NewHilux.net

aandy wrote:Today, took it in and politely gave the guy the impression that I'm going to throw his desk across the room if this goes on much longer. Just picked it up, brand new intercooler, machined rear brake drums, new rear pads and cylinder, car washed. No charge. never had brakes done under warranty before!
The service guys family photos are safe, for now.

What'd you do, wrap a snatchy to his ankles and drag him down the street as a warning?

jaybags wrote:

aandy wrote:Today, took it in and politely gave the guy the impression that I'm going to throw his desk across the room if this goes on much longer. Just picked it up, brand new intercooler, machined rear brake drums, new rear pads and cylinder, car washed. No charge. never had brakes done under warranty before!
The service guys family photos are safe, for now.

What'd you do, wrap a snatchy to his ankles and drag him down the street as a warning?

Haha I felt like it!

not sure what it is but Bunnings and toyota service just get me all worked up.

Yeah I've found that being iron fisted with a hint of sweet (aka I'm a nightmare client but if you do right by me I'll be fair)msometimes makes them earn their keep.

Too often though they're immune to a well placed valid complaint and even more immune to a pissed off customer.

Toyotas serivce always f$@#&% something up there latest is leaving the clip that holds break lines on my side step. They are f%$ken usless.

I suppose it just depends who you get once it goes out into the workshop. I have had very mixed results with toyota servicing.

Messy oil changes with no cleanup, wrong diagnosis for obvious faults, have been spoken to like I'm an idiot, diff and transfer oils not changed at the 40000 even though paperwork said it was, red dusty choked air filter a day after a service.

Then other times I have had awesome service, at one place when I was travelling I swear they had the car detailed and polished, even the engine bay smelled of soap and all service items actually done and a hand written note stuck to the steering wheel letting me know he didn't rotate tyres because the back are unroadworthy(chopped up a bit) but he didn't tell the office so it is on the paperwork as done.
My local toyota is in the good books at the moment, they haven't sold me a pollen filter yet, that modern day con angers me a little.

I won't go to my local Toyota dealer again. 90k service cost $430. I asked that the fuel filter be changed and I was rudely told it only needs changing when the dash light comes on and that it would cost an additional $130 if I still wanted it done. I declined.
I checked their work myself. Wheels not rotated, transfer and diff fill plugs hadn't been cracked, brake pad measurements were made up. So basically for that price I recieved oil and filter change and an air cleaner. Could have done that myself for $160 with genuine parts and taken about an hour.
Funny thing is, as I was a new customer they sent out a letter asking how my experience had been. I replied via email and outlined my concerns. No response. Thing is they don't expect people to know what they do and don't do. I must be of avert small minority that they figure they can afford to lose my custom. Piss weak.
Also worth mentioning that the car had been detailed and pretty poorly at that. Lazy people might like that service but I'd rather they spent the time on what actually matters ie engine,gearboxes,diffs etc.

On the topic of dealer servicing, my dad brought his Dodge Nitro in for a service (which is real expensive) and it included a tire rotation. They claimed to have done it, but, they didn't - my dad had simple proof since he marked the tires everyone should try that next time haha.

Well mines in for its 40k service today. They tell me its a 3 hour service usually costing $590, but under the capped price it is $170. Fingers crossed they don't try and screw me over.

What should I be checking?

Pazz

There are some good dealerships out there.
I hear you BH. Bulletins are there to be read.
As consumers of the Toyota products, you just need to find them.
The Roo.

Pazz01 wrote:Well mines in for its 40k service today. They tell me its a 3 hour service usually costing $590, but under the capped price it is $170. Fingers crossed they don't try and screw me over.

What should I be checking?

Pazz

Hahahahaha. I'll tell you what they won't check. The bloody valve clearances. Supposed to be checked at 40k and never are. I caused a major shitstorm for my Toyota service center over this very thing.

What they didn't realise is Toyota Australia survey me after every service and I mark bolt heads etc to make sure parts are replaced.

Waste of time and money, took mine in for my 30k service, told them there's a clunk in the front right steering end.
When I went to pick it up they gave me a quote for $4.5k to replace my whole steering rack and its not covered under warranty due to my lift.
I started laughing at the guy knowing he was full of sh!t as I'd been to a local mechanic who told me it was the steering ends that are worn that are around $60 each.
Pretty sure all they do is change oil/filter, if that...
Wheels have never been rotated, not that I care, but if they can't manage something as simple as that, then what do they actually do?
As soon as the capped price servicing is up, it's off to a local mechanic...
Sorry for any 1 out there who works for Toyota and actually does their job properly...

I guess we all can give examples of poor 'service'. I think if we're lucky, we get an individual mechanic who is a 'professional' at what he does and takes pride in his workmanship. A lot of the bad stuff that happens is when there are unreasonable time/cost constraints on getting the job out the doors. I'm not a fan of fixed/capped servicing for this reason. Its not conjuicive to having something done the right way. My son has just recently finished his apprenticeship with BMW. I watched him work on Sat morning ( did a 60,000k service for me ) he litteraly ran as he went about his business, made it look so easy, me I would still be barking my knuckles undoing the diff drain plug !

Just picked up my 2013 hilux from a 20k service and noticed something did not sound right. Pulled over at the servo to have a look. The air box lid was just floating there had not been cliped close. Inside the air box there was water from where they have washed down the engine. Its obvious that the car was never road tested, even no I was told that the service was to take a extra 30 mins so a road performance handling test could be done. Not happy! What should be my next course of action be?

Ring and discuss your disappointment in the survive your got!

OK folks, I've read several threads and there seems to be different views by different dealers on what to do on logbook fixed price service. Here's my question:

2013MY D4D coming up for 24 mth service (only 20k's travelled)

Logbook says "replace fuel filter": Do they actually change it? Some on this forum say dealers change the fuel filter when the light comes on! So do they change out or not? Should I DEMAND IT?

Logbook says "check valve clearances" do they actually check the clearance or just listen to see if it rattles? Should I demand the valve clearances be checked properly? Anything otherwise, I might as well do it myself!

Any help on this will be greatly appreciated. What DO the dealers REALLY do?

I figure if the logbook says change it, or check it then they should do what the logbook says.

Cheers

I feel your pain !!

Problem is you can demand - they can grudgingly say yes - but it still doesn't get done - and how will you know either way ???????

nicebike wrote:I feel your pain !!

Problem is you can demand - they can grudgingly say yes - but it still doesn't get done - and how will you know either way ???????

Thanks nicebike, I spose this is why I asked.

Talktheroo wrote:There are some good dealerships out there.
I hear you BH. Bulletins are there to be read.
As consumers of the Toyota products, you just need to find them.
The Roo.

On a practical note Gipsy, this is the best you can do. You can't micro manage the service.

If you can do your own research to form an opinon as to whether they are reliable and conscientious that is your best bet.

If there are time and price constraints on the work, quality is going to suffer. If there is no accountability, quality is going to suffer. Stuff that isn't obvious will get skipped to save time, sometimes just cos the person doing the work is lazy, sometimes because he/she is being pushed too hard..

Unfortunately none of this is written over the door of the dealership, so it is up to the consumer to try and sort it out.

I'm sure that lack of accountability is one of the reasons for the reported sloppy work from many dealerships. It's too easy to hide.
If a mechanic is self employed or works for a small business, any errors or lazy corner cutting come screaming home real quick. No where to hide. $$ pain felt very quickly. Not a guarantee for sure, but certainly strong motivation to do your best.

Yes I totally agree, but I only have one dealer nearby, hence no opposition to keep them on the straight and narrow. As I said: Anything otherwise, I might as well do it myself!

I am an aircraft engineer but if the dealer's service is just a 'tick and sign then maybe I might be best with the motto, if you want something done properly... do it yourself!

If you want to see what they have done go get a paint pen and start marking. Just small alignment dots so you can see if a bolt or filter has been undone/replaced.