Warranty Claims;: Is this what I have to look forward to for 10 years/125k miles?

Just a bit of a rant because what I experienced really hit a nerve.

Background: 6300 miles on the new Taco. As I posted in another thread, in messing with my dome light, I had pulled the bulb and while putting it back in, it sparked and popped the fuse. Replaced fuse, light was good. So I thought, anyway. Turns out this minor fuckery fried some component of the auto dimming system and my interior lights stay on regardless of switch and door positions unless I turn them to OFF and have no interior lights when getting in the truck. I tried to troubleshoot it but found no solution on my end other than seeing others have experienced the same problem.

Second issue just erupted after making my Toyota Service appointment. My TPMS sensors were totally intermittent for the last week. 98% of the time, non-functional with no pressures indicated on any tire. I did see it reading a couple times in the last week, however. Day before yesterday, I finally get a code (2122) which I checked but did not clear so I added that to this morning's appt.

Went and had breakfast after dropping off truck then came back for an appt with a sales rep to test drive a couple new cars we're interested in buying. Primarily, a new RAV4 AWD for my wife. Before we headed home, I ducked in to Service just to ask about a time frame for retrieving my truck as we were going to head home 20 minutes south and I didn't want to get there and have turn right around. My Taco was still in the bay getting checked. Service Writer tells me that mechanic said it was likely none of it would be covered by warranty. The TPMS issue because I had aftermarket tires. The dome light issue because I had a dashcam wire running along the front edge of the headliner and down the A-pillar. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

I have 5000 miles on those "aftermarket" tires and never had an issue with TPMS till now but they were already claiming that "whoever" put them on, probably damaged the sensors! Quite a jump to a conclusion. There is still more Dx to be done on the dome light issue but needless to say, I had some stern words regarding the situation, especially related to the fact that it's my first Toyota and I'm real close to putting money down on a new RAV4 allocation they have coming in soon. I'm reserving throwing a fit at this point till the fix is determined but never in my life of buying cars and dealing with warranty issues that almost always come up on new cars, have I heard such a BS line trying to pass off a warranty claim with such ridiculous excuses!

For the 1 or 2 people that might give a shit, I'll update later when it's over. I'm seriously questioning this 10 year/125k Platinum warranty I have. Is it normal to have to fight Toyota for everything that goes wrong short of my fuck ups? I better unplug the LED Christmas Lights I have plugged into my 100/400W inverter! What if my transmission blows up? Will I be on the hook for that, too?

 

Sounds like you/the shop that installed your tires caused the issues you’re experiencing, especially because you admitted you caused a short installing lights. Who knows what else might have gotten damaged?

The dealership does have to prove that these modifications caused the issue(s) to deny warranty but I wouldn’t know how to go about doing that aside from contacting corporate.

 

Typically I'm pro-consumer, but you pretty much admitted to frying something by shorting the dome light. This could have been avoided by pulling the fuse before pulling the bulb, there's a few threads on this floating around.
As far as the TPMS, is you have aftermarket tires installed, that's an easy out for Toyota. Legally Toyota would need to prove that the aftermarket wheels were the cause of the TPMS issues and the wire running down the A pillar messed up your auto dimming functions. But, they also know taking them to court would cost more than replacing the sensors and fixing the auto dimming issue. But since you posted this thread admitting to shorting something prior to the issue with the auto diming, taking them to court over that is a lose-lose for you.
I don't really think you have much of an argument here, you probably screwed up the auto dimming and whoever installed the tires messed up your TPMS sensors.

With the way the market is now, I don't think they care if you buy the RAV 4 or not. They know someone else will pay if you walk away. Might just have to suck this one up and pay for the repairs.

 

yup.

 

Second this.

 

They have an easy out because it is clearly obvious that someone other than a factory robot assembling the truck was messing around with both items that are now malfunctioning. Can you prove that nothing you or the tire shop did is the root problem and that Toyota is 100% to blame?

 

Not aftermarket wheels. Just put new tires on at 1000 miles and TPMS has been flawless for 5000 on those tires up till now. So, by that train if thought, if anyone buys new tires within their warranty, TPMS system warranty is null and void?

Sounds good.

As for my bulb replacement, the circuit was set to OFF. It was just a matter of wiggling the festoon bulb into its detent when it sparked. IMO, clearly an under designed circuit if the system frys before tripping the fuse. That's what fuses are for, to protect the circuit in these instances.

Great system.

 

End Thread/

 

At least one of the threads regarding frying dome light circuits lol
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/map-lights-and-dome-lights-won’t-go-off.725878/#post-25864961

 

Well, @ least you don't live in a humid climate and drive your truck w/ the AC on and the outside of HVAC box inside the vehicle sweats and drips water on the floor! Toyota Corp says its a normal characteristics of vehical!

 

It's normal to fight Toyota on items you fuck up. They warranty their work and parts, not amateur hour stuff.
As far as shit working for a time then not working, it happens all the time.

 

If you re-read your question, the answer to it is there.
The switch selects ON, DOOR, OFF.
The circuit is hot.
The switch selection dictates the behavior.
The fried circuit (ILE-Dimmer) is part of the Main Body ECU.
This ECU receives input from doors (hot wire to ground), unlock & lock input via FOB receiver (CAN BUS)

 

Dealer does not have to prove anything... they just deny and it's up to you to disagree and take it up with Toyota. It can take years and not being able to use your truck until its settled.
So, choose wisely. I know people who have spent $25K to win a $900 warranty charge.

 

If both issues happened right after each other, then they’re probably related. All individual TPMS sensors going out at the same time is highly unlikely, unless the tire installer didn’t know what they were doing and it’s also unlikely that they would all operate for roughly 1000 miles.

You probably fried a module or something with the voltage spike while changing the dome bulb. That’s why all electric repairs or service require battery disconnection.

I feel your pain but you may need to pay for the dome light repairs depending on what you’ve told the dealer. I also don’t agree with most of the negative comments on here. They sound like self taught mechanics that have never wrenched for a living.

 

I hadn’t heard of this before. Good to know. Thanks!

 

Who woulda thunk it. That's definitely the take-away for me here.

TPMS was on Toyota's system. All the sensors were transmitting. They had to reprogram the system and they say it's working now.

They still haven't diagnosed the dome. I hadn't seen that thread posted above but someone referenced it when I posted my thread on my issue a number of days ago. They want the truck anotherfill day to check in with Yota engineers. I'm going up right now to get it and talk to them again about the internet fixes found. Guessing a console replacement is in order as I'm sure they'd never dig into it like the fix shows

 

It wouldn't be the console that needs replacement. It would be the ECU (Main Body ECU 89221-*****) that controls the ON & OFF of the Cab illumination. It's joined to the driver's side junction box (houses relays that the Main Body ECU Controls)

 

So, you did something to the wires and shorted something out, but it's Toyota's fault? You can change bulbs without disconnecting the battery. Do you shut off your power at home to change a lightbulb? No, because you don't pull the housing down and tug on wires. Look OP, mistakes happen. Seriously. But blaming the warranty for this? C'mon man. You should have just never told them you did something, or possibly told them it happened after simply replacing the bulb and leave the part about pulling the housing down and shorting wires out of it - if they asked after doing inspections.

Not even going to go into how useless the extended warranty is here, but this is a prime example of people who buy it vs. people who don't.

 

You dun goof’d OP

 

I once used metal pliers to remove a fuse - touched another piece of metal, shorted the whole thing, truck wouldn't start. 1 week into ownership. Had to have it towed to the dealership and it cost me $400. could've tried warranty since there was no proof of anything happening but it was 100% me. Never did it again.