I've actually started using Toyota's website. Turns out, you can record your service history with them. I'm not completely sure, but my impression of it is that dealers will also be able to see what you put in here. Maybe I'll ask at the dealer the next time I'm in for parts if they can see that.
Anyway, if you want to try it, go to
Toyota Owners Dashboard. Create an account and add your vehicle, if you've not already done so. Scroll down to "Service History" and expand that and the last few will show up. If you click "View All History" you get this page:
You can see, from newest to oldest, the
Service Type is 3rd Party, Self-Reported, Self-Reported, Self-Reported, Dealer, Dealer. You'll see at the upper left of the list it says "Add Record". Click that and you get this screen:
You have entries for date, Self-Reported or Third Party, Mileage, Services with several common service checkboxes, or Other plus a spot to explain services, and a Notes field. The
3rd Party and
Self Reported are actually both self reported. The difference is if you click "3rd Party" it adds another box asking you to fill in the company who did the service. You still enter the details of what was done, a 3rd party cannot enter this for you.
Click on View Details and you can see more details. For example, we'll click on my Spark Plug Change service at 119,798 miles and we get this information (which I filled out using the "Add Record" button just after I performed the service.
The Notes section is unfortunately character limited to a rather small amount. The above notes are the max you can enter. I had to shorten a few things and remove a few words to get it to fit.
The only downside I've seen, besides needing an account, is once I went to access it and the website was saying "no service history" and eventually after clicking around I got it to show it. Otherwise it's always shown right up.
On the upside, regardless of if the dealer or a future owner can or can't see it (I would say it's a plus if they could), you have
all your service records in one spot. Because if your van has ever had any service done by a Toyota dealer, it all shows up here on the same page, right with all the service maintenance records you enter that you did, or had a 3rd party service do. And you have the option to print or download all service records, so if you ever go to sell it, the records you add will show up right along with the official Toyota dealer service records (if applicable). On the first picture, the entry seen at 109,895 miles is me getting a new key and fob programmed just after I bought it. Carmax only had one key and fob for me when I bought it from them, and they said they'd reimburse me for a second key and fob. So I went to the Dealer and had that done. Before that, there's 31 dealer service records, because the previous owner had taken it to a Toyota dealer about every 5000 miles plus for some various other things like struts, sliding doors (twice), new tires, tire rotation, oil changes, etc. In short, the previous owner was a "take it to the dealer when the dashboard light comes on for service every 5000 miles, and do whatever the dealer says needs to be done."
Anyhow, getting off topic. Just another idea. If I remember, the next time I'm getting parts I'll ask the dealer if they have visibility into these service records that I enter on Toyota's site.
