Does this sound like a dealership rip-off

Ok, I have been a toyota owner my whole life and have done all my own work, from suspension to engine swaps. My situation is... My mom owns a 2010 Tacoma double cab 4x4 and has also been a toyota owner her whole life from the old land cruiser to this taco. She is now 60 years old and takes her taco to the dealer for service. She recently took it in for a vibration, and they told her there was a drive train problem and that the driveshaft need to be replaced so I asked why and they posted pics of a u-joint that was bad. So I'm thinking its only going to be a few hundred to replace a u-joint at the dealer. But no they replaced the whole drive shaft from the trans to the axle. Also at the same time they told her that the front differential was bad and needed to be replaced so I was like wtf you know! so they replace the whole front dif and they charged her 3700 hundred for this work. I told her to make sure they give her the old parts not know exactly what they were changing. I looked at the drive shaft witch they charged her 900 to replace and all that looks wrong with it was the center u-joint, they changed the whole front dif, I looked at that and it looks and spins smooth, maybe there's a bad bearing in it but they just changed it instead of fixing the problem. All together $3700 for someone who recently lost her job. Doesn't sound or look right to me! At the same time they also pulled off her license plate frames and put their own on. I am wondering if this makes any sense to anyone else. And is this common procedure? I also own a 2011 tacoma double cab long bed 4x4, this is my first post, I hope I'm doing this right and sorry I might have gone back and forth a little.

 

I would contact the dealership's service manager and ask for more information, and if that did not get you sufficient answers, to speak with the owner. While it does seem a bit strange, we obviously do not know exactly what it is that they found, or their reasoning for replacing two major pieces that can usually be repaired. More answers from them are what you need.

As for the license plate cover, that is a common thing at dealerships that I never agreed with. We were always told in the service department to replace the rear plate cover no matter what. I told the manager to bite me, and that NOBODY on my team would be replacing them. If there was NO plate cover, we would install one, but if the customer had an existing one, I refused to change it.

 

That dealership really took advantage of your mom. There is absolutely no reason to replace an entire drive shaft just because a $20 u-joint is bad. Same with the front differential. Chances are, it was just a seal or bearing that was bad that needed replacing. Replacing the whole differential was unnecessary unless there was a serious, deep rooted problem with the gears or the housing. The license plate thing is just bullshit... they shouldn't have touched the plates and removed the old ones, there's no reason for that.

This is one of the biggest problems with dealerships. They don't always have the expertise to diagnose and replace parts so they instead replace an entire assembly because it's easier for them. The u-joint is a perfect example. They replaced the entire shaft flange to flange rather than the $20 problem part.

If I were you, I'd make a complaint with the service manager (and possibly the BBB if you can't resolve it with the dealership), it sounds like they really took advantage of your mom and I'm sure others have experienced the same treatment.

 

Yeah, I would def go back with the truck and removed items. I would have them explain everything they diagnosed to be an issue.
How many miles are on your mother's truck? Has anything been modded on it by chance? Does she wheel it by chance? A 2010 with that needing to be replaced just isn't right....don't get me wrong, I have seen crazier. I hope yall get to the bottom of it.

 

In your State, are they allowed to perform work without permission from the owner? I know what I was going in for then I would sign for the work that was being completed before it was done. I didn't think that they were allowed to perform anything "extra" without the signature of the customer/owner?

 

Why isn't this done under warranty? Drivetrain is covered under the 5yr/60K miles warranty.

You're suppose to ask these questions BEFORE they do the work. Not after authorizing them to do it.


Not to mention, they gave or should have given estimates before doing the work.

Since the OP wasn't there when it all happened, his POV is shit out of luck.

 

I think you meant they make more money off it.. Why charge $40 dollars labor, plus $8-10 bucks profit on a u-joint when they could charge you $3000 labor, plus $100 profit on a entire shaft?

OP. I wouldn't settle for 20% off, and a free oil change.. Maybe paying 10% of the bill... Start a case with corporate or whoever.

 

File a claim with Toyota motor corp. They will give you a claim # then keep calling them to find out the status of the claim. This should get you some better answers. Dealerships don't like when corporate comes around asking questions about fraud.

 

No, I really mean it's easier for them. Dealerships around me absolutely would NOT replace my LCA bushings for me. Instead, they would only replace the entire arm which, when purchased from Toyota, has bushings and ball joints pressed in already. Dealerships are not specialty shops and they sometimes won't tear down an assembly to replace a smaller part but instead will replace the entire assembly. They simply fix the problem, not always the most economical way.

 

^This, and that's not just Toyota Dealers. The A/C in my brothers Focus quit, Ford dealer said the entire HVAC system had to be replaced. Thankfully he brought the quote back to me and after 10min of looking I realized it was just the power leading into the HVAC. Part cost $20 and less then 15min of my time. Caveat emptor...

 

I don't have anything to add to the OP's situation but I admire your honesty and work ethic. Things that seem to be missing sorely in today's society.

 

When in doubt, get a second opinion.

 

x2

How about GM..dealer tells me that the head on my truck (replaced under warranty) caused other parts to fail and he can't comp those but GM will refund me if I call them. Well GM said no, he could have called and done it. The service mgr says he isn't in the business of working for free, and the owner backed him saying it's not worth his time to try and goodwill things. 2 kids in the kitchen next to a broken cookie jar..

 

Not the biggest issue in this thread, but if I ever find out my cover is changed at the dealer then someone is going to have a serious problem when I find out about it..when you remove my cover that is my personal property

 

x2, but I also have college plate holders. If any dealership ever removed them I'd plant my foot up their hindside.

 

This is what I was wondering. It should have been covered by the drivetrain warranty.

 

If it involves giving the dealership any money at all, to fix anything, ever, then yes, it is a rip-off.

 

I feel your pain but my issue is with my mothers '04 Ford Explorer 4x4, She broke the shifter off the steering column and the Ford dealer wanted to charge us $1500 for a new steering column instead of a $40 part. I ended up just buying the part myself and having them install it. But now Ford is saying there is a problem with the Throttle Body when i know for a fact nothing else was wrong with the truck when i took it there. It seems to me that dealers are trying every little thing to make more money and screw the customers.

 

An extra reason yes but even if it's just a plain Jane it is still my personal property. Do that to my vehicle and someone is going to get seriously injured

 

X3..that just don't sound right, although it's very possible to have hit the 60K already there