle that I don't know the full history on? thanks for the help. Also can I go other places for the fluid changes or am I held hostage to the dealership?

 

You're never forced to only goto a dealership. You can go to a trusted mechanic if you want. I would suggest you looking up your VIN on carfax. Then, if it states that there has not been a 60k service done, then I would recommend you do the tune up. Water pump, timing belt, check all fluids, check the caliper for rusted bolts, check pads, tire tread. It's always safe to spend you money on these things rather than wait if off and something terrible happens. I dunno if the 03's have this issue, but I would also check your ball joints and change your bushings.

Oh and welcome to CL. The search function is a great tool for beginners.

 

timing belt and water pump is a bit too early for his year and mileage. But I agree, get the balljoints checked out, even though they're probably still good.

ftwmcm, ever thought about taking the DIY route? Coolant and brake fluid cost me about $50 total. Just take 2-3 hours out of the day to DIY. Or find a local mechanic, preferably one with a techstream toyota scantool to open up the ABS actuator.