I love the truck but unfortunately..

Sorry for the goofy click bait title. Bare with my complaints but this is fairly long. Just pretty upset with the dealership and myself at the moment. Maybe someone who has experienced similar issues can lend some advice (constructive or not).

Aside from my previous posts about how I feel like they're ignoring the loud whine coming from the rear end of my truck that is now a constant whine that I can hear over the radio on full volume - the transmission has been kicking incredibly hard as I'm accelerating through gears or as I'm driving slowly through parking lots, taking turns, etc. It's several seconds delayed when shifting. I've mentioned this to them multiple times and they've claimed "that's how the transmission is," when it didn't start happening until about 10k. Just for reference, this truck now has 28k on it and it is my daily driver. It's also pulling to the right and I've told them several times I think it needs an alignment - they've stated it all checks out fine on the papers at the end of my maintenances. I've thought about taking this documentation to Corporate and having a 3rd party mechanic inspect the truck to see what they find. That probably terminates the lease agreement though..

The other week as I was coming to a stop, I had to break fairly hard because traffic was so bad. it felt like someone slammed into the back of me the tranny downshifted so hard on its own and this happened on 3 different occasions. I mentioned it to them again and they claimed the transmission will downshift anytime it doesn't detect gas and some other random excuse that i figured they'd give me? I can't really remember specifically.

Tuesday the AC Blower began making a really bad grinding noise on any setting higher than the first. Doesn't matter if it's heat, defrost, feet, etc. Obviously it's going out or there's a piece loose that's ratting in there. My buddy got a letter for HVAC Blower recall but I don't know if I have cause I recently moved houses and they still send me stuff to that address I believe. I am taking it in next week to have them check the VIN. I guess I could do that myself online.


Anyways long rant short - I've voiced to my sales rep that I do not want to keep the truck at the end of the lease but I think I still owe 7 grand on it and they're gonna dock me for that and all the typical stuff like mileage, scratches, new tires if I don't buy any (I knew this going into the lease). Can't really afford even a cheap gas saver at the moment so I planned on saving up for when the lease is over in 2020.. Because of these issues and the fact that this is a year and a half old truck that has been maintained every 5k, that I have driven very cautiously and taken good care of, I'm not planning on keeping it after the lease. I understand vehicles have issues and things wear out over time but this truck was brand new off the lot. It just doesn't make sense. And most of the issues I've had, my friends with the exact same truck have not experienced. It's unfortunate but I don't think I'll be shelling out another 25k on top of the 14k I will have spent just to drive it. I know, it's my responsibility to know what I'm getting into with a lease - I just made a poor emotional purchase when I got it and I'm now regretting it.


With that being said - does anyone know if it's possible to avoid taking a huge hit if I cancel my lease? Also, I spilled paint in the back of the truck which got on the bumper and some of the frame underneath. Should I use paint thinner, power wash it (it's 25 degrees currently where I live) any tips would be appreciated.


Thanks folks

 

Nope.

 

You just need to call corporate and open up a case on that truck. Oh..... and go to a different dealer.

 

Wasn't sure if servicing at a separate dealer was an option. Figured they'd just retain the information the other dealer gave me. TY

 

Haha. Thanks.

 

You would be better trading it in...in the dark...on a rainy day and hoping they don't see everything wrong with it. Better to get hit on a trade in then several more thousand on a bad lease. Or maybe that's just making a bad problem a worse problem.

 

Even if they do, these are know issues with this gen and need to be addressed. Your dealer has not done anything except give excuses and pass the buck. Time to go somewhere else that might actually want your business.

 

preciate ya. I'm a non-confrontational guy but when I'm paying 410 bucks a month with 50 of that being towards a dent - scratch - etc protection plan I want them to take my concerns more seriously and actually show they give a rats ass. I'm not paying this much money to drive a truck that's having issues that it most likely shouldn't this early on.

 

Another secret.... never tell them you are on Tacomaworld or got information from here. That almost guarantees they will not take you seriously.

 

$410 for a lease.

Woof.

 

360 if you take out dent/ scratch protection.

 

Which part of this do you think would affect your lease, and why? Never leased, but I don't see how either of those things would have any effect.

 

Good, although painful, to have learned that lesson.

Now the challenge is how to either correct or end the relationship w/o digging the financial hole deeper.

But I agree with @JaCado. Start with another dealer.

You can have warranty work done at any Toyota dealer in the country.

 

Otherwise known as "the first rule of Tacomaworld", but seriously it's never a good idea to mention any information gleaned from the internet to those guys imo.

The dealership's job is to find the problems and fix them.

Good luck.

 

Checking acct says $410 is $410 regardless.

 

The good news is that your truck is leased and under powertrain warranty the whole time. Toyota will take it back at
the end of the lease, they will look it over for major damage. The paint on the bumper if you could get off I would.
Whether they fix it is on them really, they own the truck(Toyota finance) not you. If the diff or trans blows up it will
be fixed under warranty, you have made several attempts to get it looked at( Keep the Ro's from the service department
about their answers). Drive it like you stole it.

The blower motor is under your 3yr or 36k warranty, have them fix that, if they won't find another dealer to repair it
and check on the other things while its there.

You can trade it in just like a regular finance, it has a payoff just like a regular finance. If you like the truck
other than those annoyances keep it until the end of the lease.

 

Leases are fairly simple to get out of it you made a good deal up front. I've done it a few times. Your options are:

~Have someone take over your lease. This is what I usually do. These are popular trucks and there are free sites you can post it up on, or ones that will help you get out for a fee.
~You can post it for sale privately and try to sell it for close to what your current buyout is. I've also done this. You need to know what your total buyout is at this time. Then you post it for sale and see if someone will buy it. At that time either you or new buyer pays out the lease and you cover any shortfall, or pocket any money if you managed to sell over buyout.
~Sell it to Carmax? or similar. Same as point above but I presume they will offer you less money for the truck.

Either way, key is to call Toyota and find out what your buyout price is with Tax(es) and fees today and go from there.

 

Questions-

A. If you have the dent/scratch/insurance/protection - why are you concerned with spilled paint, tire wear, scratches, etc. getting dinged upon turn in? They should be covered, that's what the plan is for.

B. if you are still going to get dinged (according to your dealer) why keep the protection plan in force? $50 a month for that plan equates to $1800 over a 36 month lease.....the plan should be able to be dropped/cancelled at any time...(not your lease pymt but the extended service contract)...which means your payment stays at $410 and they cut you a check back for the remaining policy amount or they re-do the lease to $360 and drop the plan - either way- it will change the remaining amount of the obligation owed on the lease. Hence less deficit if you trade it in early-you wont be paying for the full protection plan you didn't use. (you likely will have to fight strongly for this option which being non confrontational may be out of your comfort zone).

C. Have you called your leasing company ?- even if its Toyota financial you can complain that your vehicle is unsatisfactory and that the selling dealer (who sells and maintains their leases) is being unresponsive and that if it isn't rectified you intend to file a case against all parties that were involved in the sale of or pervaded a defective vehicle upon you.

D. Have you tried another dealer and/or escalated the issue enough to get a regional Toyota corporate service person involved?

E. Lastly, as others have said, have you opened a case with Toyota?

 

My buddy just got out of his lease 6 months early and into a lease on a new vehicle.

Have you considered going back to you dealer and having them buy you out?

 

I'll bet tomorrow's lunchtime Diet Coke he took it in the shorts, just like when you trade in a vehicle. No matter what the numbers looked like to him on paper.

Dealers are there to make money.

Point is, while it's certainly an option for the OP, it may not be a great one.