Venting Time: I'm an idiot (and hate my local dealership)

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S

ShirazAddict

10 Year
Joined
Apr 30, 2012
Threads
15
Messages
101
Location
Pasadena, CA
I just bought a 2006 LC with 95k miles & no 90k service done. The previous owner had EVERY service done at his dealership, so I thought "why not" & took it to my local dealership for the 90k++ service. I thought I was being smart & went a week before, talked to both the service manager & the mechanic who would be doing the work, and got an estimate for what it would cost. Then the upselling began when I actually brought it in:
1. 90k service w/H20 & Timing Belt replace (and all cabin/air filters): $1200. A bit pricey, but I could live with it as I wanted it done right.
2. ALL fluids replaced, including ACH: $400. Hmm, well ok......stuff isn't free, and I have no idea how to change brake or ACH fluids. Sure, why not.

Then, 10 hours after I drop it off, I get the phone call: so, we also think you should change the crank & cam seals, replace the tensioner pulleys, thermostat, clean out the throttle control thingy, "tune-up" (replace all spark plugs), and fuel service.......another $1900. Seriously. 10 minutes on the phone to other dealerships here in LA & I discovered that I was getting seriously ripped off. I thru a fit at the dealership, and they dropped a few hundred off their bid but then started nickel & diming each service---$200 for brake flush. $300 for tranny. Etc.

I told them to simply put it back together with the thermostat/timing belt/etc fixed & I'll do the fluids, etc.

I feel completely ripped off & am completely pissed at myself for falling for this.

Time to fix everything else moving forward. Should have done this the first time.

Sorry for the venting.
 
Wow that sucks to hear. Sounds like ours here. No way is it $1200 for a tb job + $1900 to do the seals and tensioners. Thats nearly 3k for a complete tb service. Even our stealer quoted me only $1600 but I have a friend thats a mechanic at toyota and I order all my parts from Onur so that saves me a lot.
Find somewhere else to go from now on. Btw I guarantee your tb looked new yet and could have gone a couple more years.
 
walking in that grand entrance, drinking that "free" coffee, watching one of three TVs in the waiting room, or taking home that "free" loaner .... that is what you're paying for. I've been there, it is a crappy feeling.
 
ShirazAddict said:
I just bought a 2006 LC with 95k miles & no 90k service done. <snip>
1. 90k service w/H20 & Timing Belt replace (and all cabin/air filters): $1200. A bit pricey, but I could live with it as I wanted it done right.
Click to expand...

Plus, double check the presence of the cab in air filter(s). My 2006 does not have them ....

What, a dealer charging for parts the never used ?!?! :eek: Yeah, I've caught one or two doing that and taken them to task as well :rolleyes:

I think you made the right move in cutting your losses.
 
Did you ask them to include the Sam's Club sized jar of vaseline?
 
ShirazAddict-

Didja happen to go to Toyota (of) Pasadena? I had a little work done (basic oil & fluid change) on our 80 a few years ago after they closed up shop on Colorado & opened the new stealership on Foothill. I had the same thoughts as you...just drop it off for something simple, take the Gold Line into work and pick it up later in the afternoon. Couple days later, the rad starts leaking. Hmmm coincidental? Poked under the hood and found the Fan Shroud had a mounting lug torn off (fresh), a loose screw, oh, and the battery nuts were loose. Supposedly, their "LC" tech worked on it. Took it back and had a similar issue with, "well, you should have this changed out, these pulled, new that....". I went straight to the service mgr and told them that they were now going to put a new rad in as there were NO identified issues with it prior. And then presented him with the broken & loose stuff. They ended up replacing the rad with an aftermarket, but would only warranty for 3 months. I was pretty pi$$ed and adamant that if anything else related took a dump, Mr. T HQ was getting a call. As they were newly opened, they kinda made sure things were right and did a lot of hand holding when I went back to pick it up. They have to crank up their prices and get more action to pay for the new property. Oh, and they did not extend any discounts nor know about MUD peeps. When we moved from Casa de Monrovia to the Glendora Palace a couple years ago, started to give Glendora Toyata a shot, as they were a couple miles away, and they had provided fair service in the past. No more with them either. Everything, I mean everything, is a special order. I get that they don't want a lot of taxable inventory, but my gosh, 2 days to get front & rear pads, and they could only get 3 of the 4 e-brake pads in 4 days. I like OEM stuff, but all future orders will be Beno, or Cabe Toyota/ LB...they even know what MUD is and extend discounts...just a little drive, tho.

BTW, I grew up in upper Hasting Ranch. Was fun as a kid, by Pasa politics and other stuff made the city kinda suck as an adult. :bang: Still, it has some righteous views and mountains.
 
This is the exact opposite of my experience at my Toyota dealer here in KS. I told them I wasn't sure if I was keeping the truck but finding out the 90k had not been "completely" done (i.e. Lexus marked it down in the Lexus Drivers history based on their coding as "90k service non-oem non-warranty" making me THINK it was done until I realized the sticker was missing and went looking for answers), and knowing the truck had 150, I felt I had no choice but to at least replace the belt. So I told them to skip the WP and just do the belt. I was quoted about 500 bucks for this. I was also instructed here that if the cam oil seals etc AREN'T leaking, to not let anyone touch them so I skipped that as well.

All well and good, except that in trying to help me out and save me money, they didn't do the tensioner either, which I later found out is very important. So now I have a new timing belt with an old tensioner because they DIDN'T try to upsell me. It's a critical balance, but I wish they would have played up the importance of that more. They merely had the mechanic feel the tensioner and determine it was probably ok.

It's good to know at least, that even if I have them tear the whole thing apart again and replace BOTH the WP and the Tensioner, I'm still WELL under the 1200.00 you were quoted initially. In fact, 1209 is what the LEXUS dealer quoted!
 
arotrhd said:
ShirazAddict-

Didja happen to go to Toyota (of) Pasadena? I had a little work done (basic oil & fluid change) on our 80 a few years ago after they closed up shop on Colorado & opened the new stealership on Foothill. I had the same thoughts as you...just drop it off for something simple, take the Gold Line into work and pick it up later in the afternoon. Couple days later, the rad starts leaking. Hmmm coincidental? Poked under the hood and found the Fan Shroud had a mounting lug torn off (fresh), a loose screw, oh, and the battery nuts were loose. Supposedly, their "LC" tech worked on it. Took it back and had a similar issue with, "well, you should have this changed out, these pulled, new that....". I went straight to the service mgr and told them that they were now going to put a new rad in as there were NO identified issues with it prior. And then presented him with the broken & loose stuff. They ended up replacing the rad with an aftermarket, but would only warranty for 3 months. I was pretty pi$$ed and adamant that if anything else related took a dump, Mr. T HQ was getting a call. As they were newly opened, they kinda made sure things were right and did a lot of hand holding when I went back to pick it up. They have to crank up their prices and get more action to pay for the new property. Oh, and they did not extend any discounts nor know about MUD peeps. When we moved from Casa de Monrovia to the Glendora Palace a couple years ago, started to give Glendora Toyata a shot, as they were a couple miles away, and they had provided fair service in the past. No more with them either. Everything, I mean everything, is a special order. I get that they don't want a lot of taxable inventory, but my gosh, 2 days to get front & rear pads, and they could only get 3 of the 4 e-brake pads in 4 days. I like OEM stuff, but all future orders will be Beno, or Cabe Toyota/ LB...they even know what MUD is and extend discounts...just a little drive, tho.

BTW, I grew up in upper Hasting Ranch. Was fun as a kid, by Pasa politics and other stuff made the city kinda suck as an adult. :bang: Still, it has some righteous views and mountains.
Click to expand...

Yep, Toyo of Pasadena. Absolute rip-off. Im dreading to find out what they actually screwed up inthere. The tech was great......until the clock was running. Never again.

Fwiw i would have done most/all myself as did same withmy FJ40, but after spending 3 days stripping/painting wheels and painting/installing WK sliders over Mem wknd the wife would not have been happy.......and some seemed beyond my skill set. Time to develop a new set of skills.
 
My avatar.....
 
I'd be sure to write a yelp or google review and help the rest of the potential customers out. You don't have to go into detail or flame them with emotional rant as most people will filter them out as fast as the "They gave me the best car wash EVER!" 5 star review. I rely on reviews a lot but weed through most to get a feel for the "truth".

My buddy works as a service tech at a reputable Toyota dealer and he warned me that some are great and some are shady. Doing your homework helps but nothing like a s***ty taste in your mouth on your first big service on a nice new to you 100 series.

But... it only gets better from here!! Looking forward to checking out your ride.


:beer:
 
Well, its sort-of alls well that ends well. I used to be in auto finance & reached out to a couple of friends who are still in the business. They reached out on my behalf to someone in ownership/upper management at the dealership. Voila, $2100 and everything done (except throttle body clean, AHC flush, radiator flush) on my list: H20 pump, timing & serpentine belt, all gaskets/seals, all fluids flushed except for above, new spark plugs, complete 90k service.

Moving forward (except on the heavy lifting stuff) I'm going to do most/all of it myself, unless reality sets in (i.e. life gets in the way).

I'm done with that/all dealerships. Even though they finally did the service for a (somewhat) reasonable $$ (though still $500+ higher than some have gotten), they lost a customer for life with their $3600 attempted rape. A local mudder gave me good advice on a local independent, and SoCal has plenty of solid 4x4 shops for the suspension stuff I can't figure out.

This forum & the advice/how-to rocks.

Now onto the speakers/amp/ipod/sirrus/subwoofer refinement. And the integrated Valentine.

Time to start my build thread.
 
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