Dealership Experience

I haven’t found a way to file a complaint with Toyota. Lithia Auto was supposed to contact me yesterday and didn’t.

I’ll be having a sign made today and will be out front of their dealership with that and some printed copies of the reviews for potential buyers.

I figure if I can save 4-5 people my experience that will make up for the $6000 or so they cost me in interest and the harm to my credit.

 

https://support.toyota.com/s/questions-comments?language=en_US

I don't know if my complaint was the trigger, but the service manager is no longer with the dealership where they damaged wife's new vehicle during warranty repair and basically said to fsck off.

 

Thanks VTL, I just followed that link and shared my experience. At the end it said my complaint has been forwarded to that dealership…

 

There's a human being behind those feedbacks at Toyota. I actually called Toyota later, when my issue with the dealer started to escalate further, and they told me they have very little control over independent dealerships. Perhaps, they could only reduce the dealer's new vehicles quote, which will hurt his business more than saving cents on screwing Toyota customers up.

At the end, the overall experience with Toyota was not very good. Wife's vehicle is still not done, two months later, multiple trips, zillion calls. I guess, I'm spoiled by the other car brand I switched from. That one POS in reliability, but the dealership experience (with more than one dealer) was generally positive.

This taught me to do a warranty and recall work myself. Because it is cheaper, saves time and has a higher quality at the end. For my Tundra I did the blinkers wire harness safety recall myself. Will do the fuel pump myself too when time comes, though it is recalled by Toyota and can be replace for free. But no way I'm going to any dealer again.

 

VTL, it’s so funny you say that. The wife and I were talking this morning and I told her I just can’t wrap my head around it. Toyotas are great vehicles, there’s absolutely no reason they treat customers bad except for greed.

I’ve had a couple bad experiences lately with this dealership, a realtor, and just people in general and it’s left me really disheartened in our society. It just seems like people put as much interest into screwing people over as it takes just to do the right thing. There’s little honor and integrity in our society (IMO). It breaks my heart.

 

Same. I keep doing my stuff the best I could, but I'm probably in a dying species cohort. Sad to say that, but emotionless AI doing most of human work is probably a good thing, since it will never slack and do a crappy job.

 

Principle Toyota in Memphis, TN.

I bought my 2006 two years ago. Since I didn't know the maintenance history, I decided to bring it to the "experts" to check it out. They offered me a total vehicle inspection and assured me "they would go over the entire truck with a fine tooth comb." When I went to pick up my truck, they handed me paperwork simply recommending maintenance based on mileage. To top it off, two weeks prior I had replaced my wiper blades. At home I park under a tree, so I get small twigs and pine needles falling and resting on top of the wipers. The paperwork suggested that I buy new wiper blades. I looked and the twigs and pine needles were still resting on the wipers. So they recommended new wiper blades without even turning the wipers on.

 

The same dealer where they did a warranty repair, they did a free oil change and tire rotation. I month later I was installing Timbren bump stops and found the rear wheels frozen to the wheel hubs badly. They were never touched. In MA it takes at least a year for the wheels to rust to hubs. I looked at the front wheels bolts, they were new and never touched. I touched the rear wheels and bolts there had the slight markings.

I also checked if they replaced the oil. They did, but overfilled the engine.

These two tasks are the simplest, yet they screwed up.

 

Yeah that is kind of my worry with my extended warranty and lifetime oil changes. If I piss them off am I gonna get some kind of retribution?
Of course this is the same service dept that inspected my original Tundra and somehow “missed” three times that the frame and crossmembers were cut to install what they told me was a simple body lift. The sales manager said it was an easy miss since they weren’t looking for it. Then the clown goes on to tell me he knows the previous owner really well. So I’m sure they were just hoping someone would buy it and be ok with the tire and wheel issues that lead to me discovering the chop job.

 

Just had 60k service there (Fred Anderson Toyota Charleston). Nothing crazy with the exception of the 4x4 service (flush/gasket/fluids). I just swapped out to RCI plates due to destroying the oem one. They forgot to install front sub frame bolts and didn’t properly tighten the mid frame support deep carriage bolts => lost one one the way home. Should have crawled under the truck following service although I feel like I shouldn’t have to at a dealership. More frustrating is we swapped from Hendricks Toyota North Charleston because of garbage service as well. So now my options are limited and looks like I will just do my own maintenance. Still waiting to see if service manager will call back (gave them the option to try to rectify).

Threw on the oem front sub frame skid bolts and a random garage bolt for now to hold the skids. I swear, with prices of our vehicles = that of Lexus (wife has sequoia trd pro) service should be on point similar to Lexus type. Makes me wish we would have went with Lexus for the wife just for service department.

 

I was asked to add a photo to my review on Google Reviews because two days and three phone calls to Lithia Motors have gone unreturned

 

As a Christian, I've been around long enough to know that it's absolutely worthless and a waste of time to wade into this particular subject of discussion.

Agree about the political observation, though.

 

Awww man, I was just getting ready to be hypocritical too.

 

Thanks, Sean.

 

Absolutely!

 

Sorry to interrupt the theological debate but I wanted to update my experience with the Billings Lithia Toyota Dealership.

After several attempts to engage Lithia Corporate with zero success I was contacted by the sales manager I had dealt with. Not the General Manager, no one from corporate, or anyone from Toyota.

The sales manager apologized for what had happened. At first he tried to sugar coat the incident by saying they had gotten me out of a vehicle I didn’t like and we debated that for a moment until I pointed out that legally you need to tell someone if the frame of a vehicle has been compromised and that the vehicle still had a “Toyota Certified Used Vehicle“ placard on it.

We ended the conversation with him acknowledging that the dealership had treated me poorly and did not use the lowest rate I qualified for (by more than 3%). As he wasn’t there he couldn’t explain why it had happened…”but you can now refinance with USAA or another financial institution”. I told him that was completely unacceptable and he admitted that. He said there was nothing the dealership could or would do for me, and I told him I wasn’t asking for anything, but that I was not removing my Negative reviews or withdrawing my complaints with the BBB and Consumer Protection Agency. He told me he understood and that yeah they are out there for everyone to see. I also told him there would be no way I’d recommend the dealership to anyone, but that I’ll come there for service as I paid for lifetime oil changes and a warranty.
The conversation ended politely.

I consider it over and done with and have move on. But beware dealerships like this

 

I take it your lifetime oil changes can't be transferred to another dealership? I'd be hesitant to let anyone there touch my truck.

 

Yeah the problem is the nearest dealership would be Bozeman, which is 2 1/2 hours away.

I considered canceling it and my warranty and going with an aftermarket warranty and using a local shop to change my fluids.

the Sales Manager said they hope they can win back my business

 

I hope you still plan to hoist the sign in front of the dealership this weekend.

 

Service advisor: Do you need a shuttle ride anywhere while you wait for your oil change, sir?

Rich: No thank you. I'll just be out in front of the dealership with my sign about how you guys screwed me.

 

I like it!

 

Oh I’m gonna fit in just fine here

 

Looking forward to reading the after-action report on the signage.

 

Holy cow, the good times just keep rolling with Lithia Toyota of Billings…..‍♂️.

One Friday I was driving across town and got the “bing” and an orange triangle with the exclamation point. Says RCTA and Blind Spot Sensor Unavailable.

So I drop by Toyota because I have a 60 day warranty that covers everything, no questions asked. So the lady is checking me in and says “geez I really hope that storm we had Friday didn’t cause this” because I came by Friday and showed them the error. I ask why that would matter and she tells me rain isn’t covered. I say “you guys told me there was a 60 day no questions asked warranty on used vehicles”

“Well there is. But it covers like 90% of things, this may not be one of them”

.

I immediately walk to the Finance Manager and tell him to cancel my extended warranty (2 years for $2353 that covers the drive train). He tells me since I’m refinancing the vehicle through USAA (because this dealership only finances through Toyota Financial) that I should wait two months before I cancel or the money could get lost and I’ll never get the refund.

I lived in Vegas almost 20 years…so I’ve seen some really scummy dealerships…but Billings Lithia Toyota may be the worst dealership I’ve ever seen.

 

F&I is all commission. If the policy is canceled within the first 60 days then he gets no commission. That is why he wants you to wait.

 

I I’ve been considering an aftermarket warranty. I searched but don’t see a lot of talk about them. Endurance has been pestering me all day with emails since I inquired about their policies.
What you guys think? Is it worth considering? 66,500 miles. Carfax says it’s been pretty well maintained? Would I be better off just putting money aside for issues?

 

My 2008 has 190,000 miles and no major repairs. Depends on your financial situation. Is the truck paid off? Could you afford a $5,000 repair bill if it hit you next month? If something were to go out then it would probably not be more than $3,000 - $3,500. If it were another brand vehicle then buy the warranty. With a 2018 Tundra I would set aside $2,500 and not purchase a warranty but only if you could afford to chip in an additional $500 to $1,000 out of your monthly budget.