2018-2019 Tacoma; Modified Vehicle Handling Process Update

Could always get a jeep JL .... But I would take a janky PCS, since it can be turned off, over the jeep JL's included "automatic disconnecting track bars" .

 

My truck is exempt from recall. It never sees rain.....

 

I guess that’s why I need to keep my original grille.

 

UHHH?? 12X15 =$180.00 per year -- if that's not real savings, I don't know what is. If that's a "nothing" to to you then so be it -I can't tell you our exact savings after getting the new car , and it's not worth proving my point to you, by looking it up for you who every bit of savings means nothing.
BTW if you get many of those "nothing" $180.00 bits you don't care about - I would be happy to take them off of your hands! I can send you my address.
Nuff said on this
!!!!

 

Dude, I’m not arguing with you. Relax. I’m simply trying to explain the ins and outs of how insurance companies compute there rates. Im not saying what you’re saving is nothing. By all means, more money in your pocket is great. Just a little knowledge from the inside. Take it as you will... or not

 

This is actually really interesting because my 2018 had a dealer installed 6" lift, aftermarket tires etc when I bought it with 12 miles on the ODO. First few months I drove it the "BRAKE" red screen came up for no reason and I returned to the stealership to bitch about confirming the entire truck was calibrated for the big ass lift kit installed. They said " it's not throwing any codes" but I also have not had that problem come up again. Wonder what they did? This is pre recall. Talk about potential for lawsuit? I guess it would be the dealers installing aftermarket lifts but shit. No way in hell the mother ship at Toyota doesn't know, that half? or more of all dealers offer add on aftermarket or OEM stuff to brand new inventory then say/ put in writing it's covered under warranty

 

Where did this come from? It looks bogus. That's not Toyota Motor Sales USA logo, it's not formatted in Toyota's standard release format, hell, even the font used is wrong. It looks like something the dealer made up and handed to a customer.

 

Friend of a friend of a friend that showed this. You can choose not to believe this if you want. If you follow social media shananegans people are already being denied service til
Toyota comes out with a fix.

 

I'm not knocking you, and it very well could be legit. It just looks nothing like anything I've ever received from Toyota. And I seriously doubt they're using Calibri font on official documentation. That being said, it could be an internal memo to dealers and not meant for public consumption.

 

It’s an internal memo if I had to guess.

 

The memo is legit. I received one at my 15k service from the dealership. This KOB is such a cluster. Went in for my 15k service and was informed I had a recall, a few hours later, I get a call saying they can’t perform the recall service because I had oversized tires. I upgraded to a 265/70 from the stock 265/65. Luckily I kept the stock wheels and tires. I picked up my truck loaded the stock wheels and tires and asked them to swap them out so they can perform the recall service, a couple hours later, I get another call saying they still can’t perform the service because of my faux Pro Grill. I said, just perform the fix they would for a TRD Pro Model; they informed me that couldn’t happen cause repairs are authorized by VIN and they can’t perform the repair for a TRD Pro cause I have a TRD Sport. They wanted me to put my old stock grill on also, mind you I also have a bed rack with a roof top tent installed. So, I then said show me the part numbers I need and the KOB and I’ll perform the repair myself, they patronized me and said well it’s 37 pages long, I then informed them that it’s okay good thing I can read, but no dice, they insisted that even if I performed the repair; I wouldn’t be able to calibrate the system. So, I guess my only solution is to wait for the unit to goes bad and replace it with a new one. I hope they re-engineer the new one to be more water tight, I assume it’ll have to fit in the same spot as this faulty batch so fitment shouldn’t be an issue.

One of the reasons we all bought a Tacoma is not only how reliable the truck is but also how customizable it can be to maximize the trucks full potential and reflect the personality of its owners. It’s part of the Toyota Tacoma Culture. Toyota really screwed the customers on this one. I’ve owned a Toyota Pickup since 1994 (3VZE engine). This isn’t how you treat loyal customers. Makes me want to see other options in my next vehicle purchase. I hope they can find another remedy to this issue.
Not to mention they’re screwing over customers for a part they messed up making. So now they say we can’t fix the part we messed up cause you upgraded your tires. Not acceptable.

Lastly, I did use my adaptive cruise control with my “oversized tires” and faux grill. Worked like a charm. So, I’m not buying this “Modified Vehicle” response. Sounds like the easy way out.

C’mon Toyota you’re better than this!!!

Rant Over, Over

 

My sensor was calibrated by the dealer using the oversize KO2s I have. It will be entertaining to see how they try to get out of doing the work.

I am not actually too sure how much "calibration" is involved, or if it is really just a function test. The tires only change the height of the sensor about 25 mm.

 

These stories remind me of mine with Jeeps.

Here’s a personal story. Please bear with me.

I just traded my fully-equipped 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Recon Edition with 8,400 miles for a Tacoma TRD Off-Road Double Cab.

I’d owned eight (8) Jeep Wranglers over 10+ years. I was avidly into off-roading and, like most Jeepers, I lifted my Jeeps, fit 35” tires and mounted a winch. I lived in California, with ready access to world-class off-roading, and Jeep dealers never gave me any issues.

Two years ago I relocated to the Pacific Northwest. I was disappointed to discover that, with the exception of two heavily trafficked trails, everything else in the county is closed off to the public.

Then Jeep introduced the new Wrangler JL. Jeep added a bunch of features and jacked up prices 15% over the prior gen (JK), but I was seriously underwhelmed by it. I really wanted to like it. I test drove it twice. But the steering wandered all over the road —after several TSBs Jeep still has to fix that problem. Despite a longer wheelbase the interior feels smaller —the 8-speed transmission requires a bigger hump, pushing the front seats up. And as nice as the new interior looks, it doesn’t feel high-quality when you actually touch things. But the dealbreaker for me was the addition of the infamous Engine Stop-Start system (ESS). Almost got into an accident during the test drive because the engine had shutoff while I waited to turn left on an intersection and didn’t respond quick enough to clear oncoming traffic.

So before the last JKs sold out, I traded my trouble-free, beautiful Tank-green 2015 Wrangler Sahara for a top-of-the-line 2018 Wrangler Rubicon Recon Edition. At this point Wrangler JK had been in production for 12 years, so my expectation was that Jeep had production quality totally perfected. The new truck had a sticker of $52,000, but because dealers were looking to clear the outgoing Wranglers, I got it for $46,000. Such discounts were unheard of on Wranglers.

As usual, I added a 2” Mopar lift, 35” KO2s and a fancy Warn Zeon 10 winch.

After 1,000 miles the driver seat starts squeaking. Okay, no big deal: check the Wrangler Forums and apply some grease to the seat frame. That fix lasts a week before the squeak reappears. Then a loud rattle develops on the tailgate: the spare tire carrier is completely loose! Fine, as disappointing as that is, it is an easy fix. Then a creaking noise develops on the A-pillar. The Rubicon decal on the hood is misaligned, and the power mirror switch is turning crooked. By now I am concerned: this is not the quality I expect of a vehicle that has been in production for 12 years, let alone with a sticker price of $52,000.

So I take the Wrangler to the only Jeep dealer in town. It is cold and the seat decides not to squeak that day, so I’m sent home. Sure enough a few days later the squeaks reappears.

Fast forward to 2 weeks ago: I decide that this Jeep does not feel like the expensive rig it is supposed to be. So I take it back to the dealer to have all these annoying squeaks, creaks and rattles fixed under warranty. When I drop off the Jeep I am surrounded by the service manager and a senior technician who walk around the Jeep, then proceed to give me a hard time about the 35” tires not being “factory”, the lift —actually, the lift is factory; it has Mopar stamped on it. And ask if I had bought the Jeep there —I hadn’t; and if I am local and live in town —which I found inappropriate. Fed up, I told them I was taking my business elsewhere and drove off.

The catch is, the only other Jeep dealer is 35 miles away. Anyway, I drove 35 miles to the other dealer. They were much better. Left the Jeep all day: they straightened the power mirror switch, ordered a new seat frame, but could not replicate the A-pillar creaking. The noise is so loud that they obviously didn’t even try.

I spent a big chunk of the day just driving back and forth —70-miles round trip X 2 = 140 miles to have a crooked switch straightened. It finally dawned on me: if I don’t trust the assembly quality and cannot get warranty work done, I have no use for this vehicle. I am not able to off-road very much up here anyway. So I test drove a Tacoma, liked the truck, was very impressed with the build quality and the dealer treatment, and here I am.

 

Every single model from every single manufacturer has quirks and faults. Let me repeat, EVERY SINGLE VEHICLE EVER MADE has quirks and faults. Wether the owner can deal with these quirks and faults is another story altogether. Some models are worse than others. Some individual vehicles in a model line may near perfection while others may in fact be lemons. The whole issue with vehicle modifications causing warranty/recall/tsb problems will only get worse as vehicles become more complicated and manufacturers/dealers become more fearful of liability.

 

I have said this like 10 times here, but a dealership or any mechanic CANNOT hold a vehicle for mechanical reasons period. It doesn't matter if they think it will explode in 5 miles. They do not have ANY legal authority to hold it. They may want you to sign a paper saying they are not responsible for anything that happens as a result of you operating the vehicle, but they cannot hold it.

 

Since this is TW and everything needs to be spelled out, here it is-

The dealer feels as though the vehicle is a danger on the roadway. Customer refuses to have vehicle fixed. Dealer calls law enforcement. Dealer demonstrates to LE why vehicle is a hazard to others on the roadway. LE pulls plates on said vehicle. It happens from time to time. It is a rare occurrence. But it does happen. More so in States with safety inspections than those without. Usually occurs in situations involving brake systems, steering systems, or fuel leaks. TSS involves the braking system.

 

True.

However, JK Wrangler had been in production for 12 years at that point. Few modern vehicles are less complicated than a Jeep Wrangler --besides perhaps a USSR-made Volga.

But yes, all vehicles are becoming increasingly complex, and dealers struggle to keep up with it all before people even modify anything.

 

There have been lawsuits about this very thing. What would stop a shop from declaring your vehicle unsafe and requiring that they do the work for you to leave instead of a second opinion? They simply cannot hold your vehicle. If they attempted, my first call would be to police to report my stolen vehicle. I would bet you cannot find a single actual example of this occurring legally. I cannot speak to inspections because we don't have them, but I guarantee a potentially faulty tss sensor won't fall into a dangerous category. Hell, they can't even prove that it an issue as apparently it's a moisture issue in this case. Dealer can feel however they want, but it doesn't give them any authority.

https://humblemechanic.com/can-a-repair-shop-keep-an-unsafe-car/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/jalopnik.com/the-i-cant-let-you-leave-brake-scam-1714376967/amp

 

LE usually gives you a choice between plates pulled or having the vehicle towed to another repair shop of your choice at your expense to be repaired. Whether you like it or not, whether you believe it or not, this does happen from time to time. The repair shop HAS TO BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE TO LE THAT THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE. An oil leak, squeaky brakes, low power steering fluid, a gas 'odor' with no visible leak, etc is not sufficient.

 

I do not believe this happens. Every time I hear this tale it's a girlfriend's cousin's friend. Never a documented instance. Furthermore, assuming what you wrote above was true, you are telling me that you believe a tss sensor that can get water inside and potentially activate meets the dangerous threshold to be removed from the road? Obviously Toyota doesn't think so as indicated by the severity of the recall notice.