SO tired of the dealership

Hi there everyone, gonna give a bit of background before I begin to explain the fuckery that is my local toyota dealership.

I have a 2002 and a 2012 Taco. They're both pre-runners and the 02 only has 90k miles on it. So its in great shape.

Alrighty here we go.

So the 02 was my first car, it was my dad's before and he gave it to me when he upgraded to the 2012. I love the 02, I learned to drive in it and I knew it like the back of my hand, (or so I thought).

Being a naive teenage girl, I assumed when the emergency brake light came on, it only meant that the emergency break was on. I was confused as to why this came on because I was at the moment driving and the brake definitely wasn't on. My parents decided to take it in to Toyota to see if it was stuck or if there was something else wrong.

Took in the truck, got it inspected and the mechanics said "oh it's nothing, just a wrong light, we reset it for you." I was a bit miffed as to why this light would come on, considering the truck is in pristine condition and had never been in an accident, always routinely checked etc. , but I trusted their judgement and so did my parents so we just let it go.

The next week the light came back on. I was annoyed at this point and tried to see if the brake was stuck, it wasn't and we took the truck back in.

Again, took in the truck, got it inspected, but this time the mechanics said "Oh the sensor is faulty, we're gonna need to replace the entire sensor system because that means if that light isnt working the sensors aren't working which means the airbag could not deploy if you were in an accident due to lack of sensor ability" which would cost around 3k if I remember correctly. This was a MAJOR jump from just being a "wrong light" to "you might die if you don't fix this" so we decided to get a second opinion.

We went to a local shop that my mom found that was very reputable and I explained my situation.

They inspected the truck and what they told me was incredible, "your breaks are about to go out, the emergency break light also stands for the amount of brake fluid and your brakes were about to go out" and they proceeded to tell me that within the next couple of days that if i had braked really hard they probably would have given out on me.

Sooo basically the dealership is either
a) not training their mechanics correctly and they're just stupid
or
b) they're trying to scam customers out of money for shit that doesn't need to be done.

I'm thinking its a bit of both.

Sorry for such a rant but it's such bullshit. Anyone else have an experience like this?

 

I've seen the brake light come on when brake fluid was low on other vehicles and seen the wires to the sensor on the master cylinder reservoir. The light indicates some brake problem not just the parking brake is on.

 

Believe it, it does. With the first gen trucks it won't even look very low and it will come on. Mine was barely off the full line.

 

Oooooohhhhhh, let me throw my fuck-you-sumbitch-Yota-techs story.

My first Taco was a prerunner. I swapped over to 4x4. Got all parts I needed for about 400.00. Got lied to from the parts yard that shipped me the spindles. I was told they were "mint" which is the Frenchie word for "bend over and take it like a man." Both wheel bearings were toast.

Took it to a few shops around town that agreed to do it on the phone but backed out once my truck was there and they really looked at the work involved and the amount of load their press needed to be to get the bearings out.

Broke down and took it to the dealership. Quoted me 300.00 if I dropped the spindles off and they just had to press parts. I took them in and while there asked about the hubs since they were really rusted and the back locking but was crazy rusted. The tech said they didn't need replacing. I told him I didn't mind buying them if it would hasten the job as it was my daily driver and I needed it back fast. He shewed me away and said he'd call in a few hours when were done. Two days go buy and he calls. Says that the hubs locknut on the hubs is so rusted he's chewing it apart trying to get it off. I told him that's why I offered to buy them and the hubs the other first time I was in. Again, he proceeded to patronize me with his mad "Tech" knowledge and nk, i didnt need hubs replaced. Told me he had to order the nuts and he'd call when they came in. Called the next day and said he had them in hand and he'd call when he was done with the press work. One WEEK (not day) goes buy and several unanswered phone calls and he finally answers and tells me the hubs are in bad shape and I'll need ones. I told him that I knew they liked bad and that I told him I wanted to order new ones last time I was in there. Again patronized and then told he had to order them and he'd call again when they came in. Three days later he calls and he's got them. He'll call again when he's done with the press work. Finally calls and says they are ready the next week. I lost my shit when I did pick them up. Told him he was horrible at his job, etc.

Took them home and put them on the truck. Heard a weird ticking sound when driving. I pulled it all apart and realized he effed up one of the bearings when he pressed it in. Felt rough when I turned the hub by hand. Almost scratchy.

Took it back and was told that it says somewhere in what I signed at the beginning that they don't warranty press work. WTF??

Had to take it to another shop and paid them 75.00 to press the bad one out and a new one I brought with me into the spindle.

Moral of the story is screw them long and hard.

 

The lower the amount of pad left, the more the caliper piston sticks out, the less fluid there is in the reservoir (it fills in the space behind the piston.) The fluid is still in the system, but a different part of it. Hence the light. It's primary function is to alert you of a leak (low fluid), but doubles as an indicator that it's time for new pads if you ignore/don't notice the squealing from the brake pad indicators.

Camerxnn, sounds like that particular dealer is a place to avoid. You learn that kind of stuff in an automotive fundamentals class or in the first few weeks of a brakes class. The guy you talked to has no right being a tech or is definitely scammy scum.

You didn't say if you or your parents paid for any of the two visits to the dealer, but there is a flip side to the coin. Most mechanics unfairly get a bad rap, it's unfortunately ingrained into the industry at this point. If someone rolled into a shop and was offered a brake inspection most people would think, why do I need to pay someone to looks at my brakes, especially at $70+/hr. They already feel like they're being swindled for a legitimate service. It involves more than just looking at the brake pads, but that's what the customer thinks that they're doing and you cannot do a proper brake inspection without taking the wheels off a vehicle.

I don't know if Texas has a Bureau of Automotive Repair like California does, but if a complaint was filed out here in golden state chances are they'd send out an undercover investigator to businesses like the one you described.

 

First and last time I had someone install pads and rotor bleed the brakes but didn't screw the bleeder back all the way so while driving for a week I noticed the ebrake light come on. Come to find out each time I hit the brake the fluid went streaming out the bleeder and it was getting low on fluid so of course I tighten it up and added fluid and light gone.

 

wow thanks for the insight everyone. Terrible story wcp im sorry about that :/

 

As a Toyota tech myself, at a Toyota dealership, I'd have to say that you had the lowest paid f--ktard working on your truck. Any actual Toyota tech worth a damn knows to check two easy things when that light is on - brake fluid level, and if the ebrake system is sticking, causing the switch that turns on the light to not be pressed by the ebrake lever. I keep reading horror stories on here about the dealerships. I'm sorry that you had a poor experience with the dealer. Not all of them are horrible. There are many knowledgeable and talented people on this site. I'm happy to see that you have come to the right place to get some info about your truck. Best of luck and have a great three day weekend.

 

I feel your pain with dealerships. The dealer I got my truck from has screwed it up enough times already.

I'd let 5 year old kids work on my truck before I take it to the dealer again.

 

Dealerships will never tell you the truth. They just want money from you. I learned that the hard way. I went to the Toyota dealership my parents bought their Camry from because they're the only dealership in my area that does a free 30 min diagnostic on my truck. So I had it done, and they quoted me for a tune up $3,406.68. I told them they were out of their rabbid ass mind. That's more than half of what was paid for the truck. I'm finding ways to do the stuff they listed in the tune up myself, apart from the timing belt because I can just wait until that breaks. But yea, if your vehicle doesn't have a warranty on it, DO NOT take it to the dealer if there is an issue with it. They will rape you for money.

 

It might not be a good idea to wait until the timing belt breaks. At best you'll be stranded and at the mercy of whatever shop is nearby. At worst your engine might get wrecked.

 

If the belt breaks, the engine will be fine. Our engines wont get harmed at all.

 

OH man I forgot to mention my mom's experience with the same shitty dealer.

We're a toyota family haha. She has an 08 4runner, about 80k miles on it, (it's been the workhorse of our family, going to the beach and roadtrips and what not), anyways here is her story.

In our front yard we have a bunch of trees over our driveway. My mom has a sunroof and leaves fall on it sometimes. Well one week we had a few bad storms and flooded the inside of my moms car. Took it to the dealership and they informed us that the sunroof has a drain tube that goes just by the driver's side of the vehicle. Apparantly enough leaves/debri had gotten into it and clogged it to the point it overflowed into the cab. (TERRIBLE smell is the best way to put it)

Anyway the techs said they would unclog it, no big deal. We get it back and my mom was driving and she heard a snap, immediately pulled over and the top part of the sunroof had snapped off, and the glass cracked. Saying that my mom was pissed puts it lightly.

Took it back to toyota and they said we needed a brand new sunroof and new electrical work, which would cost around 5k. "hell no" was the response and after a nice ass chewing the gm agreed to pay to replace the sunroof since it was THEIR fault.

The only reason we still go to them is because my truck is still under warranty, so done with them, the techs there are shitty, rude and uneducated about the vehicles they are working on.

 

There isn't another Toyota dealership in the area where your warranty will still be valid?

 

Yup... First car I had that did it was my '94 Toyota pickup.
As the pads wear, the pistons extend. That pulls fluid from the reservoir, and when the fluid gets too low, the light comes on.

I didn't get a light on my Tacoma when the pads went down to the metal... but I also bought it used: When you notice that your brake fluid is low, DO NOT TOP IT OFF WITHOUT INSPECTING THE SYSTEM.
If the system is leaking, you want to know about it.
If the system is not leaking, there's only one place the fluid can go, and that is into the caliper piston bores.

"Check fluids" during routine maintenance does not always mean "top them off"

 

The system is not working harder to brake, it's just the fluid transferring from the reservoir to the calipers. It begins to do this the day you install new pads and it continues until the pads are replaced. When you clamp down on the old pads to compress the piston to install new pads, you are forcing the fluid back into the reservoir.

This will NOT cause the rotors to warp. Rotors warp because they are overheated, or get wet when very hot.

 

I work at a Lexus service department. Generally, on a Lexus, when the "brake" light is on it is low fluid or a park brake (stop light) switch.

 

I really feel sorry for SOME of the tech's at the dealers. Some are very knowledgeable folks who know whats up,,and some are just a newbie with a patch on the shoulder,,thinking he knows what goes into that patch. A bit to much confidence right out of the gate and instant pressure from a asshole boss after hiring. Recipe for a big shit sandwich on the customers end.

A loose brake bleeder also after a dealer job sealed it for me,,I'll do it myself. Even if it's under warranty,,just give me the parts and I will do it myself and I'll return the crappy parts back to the dealer so you can write it off of my warranty or whatever. Have had a few company's do that for me, versus waiting for them to do warranty work.

 

You have 3 Toyota dealers in San Antonio. You have 2 other options for warranty work. Time to give this dealer the middle finger and go elsewhere. Not sure which one you were going to already.


Red McCombs Toyota

redmccombstoyota.com
8333 Interstate Highway 10
San Antonio, TX
(210) 530-3000

Cavender Toyota

www.cavendertoyota.com
5730 NW Interstate 410 Loop Frontage Rd
San Antonio, TX
(210) 681-6601

North Park Toyota of San Antonio

northparktoyota.com
10703 SW Loop 410
San Antonio, TX
(210) 635-5000

 

Ok. As others have mentioned, the light will come on with low fluid. Mine will also come on when there's an extreme temperature change (80 degrees one day the 40 the next). With the weather situation, I just pull the brake out then push it back in all the way and mine is fine.