Trusting Toyota Service Department

[bmarchand]

FYI, I was skeptical and trusted my Toyota dealership service department to be honest and tell the truth that they completed the services. Now I know it's true, you can't trust them.

Toyota Care was ending this week on my 2024 Tacoma, so I went in today to have tires rotated and new air filter installed. They said both were completed. I had marked the tires to verify and when I checked, sure enough they weren't rotated. I checked the cabin air filter when I got home and it didn't look like it was replaced either.

I did let the service guy know my tires were not rotated while I was there. It sucks you can't trust them to be honest.

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[TacoFreak]

Sounds about right. I don't trust any dealer, Toyota or otherwise, so I do most of my service myself. I only take it in to get recalls cleared, and then I hold my breath that they don't screw anything up when they do them.

 

[maxx075]

Sounds about right. I don't trust any dealer, Toyota or otherwise, so I do most of my service myself. I only take it in to get recalls cleared, and then I hold my breath that they don't screw anything up when they do them.

Exactly why I'm sitting on all the open recalls

 

[TacoFreak]

Exactly why I'm sitting on all the open recalls

Yeah me too, but I figure some day I will have to bite the bullet and let them attack my truck.

 

[redlimitediforcemax]

Let's all be clear on this. Dealerships are not owned by Toyota. they are merely there to distribute and sell Toyotas as well as perform services they are obligated to do according to their agreement with Toyota corporate. Their technicians must be trained and pass certification but that is handled by the dealership, not Toyota. That means they may bring in idiots to change your oil.

 

[Will721]

Let's all be clear on this. Dealerships are not owned by Toyota. they are merely there to distribute and sell Toyotas as well as perform services they are obligated to do according to their agreement with Toyota corporate. Their technicians must be trained and pass certification but that is handled by the dealership, not Toyota. That means they may bring in idiots to change your oil.

This is exactly correct. Just to add to it, Toyota does not make any money from you, the service you pay for, or even the parts you buy. They do not recieve any money directly from you at any point, and neither do most of the rest of the Manufacturers. Toyota makes money from the dealer. They sell them the cars/trucks, parts, and collect "franchise" fees. They have nothing to do with service at all, except to compensate the dealer themselves for warranty work (at a very minimal rate).


That is why there is so much variation in experiences between dealers. Quality of service, coverage of repairs outside of warranty, pricing, services offered, loaner car and transport policies are all dependent on the dealer.

 

[Mercedes]

Sorry to read of the OP's experience. One nearby Toyota dealer is same: I couldn't trust them to tie my shoes.

There are some good dealers out there. And probably just as many bad ones. Unfortunately, one often has to subject their truck to said experience to determine which is which.

Agree with others: do as much work as possible yourself.

In those instances where you need help from someone more qualified, see if there is a local business that's been around for a bit with good reviews and BBB history. These shops have skin in the game and are often run by mechanical/auto/truck enthusiasts.

Area car & truck shows are a good opportunity to chat people up on who they trust.

 

[AZ Pete]

Let's all be clear on this. Dealerships are not owned by Toyota. they are merely there to distribute and sell Toyotas as well as perform services they are obligated to do according to their agreement with Toyota corporate. Their technicians must be trained and pass certification but that is handled by the dealership, not Toyota. That means they may bring in idiots to change your oil.

That is correct, problems should be elevated to Toyota corporate

 

[JayTech]

While it sucks to hear about you having poor personal experiences at the dealer, I wouldn't say you can't trust them all. Just like any small private shop, a dealer is privately owned and experiences will vary. I've had the opportunity to work at a few different dealers, including the one I am currently at, as well as a few Dodge dealerships and a few were great. The techs knew what they were doing and both the service staff and techs cared about making sure things were taken care of properly the first time. We also made sure to accommodate the customer as much as possible when we need the vehicle longer to make sure we solve the problem, whether it was offering a shuttle, a loaner vehicle, or a rental. But I've also seen the bad ones where the service staff was rude, the techs were snakes that tried to sell work that wasn't needed, or they just barely looked at a car and said "no fault found", so I also see why some people cannot trust them when that is all they have experienced at a dealer.

I also agree most work can probably be done yourself, especially basic maintenance. But I would 100% stress, if you do not know what you are doing, the best thing you can do is take it to a reputable expert. Whether that is a well trusted privately owned shop or dealer. Where you go is your choice but doing something you do not know how to do is what leads to accidents or further problems.

 

[TacoFreak]

That is correct, problems should be elevated to Toyota corporate

I did try that once and Brand Engagement told me that they can't do anything until a problem is diagnosed by a dealer. If your dealer says your truck is fine, then Toyota corporate won't open a case or help you in any way.

 

[JayZap]

I had such a bad experience on my first visit I literally said this for the first time of my life to someone in public:

“I wouldn’t trust you guys to boil pasta without F#%king it up, get my truck off the lift, give me my keys, and get me out of here”

Since then I do alls service myself.

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