Technical > Automotive > Dealer can't fix anything on the first try!

Dealer can't fix anything on the first try!

Filter is probably loose and I hope you have the common sense not to drive the truck to the dealer without Oil!

reply to stev32k
Is there another Toyota dealer in the area? That sounds terrible, one of those incidents would be somewhat excusable, but to have all of those occur is nuts.

Normally I would say call up the manager and demand free oil changes for life*, but I am not sure it is worth the risk.

*by life I mean, a half dozen or so
--
Making procrastination an art form since Pluto was still a planet.

reply to stev32k
Well, we have heard your side of the story. So, thirteen trips to the dealership, the last trip for only an oil change and tire rotation? It is almost three years old now, so were the twelve trips for park sensors and [TPMS] sensors only?

If that is an accurate accounting of what is going on, then perhaps it is time to call the zone manager to find out what the problem is, assuming of course you have gone as high as you can in the management ladder at the dealership level.
--
"from a broken heart to a hole in the sky"

reply to stev32k
Actually it has not been quite two years since I bought the truck (June 2010). The original front sensors would sometimes come on and not go off. There were three trips to the dealer for that problem. The third time they replaced the entire system using a different type that were programed to quit functioning when the speed hit 10 MPH.

The new system had several intermittent problems. The worst was that the buzzer was supposed to turn off when the shift lever was put in park, but sometimes it would not quit buzzing even when it was in park and the engine was turned off. Other times it worked like it was supposed to. That took three trips and they finally installed an on/off switch so I could at least stop the noise.

The next problem was that 3 of the four front bumper detectors came loose. One was completely out of the hole and two others were close to falling out. They got that fixed in one trip.

There has been an ongoing problem with the sensors not working when they should from time to time. They should emit a slow beep at 7 feet, fast beep at 3 feet and a solid tone at 1 foot. Sometimes they do that and sometimes not. The solid tone may come on at about 7 feet, or the slow beep may continue until the front bumper actually touches something. This is not a constant problem, but occurs at random intervals and it never seems to happen when I take it to the dealer.

In spite of all the problems I like the people in the service department, and they have really tried to fix the problems. They offered to remove the sensors and refund my money, but I don't want the money I want the sensors to work.

I'm sure what steps to take next. The next closest dealer is about 35 miles away and I've never been very impressed with them. I'm considering taking it to a guy I know that is an electrical/instrument engineer and let him fix it and just pay him out of my own pocket.

reply to stev32k
So what was the cause of the Oil dump?

reply to stev32k
Does your state have a lemon law? In some places, the manufacturer could have been required to buy back the vehicle at this point.

I understand, but if the manufacturer is incapable of producing a working system and/or the dealer is incapable of servicing it, I'd be looking for another team.

The off switch is a total failure and says they have no idea of what's going on even after replacing the entire system.

reply to No_Strings
In Alabama the protection is for 12/12K or 1 year. Apparently there is some sort of intermittent nature in the park sensors that apparently is not present or demonstrable to the dealership.

Perhaps there needs to be some more information given so that the diagnosis may be more correctly made.

~~When they work right they really help and they work most of the time. I just want them to work 100% of the time.~~

Or perhaps someone needs to look at the system to determine whether or not the system is really working the way it is supposed to be working - or not.
--
"from a broken heart to a hole in the sky"

Yeah, probably driver error.

reply to fixrman

In my years as a Service Manager I only faced this sort of issue a couple of times, but that was more than enough... Kudos that the dealership is trying, but they now need to do an Emeril and "Kick it up a notch". The "fix" purported by them of the switch is clearly unacceptable...

With GM, we would escalate such a scenario to what is called a Field Engineer. He or she would visit the dealership, examine records of what we had tried, speak with the technicians and myself. They would then proceed to make tests and perform diagnostic procedures that are well-beyond the grasp and technical ability of most all dealerships, and often a cure was at hand. Sometimes, the vehicle was ultimately never fixed, and was re-purchased by the manufacturer. Yes, sometimes they simply can't be fixed. The Field Engineer could also escalate it again to a level where actual factory engineers were called and consulted. As you can see, the effort was serious, and not taken lightly.

What I would find out from your dealer is whether or not Toyota has such a system in place. The dealership must *not* look at that option as "failing"; rather they are utilizing resources available to them to succeed. The Field Engineering group *always* gave the credit to the dealership when a repair was completed. That helped morale immensely.

You are not at the end of the road with this problem, you're just at a turning point.

reply to stev32k

(topic move) Dealer can't fix anything on the first try!

reply to stev32k

Re: Dealer can't fix anything on the first try!

This page:
»www.toyota.com/tundra/accessories.html

Doesn't list it as an available Toyota accessory either.
--
The talented hawk speaks French.