Died and Limped Home - 2023 TRD OR 4x4 w 15k ODO

Todd's Gas and Spark Shop. Their motto is ''You better not stop until you run out of gas.''

Honestly, I can't see any way one could cut a fuel line on an in cab install.

 

Sounds like a factory defect to me.

 

Wait, it's Bo Milberger. I Mo Bilmergered the Bo Milberger out of that.

 

Sounds like Midas tried on me years ago, I went for a sticker and turns out a plate light was out. I just let them do it as it was late and the colder months. They come back and say oh gosh your taillights aren't working. I said that's not possible as they worked when I got here and when I watched you drive my truck into the bay. I'm thinking to myself it's probably a fuse when they changed the plate light and hey it happens.

Instead I got a belligerent attitude from the writer and the mechanic insisting it has to be those aftermarket LED taillights, and they see it enough that they're positive and I have to leave the truck.

I looked and said "oh, those are Toyota brand lights and were on this and at least 3 years more worth of those trucks brand new so I'm not sure how that could be".

They said "oh that's impossible, this truck is too old". I merely pulled out my phone and showed them on Wiki that the LED tails were added in 2009.

"Oh we checked all the fuses and they're good". I know that didn't happen in a 3 minute time but I don't go there, I ask "in both of the boxes?".

More attitude "there's only one fuse box and it's right under the hood, gosh you don't know your truck very well"

At this point I'm done being nice and said "there are two boxes, I'll show you" and start walking towards my truck. They tell me I'm not allowed in the bay but I walk over anyway and point out the box in the cab next to the steering wheel. I said "there's the other one, do you want to check those fuses or do you want me to do it?"

I usually am pretty chill, polite, etc but after being told I'm a moron more than once in a minute I had lost my patience. Sheepishly they found the fuse and changed it. Presto, tails come back on! Same fuse the plate light was on IIRC.

I said "okay I'll be in the waiting room" and smugly walk out, hoping they try to start another problem.

5 minutes and my truck has a new current sticker. I'm over it and politely go to pay, the writer (with the tech behind him, arms folded) says "ok $35 and we'll do $10 on the light". As I'm pulling my wallet out he smugly adds "I won't charge you for the fuse". Asshole..I shut up, paid, and caled the main office and reported them. Jerks

 

What a bunch of buffoons. Good to know the dealership name so we can all avoid them

 

We still don’t know when the radio was installed.

 

Installed in the first 200ish miles. Ran a mag mount for a while and then tidied it all up when I got the bed mount.
No fuel leak.

Power comes from a fuse tap on the wipers. When they wipe I get a little whine in the radio - but considering this is Phoenix and we get three days of rain, I'm not worried.

We do now!

 

Just got off a call with Toyota Corporate. I had left them a message in the portal basically outlining my last interaction with Todd.
The lady they have assigned to my case is super nice. She got the same word from Todd too. He promised her pictures too. Neither one of us has seen the pictures and this spliced wire.

If it doesn't look apparent, she'll escalate it.

I told her at this point, I have no confidence in Toyota to back their product. I shouldn't have had to involve her and I can't count on involving her every time I go in. I'll pay for an independent mechanic to look at the truck and service it going forward. Toyota's warranty is worthless if I have to fight this hard to get them to honor it. "Might as well just drive a Chevy!" She chuckled and said she gets it. She's calling Todd back to see what's the delay.

 

If it makes you feel any better, I called Earnhardt this past weekend about getting a wheel hub and bearing pressed out and they flat out said they don't do bench work, only "R&R". When I questioned what happens if someone comes in with a bad wheel bearing, they said they order a new assembly. I'm like "what's an assembly, like the entire spindle pre-assembled?". He said yes and that he could transfer me to the parts department. Total lie - they don't sell it as a whole, and each individual part is available. Instead I took them both to a local machine shop and they had it done in 2 hours and 110 bucks. Shoutout Johnny Rackley's Automotive!

As for your problem, it sounds like at some point something did fail. Does not sound like your fault, but probably want to pick your battles here. Do you really want these shady people touching your truck longer than they need to be?

 

And some places wonder why [and get pissy] customers record everything said by the service writer on their phone. It's so if one needs to escalate an issue, they can't claim ''the customer misunderstood and it's covered under warranty'' if they get get a call from the manufacturer. And why many dealers absolutely will bullshit customers, dealing with a manufacturer that is already sitting on many other customer complaints from the same dealer can result in problems they would rather not deal with. And if there is physical/recorded proof and a customer that is knowledgeable, asses may be chewed and spit out. Service writers are a dime a dozen, GOOD service writers, not so much.

 

Someone in stiletto heels needs to go step on Todd's wedding tackle. Give em the ol' Bilmerger in the nads.

 

That is my exact thought.
Want to get the truck back ASAP.

May the Blessings of Bo Millberger be upon them and part ways ASAP.

 

Just added a new portal comment:

GT GALLOP
January 16, 2025 at 12:21 PM

Jan 12 - Dropped off Tacoma
Jan 13 - Tacoma was looked at in the shop. Service Advisor Brian calls me around 4:00ish to tell me they have concluded diagnosis and they are just getting him the report. He'll sent it to me as soon as he has it.
Jan 14 - Service Manager Todd tells me this is my fault and he has photographic evidence and will share it
Jan 15 - I texted my Service Advisor to prompt Todd to send the pictures. Brian says he will. Todd tells Jennifer this is my fault and he has photographic evidence. Jennifer calls me to confirm (Thank you Jennifer!) She doesn't have the pictures either.
Jan 16 - Still no pictures and no contact from Todd.

At this point, I'm more afraid of Todd doing some form of damage or harm - either intentional or through gross ineptitude - the longer the truck is under his care. If he has pictures, lets see them. Let me go get the truck so I can have it checked out by an independent mechanic.

I don't mind being w/o the truck as long as we are making progress, but Supposedly this was all wrapped up on Monday the 13th and we are just pointing fingers at this point with no progress from Bell Road since then. What are we doing? Do we have pictures or not?​

 

What a clusterfuck....

 

This all sounds like BS.
A toyota dealer would not do this

If they did, they wouldn't be around very long.

 

I have been thinking the same thing since the beginning.

 

Yeah. Two of my good friends are Toyota Master techs.
They are both excellent mechanics with 20 years or more experience.
They take their jobs seriously and would murder a co worker that did anything like this

 

Well it's really happening...

 

this thread is one of many on this forum complaining about a dealership and there are plenty more posts from people saying they will never go back to a dealership for work because of their bad experience.
Just because your friends may have integrity, doesn't mean they all do.

 

Eh, Chevy would be more like push than drive when the engines are garbage so often anyway..