Dealership rant.

So here in Central Oregon we are blessed with only having 1 Toyota Dealership to conduct business with. I've bought 3 new Toyotas ( 07' FJ Cruise, 10' Tacoma and 16' Tacoma) from this dealership over the years all while the dealership have made changes.
On my 16' I've decided to go though and get all of the maintenance done at the dealer and keep my records. So far the truck has been back to the dealer for 2 transmission updates, flooded license plate light. Defrost issues, CPS recall, leaf spring silencer pad TSB, Low transmission fluid un-greased zerts and all mileage services. With all these visits I've been treated less then desired, along with lied to! The one lie that really pissed me off is "your cabin filter is dirty and will need replaced next time". Ever since my 5,000 mile service I have been told this. While being told they will replace it next time I'm in. 23,xxx miles I was in for the CPS recall and Leaf spring TSB 9-2-2017. The very first thing I was told was that the cabin air filter was close to needing replace. First thought was what does the Cabin filter have to do with the Recall and the TSB? After hearing that I vented my thoughts to the service department on how I've been told that same thing every time I've been in. The lady seemed less then interested in what I was telling her. Also stated that I wanted to Schedule my 25,000 service and she 100% blew that off. After leaving and on my trip home I noticed that my A/C was sounding louder then normal with a definite HUMMM sound on any setting above 4 on the speed. With the wealth of information on TW I found that some people experienced the same thing and found issues with the fan. I go out and check on the fan and see if there's any issues with it. Pulling the cabin filter out and it was completely BLACK full of leaves, bird feathers, dead bugs and debris!! At what point do they change anything? After seeing that I have lost all faith in the dealer doing anything to my truck!!! With all of the issues I've experienced with my truck itself and the dealer I'm 100% that this will be my last Toyota... I know all rigs have issues but when your dealer is just full of asshats. It leaves me with zero faith in owning a rig. I'm sure that I'm not the only one with dealer issues. Just when you spend $40,000+ on a truck, warranties and services and have to deal with this kind of shit.
Props to KENDALL TOYOTA OF BEND for being so great!

Cody

 

I do all my own maint. For this same reason. I'm sure there are great dealer service teams, but I did the math. It takes me less time to do it myself and less money.

I know there are those that want to nothing more than pump gas, but doing it yourself takes all the questions out of the equation.

As you learned, there are very few rocket surgeons at a dealership garage. It takes very little effort to learn how to do it yourself.

 

Dang Cody that sucks! I got my truck from them even though I live in Tigard as they gave me a better deal than I was offered from the Portland dealers. Good thing I'll be getting mine serviced elsewhere. Good luck.

 

Just so you know, the cabin filter is not included in the toyotacare plan for the first two years. You have to pay for that, and I am sure the dealer would probably charge a half hour labor to change it. You can get the filter and change it yourself.
Now, if you have been treated rudely or unfair, you could express your concerns to the service manager if it makes you feel better, but that will probably just put you on the "pain in the ass customer" list.( Trust me, its a real thing). Especially with there only being one dealer in your local area, unfortunately they know they can operate however they want.
You could also speak with someone at corporate about the treatment you received, but, how far will that get you?
How far is your next dealer? We have customers travel 3 or more hours and pass by a few dealerships to come to our location because of being treated poorly at the other ones.

 

They never looked at your cabin filter, it was just one of the things on their "add-on, jack up the service costs" lists. Obviously had they actually looked at it they would have had it in your face and said it had to be changed NOW...

 

I usually alway do all of my own maintenance, just with being a brand new truck i don't want to give them any reason to say " If you got your maintenance done here...." everyone knows how that goes. But I'll be doing my own from here on out. I'm pretty mechanically inclined. Unlike most people in the world today.

 

It does suck! The fact of being lied to takes everything they tell you and throws it out the window. Leaves open to thinking did they actually perform other services as well.

 

Its the fact of saying that "its getting close to needing replaced" and telling me that THEY WILL replace it next time. Also when I tell them to replace anything that needs done before I hand them my keys... I have been treated rudely by this said dealer over the phone and in person. I have called Toyota headquarters more then one time. After every time I contact Headquarters my dealer promptly calls me the following day to address my problems. And when my dealer tells me " there is no reason to call HQ that they will resolve any issues i have".
the next dealer is aways from me and I have zero interest in having to travel to get my truck "worked on". As I don't have the time for that.
Plus when I called to make my appointment for the FACTORY RECALL to be done for my truck and told that the service department does NOT do recalls on weekends, only during the week. But by another person in the same department tells me that the 1st person was WRONG and they can do recalls on the weekend.
The service department is ran pretty poorly in my eyes.

 

My thoughts! I just hate to be lied to!
If I pay for something I expect it to be done correctly not have assed!
don't give me the run around.

 

Well that is terrible that nothing has been done by corporate. It seems that they could send the area rep to take a look around. It seems that the dealership is comfortable and they know people will still use them due to the location. You are fortunate enough to be able to do most of your regular maintenance yourself, and all you have to do is keep receipts of oil, filters, etc. and they can not deny warranty work because you didn't have service done there. Also, download the Toyota owners app, and anytime you do any service items, put the info along with mileage in the app and it keeps a record for proof.

 

I understand. I am 72 and have told people for 55+ years that the quickest way there is to piss me off is to lie to me...

 

Thanks for the info on the app!

 

The "Dealers" are all franchise operations, like McDonald's and Jiffy-Lube--and "Corporate" cares about the dealers only to the extent that they sell Toyotas and do an "OK" job of maintaining customer loyalty. All else is unavoidable additional cost.

My experience has been that the larger the dealership the larger the cluster-fuck--especially those franchises that have more than one lot, they are the worst. The best are the single lot dealers that have the owner's name on the sign. We have been very pleased with Beaver Toyota¹ here in Saint Augustine, it is owned by Michael and Linda Beaver--this is Linda Beaver, I am sure many will agree that "she is"...



----------------------------------------
¹ - The AC condensor in my wife's '03 HIghlander gave out last summer and I did not feel like screwing with it. The service manager we were dealing with suggested (unprompted) that we could save over $400 by using an after-market condensor v. Toyota OEM--we did, they did, and they earned our loyalty.

 

^ would smash

 

Cody, at the end of the day nobody cares about your Tacoma as much as you do. Rare is the dealer that puts its customers before the $.

 

omg, same!

 

Linda Beaver--this is Linda Beaver, I am sure many will agree that "she is"...



----------------------------------------
[/QUOTE]. Quite a dish

 

. Quite a dish[/QUOTE]

 

My dealer may or may not have competent techs ... so far no wheels have fallen off after tire rotation, and no oil leaks after filter changes or the CPS replacement (assuming they actually do those things) ... but basic customer CARE is really missing. Like when I make an AM appointment for a specific service, and pull into the appointment line on time. The greeter asks my name and what I'm in for. Heck, I bought the truck there and it's been in 4 or 5 times. Can't someone sneak a peek at the license plate, look it up and cross-reference it to the appointment list, and greet me by NAME and welcome me to the dealership? Instead, the greeter checks my name against a list, grunts, and sticks a service tag under the windshield wiper and tells me a service adviser will be out shortly. The service adviser comes out, asks me my name and what I'm in for, again, and scribbles down the mileage and VIN by hand, and invites me in to his counter, where he/she spends several minutes silently typing and staring at a screen. Then, whether it's a 5K tire rotation and floor mat check, or the CPS or combo meter replacement, tells me they will call me in about 4-6 hours and ask if I want a shuttle. Every time it's a different service adviser, too. This is not my first new car (that was in 1981) but the first I have taken in for dealer service. Not really worth it, but not much choice with recalls and TSB's. Love the truck though!

 

Sounds nothing like the time in 1992, in Myrtle Beach... My Lincoln Town Car was acting up and I called from the hotel the nite before....
"Bring it in first thing.." is what they said.... drove to the Ford dealer in morning and saw this line-up of 50 cars... then in just a "bit", there was a "Lincoln" line to the right... nobody there.... drove up under the roof cover at the front door.... a guy covered the seat and floor mat and got in and drove straight into the service bay...
Damn... I have never seen that kind of service.... They came out right away and said it would take 1 hr, and would we like a ride somewhere?... NO, I'll wait....

Best service I've ever seen anywhere..!!