udubcab said:
TROUBLE!
The dealer said that they drove it again and it is fine. They then told me that the towing and rental are going to be charged to me! They never mentioned this before, (and I haven't signed a single thing) and told me it is in the warranty contract.
I told them if the opened up the transmission there would be signs of grinding (which shouldn't happen on an automatic) but they said they were not authorized to do that.
So, Toyota is closed, and the service manager has the weekend off. So now on Monday I need to raise *#@$! or they will charge me like $500! Anyone else had to deal with this kind of crap?!
They won't do the work necessary to diagnose the problem, then tell me I have to pay for everything because they can't find a problem. If they found one, it would be covered though...
When you said they gave you a 4Runner to drive, I assummed they gave you a loaner (unusual, but not unheard of). If this is true, there s/b no charge. If the 4Runner was indeed a rental from either TRAC or an outside company, you are probably liable for that since they were unable to duplicate... however since this possible obligation wasn't disclosed, you have a very good basis IMO to have them either policy (eat themselves) or good-will (ask Toyota to grab a fork also) the charge. Also, when this problem resurfaces again (and it probably will), and you take it to a better dealership who actually diagnoses and corrects it, you can have any charges you paid (if you end up paying them) frm the first dealer covered under that claim.
What has ahappened is this: They thought they would easily identify an obvious warranty claim. Knowing that if this was so, you would be covered for a rent car, so they put you in one. Since they surprisingly couldn't duplicate they problem, now they are grappling with the expense.
Expecting them to go into a transmission/transfer case that has passed through Toyota's Diagnostic & troubleshooting guide is an unrealistic expectationon your part. You're talking 7-10 hours of labor on a whim.
There are very specifc troubleshooting procedures outlined by Toyota. They can't just go off willy-nilly performing any diagnostic the customer wants to take a stab at.... it opens the door for too much liability and is financially impossible.
Here's a quick overview of the resolution process:
Start with the Dealership's Fixed Operations Director (if there is one, or the Service Manager otherwise), then the Dealership's General Manager if neccesary. At the same time you contact the General Manager you need to have the FOD/SM call his Toyota District Parts Rep while you are there & schedule an appointment for all of you in person. Be polite but firm. It should not really have to go that far, but it might.
Letters can't hurt... they give you a valuable paper trail documenting your attempts for satisfaction. Letters to the Service Manager, FOD, GM are a good start.
Use the Toyota hotline (1-800-GO-TOYOTA). Depending on where your dealership is they will direct you to either TMS, SET or GST.
Remeber, polite but firm. Raising hell is pretty much guaranteed to resolve nothing. Good Luck, and keep us posted...
