Warranty fine print

So I had my 20 OR in for the 20k service yesterday and noticed I had a a brake light out. Asked the tech if they could replace it along with the other items and was surprised when told that is only covered under a 12month/12k mile warranty. I don’t remember ever hearing that come up during the sales process, or reading about it in the manual. Guess I didn’t catch the fine print.
New bulb was like $7 so I picked one up and will change it out myself no big deal, just surprised that it would go out on a 1yr old car

 

That's not surprising at all

 

There is actually a fair amount of things that are not covered under warranty.

But now that your bulb is out, its time to swap them all out for LED bulbs.

 

Wow.

 

It’s on me for being naive, guess I just assumed it was a 36k/3 yr bumper to bumper warranty

 

Not surprised it's not covered. A little surprised it went out already. Other vehicles I've had lasted 3-4years before any OEM bulbs died...

 

Yup considered a "wear" item. New vehicle owners are sometimes lulled into a false sense of security with the term "bumper to bumper" thinking they won't have a repair bill for three years.

Sad that dealerships don't see the goodwill they would create by replacing the bulb at no charge.

 

Just to show it isn't a Toyota thing.
In the airlines, Emergency Path & Exit Lighting failures are required to be reported to the FAA. The Feds do NOT require reporting a "single re-lamp" because they know the mechanic can replace the bulb, turn around, and it can go out. Just no guarantee of any long life at all.
Two of my "50 year life" LED bulbs in the house have already shit the bed at three years old.

 

Fixing/replacing pool lights is no different.
You get 1 year warranty on the fixture and 30 days on the bulb.

 

Yeah, incandescent bulbs are not something I would think of as being covered. I had a reverse light go out and just bought replacements for all the bulbs in case more go out. Switching to LEDs can be a pain since you may or may not need adapters (you may get the "fast blink" because the computer thinks the bulb is out), and regular bulbs are super cheap. My experience with all types of LED lighting is that they do not last nearly as long as they claim, and they dim over time. I mainly use them to reduce power consumption.

They did replace my LED bed lights just before my 3 year warranty was up. One side was flickering, other side had a whole row of dead LEDs. I was prepared for them to say no, but got no argument.

 

Ha thanks for the laugh

 

What about wheel alignments if you've noticed a tire wearing unevenly...will they give you a new tire?...or will they even charge you for an alignment?

 

You get 1 free alignment under warranty (may have changed since I got mine done in 2018) But they wont do shit for tires, if there is a issue with the tire, it goes through the tire maker.

 

You can get 1 alignment done for free under the warranty.

 

My '09 came with the steelies and crappy Dunflops. Front right was wearing on the outside. Pressures were maintained, rotations done, it just wore like that. They checked alignment, balance, and everything was in spec. Made it about 30k before it was about to show belt. They wouldn't do anything but pro-rate the cost of new Dunflops, said that is about what to expect from those tires (they were unimpressed with them as well). Um, no thank you.

 

Under the 20k Toyota care oil change, the dealer said I needed air filters and they said I had to pay for it and Toyota care doesn’t cover air filters. I mentioned that it’s in the maintenance guide but they wouldn’t budge. I passed on it and that was the last time I went to the dealer.

 

Engine air filter is not covered, but the cabin filter is for the 20k. The cabin filter goes by several names, so it can get confusing there.

 

Most new cars have a separate warranty insert just for tires from the tire manufacturer.

 

The last time my Tacoma was at the dealer was the day I paid for it. Free oil changes through Toyota Care? AKA We'll scratch, ding or otherwise damage your ride at absolutely no cost. In the event you need warranty repair, we refuse that the condition exists or is "normal" Once warranty is up we will accurately diagnosis the problem at your expense.

I have some faith in Toyota, zero in dealerships. Buying Oil, filters and a few small parts here and there is a much better deal for me than talk to another self absorbed moron. In my experience the most annoying people are car dealer service managers and the 300 lb. Navy Seals that are assigned to hang out in every gun shop in the nation.

 

Bulbs and wipers are covered by the 12/12 warranty only as they are considered ware items, but are covered.
I would rather have factory wiper inserts they last longer.