Toyota Service Dept. SUCKS.

I brought my truck in this morning to have the needle bearing replaced with the clamshell bushing under extended warranty coverage. The service guy at the time of making the appointment said it wouldn't be a problem and the warranty company said it was covered. Now Toyota is telling me that because they didn't diagnose the problem, then the warranty company won't cover it. I said well I'm telling you all the symptoms of it being bad, why don't you go back there and have them confirm my suspicions? Then he comes back again and says "well there is play in the bearing, but the seal is not leaking, so it's within Toyota's specs". Are you F'n kidding me? You're telling me it's bad, but yet you're telling me it's not bad enough? I'm out.

 

Seems like you are up against Corporate Guidelines for Warranty Claims.

Try another Dealer, have the warranty documentation in hand. DONT tell them what you think is wrong. Just describe the symptoms. Let them diagnose and suggest solutions. Then you can begin the discussion and negotiation. Ask questions based on What if.

What if it fails when I'm on the Interstate driving at 70 mph?
What if it fails when I'm out in the dessert a long distance from help?

Play the ignorant customer card. Always be polite, professional and firm.

 

You will find this level of competence in all trades. It’s how our society functions now. The challenge is for us as laymen to recognize this and maybe do a little more research before we drop off our trucks for repair.

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Yes they do!
Recently purchased a 12 tx pro only issues I’ve had was with shit they had worked on.
Replaced front diff I assume needle bearing was bad and chewed up sealing surface.
Noticed spots on garage floor they said it was diff housing I said axle seal. Ended up being the axle.
3 appts later it was fixed yea right!
Never tightened caliper and lost brakes because a hard line broke.
They offered me free oil changes and and labor if I wanted something done for a yr!
Told them I’m good with doing myself!

 

Another example of why 3rd party warranties are useless

 

That's pretty savage that they wouldn't honor a warranty for a non Toyota part that exists to negate a problem caused by modification of OEM suspension that you wanted put in due to your own diagnosis.

That seems unreasonable but I am sorry you're frustrated. I would 100% agree that dealerships suck.

 

No, what is unreasonable is them telling me they're going to do something, then go back and tell me they can't because they didn't properly diagnose it first after I was already there. Then, tell me that the bearing is deficient but still within spec. That is why I am pissed, not because I am trying to get them to warranty a non-Toyota part.

 

This isn't any fault of the warranty company. This is the fault of a service representative who promised something he couldn't deliver, and then telling me that they won't fix a part because it's not broken enough.

 

Not excusing the service advisor one bit here. They're basically just car salemen but, dedicated to parts & labor instead of the whole vehicle - still sleazebags who smile while bending you over. But they typically cannot get the warranty company involved until the vehicle is in the shop. And once in the shop, most warranty companies do everything within their powers to decline paying out for everything, for any reason possible. It's as bad if not worse than the typical car/home insurance racket.

So him telling you up front that your warranty covers that type of failure was correct. Unfortunately, it wasn't failed by their definition so warranty won't cover it. And now it's logged in the system, so another dealer might get it covered only IF you show up with it failed by their definition, not yours. But the warranty company already knows you've tried once. Frankly, I'm surprised the warranty company didn't immediately decline your claim simply due to the modified suspension (885, AAL) - they live for that sh!t. That tells me your service advisor either didn't tell them it's modified, or said "no" when they asked.

You have every right to be pissed, but Knute is correct; go into a different dealership and play dumb. Describe the symptoms, don't offer up the diagnosis or replacement parts until they call you with the diagnosis and confirmation the warranty will cover it. Or bite the bullet and go back, ECGS bushing in hand, and pay for them to install it.

 

I have had many cars and one of the principal things that attracted me to the Japanese builds was their initial commitment to satisfy the customer, particularly with regard to service issues. I do not find these efforts to be outstanding anymore. My experience has been that Toy is morphing to be the same them vs. us just like any other car company.

 

True,biggest waste of money ever,they always have an excuse too not pay out.

 

Most kind-folk who buy third party extended warranty coverage never even read the contract. I’ve read all of them many times over. They are some of the most dastardly contracts known to man, allowing the company many ways to jack shaft the car owner. Then when you want to challenge them in court you find you unwittingly agreed to an arbitration clause with rules set forth by the United Association of Third Party insurers.

 

Well so far I've had no issues with the warranty company. I've had to use them once before for a new brake booster. The warranty company has been easy to deal with and very friendly. Maybe I just lucked out. Anyways, the manager ended up calling me later this afternoon and wanted to try and make things right, so I'll be going back next week to have two technicians ride along with me to see for themselves what I'm referring to. We'll see what happens.