Does Anyone Have Toyota Corporate's Phone # And Address?

[ArmyofOne]

OK, so let me start by saying im not totally turned off to the brand, they are machines and these things happen. but as long as i am in this vicinity, i will NEVER own another toyota. on the 24th of march, i noticed my 2005 matrix had blown its rear differential seals (the vehcile is AWD) leaking fluid at one point, but there was no more fluid in the diff. for the past few weeks, i had noticed a loud humming noice that did not change pitch at all (regardless of road surface) coming from the rear of the car. i put new tires on, no change in noise or pitch. so on the 24th of march, i took my car to toyota of watertown, also known as waite toyota. I was very rudely told that toyota does not authorize loaner/rental cars unless the repair exceeds eight hours, and i would have to wait 2 days with no car AND pay an $85 diagnosis fee. THEN and only then, if the repair was scheduled to exceed 8 hours, would i get a rental. it is still under the 5 year, 60,000 mile powertrain warranty with only 39,000 miles on the clock. so i say no thank you, and i go to the dealer i purchased the car from, Dealmaker Honda. I have an extended warranty through HondaCare, and it is bumper to bumper, so i had honda take a look at it. they were MORE than happy to do so and gave me a rental free of charge. they called me a week later and told me they had found the problem, but they werent allowed to fix it, because hondacare's warranty will not cover it until toyota's factory coverage ceases at 60,000 miles. meantime they sent the car to waite toyota of watertown (the *BLEEP*s) and are having them fix it, and the honda dealer is coming out of pocket for the rental im driving. so at this point all im out is the money for gas....no biggie.

well, today (wednesday)...i got a call from my wife, the honda dealer took delivery of the car from toyota, and the noise is not gone, in fact its worse. back to square one. I go to the toyota dealer EXTREMELY livid and asked if the service tech drove the car after the leaks were repaired. the answer the service manager gave was..."i would think that he did"...this means no. the leaks are gone, but the rear diff is almost certianly bad, because we drove the car for a good while with little/no oil in the rear diff. (completely by no fault of our own. this afternoon while running errands in town, the hum of the rear diff became a loud grinding noise.

we are now awaiting word on financing for a 2008 Honda Civic EX. loaded with every feature available...but im reporting this toyota dealership, they cursed at me and led me along like a puppy, and then they disrespected my wife and i have had it. not to mention this is the SECOND time in 40 days the matrix has been in the shop for a somewhat major problem...and the first time it left me stranded.

as i said before, i have no issue with the brand of car, even though with less than 40k on the odo, i am having leaks severe enough to do this kind of damage...something is wrong there, so the next toyota i buy will be brand new, or old enough that i dont give a rats !Removed!. my issue is entirely with the dealer at this point. and i have no choice, its the only dealer within 90 miles.

[Lexusfreak]

Sorry to hear Josh :( Alot of time's it's the dealer that can make or break an ownership experience when there is a problem. I hope this get's resolved to your (and your Wife's) satisfaction.

This is all I could find for Toyota Corporate U.S. contact info...

http://www.toyota.com/help/contactus.html

Keep us posted bud. ;)

[nc211]

Man, does this ever sound like a typical GM problem. You've got to admit, Toyotas in general aren't known for things like this, but GM is, and with the Matrix tied to the Vibe, something sounds fishy. Josh, have you called your local Pontiac dealer and ask one of their guys if they have problems with the Vibe like this? I'd be curious what their answer would be. I'm not sure who did what with the design of the car, but to give an example of how some of these "partnership" cars are done, our 07' Mazda 3 has nearly 100% Ford components, from the engine to the transmission. And, thanks to thier lack of true transmission coolers, the tranny fluids need to be changed about every 10k miles. Thankfully, it's easier than changing the oil. But, gives you an idea.

Speaking of the Mazda 3, have you given them a look at all? I gotta tell you, I absolutely love ours and hope to have it for many years to come. I actually prefer to drive it over the 4runner, and is one of the reasons why I got rid of the LS "my wife hated driving the LS, and wouldn't give me the keys to the 3". You really do get a lot of bang for the buck! Leather, heated seats, automatic rain sensing wipers "that actually work great", triptronic gearbox, automatic audio leveler, i-pod input, satelite radio option, beautiful interior lighting, adjustable HIDs, computer, traction control, automatic a/c, quite a lot of room, etc... All for about $21k. Only complaint is the 17' stock tires "goodyears", with a 45 sidewall that is extremely stiff. On balcktop, it's quiet as a church mouse, but on concrete it's pretty loud. Fixable with tires though. We have 20k on it now, and have had zero problems. You can get them in the sedan "we have", or the 5 door. The MazdaSpeed isn't that much more either, and you go from about 160hp, to a turbo charged 260! And from what I've read on the mazda3forum.com, it's got some serious "rip your freakin' ears off" speed. I think they're about $23k, fully loaded.

To add to your Toyota dealership horror stories, I'll add mine from last week, in an attempt to make you feel better. I had the 4runner in for an alignment, some additive for the rear differential "posilock clutches were chattering", and a general inspection. I also took in the TSB issued for the !Removed!-producting bad Cat's under load, which make your eyes water. That repair, at about $2,000, is covered under the 8 year/90k mile exhaust warranty. The dealer gave me the typical b/s excuse of "it's the gas, we can't authorize the repair", which is very typical lingo for "we won't do it, if we have to pay for it." That's not the funny part though. I took it back because the alignment wasn't done right, and to make a long story short, while sitting in the truck "it's a V8 with perm awd", I was asking questions about the diff lock button in conjunction to the 4H and 4L option switch "no 2H". In a nut shell, the idiot told me that it's actually a 2wheel drive truck until I engage the diff lock. That the 4H selector is a mistake from Toyota. While we were sitting there, on the side of the road, in loose gravel, I got mad that this moron was wasting my time. So, I decided to SLAM on the gas to make the rear wheels spin. Wouldn't you know it, they didn't spin at all, infact, the truck took off like a rocket, like an AWD rocket. I looked at this dude "who was white as a ghost by then", and said, you sure it's only 2wheeldrive? At that point, he said "do you have an owners manual?" I said "of course", he said "read it to figure out how to use it". At that point, I dropped him off back at the dealership, put in "n" for a second as he got of the truck, and revved it up for a few seconds, to make that entire delivery bay smell like one bigass stinkin' !Removed!, then tore out of there. Upon my call from the dealership for my satisfaction survey, I told them, and I quote, "you guys couldn't figure out what season it is, much less how to fix the cars you sell. I took it down to Midas for an alignment, and all is fine. Keep the $225, as it'll be the last money you ever get from me, my family, my friends, and anyone else I get to that is looking to buy a Toyota."

I"m still waiting for my followup call from Toyota Corporate, as the girl promised would happen... not holding my breath on that one!

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

As above, sorry to hear. I take it, no extended warranty. Folks said it'd be a waste for buying one, but we did it anyway and it more than paid for itself, on our Toyota. I know, the old saying is true ... hind sight is 20-20.

[ArmyofOne]

As above, sorry to hear. I take it, no extended warranty. Folks said it'd be a waste for buying one, but we did it anyway and it more than paid for itself, on our Toyota. I know, the old saying is true ... hind sight is 20-20.

no i have an extended warranty, and they were gonna cover it, but it was still under factory warranty. no matter tho, i traded for an 06 civic, loaded...20 k miles...and i cant complain. it already has tint!!

[SW03ES]

Toyota dealer service is awful...

[RX in NC]

Except when it's not....

There's a local Toyota dealership here in Raleigh where the service manager really understands the importance to the savvy customer of careful diagnostics, thoroughly discussing and showing you the issue at hand, and working with you to derive the best possible way to resolve it. I was astonished at how much time they took with me to go over the issue once they found it, all while the vehicle was up on the hydraulic lift and the three of us were standing underneath it (my wife's previous 2000 RX300 AWD with its tough-to-find exhaust system expansion joint mini-leak back in October 2006). Their prices were surprisingly reasonable as well - an unexpected bonus. These guys have been impressive on a couple of occasions, once when I just wanted some advice on getting to the notoriously-difficult-to-reach three rear spark plugs to change them myself, and they were actually gracious enough to offer me some tips on how their own techs do it. Not many service managers will offer advice to help you when they know they'll lose the business to you doing the job yourself....

I'm rarely a fan of dealership service departments but these guys were more than fair with me in the couple of times I had to turn to a dealer to resolve a non-warranty issue with that previous vehicle. Their parts department is also top-notch - I purchase my Type T-IV transmission fluid there as well as any other Toyota-specific parts I may need for keeping the previous RX as well as the current RX rolling down the road for my wife....

It's Fred Anderson Toyota on Glenwood Avenue near the RDU Airport for those of you who live in the Raleigh area....

[nc211]

It's Fred Anderson Toyota on Glenwood Avenue for those of you who live in the Raleigh area....

I"m actually heading over there for the TSB issue on the Cats. Obviously, I didn't go there first, as it's a bit out of the way. But, hey, at least I could of gotten a free bobble-headed bouncing dog at the one I went to....I bet you can guess which one I'm referring too....

[RX in NC]

Let me know how your experience with the Fred Anderson service department goes. It's been a year and a half since I last dealt with them and I hope that they still do business the right way with all of their customers....

When Marc Jacobsen started filming his TV commercials using dogs that look like dustmops and pregnant ladies who look like they're going to eject their kid before the commercial even ends, I said there's no way that I'll ever even consider pulling into his parking lot. That's a Mongolian clusterf*ck of an experience just waiting to happen....

[nc211]

Bingo!

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

Yep, any Dealer's service can be a POS. My co-worker's GM pickup had a light noise in the rear end severeal years ago. After having it returned to him 2 times, still noisy, he put a tiny dot of anti-tamper compound on the rear end fasteners. He got it back, drove it around the corner (with the light noise still evident) ... craweled under the rear of the car ... only to find the rear end had never been touched. Of course the manager blamed the service tech (obviously it would NEVER be the manager's idea to NO work on something :^O right? ) for being a slacker, and only THEN, was the problem taken care of. Seems to me, it more important, is to find a reputable service place and stay with THEM ... rather than kiss off the entire manufacturer. But ever since he told me that (plus, I remember decades ago, after I had my ford's tires rotated, the lugs were so loose the wheel almost fell off) story, I've applied a tiny dot of anti-tamper compound on the lugs, the oil filter, etc, of all my cars ... just in case ;^)

[ArmyofOne]

Yep, any Dealer's service can be a POS. My co-worker's GM pickup had a light noise in the rear end severeal years ago. After having it returned to him 2 times, still noisy, he put a tiny dot of anti-tamper compound on the rear end fasteners. He got it back, drove it around the corner (with the light noise still evident) ... craweled under the rear of the car ... only to find the rear end had never been touched. Of course the manager blamed the service tech (obviously it would NEVER be the manager's idea to NO work on something :^O right? ) for being a slacker, and only THEN, was the problem taken care of. Seems to me, it more important, is to find a reputable service place and stay with THEM ... rather than kiss off the entire manufacturer. But ever since he told me that (plus, I remember decades ago, after I had my ford's tires rotated, the lugs were so loose the wheel almost fell off) story, I've applied a tiny dot of anti-tamper compound on the lugs, the oil filter, etc, of all my cars ... just in case ;^)

i didnt write off the brand, just the dealer... but check this out...

so today i got a call from the corporate liason at my local toyota dealer...lets just say i am ashamed to say that these people are on the same planet as i am. she told me, that because i called corporate before i gave them an opportunity to correct the problem, that they are hereby voiding my toyota factory warranty and are refusing service to myself and my wife indefinately.

Hows that for customer service?

so its offical, even with 485 a month, im still have the civic...with a **** ton of extras...

[nc211]

Yep, any Dealer's service can be a POS. My co-worker's GM pickup had a light noise in the rear end severeal years ago. After having it returned to him 2 times, still noisy, he put a tiny dot of anti-tamper compound on the rear end fasteners. He got it back, drove it around the corner (with the light noise still evident) ... craweled under the rear of the car ... only to find the rear end had never been touched. Of course the manager blamed the service tech (obviously it would NEVER be the manager's idea to NO work on something :^O right? ) for being a slacker, and only THEN, was the problem taken care of. Seems to me, it more important, is to find a reputable service place and stay with THEM ... rather than kiss off the entire manufacturer. But ever since he told me that (plus, I remember decades ago, after I had my ford's tires rotated, the lugs were so loose the wheel almost fell off) story, I've applied a tiny dot of anti-tamper compound on the lugs, the oil filter, etc, of all my cars ... just in case ;^)

i didnt write off the brand, just the dealer... but check this out...

so today i got a call from the corporate liason at my local toyota dealer...lets just say i am ashamed to say that these people are on the same planet as i am. she told me, that because i called corporate before i gave them an opportunity to correct the problem, that they are hereby voiding my toyota factory warranty and are refusing service to myself and my wife indefinately.

Hows that for customer service?

so its offical, even with 485 a month, im still have the civic...with a **** ton of extras...

Josh, I surely hope, and strongly advise, that you review your warrantly documentation, and I hope you have copies of all the documents from when you purchased the car and warranty agreement. Look for anything that suggests the dealership has this authority to revoke your warranty. This smells like complete, total, and utter BULL SH*T on ALL levels! Just because you called the boss first, doesn't give them the authority to revoke something you've already paid for. I'm sorry, but that's simply unfair, and quite frankly, unconstitutional business practice. I would strongly advise you to review your documentation, call the manager and MAKE him/her point to exactly where in your contract that they have this authority under this situation. If they give you the run-around, call Toyota Corp., and tell them to point out exactly where in your documentation they can do this. Furthermore, advise that half-assed, over-paid, taco bell fry cook wanna-be, manager that you are addressing this issue with him as a last ditch effort before exercising your legal options.

This isn't business practice towards you Josh. This is staight up, flat faced, theft of your dollars for that warranty, PERIOD. And THEY know it, but hoping you're too stupid or lazy to recognize it. Which, they're sadly mistaken.

Short example: Friend of mine in the 80's had a oldsmobile cutlass coupe, bought by his dad from the local mitsubishi dealer. turns out, the car had been totalled in Mississippi a year earlier, of which they found out about. They asked the dealer to do one of the following options (a) refund the money, (b)replace the car © adjust the original purchase price to reflect the true condition of the car. The dealership told them to "p*ss off". Little did they know, his dad was an attorney. Long story short, my friend got a brand new fully loaded eclipse turbo, his dad got $650,000, and the dealership got their business license revoked from the state bureau of economic affairs. This took a whole 90 days to complete.

[ArmyofOne]

Yep, any Dealer's service can be a POS. My co-worker's GM pickup had a light noise in the rear end severeal years ago. After having it returned to him 2 times, still noisy, he put a tiny dot of anti-tamper compound on the rear end fasteners. He got it back, drove it around the corner (with the light noise still evident) ... craweled under the rear of the car ... only to find the rear end had never been touched. Of course the manager blamed the service tech (obviously it would NEVER be the manager's idea to NO work on something :^O right? ) for being a slacker, and only THEN, was the problem taken care of. Seems to me, it more important, is to find a reputable service place and stay with THEM ... rather than kiss off the entire manufacturer. But ever since he told me that (plus, I remember decades ago, after I had my ford's tires rotated, the lugs were so loose the wheel almost fell off) story, I've applied a tiny dot of anti-tamper compound on the lugs, the oil filter, etc, of all my cars ... just in case ;^)

i didnt write off the brand, just the dealer... but check this out...

so today i got a call from the corporate liason at my local toyota dealer...lets just say i am ashamed to say that these people are on the same planet as i am. she told me, that because i called corporate before i gave them an opportunity to correct the problem, that they are hereby voiding my toyota factory warranty and are refusing service to myself and my wife indefinately.

Hows that for customer service?

so its offical, even with 485 a month, im still have the civic...with a **** ton of extras...

Josh, I surely hope, and strongly advise, that you review your warrantly documentation, and I hope you have copies of all the documents from when you purchased the car and warranty agreement. Look for anything that suggests the dealership has this authority to revoke your warranty. This smells like complete, total, and utter BULL SH*T on ALL levels! Just because you called the boss first, doesn't give them the authority to revoke something you've already paid for. I'm sorry, but that's simply unfair, and quite frankly, unconstitutional business practice. I would strongly advise you to review your documentation, call the manager and MAKE him/her point to exactly where in your contract that they have this authority under this situation. If they give you the run-around, call Toyota Corp., and tell them to point out exactly where in your documentation they can do this. Furthermore, advise that half-assed, over-paid, taco bell fry cook wanna-be, manager that you are addressing this issue with him as a last ditch effort before exercising your legal options.

This isn't business practice towards you Josh. This is staight up, flat faced, theft of your dollars for that warranty, PERIOD. And THEY know it, but hoping you're too stupid or lazy to recognize it. Which, they're sadly mistaken.

Short example: Friend of mine in the 80's had a oldsmobile cutlass coupe, bought by his dad from the local mitsubishi dealer. turns out, the car had been totalled in Mississippi a year earlier, of which they found out about. They asked the dealer to do one of the following options (a) refund the money, (b)replace the car © adjust the original purchase price to reflect the true condition of the car. The dealership told them to "p*ss off". Little did they know, his dad was an attorney. Long story short, my friend got a brand new fully loaded eclipse turbo, his dad got $650,000, and the dealership got their business license revoked from the state bureau of economic affairs. This took a whole 90 days to complete.

Well i called a dealer in syracuse, they said i could bring my car to them under the warranty, so i think what toyota of watertown was saying si that they are refusing service to me...and im not sure if they can do that, but i know most other businesses can, they have "the right to refuse service to anyone".

But do you think i have a case for a lawsuit? i could really use a half a million right now.. .LOL

[nc211]

I doubt a lawsuit, but I would assume you would have some legal strength to throw their way. If anything, I would certainly write a letter to Toyota corporate explaining your situation with that dealership, and the fact that they refuse to offer you their services simply because you called Toyota Corporate first, before allowing them the opportunity to diagnoise your car. To me, that just says "because you won't let us rip you off with our games, we won't help you anymore". That place certainly deserves to have a point or two deducted from their overall Toyota score card. I'd send it certified mail too, so you'll have a signed receipt of delivery.