Oil & Filter Change Thursday - Dealer

Paid for, when I also let them rob me to enter the 5th tire sensor ID#

Question: Should the filter housing still have a light coat of dust all around it? Should there be a spider web hanging beneath it? We all know the answer.....I'm just a bit pissed!

And yet they automatically send us this garbage.

Service writers text yesterday morning. Had not answered it yet.
Mr.xxxxx, it's xxxxxx@Toyota xxxxx xxx xxxx. Thank you for allowing us to service your vehicle. Was your visit Truly Exceptional?

I sent him this text in response to his text from yesterday...... of which, he has not responded.

Good morning XXXXX. Short answer goes like this. Just now crawled under the truck and the oil filter housing has dust all over it, is surrounded by spider web's and there's zero indication a tool, or hand, ever touched it. What does that say to you, my friend?

Shortly after sending him my response I got this email. Coincidental? Probably, but talk about poor timing.

"Your feedback is important to us. The information you provide will help Toyota Motor Sales, its distributors, its affiliates, and Toyota of The Desert continuously improve customer experiences."

Damn! Damn! Damn!

EDIT: post #48

 

Do we all need to go get TOYOTA certified to do the proper maintenance so sounds like it.

 

I'm thinking AT LEAST your money back. I wouldn't even let them change it for free as an apology. Is this your local dealer? Hopefully not where you purchased? They need to be internet famous for their crime. FRAUDS!

 

Time and action on their part or the lack thereof will dictate where I go with this.

Not the dealer I purchased from but one of the local ones, whom everyone I spoke with praised. Only one of them is a car person though.

With it being Saturday the Service writer could be off, so I'll let things simmer until Monday. For the record the oil was replaced, not the filter. I know the thinking behind why it wasn't replaced(good for 10K), but don't know who made the call? The oil change boy, or higher up? Still, I was charged for a filter.

EDIT: Just occurred to me.......call me slow....because I'm not of a crooks mind, but perhaps this is where e b a y parts come from?

 

I did rotation and oil change and a bit of fluid film
Peace of mind 1.25 hours
The goons at my dealership pissed me off

 

I hear ya. It's against the 'rules' where I live or I'd have done it.

 

The dealer did that to me once, no filter change. That was the last visit to any dealer for me. If I can’t do it myself I’ll go to a trusted independent mechanic.

 

Now you have extra leverage, because they charged you for something you did not receive. Maybe you remember everything that occurred in Sears Auto Centers and the sting operation and what happened to them? I would love to be there for a not so thinly veiled threat is dropped on the service manager. You could settle for a new 4Runner at your color or specifications to go along with your current one?

 

I love that Toyota offers 2 years free maintenance. I won’t touch it lol. Too many horror stories and my own personal bad experiences. $250 for quality jack and jack stands and $100 basic mechanic tool kit. Life time of cheap maintenance. I’ve been doing it for years, but YouTube for people learning is a fantastic tool.

 

Pretty much falls under the category of "fraud." I worked at a Honda/Accura/Lexas dealership and there were 2 people who got fired over doing stuff like this. One Oil/Lube Tech and a Mid-level Tech. If it was the parts/ Service Counter that fat fingered the ticket, not paying attention, then 100% get your money back. If they were supposed to replace it at the time, and didnt, I would get it done buy them along with some freebie if you can. But then I would find another place. And a sternly written YELP review is always fun to read as well Trust is hard to earn back sometimes...

 

Honestly. I'm still a little shocked it happened and am kinda glad I have the weekend to mull it over. At this point it is not about the filter but the 'reason' it wasn't R & R'd. I tried to make it clear to the service-writer the only reason I was there was because I can't perform maintenance where I live and that I'd be paying attention to the work they performed. It's clear he wasn't listening, or didn't care. Call it ego, but I'm shocked this happened........to me.

 

4runner is a pretty easy oil change

 

No doubt. If you live where you can do one.

 

True, which makes it twice as pathetic for the dealer!

 

On my Tacoma I had heavy 3/8” steel skid plates. The front skid was around 50-60 pounds and the dealer would charge me 50 bucks to remove it but the oil change was free as I purchase the maintenance package. Anyways I got suspicious of them not actually doing the oil change and just topping it off.

So I took some torque seal from work and sealed every bolt on the skid plate. After oil change every bolt was still sealed. Meaning the skid plate did not come off. I called them out on it. They swore it was changed but I know it was bullshit.

I do every oil change and tire rotation myself now. Dealers are shady and dishonest. I wouldn’t allow them to get away with it. I’d have them change the oil again and refund your money. Only fair IMO as you’ll have to waste another 2-4 hours of your life at the dealer.

 

I know they dropped the skid on mine because I had recently coated the bolts and screws with anti-seize and put them back without smearing it all over the skid. It's now smeared.

 

when you think about it, everybody makes a mistake. There is also good mechanics and bad mechanics, just like there are good cops and bad cops, and good cooks and bad cooks, etc... I would recommend you find a mechanic and service writer you feel confident and good about and stick with them.

I work at a dealership, and I admit that there are some techs that don't take pride in their work, just like in any other field, but again, there are some tech that are good honest hard workers in life.

 

I agree 100% with everything you stated. Everything.

And fwiw, I respect you for your work ethic.

 

I would give them the worst review rating to toyota corp. Its seems that they jumped out of the circle of TRUST. Hell I'm upset as a fellow owner that they would do that ! Where are the consumers rights ?



https://images.app.goo.gl/GKMy7i9kgYt77wGs9

Maybe time to cancel my plan ! Happened to me when they said then performed an alignment / tire rotation.

I took my Tacoma ( few years back ) to Good Year down the road. I'm uncertain about these Stealers.

Js

 

I'm reconsidering the wisdom of having purchased these......that's for certain.

‘Zero’ deductible 100K/6 yr warranty & 75K/5 yr ‘free service’ contract.

 

warranty is worth it if you are leaving it stock. Service, I would skip

 

How does TOYOTA sell this when its a s crew j o b

 

Understand. My selling dealer includes under verbal warranty, anything they add to the truck. Which sounded reasonable to me at the time.

 

@Moon Landing, do you know of a non-dealership trusted mechanic you can go to once the dust settles, and this is made right (if possible) by this dealer? Might be time to look them up, and possibly some sort of refund on the 'service contract'.

 

Your point is well received and I'm mulling all that over. That said, it's disappointing as hell to have to be reconsidering decisions made eight months ago. Such is life

 

Hmmm. What to do…
Work is performed and recorded on a checklist so you have to assume the non-filter change was deliberate and fraudulent. And this is not the first time for this tech and accomplice. So after getting your refund or whatever remedy you want you may have to consider what to do to prevent this from happening again to you or anyone else.
Use the same dealer but insist on observing the work performed, try a different dealer, use an independent mechanic, find a DYI garage facility…?
And spread the word through personal contact, social media, complain to Toyota, BBB, etc…
Sorry you experienced this, a real PITA.
Please keep us informed.

 

The days of a handshake are far gone.

 

Man oh man......don't ya know, and I'm not far behind

 

@Moon Landing are you aware of >> https://www.dealerrater.com/

 

Nope! but I am now. Thanks