Question: I had my Toyota’s power steering fluid flushed at one dealer at 29,000 miles and then I went to another dealer at 34,000 miles and they told me that I needed a power steering flush; which one lied to me, and who can I report them to?

Answer:

Toyota does not have a recommended replacement interval for power steering fluid in their owner’s manual as far as I know. So, the only way to really know when it should be replaced is by inspection. Different cars have different types of power steering systems, so on some, fluid replacement is needed much more frequently than on others. That said, it is rare to need to replace your power steering fluid twice within 5000 miles unless there was a serious contamination issue, in which case there would have been a component replacement (such as power steering pump or rack) along with the flush. It looks like both of these dealers are recommending this service as preventive maintenance at 30,000-mile intervals.

The second dealer has no way of knowing what maintenance was done at the first dealer, so they recommended the service strictly based on the odometer. In my opinion, that’s the problem; the service was recommended based on an arbitrary mileage trigger rather than on a proper inspection. There is probably no harm in replacing the power steering fluid too frequently, but you will end up spending more on maintenance than you need to.

As for reporting this kind or problem, there is no Bureau of Automotive Repair in Arizona like there is in California. So if you feel you were deceived or mistreated at a shop that is not AAA approved, you should start with the shop’s manager. If you are still not satisfied, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a good next step. Know what you want when you contact either the shop or the BBB. Are you looking for an explanation, an apology, or some form of compensation?