Toyota will no longer warranty their TrueStart battery in a Lexus (or honor previously bought ones)

[UNCnalledge]

Went into the Lexus dealer to get an oil leak repaired and during the inspection, my battery failed. I had purchased an 84 month TrueStart at Toyota in September of 2022 (so a little over 3 years old), so knew it was under warranty (this battery was actually a warranty replacement from a previous one). Took it to the Toyota dealer next door, and let's say I was at a loss for words as the event unfolded.

1) They would not give me prorated credit for my current battery (should have been prorated to 50%). Even though it was bought and installed with a known warranty at a Toyota dealership, they would not honor it. Supposedly, this edict came down from Toyota in 2023. Since the receipt from 2022 had my Lexus VIN, they said they would not honor the warranty cause it was not tied to a Toyota. (based on VIN)

2) The new battery would not carry a warranty at all because it is not going into a Toyota.

It was a tough-y as I could get an Interstate at Costco and have had their warranty; but the new one was in, and they gave me a discount to try to make it right (not enough, frankly).

If you currently have a TrueStart at the 4+ yr age mark, you might want to check into this....YMMV

Knoxville Toyota was the dealership for anyone who wanted to know (though my service advisor handled the situation with grace)

 

[Rednexus]

I would call national Toyota or Lexus customer service and complain. They might be able to do something. or, maybe not, but it's worth trying. I've done that in the past when I've been treated poorly by a dealer.