Bit of a long story this but here goes..
I've had an intermittant problem with the wiring on my offside headlamp for a while now but I was always able to fix it myself. However on Sunday the corrosion had got to the point where the wires had basically had it.
I decided that an expert was needed but seeing as the pop-up headlight units are quite fiddly to take apart I thought it would be best to take the car to Toyota rather than any old garage who might not have worked on an MR2 headlight before.
I hate leaving my car at any garage, and avoid it if I can, the thought of some 17 year old mucking about with my car really worries me.
I rang Mr T and it was arranged that I would take my car down and they'd look at the problem and let me know how much it would cost to fix before carrying out any work.
So, I arrived at my local dealership at 09.30am yesterday and was greeted by the lady on the Servicing desk, she informed me that with every car they work on they do a free "Visual Safety Check" and me for my permission to let them do this, I said "no thankyou" and signed a form to say that I do not consent to the check being carried out. I know my car and had a mechanic friend of mine go over it with a fine toothed comb at the weekend, I dont want someone else poking around it.
By 3.30pm I still hadn't received a phone call to let me know how much it would cost so I rang them to be told that they went ahead and fixed it anyway and that I owe them £90.........right
So I went back down to cough up the readies and pick up my car. The lady at the service desk then informed me that the mechanic carried out a visual safety check for me anyway, (despite the fact that I said I didn't want it) and that he found that my brakes were badly corroded and binding very badly at the back therefore making the car dangerous and not safe to drive away from the dealership. At this point I'm pretty shocked that they had the nerve to do this. I had my brakes checked at the weekend by the friend I mentioned earlier who I should point out started out as a brake specialist and was headhunted by the sportscar maker Farbio thanks to his reputation, he had told me that the offside rear was binding ever so slightly but he could still rotate the wheel easily with one hand. He also said that there was a small amount of corrosion on the front but nothing to cause concern.
The Toyota lady asked if I'd like to leave the car with them to have the brakes repaired "NO". I paid up for the headlight repair and was handed my receipt which helpfully states that my car is unroadworthy and shouldn't be driven, thats going to be great to explain to any potential buyers.
Finally she said that I may receive a customer satisfaction survey through the post and asked if there is any reason why I wouldn't tick the box stating that I am "completely satisfied" with the service. It was at this point that I decided to let her have it.
I'm just very dissapointed that they've acted in this way, I think its a very cynical ploy that they use to fleece more money from people for unneccesary repairs. It worried me at first and I rang my mechanic friend to question him about the brakes and he was very pi$$ed off.
Not a happy bunny!
Very bad Toyota!
Moderators: IMOC Moderators, IMOC Committee Members
Re: Very bad Toyota!
moral of the story...
dont take the car to toyota for ANYTHING apart from ordering parts you can collect.
dont take the car to toyota for ANYTHING apart from ordering parts you can collect.
Re: Very bad Toyota!
I had a similar issue mate, i was quoted a price for a coolant change but on turning up they said i had been quoted the wrong price, £200 lesser.
I complained so they agreed to honour there quote, i sat in toyota for 3 hours waiting for them to finish, they finally turned up and said that they hadn't done any work to the car , just a safety check where coincidently they said that i needed a new radiator but nothing else and they were unwilling to do the coolant change because of this
I then got the manager plus someone else to sign some paper to honour the price but when i booked the car in the following week they said the manager had been sacked....
6 months later i went into toyota to order some paint and there was the manager, just standing there, still working...
i will never use toyota ever again, modern day cowboys
hope that cheers you up
I complained so they agreed to honour there quote, i sat in toyota for 3 hours waiting for them to finish, they finally turned up and said that they hadn't done any work to the car , just a safety check where coincidently they said that i needed a new radiator but nothing else and they were unwilling to do the coolant change because of this
I then got the manager plus someone else to sign some paper to honour the price but when i booked the car in the following week they said the manager had been sacked....
6 months later i went into toyota to order some paint and there was the manager, just standing there, still working...
i will never use toyota ever again, modern day cowboys
hope that cheers you up
Re: Very bad Toyota!
Very true - it's their opportunity to fleece you!
I stupidly agreed to a free visual safety check last year and apart from rubbishing my car and quoting stupid money to fix it they also broke my engine lid support clip, f*****s!
I stupidly agreed to a free visual safety check last year and apart from rubbishing my car and quoting stupid money to fix it they also broke my engine lid support clip, f*****s!
Re: Very bad Toyota!
Most stealers ARE lying, robbing, conning b#$%^&*\'s.....fact!
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Re: Very bad Toyota!
My local TOYOTA, Minories in Durham keep sending me mail saying '' According to our records your MOT and service is due '' ( when its not ) and that I need to ring them to arrange a time to book it in.
I think they are really struggling with business, parts are way overpriced and people now in todays climate will source alternative, cheaper aftermarket parts.
Extreme last resort leaving your chersihed MR2 with Mr T, do it at our own risk.
I think they are really struggling with business, parts are way overpriced and people now in todays climate will source alternative, cheaper aftermarket parts.
Extreme last resort leaving your chersihed MR2 with Mr T, do it at our own risk.
MR2 World Community www.michael-sheavills.co.uk
Re: Very bad Toyota!
I have to say, I have read on a number of times of Toyota making claims that peoples cars are unsafe to drive and trying to with-hold the vehicle and force people into large repairs.
Toyota and Kwik-Fit
Any relation there?
Toyota and Kwik-Fit
Any relation there?
Re: Very bad Toyota!
jimGTS wrote:moral of the story...
dont take the car to toyota for ANYTHING apart from ordering parts you can collect.
Oh believe me, having anyone other than myself or my trusted friend work on the car is always a last resort. In 4 1/2 years of owning this car that was only the second time its been to Toyota. The first was for a coolant service when I bought the car purely for my own piece of mind.
Re: Very bad Toyota!
AW11 Forever..! wrote:I think they are really struggling with business, parts are way overpriced and people now in todays climate will source alternative, cheaper aftermarket parts.
Theyv'e had it to good to long...fk them
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Re: Very bad Toyota!
This sort of thing is definitely happening quite a lot at the moment due to the fact that work is dropping due to the economy.
My little sister took her car in for an MOT, the car passed but when she came to collect it the garage told her the brake pads and discs were dangerously worn and needed replacing and that the car was un road worthy and dangerous to drive.
I swapped the pads and discs the week before, and they were brand new!
I called the garage on her behalf, asked the manager who advised her she needed repairs why they would give an MOT to a car with dangerous brakes, and that as I have only changed them the week before I will nip over to the garage so he can show me the dangerous levels of wear.
Long silence oh its ok sir we had a further check and it turns out they are indeed brand new!
My little sister took her car in for an MOT, the car passed but when she came to collect it the garage told her the brake pads and discs were dangerously worn and needed replacing and that the car was un road worthy and dangerous to drive.
I swapped the pads and discs the week before, and they were brand new!
I called the garage on her behalf, asked the manager who advised her she needed repairs why they would give an MOT to a car with dangerous brakes, and that as I have only changed them the week before I will nip over to the garage so he can show me the dangerous levels of wear.
Long silence oh its ok sir we had a further check and it turns out they are indeed brand new!
Re: Very bad Toyota!
Mike wrote:binding very badly at the back therefore making the car dangerous and not safe to drive away from the dealership.
I've had the opposite from a Toyota dealership (Pentagon Toyota in Barnsley). On around 3 occasions out of 4 (the time I told them to LEAVE THE HANDBRAKE ALONE!), they took it upon themselves to adjust a perfectly fine handbrake, and make it so that it holds on an incline even before the first click of the lever
Re: Very bad Toyota!
one of my previous MR2's failed its mot on brake discs and emissions, with Toyota quoting me a MINIMUM £1100 for it to pass the MOT, so told them where they could stick it....took it to anohter test station who said the brakes were fine. sounds like Toyota are just on the make, and im sure alot of people just pay up to save time.
Re: Very bad Toyota!
they are not shifting enough cars
have to make money some how
never been to a main stealer and i doubt i ever will (except for parts of course)
have to make money some how
never been to a main stealer and i doubt i ever will (except for parts of course)
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Re: Very bad Toyota!
yeah ive had this too went in for a new alternator to be fitted which was costing me a kidney only for them to ring me at work and say
"hello mr smith we found out why your alternator blew it was your head gasket"
to which i replied "ok and how much will that be?"
mr t (with much sucking of teeth): "£250"
i nearly died laughing and said id take it elsewhere but mr t was a little reluctant to let her go and so demanded that they leave everything other than the alternator alone.
i only go for parts now and get discount on major stuff because as they put it i spend so much there lmao
"hello mr smith we found out why your alternator blew it was your head gasket"
to which i replied "ok and how much will that be?"
mr t (with much sucking of teeth): "£250"
i nearly died laughing and said id take it elsewhere but mr t was a little reluctant to let her go and so demanded that they leave everything other than the alternator alone.
i only go for parts now and get discount on major stuff because as they put it i spend so much there lmao
Re: Very bad Toyota!
My local Toyota dealership hasn't a clue about MR2's. I took it in for a coolant change when I first got the car for peace of mind and left it there from half 9 in the morning. Came back at half 5...cars parked up in the space where I left it. Go into the guy at reception. Ask him how much I owe him. He tells me they didn't even move the car as they don't think it'll get on the lift? It clearly does get on the lift. At the time I had standard suspension and I would pressume Toyota don't supply their dealers with lifts that don't work with their own cars! They plainly hadn't a clue how to change the coolant as he quoted me 60 for a complete change including coolant that morning
Stealers eh!
Stealers eh!
Re: Very bad Toyota!
It still amazes me why people think just because the garage has a toyota sign that the car they leave won't be worked on by brainless 17 year old apprentices!!
My friend who has run his own back street garage for roughly 10 years recently took on an apprentice who'd been made redundant by the local renault garage. He'd completed nearly two years but still couldn't be trusted to change brake pads by himself!
My friend who has run his own back street garage for roughly 10 years recently took on an apprentice who'd been made redundant by the local renault garage. He'd completed nearly two years but still couldn't be trusted to change brake pads by himself!
96 Rev 3 Turbo, Done!
Re: Very bad Toyota!
Here is a new one for you...
spoke to a lad at work last night, he has a 53 toyota avensis.
his dash light had come on the previous week, he took the car to toyota, they checked for error codes, told him the turbo had overboosted, reset the code and charged him £50
I'm amazed they can get away with this...
spoke to a lad at work last night, he has a 53 toyota avensis.
his dash light had come on the previous week, he took the car to toyota, they checked for error codes, told him the turbo had overboosted, reset the code and charged him £50
I'm amazed they can get away with this...
Re: Very bad Toyota!
marty1 wrote:his dash light had come on the previous week, he took the car to toyota, they checked for error codes, told him the turbo had overboosted, reset the code and charged him £50
Stealership in Huddersfield wanted £35 from me for changing a wheel.
I decided not to do it myself as the car was under warranty and the factory fit sideskirts (on a 2001 Celica) prevented the use of the scissor jack at the rear. Even after I told them of the design flaw, they still wanted money - they didn't get it
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Re: Very bad Toyota!
When i bought my tubby i got it from a used car dealership. Very nice people, good service history with the car so nothing to worry about.
Anyway i noticed the temp gauge was fluctuating so i took it back and asked them to look at it. They performed a compression test and a leak down test. All was good apparently so they sent me on my way.
Problem was still there so took it to my MOT garage for them to do a sniffer test. Turned out positive and the HG was shot. I got this in writing and took the car back to the dealership. Explained the problem was still there so they had a look. Ran the same tests as before "everythings fine sir" so i said "oh really, well can you take a look at this piece of paper that clearly says the HG is shot". Long silence..........luckily the car was under warranty so they repaired it FOC.
Lying scumbags.
Anyway i noticed the temp gauge was fluctuating so i took it back and asked them to look at it. They performed a compression test and a leak down test. All was good apparently so they sent me on my way.
Problem was still there so took it to my MOT garage for them to do a sniffer test. Turned out positive and the HG was shot. I got this in writing and took the car back to the dealership. Explained the problem was still there so they had a look. Ran the same tests as before "everythings fine sir" so i said "oh really, well can you take a look at this piece of paper that clearly says the HG is shot". Long silence..........luckily the car was under warranty so they repaired it FOC.
Lying scumbags.
Re: Very bad Toyota!
This thread i so true is uncanny
My old car (Toyota Trueno) wasnt a Toyota apparently the parts monkey said to me
I then proceeded forthwith out of the door and havent been back since
I work for a Dealer too (not toyota) and yes they will rip you off to the hilt. Its not the mechanics fault its the reception that 'fabricate' paper work to suit
My old car (Toyota Trueno) wasnt a Toyota apparently the parts monkey said to me
I then proceeded forthwith out of the door and havent been back since
I work for a Dealer too (not toyota) and yes they will rip you off to the hilt. Its not the mechanics fault its the reception that 'fabricate' paper work to suit