Greetings all! It's been a while. Have a question with which I'd appreciate your insights.
I bought a new '16 LC 200 in 2016, and the truck has been wonderful. Really no major issues, and still looks/drives great.
I also bought an extended warranty at the time for 125K miles that expires next month. I have 105K miles on the clock. Car has only ever been serviced at 1 dealer, with the exception of 1 minor repair at another Toyota dealer years ago out of state while on a road trip. My local dealer has been good to work with up until this point.
I learned just this week that the AC recirculation flap is broken. Likely broken a while back (years ago - maybe as long ago as 2017!) as the dealer replaced a cabin air filter; I've never replaced the filter myself. I'm aware of the cheaper aftermarket fix, and also aware that OEM replacement is expensive and requires dash removal. My service advisor suggested that it's very likely that a tech broke it- as he didn't even know about the issue (or need to press recirculation button before changing air filter). That said, he hasn't taken complete responsibility and it's not 100% clear that they will fix at their expense. There's a good chance that if I buy the aftermarket part for 40 bucks, they will install for free however.
The second issue is that my water pump is starting to "seep". Dealer advised immediate replacement citing serious damage potential if it blows.
My question is: do you believe Toyota will cover both repairs under warranty?
Dealer suggested that water pump is "possible" but not 100% guaranteed. I struggled with the argument that it's because it's only "seeping" coolant. In my mind, if it's not designed to seep, it's faulty and should be replaced. Dealer seems reasonably confident Toyota will pick up the repair, but would have to file a claim.
As for the AC recirculation issue: There, my service advisor is not so sure. Said that Toyota would likely send an assessor out (if I request both repairs be done - because of cost) - car would be in the shop for days. My guess here is that this one would be tougher for Toyota to justify as the most likely cause for the breakage is the dealer/force. So, I suspect the dealer would prefer the cheaper aftermarket fix, than to get Toyota involved and be stuck with a higher repair claim from a disgruntled customer if Toyota denies the claim.
Anyway: thoughts on your experience in getting Toyota NA to cover these warranty claims would be appreciated.
I bought a new '16 LC 200 in 2016, and the truck has been wonderful. Really no major issues, and still looks/drives great.
I also bought an extended warranty at the time for 125K miles that expires next month. I have 105K miles on the clock. Car has only ever been serviced at 1 dealer, with the exception of 1 minor repair at another Toyota dealer years ago out of state while on a road trip. My local dealer has been good to work with up until this point.
I learned just this week that the AC recirculation flap is broken. Likely broken a while back (years ago - maybe as long ago as 2017!) as the dealer replaced a cabin air filter; I've never replaced the filter myself. I'm aware of the cheaper aftermarket fix, and also aware that OEM replacement is expensive and requires dash removal. My service advisor suggested that it's very likely that a tech broke it- as he didn't even know about the issue (or need to press recirculation button before changing air filter). That said, he hasn't taken complete responsibility and it's not 100% clear that they will fix at their expense. There's a good chance that if I buy the aftermarket part for 40 bucks, they will install for free however.
The second issue is that my water pump is starting to "seep". Dealer advised immediate replacement citing serious damage potential if it blows.
My question is: do you believe Toyota will cover both repairs under warranty?
Dealer suggested that water pump is "possible" but not 100% guaranteed. I struggled with the argument that it's because it's only "seeping" coolant. In my mind, if it's not designed to seep, it's faulty and should be replaced. Dealer seems reasonably confident Toyota will pick up the repair, but would have to file a claim.
As for the AC recirculation issue: There, my service advisor is not so sure. Said that Toyota would likely send an assessor out (if I request both repairs be done - because of cost) - car would be in the shop for days. My guess here is that this one would be tougher for Toyota to justify as the most likely cause for the breakage is the dealer/force. So, I suspect the dealer would prefer the cheaper aftermarket fix, than to get Toyota involved and be stuck with a higher repair claim from a disgruntled customer if Toyota denies the claim.
Anyway: thoughts on your experience in getting Toyota NA to cover these warranty claims would be appreciated.