Dealership Woes..

similar thing happened to me at koons toyota in annapolis. i had a list of stuff for them to do, they didn’t do any of it. there was a few giveaways that screwed them, like that i mark my rims before i go in (for rotations) when i called and asked to speak to the service manager , i explained it all to him and that everything that i wanted done, redone as i could not trust that they performed any of the work because the tech pencil whipped the invoice.
when i went in- i proved it to him. he was actually upset by it, and they did make it right. koons’ director of customer retention even got involved. bottom line- i had a very dishonest tech. the dealership took care it and took responsibility and made it right. not always the case though.
now that i have a garage again- i can do my own work. minus alignments, screw that.

 

yes. engine air filter was about the same and they marked it yellow...

brakes were checked on the green/yellow split. pads had maybe 1K miles on them and the shoes 2k miles.

they also did not fill the wiper fluid and the battery terminals could use a cleaning.

 

I didn't pay a dime. Everything was covered by Toyota Care Plus. I wonder if that is part of the reason why?? I proved a point, which was indefensible by them. I didn't press the issue, there was really no need to. Even tho, I would never take it back into them, there's that little voice that warns of maliciousness if I did. Unrealistic? Perhaps.

I'm not trying to scare anyone, just sharing some experiences. My apologies if I did. Some have made some very valid points, maybe this shouldn't have been aired. Another point, not all dealers are bad, that is an important take away. Lastly, if you have the means and the capability, doing your own work is rewarding.

 

Corporate probably side-stepped your complaints, in part, because you weren’t out anything other than your time. Had $$ been involved you might have gotten somewhere with them. Then again, they very likely hear all manner of complaints constantly, and sifting through to the valid ones is probably difficult.

As a side point, I know that some dealership tasks are performed at the Service Manager’s discretion initially, and second at the Service Tech’s discretion. You had asked for a vehicle inspection, and it’s possible (as others have already written) that the Tech felt a more in-depth look wasn’t necessary.

However, and here’s the rub — when they told you that your truck was ready and that “it was all done”, and without further explanation, they implied that your requests were fulfilled.

There’s no crime here, just typical laziness, I’d bet. A blasé attitude, at least as far as leveling with the customer. But you gave them a butt chewing, they heard you, and perhaps they’ll be more upfront with future customers.

 

After getting royally screwed by the dealership 2X with my Solara, I decided that they no longer deserved my business ($$). Luckily I have a trusted friend who owns a Precision Tune shop and they do most anything I need done. For ToyotaCare, I'm going to a different dealer and see what happens. Unless it's free or a warranty job, dealerships are a no go for me.

 

But if they find out you went somewhere else they wont validate your warranty

 

There is no requirement to have your service done at the dealership to maintain your warranty.

With regards to cabin filters, Toyota recommends replacing them based on time. They are typically electrostatically charged and (supposedly) lose effectiveness over time. By that, I mean that usually they're recommended without ever looking at them.

Jeff

 

The last sentence in this post may be the most absurd thing I’ve ever seen on Tacoma world to date . I have worked at a new car dealership for over 30 years , my friends , family and hundreds of coworkers are all terrible people ? Wow

 

Yes

 

Air filters are 30k items.

 

Bold, I like it.

 

I dont see any reason to beat around the bush.

 

Engine air filters last a long time and can be inspected.

Toyota (at least in some capacity) recommends replacing the cabin filter yearly regardless of mileage.

Jeff

 

Why don’t they design service areas with a walk way for customers? Or windows into the area? You know, so customers can see the work being performed.

 

Per the 06 maintaince log book.. No menton until 15k where it says if driven in dusty conditions. Replace at 30k

 

Man, FUCK the dealership, fuck what anyone says! 2 fucks given

 

And a BAN coming for you,lol

 

Toyota changed that recommendation for the Tacoma for MY2015. 2005-2020 use the same cabin air filter. (Although they do just say ‘inspect,’ Toyota Canada has it for every 5,000 miles instead).

Jeff

 

u prob work for them huh...