Toyota...Really?

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Business must be very slow at Toyota. Took my 430 (Chick Car, HA!)in for an oil change. Advertised special $69.95. Toyota is alway cheaper than Lexus besides there is no dealer out here. Up to 5 quarts, filter, yada, yada. I also wanted to get my tires rotated and balanced. I get a call from them and they tell me that they have to charge me more for a rotation and balance because of the allen bolts holding the pie plate cover on the wheels!! I said what the heck are you talking about, they are STOCK wheels. I could see it if they were aftermarket and you needed a special tool but c'mon dude!! He offered to split the difference with me.....so I asked what is the normal charge? I could tell he was guestimating. After I gave him crap I agreed to $25 but it just ticked me off. Then I get the bill and they charged me for washer fluid. I told him that's funny, I just filled it before I came in. He just stared at me. I also got charged for 6 quarts of oil and I know it only takes 5 with a filter (4.9 to be exact). He said it took a bit more than 5, maybe 5.2 and they round up to the next quart....I told him then give me the partial bottle. He couldn't because it was bulk. I told him I would be back with my own bottle and I want what I paid for!! I left before I got even more heated. Worst mistake they made, they gave me a comment card to fill out Rant over. Dealers wonder why they get such a bad wrap!!



TOXIC

 

[TritonGlenn]

That is why I don't take my trucks to dealers anymore. My neighbors look at me like I'm some hillbilly or something, but I do all my own oil changes, differentials, tire rotations, brakes, and anything else I am really comfortable with. Stealerships should be regulated a lot more than they are. I hate going there unless I absolutely have to.



Sorry you had problems. I fully agree with your reasons for getting ticked off. I would have been too. But with my lack of tolerance for incompetence lately, the minute they called me to charge me extra for taking the stock covers off the wheels, I would have went down there, picked up my vehicle, and went somewhere else.



All the best,

Glenn

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

TG,



I try to do my own maintenance unless I run into something too big for my taste. My jeep is all mine, easy to work on and I have done everything since new (it is a 93). I would do my truck but since I am sponsored by chevy, it's free and all I have to do is get it to the dealer. The Lexus is another beast. Low slung and although I have ramps, it is just easier for me to drop it off and pick it up. Besides I don't have a tire balancer in the garage!!:lol::lol: Lesson learned, I am going to give them strict instructions when I go in the future. I am also going to voice my displeasure via the survey. I know dealerships take them very seriously. I was hot when I left and that doesn't happen too often and just to top it off, the gas station went up 35 cents a gallon between the time I dropped it off and picked it up!! I shoulda filled up on the way there



TOXIC

 

[TOMMY RICH]

No dealers for me unless it's something covered under warranty.



I've even had a few "Free" oil changes at the dealer and the stupid SOB's have overfilled my truck and car twice now. Also had to wait about an hour and a half each time when they told me just a few minutes:wacko:

Geez...I can do it in ten minutes.

 

[Randy Walls]

It is like health care. Everyone is trying to find any reason they can to make a buck.



My doctor used to have "re-checks" in which we didn't have to pay. Now you have to make an appointment and therefore they can now charge the insurance for an office visit!!!!!



Doc told me this is the health companies reasons for doing so.



Wish I could round up on the fish I catch ... all of them would be 2 - 3lbs!!!!!



Randy

 

[Berry Lindley]

I really think this varies by region/dealer. I've not had much trouble myself.

 

[Jim B]

Arent these idiots just great they try to leach every cent out of you that they can. My vehicles never see the delaer or any other shop for unless its warranty then it goes to the dealer. The only thing i ever have maintained at a dealer is my boat and the only reason i do is because Bob B is the guy that runs the place and i trust him, he has always been straight and honest with me.



I have seen a few real nice ones over the years too.



My sister had a Ford Escort that needed struts, tie rod ends and lower control arms replaced. I tackled the lower control arms, rod ends and while i was at it i put front front brake pads and new rotors on it since they were just about done. The only thing i couldnt do were the struts(i dont own a spring compressor) so she had to take it somewhere to have them replaced. The jerks at the place she brought it tried to tell her she needed new lower control arms, rod ends and brakes too. She was like "like the ones my brother just put in my car yesterday?" They played dumb and she had to fight with them and threaten to call the cops just to get her keys so she could leave and go somewhere else that has come morals.



My all time favorite was on my Dodge Dakota when the upper ball joints failed under warranty. The moron at the dealer calls me after the truck has been there for an hour or so and says he cant cover the repair. I ask him why and he replies "Have you ever thought about putting grease in those balljoints?" WTF???? How can you grease a "greased for life" part that has no freaking zerk on it? At that point I just went ballistic, when i told him i dont know how i could be expected to put grease in them when there are no zerk fittings he had no response and played dumb. I ended up yelling at him, the service manager and the GM of the dealership and they all refused to budge telling me it was a lack of maint issue which was total BS, they just wanted to pry ~$1400 out of me for a repair if they could. I ended up picking up the truck, fixed it myself, registered a complaint with dodge and demanded to be reimbursed for my time and the parts. The shocker is they actually paid for the parts and i told them that the job took 4 hours and i figured my time was worth $100 per hour and they paid it. They paid it again when they recalled the trucks for the balljoints as well.

 

[Mike Clayton]

Tox, I know your experience was with Toyota but all of the "stealerships" are much the same as I am a Honda ( fan ) but not so much with the dealer here. I guess there are so many people who do pay the prices that they charge without fussing cause they don't know any better or don't care or even " have trust " with them that we are in the minority. I called my Honda dealer to find out what they would charge to replace my disc on my truck and they wanted over $240....I told them that my rotors were fine and did not need resurfacing but they said they won't do the job without doing that....ended up doing the disc myself for $100 and only took me couple of hours since I had to jack up each wheel at a time.

 

[Texas Transplant]

All mechanics have the same 'Mother'! It's not 'if' you are going to get shafted, it's more of 'when' and 'how often'.



Saying that knowing full well I'm dropping my Caddy off in the morning to have the A/C Compressor/Dryer/etc replaced. It's shot and I really don't have any 'regular mechanic' that I have used/trust in the area. The dealer has been 'fair enough' so far, and their work has been good - so I'm going there. I do get the conveinence of a free loaner, and they have given me a ball park estimate.



Tex

 

[Jeff Daubert]

Having a mechanic you can really trust is a god send!!!

 

[Jim in VA]

Tox - they aren't called "stealerships" for nothing!! Hate them myself. Luckily, wife and I have at least two different shops where we trust the mechanics. One of them is a Firestone Service Center where I personally know the manager of the store and the regional corporate manager. Helps to be in the industry!



Oh, and the OEMs hate dealerships almost as much as customers. The lion's share of profitability in the auto industry is in the retail sale and service side and dealerships have it locked up thanks to antiquated state franchise laws. Only one OEM (Tesla) has been able to open all its own stores, but I don't know how long we'll be able to keep at it. The NADA is one of the more powerful lobbying groups in WDC and among the state legislators.

 

[Jimmy Easterling]

Just a thought, I work at a Career Center for high school students and the Automotive Department takes in outside work for students to get experience. They have been taking care of my 2000 Tundra since it was new.