Damage at the Dealership: Don't let them do it!

Don't let the Dealer be first to damage your new Tacoma! I'm royally pissed at my dealer:
I suspected, and later confirmed, that my truck didn't originally come with funky predrilled holes for licence plates. When you place your factory order (won't work if already on the lot), stipulate that they are NOT to drill for the front licence plate. You have to insist or they will do it anyway. Don't let them decide how you will (or if you will) install your plate. There are brackets available to mount plates without damaging your truck, or you can make your own bracket. Don't let them do it!

 

Sounds like you need a plate bumper. Lol

 

Sucks OP. Pics?

 

Haha

 

So that's a surprise? It's not even a fix-it ticket. Nobody shives a git.

 

The few dealers I have dealt with in NCal have you sign a DMV waiver of sorts, that I am aware of the front license plate law and I will install the front plate or will at my own discretion.
You will notice at most dealers around my area that new vehicles especially luxury cars, that they do not have front license plate frames or dealer name plates.

 

Wrong.

It can be a fix it ticket. You have to be a complete ass to a cop and you will get one, OR you can be an ass to a cop and he wont ticket you, but have a reason to pull you over every time he see's you.

It will get you pulled over for no reason other than not having a plate.

It is required by law in the state of California to have a front and rear license plate.

Don't forget those toll booths and red light cameras want to be able to identify you to collect your money.

 

Pics please. I live in NJ which requires a front plate... and while I did purchase in NJ, I also searched in PA and DE due to work's proximity (PA doesn't require fronts, and I don't believe DE does either). All new tacomas had dimples on the front bumper cover to indicate where screws would go for mounting the front plate. I noticed enough of them to say they were never pre-drilled on the new ones.

After my purchase, I walked out with the plates on, front and back; during my signing they had screwed/drilled the front on, as previously, there was no predrilled holes... only dimples.

Without additional information, I'd say this is standard practice since most front plates are center on the bumper (as per those dimples, and every other car
w/ a centered plate). It's a little discouraging because there is no bracket in the front, so it seems a little sloppy. I did end up purchasing a generic bracket from the local pepboys to keep it a little neater and to keep the plate from digging into the bumper cover.

Edit: I work with a few NJ and PA tacoma drivers... the NJ guys aways got the front plates screwed/drilled after signing and the PA drivers were left untouched w/o request. In the end, I see it as the dealership following the law of the state as opposed to trying to f'up your new truck.

 

Jeff hit the nail on the head with this one. Sue the dealership for $1200

 

If they drilled holes in your bumper without your consent then they should fix them. Unauthorized work done without your consent. Push for replacement bumper cover.

 

Well, right and wrong.... Got a ticket in Berkeley, parked at an expired parking meter. Must have pissed off the cop to see I had a handicap placard. He gave me a fix it ticket, and Berkely gave me the option of getting a sign-off or pay the fine. I paid the fine.

 

really.... all this ruckus over two holes that LEGALLY have to be drilled in the front bumper to make the truck STREET LEGAL to sell here in CA..... your crazy, run the front license plate.

 

Dealership isn't in a position to ensure all vehicles are following vehicle code when they come into their service bay, and they don't decide what you can do on your vehicle. They sell new cars and fix them, that's the extent of their business.

Unauthorized work done on a vehicle without the owners knowledge or consent. Fuck them.

 

Dealers want to,add the plates to use for advertising till your State issued plate arrives. If I order a truck I won't want them to drill my bumper. Not their job and not a law.

 

I haven't ran a front plate on any new car, and I made it clear that if my bumper was drilled that they wouldn't be selling me the car. Never had a problem. I also tint my front door windows which is also illegal in CA.

By your logic, if my dealer removed my 20% tint on my door windows that its okay because my tint isn't street legal? It's private property. MY private property. They are not authority, they're a privately owned business, not a state office.

 

I'm definitely thinking about it. The finance manager told me to sign the waiver, so I signed it, not knowing any different. I go outside and my truck is there with the dealer plate on it, done before I even signed.
That's why I'm making it piublic now, to help other guys decide if they want it or not.
Actually, if I'd had a choice, I might've put it down on the lower bar, but definitely not where they did put it.

 

It was drilled at Hansel?

 

If you signed the waiver acknowledging you have chosen to not have a front mounted license plate as required by law then that is as it should be. I'm guessing the finance guy fucked up by pretending you had the option to waiver out of compliance when the deed was already done.

The plates are mounted pretty much right when the trucks roll off the car hauler, I had to specify from day 1 that I didn't care that I was placing an order for a custom configuration that I wouldn't be buying it if the bumper was drilled, of course this was 3 months prior to actual delivery.

 

Of course it was drilled at Hansel, that's where I bought it.

 

When I purchased my 370z brand new, I told the dealer...you DO NOT TOUCH MY CAR when it arrives.

So much that, I EXPECT MY CAR to be covered in PLASTIC when it arrives.

so...they did....I got my car, man it was so filthy I almost shat my pants, no wonder they like to take the plastic off and clean it haha. but on the plus side...i got to WASH AND WAX it my way, none of that generic floor scrubber bristle brushes used to scrub the dirt off my new car.