Shady Move from dealership?

Whaaaaaat?? A competitor’s sales or tech guy told you that one, didn't they? Ive never seen a balance mark on any “real” truck tire.

 

I don't even go back for the free oil changes.

 

I installed new wheels and tires 3 months prior so the wheels were never rotated. It was pretty easy to tell as the two front wheels were caked on the inside with brake dust and the rears were clean as a whistle. Showed the service manager and didn’t question it as it was obvious.

 

That’s actually a real thing. The red and yellow dots on some tires are used to mount tires based on either weight or roundness.

 

When I have my Tacoma worked on ( not the Dealer) I'm not in the waiting room but in front of the service bay watching the technician perform the requested work .

 

Ive seen it on performance tires, but not truck tires

 

Not true. Those are QA stickers used by the factory. Even if that's what the stickers meant, you can't just align the sticker to the valve stem because that may not be the heaviest/lightest spot on the rim.

While it is possible to measure the rim and tire weights and match them to get the best possible balance, in practice this only happens on very high end cars, not your normal shop. This is purely due to the time and effort needed to do the work. To match the tire tot the rim, the shop needs to mount the tire multiple times to measure the difference then dismount and re-mount the tire at the measured locations.

Source. I used to work at a tire shop and was factory trained by the large tire MFG companies.

 

https://www.topgear.com.ph/features...the-sides-of-new-tires-are-for-a2600-20181008

https://www.tires-easy.com/blog/what-are-the-red-and-yellow-dots-on-my-tires/

https://www.yokohamatire.com/tires-101/advanced-information/match-mounting

 

You are incorrect. Whether truck tires use this same method I don’t know for certain, but performance tires and wheels are frequently marked with both the point of least/max weight and least/max radial runout which both affect balance and performance.

 

While calling corporate Toyota is an option, I would start with calling the dealership and speaking to the service manager. Chances are when you call Toyota corporate directly that will be one of the first things they ask you, if you have contacted the dealer to give the dealer an opportunity to address your concerns. If you do not have a positive outcome after contacting the service manager than an escalation to Toyota corporate is in order. But even so, they will put you in touch with the dealer to try to "work out the problem". Regardless, of which path you choose, it appears that the dealership really does not care how good or bad of a job they do. But it is difficult to know if it is a service team member who is cutting corners or if it is a culture that is encouraged by the service manager, owner or entire dealership.

 

Next

 

Don't bother with corporate, in a previous thread, someone complained and they said to take it up with your dealership. So they aren't taking any kind of stand for dealers operations. I hope you have another service center you can go to.

 

They must love it when you show up

 

What dealer do you use 'out East' if I may inquire?

 

I never let a dealers shop work an any vehicle unless the work is under warranty. Don't find another dealer, find an independent shops that you trust. You'll get much better quality work at about 1/2 the cost.

 

Yes they do utilize the red and yellow dots for balance

 

Are those the -38 Rays?

 

Yes sir!

 

OP at least if they didn't rotate your tires they can't scratch your wheels. I took mine in last week for 25k service and they rotated the tires, but seemed to do so carelessly and scratched/chipped three of my wheels. I'm still waiting to hear what they will do for me.

 

I am pretty happy with my 2 Dealers here in town. Great Service so far.