Why you should not bring a TSB to the SA....

My understanding is hourly rates differ depending on the work. Warranty work pays less than paid work for the tech. Has that nbeen your experience. My neighbor says his rate was lower for warranty work and they routinely passed that work off to the "new guys" and took the higher rated work for themselves.

 

FWIW Fidelity is a bunch of bullshit scam artists. Don't ever buy a warranty from them. My truck could probably be damn near paid off right now

 

If a particular technician is more qualified than another, then that tech would be assigned to work orders where their qualifications translate into $ for the dealership. Depending on the type of work, that technician may receive one or more hourly shift differentials as well.

 

That's pretty much the consensus opinion for ALL third-party warranties.

Over the years I've owned maybe 8 vehicles that I COULD have bought one for and never once spent enough in repairs to cover what one would have cost. The money I've saved, over the years, could now pay for just about any conceivable repair and still have some left over for drinks all around.

But not the warranty companies or the salesmen who tried to push them.

 

That is where I am at as well. On paper well over $8000 ahead. Have not purchased one. Even the 7/75 seems cheap at $600 but how many really will spend even $600 on a repair before 75K miles? That is tempting for those who will use the time portion though. I have purchased them initially on a used out of warranty car and keep it for about 6 months then get refunded if all seems well. That I will do. If one is financing I would recommend NOT including the service contract in the payments and pay for it with a credit card you can refute and or get an EARLY refund on. this way the money is not refunded to the loan company while your paymenst remain the same..

 

Even Toyota's Factory Service contract can be considered a "third Party warranty" because pre approval from a third party is required... HOWEVER Each Region is independent and here in the South the Moran family owns the SET region. THEY ALSO OWN THE COMPANY THAT ADMINISTERS THE "factory Service Contract" which is Fidelity, can you say conflict of interest. That is why if I decide I need some post 36K support I will have to buy a real third party TOYOTA Service Contract from a northern Dealer.

Also get in a habit of calling these contracts what they are....Extended Service Contracts" They are not warranties and no where in the advertising for contract is that word used, HUGE difference in those sematics. LEGALLY From TSBs to Lemon Laws..Neither apply.

IF you buy a KIA or Hyundai you have legal protection to 60 /60 for example.

 

Would you say this method of compensation is brand specific? I ask because my neighbor was paid solely based on hours the work require and the rates differed between warranty and paid service.

 

I've also heard they are better called "Insurance". I'm not really sure what the legal differences are, but it probably varies from state to state and adds up to the same thing: not worth it except for people who need help budgeting their money.

 

Insurance means paid for by a third party....Vehicle Warranty's come with all kinds of legal attachments. Automobile Insurance or (extended Service Contracts) do not. People have far more issues with Extended Service contracts than initial Warranties. Far more. HAving the Car maker behind the Contract is an advantage but not all that much. They still have to approve the repair as a third party and the owner of the Contract has few legal rights except for arbitration which is something no one should sign.

 

I think even including 'implied' warranties, especially if the salesman makes a crazy statement that is witnessed. Even if they try to disclaim it can be enforced in court.

But about warranties: my father in law tells me, a long time ago, they used to be negotiable. You could have the dealer write the warranty out of the deal and save some on the purchase price. I'd imagine some fleet owners still do that since they have their own service departments and know the odds for any one vehicle is in their favor with repair statistics.

 

I wish they were today. MOst problems show up pretty early. If HYUNDAI can offer what they did years ago and survive despite early quality issues I would say long warranties are a selling device more than necessary. They changed the way Car makers operate.

Today a Hyundai si a solid car (albeit with poor resale as the reputation has not caught up with the quality) but that will change as KIA and Hyundai sell more vehicles. Imagine now that there is a $60K Hyndai people are actually buying....and the Gensis sedan was a stretch in my mind at $40K

I would consider the new Sorrento over a new Rav 4 today. When the body changes on the RAV things may equak out or tilt back in Toyota's court. Isuspect as always the RAV 4 will get bigger.

 

It's possible that the dealership he worked at would only pay the tech for the approved hours, but that sounds like the tech is getting screwed if that is the case. I don't think that all Toyota dealerships function that way, but can't say 100% for sure.

 

OP.....thanks very much for the post. Handling TSB's is like playing a game. Thanks for helping us learn how to play the game that much better!

 

Actaully technicians get paid flat rate, so if they are standing around they dont get paid. Technicians flag hours by beating what is known as book times which is a set standard for repair times. if the technician is unable to beat these he starves, if he can beat book times techs have been known to flag over 80 hours of pay in a week. SOme techs can work 15 hours a week and if they are good will flag 80 and get paid for 80. Under warranty repairs they have to beat what is known as Standard repair times (SRT) which are set by the manufacture which are usually unrealistic becuase the repair is done usually with an engine sitting on a stand, all the tools laid out and the parts right there.

 

And Sparks Toyota STILL sucks ass for not doing my TSB.

Just had to get that out..

 

I completely agree.......Sales is terrible even after buying two wifey cars there. I passed on the Tacoma and went to Charleston.

They initially refused mine. So I called Toyota. And would have to demonstrate the bed sagging and jump through hoops. Fair enough I understand that NOW and why. In the end I decided after reading about those Firestone Airbags they would be a better solution. Sparks does indeed suck since they are the only game in town. I bought mine in Charleston at N Charleston Toyota. I heard They WILL do the TSB without effort. But again I don't want it.

I bought my wife's last two vehicles at Sparks and may pass on the replacement for her RAV 4 because of them and instead look at a Sorrento or Escape for the wife. One of the reasons I won't buy a an extended Service contract is because I don't want to give the business to Sparks after the initial warranty expires. I LOVE Toyota,,but dislike the local dealership. That is the downside of living in a small beach community

 

Toyota of cleveland heights ohio techs get flat rate. They always have at least two master tech on duty during the day. Sometimes, only one at night.
I know for sure that I was not able to tell customers about tsb's. They had to complain about the symptoms on the tsb to get the fix. No one I know of came in with tsb's in hand, but there have been people using the "oil gelling" problem as an excuse for a blown engine. They never changed their oil.
I spent a year working for them as a lube tech, although I worked on more, usually on the weekends. There were some top notch techs there, some were not so hot. I never met a bad one, some were just faster than others.
Unfortunately, I didn't run into too many tacomas. I did learn this nice tidbit: Asian dealerships have 30% warranty work, Domestics 60%. This relates directly to the quality of toyotas and more money in the techs pocket. Warranty flat rates are lower compared to the regular flat rate.

 

Thats sounds like what My neighbors deal was....Thats why he hated customer generated TSBs and would avoid most warranty work as a senior tech. Thankfully he can work on our cars and has every thing but a lift.

 

this thread blows someone please put it out of its misery

 

Unsubscribe......than you will be out of your misery. Its pretty easy to do...Just ask if you need help.