Oil & Filter Change Thursday - Dealer

I wish we had a DIY facility. In fact, I once tossed around making an investment like that(opening one) for our motorcycle community.

 

I got in an accident, had the body shop owned by my local yota dealership do the body work. On the test drive after they repaired it, clearly something was still wrong. After the usual I’m not the dumb ass you are trying to make me out to be, a shop Forman or what ever they were, rode with me and agreed in about 2 minutes, I was in fact correct and something was fucked up still. I was told it had already been to the dealership, but they would send it back. It was a wheel baring that need to be replaced. I get my truck back and every thing seems ok. About a year later I get new sneakers and rims for my truck, but one side rubbed, but the drivers side front didn’t. I measured and the passenger front wheel was close to the front of the truck than was the drivers. After going to the dealership and them telling me all kinds of bull shit reasons, I decided to revisit the body shop. After pressing them, they agreed that something wasn’t right, but told me it wasn’t their fault as it was aligned properly as part of the wheel barring work. Showed me on the paperwork where the insurance company was charged. In our conversation I kept pushing, so the manager says, “I’ll go get the spec sheet from the alignment, watch yours will be the one that the paperwork got lost.” About 10 minutes later they return, and guess what my alignment paperwork was in fact missing. They call the dealership, who also can’t find any record of the alignment. Their quick fix was to pay for a new alignment, thing about the days I spent fighting with them, nothing about how my tires wore odd, nothing about how they were screwing folks.

 

Can we be like Amsterdam EVERYONE on a bicycle Jk

 

I think most insurance companies extend coverage for a year post repair? I think. Should something like that ever happen again? Help like that would save you some headaches, hopefully.

 

I don't like to talk about my bad experiences with dealer service because even after decades I still get angry if I think about any of my bad experiences. In your case you might send an email to Toyota Corporate and perhaps more importantly give the dealer a shitty review online.

I take my vehicles to a local non-profit shop where I'm happy to pay their standard prices...the profits help needy people buy and maintain vehicles. I tell them I just want them to pamper my vehicles like their own. I'm retired and enjoy cooking so I bring them home-made muffins regularly.

Last week we used a local repair shop for the first time to fix a nasty scratch and tiny dent on the fender of my wife's CRV. It looked perfect and I told them it looked great and I admired their work. The man said "that's the way it's supposed to be". They got muffins the next day.

 

This place may have been lifetime as long as you own the vehicle.

 

@Gumpus can we ditto your local non profit and pass it around

 

@Moon Landing You know what gripes me is that we worked / still working hard for that dough to buy / bought that vehicle and in the end no one gives 2 hoots but us ! It's sad out there. What has become of this world ??

 

I am sorry you got screwed by the stealership, I really am.

I got real lucky when I moved up here. I found a mechanic that specializes in 4WD's. They absolutely LOVE their Toyotas, too. Almost all of them have at least one older Toyota 4WD, whether a pickup, or 4Runner, or whatever. He also does repairs of anything they mess up for free. They don't argue about it either. They attitude is "We touched it, and it's broken, we fix it."
Example: I took my 99 4Runner to him to replace the knock sensors that were causing a CEL. He put in after market, Napa sensors. Nope, still had the CEL. I told him to go with OEM from the dealer. He did, free, problem solved. Sort of. When they bumped the water control valve while removing the intake manifold to change the knock sensors, it disintegrated. He replaced it, again, free. Finally, after I got it home, I had a strong fuel smell. Back I went again. When I got there, he came out to see what was the trouble, and immediately said "Whoa! THAT's not any good!" Turned out they had pinched the seals on one of the injectors. Again, they fixed it, free!

Ever since, it's run like a finely made watch. I'm gonna keep going to this guy as long as he's in business! His workers may make mistakes, heck, we all do, but they acknowledge their errors, and then fix it, no charge.

I think I know why the stealership didn't change your oil filter, though. After all, you said it was covered in spider webs. Arachnophobia is a tough thing to get through, after all. They were just too scared to do the oil filter!
That's all a joke, about the spider webs, BTW...

Good luck getting the situation remedied. I hope they do the right thing, and do a free oil and filter change, at least.
Pat☺

 

Too many think they're emune to it happening to them ........until it lands on their doorstep. Then, they cry the loudest.

 

Sounds like you found the right place, for sure.

Late this summer we had an invasion of little spiders, crazy. About three times a week I was out knocking down webs.

 

Hey !! Thanks for posting that Link. Very useful. I checked out my dealer and everyone gives them 5 stars. So I guess I will continue to use them. I have my first complementary maintenance due in about 2,500 miles. Come to think of it, I never had a problem with their service for the 11 years owning my FJ Cruiser.

Moon: Sorry to hear about your experience. It could genuinely be considered fraud. But yes, better to not make decisions when your angry.
What you might try: Send a brief letter by regular mail to the owner of the dealership along with copies of the (non) work. Address the envelope in your own handwriting using a green flair pen. Nowadays, people are so use to getting emails and texts, that an old-fashioned letter will often get noticed right away.

 

@rickystl GOOD food out that ways The BBQ nom nom

 

Local. One has no rating. Which I didn't go to. The other is a 3.9?

 

Ah you live in kommiefornia, my condolences.

 

TOYOTA Mobile Service ( there's an idea ) what would the Car Care Nut say? Doesn't Mercedes Benz have such a thing ? If I see you in a UNIMOG I wouldn't blame you !

 

Damn. I guess I’m gonna miss my ‘08 Tacoma with the oil filter right there when you pop the hood…

 

Yes you will!!

 

When I used to rent an apartment in the city I did the oil changes in the parking lot, got a big trash bag under and got to the business, nobody told me anything. But I understand why some folks go to a mechanic, sometimes you are visiting or staying at a hotel for extended time. Although $20-30 would buy an oil jug and a funnel. Plus maybe another 20-30 for getting the tools, if you don't have any with you.

 

Tools, knowledge and proper equipment aren't a problem here. It's as simple as not having a place to perform the maintenance. If I could get it in the garage it wouldn't be a problem, but the garage is full of motorcycles and lifts. Pretty hard for the HOA to ding me for what I do when the garage door is closed. Out of sight out of mind...

 

Now see, that's a lot of spider webs. The little critters that left them are around someplace. NOW we see why they didn't do the work!

Doesn't bother me, I'm not scared of them. My lovely WIFE sure is, but she got bitten by a black widow, right in the small of the back while she was in bed. Sneaky little buggers! She spent a few days in the Hospital, suffering like a SOB. I can see her point.
Now, she sees anything resembling a black spider, she starts screaming for me at the top of her lungs. Even if I'm sitting right beside her. I squash it flat, and throw it outside, all is well again.

See, maybe one of the mechanics had gotten bitten at some pint in the past, and now, those little glimmers in the air around the work area were enough to make him back off.

Anywho, I wish you the very best of luck getting this squared away.
Pat☺

 

So the HOA will not let you have an oil change in front of your house? I am asking bc I used to do mine in the parking lot and nobody said anything. Granted, that wasn't in California... (no pun intended)

 

I wish. Sometimes we have to work with what we've got. I'm doing my best for now but a change of address is coming. Just not sure when? The world's in too big of a mess at the moment to be making those kinds of decisions. imo

 

the wife and I are running into a similar situation. Needless to say this is the last HOA I will ever live in. I’m parked on a dirt spot on the side of my house….they have threatened to fine me for it unless I put cement down. If there is cement, it’s all good

 

Hope your wife is doing well.

I too, as a kid was munched on by a black widow(unknownst to me she had moved into my cardboard fort) ..... and got me on the top of the foot. Honest injun here, it became so infected there was fear of amputation(early 1950's). The long haired Colonel(Mom)put her foot down(no pun intended) and over several months things improved. I still carry the scar to this day. Then, as if that wasn't enough, a brown recluse got me in my early 50's. Fortunately modern medicine in conjunction with a poison control center got me through that one fairly quickly.

If ya live long enough sh.t's gonna happen.

 

Okay. Paid the dealer a visit this morning and the service director and I conversed about a lot. The meeting went well and a potential friendship was formed(we have a lot in common). I now have his work number and personal cell. From this point forward he'll be handling all future appointments and or problems. He also tossed in some perks which more than offset the cost of my last appointment and the additional trip to see him.

Starting over can work, but time is the teller of all truths so wish us luck

 

Damn!

Where was that brown recluse hiding?

 

Stupid me. It was 0 dark thirty, a friend called and I ended up setting out on the porch stoop yakking away. Was wearing shorts and the sneaky little booger crawled down the back of my shorts and bit me on the butt. Took a few days for trouble to set in, but when it did, it wasn't pretty. For several years after the fact, a sore would develop at the original bite sight, that finally subsided. Crazy!

 

Why'd they drop the skid if they weren't going to replace the filter, I wonder?