Scammed by Toyota??

Hey there I've been a guest on Tacoma World for God knows how long and I finally created an account. I have a 2014 Tacoma 4X4 SR5 and can't say enough good things about this truck. What a fantastic vehicle, rarely gives me grief even when starting in -40 degree weather and miles of rugged terrain in northern Canada. I recently ordered an air injection check valve from a Toyota dealership because of the dreaded P2445 code resulting in a service engine light/ Trac off light displayed and resulting in the truck going into a limp mode. Because of where we live and no access to a Toyota dealership close by any parts I need have to be ordered. I got a friend of mine to pick it up at the dealership and express mail it to me and I received it in 7 days, not bad considering where we live. I opened it up and a black tube was broken at the nipple on the solenoid. I called the dealership immediately and they adamantly refused to replace it or reimburse my money back blaming it on my friend for not opening the box to inspect it prior to leaving the dealership and the courier. Toyota Canada echoed the same bullsh*t informing me that the customer has 5 days to report damaged parts to the dealer or your basically screwed, and then put the blame squarely on the shoulders of the customer! They have no exceptions, none, even for parts being shipped. So I'm out over $1500 including taxes and shipping and still have a broken vehicle. I know Toyota is extending the warranty for the 2012's for the injection valves and fans but doing squat for 2014's. Has anyone else received damaged parts from a dealer and been refused a refund/ replacement? Unfortunately, after dealing with a crooked dealership and an equally unsympathetic scripted Toyota Canada representative I have had it with Toyota!

 

Dude! I'm not sure if there is an equivalent up there in the Great White North, but down here in the States, given the facts of the case that you just outlined, the next call should be to the nearest major city's TV news consumer protection-oriented reporter. A TV reporter shows up with cameras and starts asking questions about these circumstances... you'd likely get a phone call same day advising you that a replacement part is on its way.

 

Sorry to hear about the situation but it sounds like the trade-off for living so far north. You have to get everything shipped and the person doing the delivery adds another layer of risk. I understand why toyota wouldn't take responsibility. The baggie is clear, they can see if the part is damaged before they hand it to the shipping guy. If the guy doing the shipping doesn't work for toyota where does their responsibility end? They can't guarantee its safety after it leaves their hands

Bluntly, and I'm not trying to be jerk here, but YOU chose to live way the hell up north. You're always going to have to absorb a certain amount of risk when it comes to shipping

 

If u cant get it replaced maybe thread a nipple in there and attach hose
Sucks if they don’t replace it

 

JB Weld to the rescue??

 

Sand the plastic (solenoid and nipple) to roughen it up then superglue the nipple back on. Once that is cured, use some heat resistant epoxy (or jb weld) to bolster the connection and ensure it is sealed. Other option would be to use a soldering iron to plastic weld it back together.
Not ideal, but won't cost $$$$ and will get your truck running again.

 

You're right to be frustrated, but I understand Toyota's stance. The part was "Accepted" when the friend picked it up directly from the dealership. 7 days later the damage was reported after it was shipped 3rd party.

You might have better luck filing the damage claim with the courier than with Toyota at this point?

 

Not sure what’s inside
Can u take old one off and swap it on new one?

 

Some credit cards have "purchase protection" that may cover or partially cover your damaged item, depending on the fine print.

 

Unfortunately with shipping stuff there's always a risk of damage, that's why it's always best to check for damage if possible before accepting a delivery so it is documented with the shipping company so then it should be between the shipping company and the place that shipped it to make it right.
I can see Toyota's case here, they have no way of knowing if you broke it or if it was broken during shipping so without the damage being documented by the shipping company odds are they aren't gona do anything for you.

 

Like said, pursue the shipping company if you had insurance on the package if it was packaged adequately. Otherwise I’d try to diy fix if everyone says pound sand. Most Toyota parts just ship in a box with zero cushion. The only exceptions I’ve seen are dealers shipping parts out themselves once it arrives to the dealership.

I ordered a $600 dashboard for a Lexus of all brands and it came in a giant box, zero padding, with one layer of paper to prevent any scratches.

 

Order another from another site, return broken part…say it was damaged, get your money back and call it a day…lol

 

Thats a bummer man, but unfortunately shipping anything is a risk nowadays IMO. (Note Im blaming the courier for the damage, not you for living where you do. Unlike some replies)

As for a solution, I agree some sort of epoxy is probably the best bet in this case though Im skeptical how strong that is / how long it would last in the long term. Take a look around sites like McMaster. If you could measure the exact ID of that nipple, you might be able to find some plastic tubing with the same OD. You could use a very short length of that as an inner brace for the repair. Epoxy holds it all together, but the tubing provides a lot of strength. Just need to make sure the epoxy is compatible with both materials.

Examples:
https://www.mcmaster.com/8627K119/
https://www.mcmaster.com/8859K171/
https://www.mcmaster.com/5560K46/

 

Was the shipment from dealership to you insured? If so, go that route, otherwise without doing whats mentioned above (buying another returning broken) you are SOL and will have to fix on your own.

 

^ This? @Dm93 , is this viable?

 

I don't think so, I'm pretty sure that pressure sensor is made into the valve and can't be removed.

 

Maybe your friend broke it cause they secretly don’t like you?

Did you kiss his wife? Kick his dog? Not lower the toilet seat when you visited him?

 

That's unfortunate. I don't know what delivery / shipping is like to Northern Canada, but I see on eBAY (don't laugh) that you could purchase just the portion of the assembly that is broken for < $100USD. Otherwise, is there a Subaru dealership up there? Is it possible the Subaru valve (just the part that is broken) can be used as a replacement? Any kind of pull-it place up there?

 

If you want my opinion (I work in a parts department at a dealer but not toyota) on what to do... I'd say if you can afford to - order another one and swap the broken one with the new one and get a refund, not an exchange. The dealer has no way to prove you swapped the parts out so therefore must refund you your money.