Changing service departments

[online]

Has anyone taken their service business to a dealer other than the one they purchased the car from? If so did you sense any animosity since you purchased your car from another dealership?

Thanks in advance

[slingshot]

Has anyone taken their service business to a dealer other than the one they purchased the car from? If so did you sense any animosity since you purchased your car from another dealership?

Thanks in advance

No animosity at all. I've done the same with both Toyotas and other make cars in the past and never had problems. The dealer where I do servicing is great. I always suggest buying from whoever gets you the lowest price and servicing near you. Only Acura told me that if I bought from another dealer, they wouldn't give me a car to use when in for service. I never did buy an Acura anyway but that treatment sucks.

[Jewls]

I am dreading it since I just moved to FL, and there is only one Toyota dealer here. Hopefully they will be fair.

[online]

Hey Jewl

I would recommend setting up an appt with the Service Manager and getting to know her/him. That is what I plan on doing. I did it when I bought my SHO and we are the best of friends now. He always takes care of me, gets me in even when booked and cuts me a break on $ whenever he can.

Good Luck

[Jewls]

I never thought about that, thanks!

[cablemn]

Just went for my first service at 5000 miles. I was shocked to see what they wanted to charge me for it!
$144.95 for rotating my tires and checking my fluids. Oh, that included an oil change for $24.99.
Talk about bullsh!t. I told the writer that i think i can handle checking my fluids myself for nothing and i always rotate my own tires. Right away he got an attitude. Then i told him about the rear end noise, you know, the thunk in the trunk i call it.
He proceeded to tell me i was the first to complain about it and when it was checked he blamed it on my trd swaybar, saying that it wasn't meant for street applications just for off road and i was experiencing a harshness because of it.
That was'nt all...i also complained about the transmission lag or hesitation or whatever you want to call it and of course they didnt know what i was talking about. I was given the standard answer: "they all do that".
when i asked about the tsbs that are out for the car he said that none existed.
All stealers are the same dammit. I'll eventually get to the bottom of these problems but its really an inconvenience to have to make repeated trips to the dealership. This also happened with my Nissan. I got the same story from their service dept and prepared a package of information printed from the internet forums complete with all the tsbs that the tech said didnt exist. Lo and behold the problems were fixed. I dont care what dealer you go to, whether its the dealer you bought from or not they all suck. I cant believe the things i was told this time around. We went for a test drive and i recreated the noise and tranny lag for him as plain as day but he just denied hearing it. With these types of problems they have no fix for thats what they do. they deny it. Then they put on the reciept that its working as designed. Its a hedge against the lemon law. Sorry for all the ranting but i had to vent. Its a very frustrating experience.

[slingshot]

Wow Cablemn, what a lousy dealership. Any ideas close by to try?

[cablemn]

I'm gonna try the dealer i bought from, Millenium in Hempstead Long Island. But im going armed with an information packet that i've compiled of posts from solaraguy.com and yahoo forums about the persistant problems with our cars.
I'm gonna get to the bottom of it. Hey sling where you from?

[truebluestang]

I'm gonna try the dealer i bought from, Millenium in Hempstead Long Island. But im going armed with an information packet that i've compiled of posts from solaraguy.com and yahoo forums about the persistant problems with our cars.
I'm gonna get to the bottom of it. Hey sling where you from?

As for their hedging against lemon law, that's easy to get around. With my car, when I was having the pulling issue, I would go to one dealership, they would tell me right away that I was imagining it and hand me back the keys. i would instantly find the next closest dealer and go there. They would experience the problem, and "do work". Immediately negating anything that another dealer said was "No Problem found".


I was wondering if anyone can tell me about the lagging problem with their transmissions. I did a search on Transmission lag, and came up with anything and everything dealing with Transmissions. I notice that when I step on the gas, it lags pretty hard before starting to move. Is this what you are talking about, and is there a TSB for it?

[Jai_Jai_Binks]

dealerships to me are nice. I don't all my services there, but my major ones (tranny flush, oil changes, alternator replacement, timing, etc) done there. Over the years i've gotton to the service guys...Just be prepared and well informed and your always welcomed back....

[slingshot]

I'm gonna try the dealer i bought from, Millenium in Hempstead Long Island. But im going armed with an information packet that i've compiled of posts from solaraguy.com and yahoo forums about the persistant problems with our cars.
I'm gonna get to the bottom of it. Hey sling where you from?

Cool man. I bought my car at the same dealership using Internet pricing to get best price. But I never brought it back there for any service since I'm from Suffolk. I work close to Sunrise Toyota in Oakdale and have never had any problems with them so far with this car and my last Solara. The guys who write up the service are very nice and professional. I don't have experience with service at other Long Island dealerships I'm afraid. Let me know how the Millenium service is. Where in the Long Island or NY area do you live or work?

[cablemn]

I'm gonna try the dealer i bought from, Millenium in Hempstead Long Island. But im going armed with an information packet that i've compiled of posts from solaraguy.com and yahoo forums about the persistant problems with our cars.
I'm gonna get to the bottom of it. Hey sling where you from?

Cool man. I bought my car at the same dealership using Internet pricing to get best price. But I never brought it back there for any service since I'm from Suffolk. I work close to Sunrise Toyota in Oakdale and have never had any problems with them so far with this car and my last Solara. The guys who write up the service are very nice and professional. I don't have experience with service at other Long Island dealerships I'm afraid. Let me know how the Millenium service is. Where in the Long Island or NY area do you live or work?

im in holbrook but i work in nassau county. i bought the solara during my lunch hour.