Buying a new Camry and one of the local dealers is throwing in a lifetime powertrain warranty. At first I was like cool… but now I’m realizing they expect you to follow every bit of the factory maintenance schedule AND document it to the letter. I do my own oil changes and plan to change the transmission fluid at 75k, but other than that I’m not religious about the dealer’s schedule. Do most people actually follow all that or nah?
Lifetime powertrain sounds great on paper but it’s kinda a trap. Most stuff that breaks won’t even be covered, and they’ll use every excuse to deny it if you didn’t follow their exact rules. Usually it’s just to keep you coming back to their service dept so they can keep making $$$ off you.
@Zeek
Exactly what I was thinking. Appreciate you breaking it down.
@Zeek
Never thought of it like that but yeah… makes total sense. The dealership always wins lol.
I had to use my powertrain warranty once—2018 Camry water pump died at 59,980 miles. Dealer replaced it, so it worked out for me 
Merrill said:
I had to use my powertrain warranty once—2018 Camry water pump died at 59,980 miles. Dealer replaced it, so it worked out for me
That’s wild, my '22 had its electric coolant pump go out at 80k 
Just outside warranty of course.
@Umbrielle
Oof, brutal timing. I’ve had two friends with pump failures around 60–70k too. Seems like a pattern honestly.
Merrill said:
@Umbrielle
Oof, brutal timing. I’ve had two friends with pump failures around 60–70k too. Seems like a pattern honestly.
And yeah… not even sure they would’ve honored it. I do all my oil changes myself and don’t really stick to their service checklist.
@Umbrielle
They technically can’t deny a warranty just because you do your own oil—there’s a federal law about that. But you DO need receipts and records. Plus, some of those free inspection clauses might still be required if you want that lifetime thing to stick.
@Umbrielle
True. I had to call Toyota corporate once when a dealer faked an oil change. If you DIY your oil changes and keep proof, you’re good. But if you have even the smallest unrelated thing—like curbed wheels—they’ll still try to weasel out of covering stuff. It’s shady.