[TACAV]

This is kinda on a different topic but I felt inclined to share a recent expirience I had with Toyota customer service.


Well last week I rolled my power drivers side window down to wipe off all the moisture so I could see. I hit the button to roll it back up and... it got stuck half way.

It shuttered to a stop and and the window would lean slightly forward. I thought maybe the window somehow got off track. I tried to straighten it back out but no matter what I did the window would not go back up.

It was raining. This occurred just after that huge storm the east coast just got over with. When I would try to hit the up button I could hear a shuddering sound near the front of the window.

I figured the window motor or the regulator broke. This is about a $120 part. My car is a 2007 model that was bought in late 2006. Kinda soon for a part like that to be breaking....

So I took it into the shop. I had a 3 year or 35,000 mile warranty.
My warranty was expired by a month and a half and my mileage was about 1,010 miles over the 35,000 mile mark.



Figures....things like that always happen to me, So I was kinda half expecting something like that.

They told me it would cost me $50 to have it looked over.... Fine.
Again I was expecting to pay at the most for a new window motor. Whatever ill deal with it and move on.

So after an hour or so they call me back over.

I dont even know how to explain this but long story short, one thing broke inside my door and this part caused something else to break and ultimately the interior welds broke... So I need a whole new door. My car has power windows and locks and side mirror with turn signal which is all a part of the door assembly. Which now needs to be replaced.

And my warranty again was just expired

While Im not exactly cash strapped, this is definitely going to impact my finances.

Being someone who has previously owned two Toyota cars in the past both of which never had a major problem and each having over 146,000 miles on them I was like "How does this happen!?!?!" This is the reason why my family and I switched over from GM cars a long time ago... Because they always had stupid problems with them.

The customer service rep told me she would speak with the district manager and get back to me.

By now I was thinking of one of my friends who drives a GMC SUV. He recently had a similar incident where a major part broke soon after his warranty expired and GMC basically told him "Too bad so sad..." This echoing my dad's previous experiences with Chevy back in the day...

I was mentally preparing myself to drop some serious coin to get my car fixed by someone.

Two days later I got a phone call.

Apparently a couple other people have been having the same issue, no where near enough for a recall or anything but enough to bring the extra attention to it.

Due to this "freak type situation" for lack of a better way to describe it they ordered all of the new parts, and they will replace everything and fix my car at no cost to me. They will cover everything even though my warranty was expired. They will even provide me with and pay for a rental car for the couple of days my car is being repaired. All I have to do is go drop it off at the service center, pick up my rental and they will call me back when its done.

Im so happy and relieved!

I know this should probably go on the Toyota web site but I had to share.

[White Rook]

Glad to hear it will get fixed for free. If it wasn't for Toyota coming here years ago and making great small cars, we would still be stuck with Pintos and Vegas. I try to buy American but my last Mercury was made in Mexico. Now I drive a Hyundai put together in Alabama by American workers.

[ArkansasHunter]

Count your BLESSINGS because car dealers do everything they can to make money and rape you.

I honestly think you should go out and celebrate your good luck.

I had this fantacy after retireing from a company I worked for 30 years to sale cars.

I went to work for our Ford dealership and part of the training was to work 3 day's in each department and then sit at a computer for 5 weeks to learn how to sell cars.

Your dealership may be different but what I learned is that some dealerships are dishonest and will beat you, take advantage of you and the service departments will charge you for work they don't do.

Like I said count your blessings. I completed the course and then quit.

[Big Dog]

Is it any wonder Toyota is now the biggest auto seller in the US? Try getting that kind of service from the Big Three.......

I drive a Toyota too.

[pico]

My wife and I have a Corolla and Sienna. The reason we have been so pleased with them is that the service departments both in Florida whre we made the purchases and here in Iowa have been outstanding, plus the vehicles have had nothing go wrong with them. After the bailouts and Uncle Sugar intervention, I would perhaps look at a Ford, but never buy a GM or other US made car not under the Ford banner.

[captsquirrel]

That's good news. My wife and I both drive Toyota's. We had a problem with the wife's Camry a few years ago but nothing major. My '95 pickup has over 155,000 miles and is still in decent shape. And it was built in Fremont,CA. Coincidentally at the old GM plant that had shut down years before.

[Kaybe]

Thanks for the information. My dad worked at GM for almost 20 years and my father in law retired from there. But, I will NEVER buy another American car if I can help it. Too much crap, drama and being lied to at the dealership. I have heard so much good stuff about the Japanese cars from friends who have them. Good service is hard to find. When you find it, stick to it. Thanks for the story

[iflylow74]

Glad to hear that TACAV!! I also own a Toyota. I bought a 2009 Tacoma last year and I love it! The main reason I bought it was because I knew Toyota made a good truck and they stood behind them. I would have rather bought a Chevy but with all the big 3 drama, I decided against it.

[srt 10 jimbo]

Got Rice?

[RockB]

Think of all the money you just saved. Now you can go buy another lead launcher

[Big Dog]

My main riding buddy owns two Toyota trucks, the smaller Tacoma and the newer Tundra. His wife owns a well-used Camry. They swear by their 'Toymotors'......

These days, Toyota IS an American car - more so than the majority of Ford, GM and Chrysler cars.

[Windwalker]

Thanks for the post. Seems like Toyota went the extra mile with their customer service. I am looking for a used vehicle that will get better mileage than my 1999 Ford F-150 Exctend a cab V-8. I will look at a used Toyota, maybe a mini-van.

[KYbigblue]

All Toyota Camry's are built here in Kentucky...quite a contrast to all Corvette's also built here in Kentucky!

[scienceman]

Toyota's are traditionally great cars. My Brother in law had a small Toyota truck he put an amazing amount of miles on. I have never owned a Toyota. Always had Chevy and never had a problem with service ........They have always taken care of me and until they became government motors i had no intention of changing.......I will probably go with a ford next time round.

[cr107]

I got a 2000 Tundra my dad bought in 99 that is now mine. with over 115,000 miles and no problems. had a recall on the brake system when they first came out but they fixed it free of charge.

[ALR]

Maybe US auto mfgs should not pay the workers so much, then they can afford to fix the problems in the field instead of screwing the buyers like they were screwed by the workers.

[BunnyWabbit]

I was looking at Toyota's when I bought my Honda. I don't know about their service department, but the sales department, at least in Topeka, sucks. They were the reason why I didn't get the AWD Toyota Matrix I had wanted. I will say, Honda has bent over backwards in calling me to see if I had any questions or issues with my car. They even gave me three free oil changes for going to a new customer orientation, they even fed all of us. It was quite the production they put on, I was impressed. My last truck I bought, I was supposed to get a free car wash, they forgot to give me the coupon, I called twice and still never got it. They are out of business now. Good service and sales is hard to find.

BTW, a friend of mine was a mechanic for Ford, and before that Chevy. He ended up leaving both places because their distribution of work and hour cutting was starving these poor guys.

[Chris]

Congrats on the great service from Toyota. I'm glad to see a company stand behind their product.