Toyota charging me $$$ for frame replacement.

Every time I had my car repaired I never signed anything before they started .

 

the dealer started talking about potential that some repair costs might be pushed off onto me


OP'S words . That's where he should have been hey WTF is going on here ???

 

in the cases where I haven’t signed before they started work I was called before the parts were installed and asked if I approved.

 

Unfortunately, yes. Ive been in a rental car for over a year.

I have no idea why they let this go on so long. It makes no sense to me. At some point I stopped trying to understand their logic because I never got straight answers.

Through the first year of negotiations they never told me I would have to pay anything. After the dealer mentioned a super vague possibility of having excess costs that corporate wouldn't cover but couldn't give me a clear range, I told him I wanted my truck back, or for them to just but me out flat and keep the truck. Thats when the first shop refused to take the job, and the Toyota field rep went out to check out the truck. Dealer told me he was gonna work with Toyota and do what he could to make sure it was fully covered. Now he comes back with some number thats way over what he ever mentioned...

 

It's crazy to think of that rental bill
365 x $40 (for a cheap rental) = $14,600.
And sounds like you've had the rental over a year.
Add in the roughly $12,500 cost of the frame swap, and the $5k they want you to pay. All total that 1st gen has well over $30k into this frame swap.

 

Sounds like a bunch of miscommunication between Toyota corporate, the dealership involved, and the shop involved that the dealership subbed the job too.
Their miscommunication and resulting expenses should not be on you. You need Toyota corporate on your side here. The dealership and the shop that did the swap seriously dropped the ball here. Not you. And they want you to cover them dropping the ball. I would try to be reasonable but it is absolutely unreasonable for a shop to install loads of parts they thought Corporate Toyota was covering for this swap. That is not your fault or your bad or anything to do with you. That is the shop communication with the dealership and the dealership with Toyota HQ

 

I'd just go down to toyota and go to pick up the truck and refuse the bill. And if they won't budge, which most likely they won't. Ask them for a copy of ALL of the paper work. Anything you signed, anything regarding the swap. And they will ask why and you can tell them you're going to seek legal advice and then see what they do. They may shit their pants or say f off. Either way you can try and contact Toyota again with the new information

 

I just got off the phone with the shop- Precision Body and Paint of Gresham and Toyota Customer Experience. I tried to call Toyota Mcminnville dealership to talk with the service manager- they said they would get him but after I gave them my name they came back and said he wasn't available... typical pattern.

-Precision Automotive shop-
I had talked to the guy at the shop who oversaw the job a few times before when the truck was in their shop. He was always friendly with me and never seemed too stoked on the job or with how much Toyota was lagging to get the parts they needed. He told me today that they gave the truck back to Toyota of Mcminnville about 2 months ago.

He said I shouldn't pay Toyota a dime if I never authorized the extra parts, but he also refused to give me a copy of the work order they had on file or a parts list. He said he didn't want to get in the middle of it, he was just the guy contracted to do the job, and since Toyota Mcminnville sent the truck over I would need to talk to them for specific not him... he can't give me any paperwork even though its my truck.

I asked him if he ever saw an official parts list from Toyota and how it was decided which parts would be ordered and put on. He said he never saw a warranty parts list he just told Toyota Mcminnville which parts he needed and they were sent over... he mentioned for example they replaced the entire exhaust system.

-Toyota Customer Experience Center-
I spoke with an agent who took my complaint of wanting to know what is going on with my truck, and why I wasn't communicated with about excess parts. She explained their role would be to write a report of my concerns, send them over to the Mcminnville Customer Relations Manager and leave a message with the Service Manager to contact me. She said I would need to continue to deal with the Service Manager since corporate isn't privy to how the dealership handles the replacements. But she did say she agreed with me about expecting to be asked to authorize or at least notified of excess charges during the process... but basically said I would need to take it up with the dealership. She said Toyota corporate would cover the rental car no worries. I asked about chain of accountability on these type of issues for example in the chance if the service manager screwed up along the way and is trying to pass the buck off on me, who else has oversight here if I'm only allowed to talk to him? She said the dealership itself has its own system of accountability and that is why the Customer Service Manager is now in the loop with a new case number.

It didn't feel super helpful, except maybe putting some pressure on the service manager to return my calls. However. It did seem like Toyota corporate stance was the dealership is on its own. So if I went to bat legally on these extra charges maybe I would only be up against the dealership itself on not corporate Toyota as a whole. Sounds like Toyota corporate takes the loss on the frame and rental car, then leaves the dealership with any overages on parts/labor, and the service manager is trying to figure out how to pass that onto me.

Is there any possibility I could have missed some fine print early on and unknowingly signed something that gave them carte blanche on any and all repairs they deemed necessary? I can't think of anything I signed like that and definitely haven't signed anything since before my truck went to the shop... but Im getting paranoid.

Wouldn't I need to sign something with the actual shop doing the work? Or if it was a pass through signature with Toyota, wouldn't it need to be an itemized list/estimate at each stage?

 

Legally you only need to sign a work auth with the dealer. They can choose to subcontract it however they please.

That said, if you didn't sign one, then in essence they are holding your car hostage.

Once again, make as much noise as you possibly can. News stations, hell, file a complaint with the police that they have kept you car for over a year. Even if the police say they can't do anything, tell them that you need a report for legal purposes. Even if you don't use it for legal purposes, the point is to make noise and be a general pain in their ass.

Telephone isn't going to cut it. I'd go there in person, daily. I would send a certified letter to the GM, detailing the complaint and demanding the car back within 30 days.

Once again, call every news station in town. Post it all over Facebook. And Yelp. And Google. Everywhere you can think of. Be a colossal pain in the ass.

Stand on the sidewalk, every weekend, with a picket sign that says "where's my car?"


I sure as hell wouldn't let it go a year without doing much more than phone calls.

 

I work in the legal field but I’m also not in OR. In CA a 5k claim puts you in small claims court. In small claims court, you’re not allowed to be represented by an attorney- and I bet you toyota won’t even show up or file an answer.

You can put up a stink and threaten legal action but I’m not sure if it will get you anywhere unless you happen to speak to someone who’s actually in charge.

your only option might be to pay now and sue later.

I can understand having to cover parts that didn’t make it over in the swap but you might’ve also given them permission in the small print of the warranty swap

since this isn’t a typical shop situation it’s difficult to assess the normal course of action. If I had gone to a shop for a timing belt service and the shop installed a new AC compressor I’d say what the hell. But this is an entire frame swap. Either way it’s pretty bad service to not keep you in the loop

 

That is beyond crazy.

-Contact your local news station and discuss the situation.

-Go to their Facebook page, Google search result page, Yelp, BBB and leave an honest review and your current situation. Make sure it is all factual and only your experience. (Service advisors get destroyed on their monthly bonuses when bad reviews are received - this mainly is related to dealership issued surveys but some are incorporating online reviews too). This should help motivate them but I can't stress enough that your review should be your experience, honest and factual only.

-As a service provider it is their responsibility to show proof that repairs were indeed approved by the owner.

-Talk to a lawyer or other legal service. At this point I think it'd be a wise idea to demand that all communication be completed through e-mail or letter so both sides have proof and backing as to what was said. If they sense a hint of legal representation possibly forming this too will light a fire under their butts.

Start today. Based on the timeline, lack of clarity, and no approval it appears that something bad has happened and they are trying to cover it up.

Anything you can do to escalate exposure will put pressure on the dealer.

I used to work at a Corporate repair shop. When corporate and the regional manager start visiting, things tended to get fixed immediately before too much of the monthly bonuses could be withheld.

 

In the early stages I went in person many times to multiple dealerships before they agreed to do the frame replacement. I went in person to talk to the service manager at Mcminnville multiple times after I dropped my truck off there, and I went into the first shop that had my truck before the shipped it to the other one. Problem is, I moved back to Portland since all this started and the deaerlship is 1 hr 30 min from me, and the shop is 45 min away without traffic.

I could be making more noise. Ive just been cautious to make a straight up enemy out of this Service Manager guy by putting him on public blast if he is the one who holds the fate of my final bill. He been playing the "I'm on your side, Im doing everything I can" game and I have been waiting at each stage as things inch along to which he always has an excuse as to why its out of his hands.

I understand the dealership can subcontract to whomever they want, but Im just curious what sort of right I have legally to be informed of and authorize specific job details that I will have to be paying for. I could have potentially supplied my own parts, or opted for used, or even upgraded parts, or just said for example put the old exhaust system back on and Ill deal with it later myself.

The comparison reminds me of Wyoming09 comments "Be like dropping your truck off for a oil change and they break the nipple off in the oil filter then charge you $2000.00 to pull the engine to repair it." Except also taking 6 months to do the job, never telling me clearly what was taking so long, and not asking for signature on further repairs and just presenting me with a bill after the work is done already.

If I signed a work order for an oil change, could a shop add in a fine print clause that says I am also preemptively authorizing any additional repairs deemed related or necessary?

The bill for the truck is a hot potato and everyone is looking out for themselves. The shop hasnt gotten paid for the job yet (as casually mentioned to me by the receptionist) so it makes sense why they dont want to ruffle Toyotas feathers by forking over any paperwork to me... since Im not the one paying them. They'll give me personal advice on the side but they are more interested in making sure Toyota doesnt short them on what they should be paid. Toyota corporate doesnt seem to care cause they are big enough to absorb it but only to the exact dollar amount legally obligated and beyond that the dealership is obligated to figure out how to cover what they pay the shop. Either they absorb the cost themselves, or pass it on down to me.

 

Pay for parts , let them eat the labor and get back in your truck . I would not have been able to stand that small rental for over a year .

 

That seems easier said than done. I believe Service Manager is literally claiming that the $5000 was parts only not including labor. Last I heard a couple weeks ago was that he was going to try to get all the numbers down to cost and see how much Toyota would cover, but that as of then he was looking at around $5000 over in parts alone. Im not sure how I let them eat any of it other than going and stealing my truck back, paying upfront and suing in small claims, or making a enough of a fuss that they agree to settle or drop the excess charges. That is currently the dance and Im just trying to figure out the best option.

 

Wow this is crazy.

when they subletted the repair they might of been charged more than what Toyota was authorized to pay. Plus them just sending whatever parts the sublet place requested put them in a bad situation. But it’s their own fault. They should of been in touch with the sublet company and anything they needed they should of reached out to you for authorization. One thing I can guarantee is there is no way toyota is going to cover that rental bill. They may cover some of it but not 1 years worth. I can’t imagine how much this could potentially add up to.

now I’m no lawyer but I have worked in a few shops and dealerships for over 15 years. Basically if they have possession of your vehicle and you owe a bill after so many days they can actually file a lean on your vehicle and take possession of it. No doubt this is going to turn into a mess. I would ask to speak with the GM or owner of the dealership. Let them know you never authorized anything and now are stuck with a bill. They tied this up for over a year, and they can only blame themselves. See if they are willing to cut their loss and just hand you back the truck. Or as someone said, offer to cover the cost of the added parts and they eat the labor.

As someone already stated, you might not have much of a choice but to pay now and fight it in small claims court later. You can’t take “Toyota” to court as this really hasn’t anything to do with them. You’d have to take the dealership to court. I’m pretty sure a judge would side with you. If you have all the proper paperwork and produced phone records and whatnot to prove you have made multiple contact attempts along with trying to deal directly with the sublet shops. You may be even able to subpoena them in (not sure if you can in small claims) or have them write you a letter describing the cluster fuck. Either way it’s going to take even more time and some possible money.

Good luck and keep us posted

 

If the truck is 'complete', it might be worth it to see if the law is on your side. If the dealer service dept cannot provide your signature on paper authorizing the parts and labor then the law is on your side and just go the easiest way to get the law involved with recovering your stolen truck.
If they can show you signed, then law is on their side and you should go the moral route. Scream to the local news, etc. It sounds like the dealership that accepted the job didn't understand what Toyota would cover on the parts for this job and not cover, and the shop just ordered what he needed to get job done fastest and correctly. The dealer prolly though Toyota Corp was gonna provide any parts needed, or if dealer knew it wasn't like that than they mismanaged the parts ordering for that work order. Still on them. That's a tough one. I'm not in love with my Tacoma so I could've gone same route as you with new rental provided. I'd be very tempted to not pay any of the parts or labor had I not signed. That's basic to me. Now if I signed but they didn't inform me, I would pay zero labor and maybe the parts that I knew for myself needed replacing. The parts ordered to make job easier, nope I'm not covering that. Am I explaining myself right? Lol so hard to communicate this stuff in type

 

this is where I’d start honestly. And what do you care of making enemies with they manager? You’re 2 hours away and you’re never gonna go there anyway. You have the name of the shop they subbed it out to so you have your new shop!

Definitely send a certified letter.

 

If the service manager was really on your side, he wouldn't have let this situation go on for this long.... and that's exactly what he did not do. He let that situation go for WAY TOO LONG. I wouldn't be afraid of ruffling some feathers and I would gladly start bringing in the medias into the game now, especially if you told him multiple times you've had enough and you wanted your truck back

Right now they know they can give you the runaround and you will keep waiting on them, as it has been going on for quite some time, but bite back and they will react

The thing with bureaucracy issues is that they often leave your case to sit on a shelf untill you've had enough and give up on your case. They expect people to do that. But when it is exposed, they really don't like as they are publicly embarassed and this is when the case is taken care of

 

You need documentation.
As of now it appears that it is a "he said she said" situation.
Stop all verbal communication and demand further discussion take place on writing.
Seriously, you lack any sort of proof or legal foundation that depicts a timeline. If it takes a legal turn your attempts and progress of documentation will be superior to theirs especially since you never made a written or oral contract regarding the work and dollar amount.

Send a certified letter.
Document your factual experience on review sites. (Personal anger/opinions reduce the quality and legitimacy so stick strictly to the facts).
Contact your local media.
Send an email every single day to the dealership as well as Toyota. Create a template demanding a status update and send it Every. Single. Day. It takes literally 8 seconds. (Imagine going to court and showing the judge 365 daily e-mails demanding an update vs. their 60 replies - it'd further strengthen your position as taking the initiative and receiving inadequate communication and service).

You have the upper hand in one aspect, they don't have your signature or proof of contractual acceptance. They are liable for your vehicle when you handed them the keys. Next time you visit the location in person make sure you record the entire situation.

"Reasonable" is not a year when you can find multiple examples of the same work taking far less time.

Feeling intimidated is understandable. However the above steps will make the service manager feel intimidated by you potentially affecting the length of his career.

 

Well as far as I understand I am not on the hook for labor or car rental. The only thing that has been mentioned is this excess parts that rusted apart or broke when they were replacing the frame... or that they unilaterally decided they were going to replace.

The Toyota corporate agent didnt seem shaken at all when I was asking whos gonna cover the year+ rental car... she said I definitely wouldn't be obligated to pay that and specifically said "we will cover the rental car" Now if another agent comes along in the process who actually signs shit and sees just how exorbitant the Expedia bill is, they might try to put that back on Mcminnville, but as far as I understand that is getting billed directly to the corporate account, and that is the last thing I feel they could justify sticking me with.

My caution of making enemies with the service manager is only in the logic that he holds the power currently. But if I get enough other people paying attention then he may be forced into sucking up the cost on this.