Very disturbing experience with Toyota dealer

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teddyboy

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I have a 97 Toyota Camry with 303K miles. My preference would be to take the car to the dealership for maintenance but I decided a good while back that they look for things to do so that they can pad their bill. The last couple of years I've been relying more and more on an independent garage. A month or so ago a door handle broke. It was just over $100 to repair so I decided to get it fixed, the dealer was the only real option. I was due an oil change so I decided to go ahead and let the dealer do it rather than take it to my independent garage. On my invoice the tech noted that I had "an internal transmission seal leak" that would be just over $2000 to fix. Never mind the complete idiocy in doing $2000+ repair to a 300K miles transmission (you'd do a complete rebuild instead).

I left the dealership thinking that the car was finally done and started looking for a replacement used car for the daily beater. My wife suggested that I get my independent guy to look at it before doing anything. He tightened some transmission bolts, charged me $21 and told me to come back in a week to see how it's doing. The week ended today, it's fine. He didn't charge me anything today. Needless to say, the Toyota dealer sees it for body hardware stuff and such but otherwise never, ever again.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: teddyboy
A month or so ago a door handle broke. It was just over $100 to repair so I decided to get it fixed, the dealer was the only real option.


If it's the external door handle there are better quality aftermarket ones available cheaply painted the right color on eBay.

I'm specifically referring to this handle:
500-toyota-door-handle-2.jpg


https://www.amazon.com/Depo-312-50011-122-Toyota-Replacement-Exterior/dp/B003ZWHLCU/
Depo 312-50011-122 Toyota Camry Front Driver Side Replacement Exterior Door Handle
Price: $9.75
That would be for a black one on Amazon. They also sell them in black plastic unpainted at auto parts stores as well, but I bought one painted to match based on the car's color code and it was a perfect match. It was also easy to install. One thing is that the OE one used wood screws to hold it in and I could not reuse then because the aftermarket one used M6 machine screws.
 
That is why they call them Stealerships... On the other hand replacing a door handle is a simple job any shop should be able to do and most automotive locksmiths also
 
Originally Posted By: teddyboy
I have a 97 Toyota Camry with 303K miles. My preference would be to take the car to the dealership for maintenance but I decided a good while back that they look for things to do so that they can pad their bill. The last couple of years I've been relying more and more on an independent garage. A month or so ago a door handle broke. It was just over $100 to repair so I decided to get it fixed, the dealer was the only real option. I was due an oil change so I decided to go ahead and let the dealer do it rather than take it to my independent garage. On my invoice the tech noted that I had "an internal transmission seal leak" that would be just over $2000 to fix. Never mind the complete idiocy in doing $2000+ repair to a 300K miles transmission (you'd do a complete rebuild instead).

I left the dealership thinking that the car was finally done and started looking for a replacement used car for the daily beater. My wife suggested that I get my independent guy to look at it before doing anything. He tightened some transmission bolts, charged me $21 and told me to come back in a week to see how it's doing. The week ended today, it's fine. He didn't charge me anything today. Needless to say, the Toyota dealer sees it for body hardware stuff and such but otherwise never, ever again.



Had the exact same thing happen to me on a year old Accord with 30K at a private garage. Went elsewhere, they tightened the bolts and changed the fluid. Transmission was fine as long as I owned the car. Amazing how those bolts loosen by themselves......
 
A 300,000 mile car has no business at a dealership...........you would be very wise to cultivate a relationship at a body shop for such items.

They are familiar with door handles, door locks, and so on.


Just because your mechanic tighten some bolts doesn't mean the problem still isn't there-BTW.
 
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With 300K miles if it is still shifting well I would just drive on and make sure the fluid was clean and full. How could they detect an INTERNAL seal leak anyway? Am I missing something? But yes, your experience is disappointing. I don't think I have been flogged to bad by my Honda dealer, but I have heard the service advisors speak to other customers around me, my how those services add up quickly. $$$.
 
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
That is why they call them Stealerships... On the other hand replacing a door handle is a simple job any shop should be able to do and most automotive locksmiths also


Or even a body shop.
 
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
When I bring my 1995 Escort to a Ford dealer, it does get their attention, but only in a positive way.


I had a late 1980's Escort drive past me tonight. It was in mint condition and sounds so smooth and quiet!
 
Yeah I have my fair share of slimy dealership stories too.

But this past summer I took my Camry in for an alignment at a Toyota dealer. They didn't try to upsell me anything. I was sitting there waiting for the list but none came.
 
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
Originally Posted By: teddyboy
A month or so ago a door handle broke. It was just over $100 to repair so I decided to get it fixed, the dealer was the only real option.


If it's the external door handle there are better quality aftermarket ones available cheaply painted the right color on eBay.

I'm specifically referring to this handle:
500-toyota-door-handle-2.jpg


https://www.amazon.com/Depo-312-50011-122-Toyota-Replacement-Exterior/dp/B003ZWHLCU/
Depo 312-50011-122 Toyota Camry Front Driver Side Replacement Exterior Door Handle
Price: $9.75
That would be for a black one on Amazon. They also sell them in black plastic unpainted at auto parts stores as well, but I bought one painted to match based on the car's color code and it was a perfect match. It was also easy to install. One thing is that the OE one used wood screws to hold it in and I could not reuse then because the aftermarket one used M6 machine screws.


Our 2002 Avalon handle broke in the EXACT same spot 2 winters ago.
 
Realize the kid working on your car may never had even seen one in the shop. They do not expect an old car like that to come in. The mechanics are not trained on old cars. I learned this on an old truck one time. The dealer(kid) wanted to do a couple of thousand dollars to fix it. I took it to a private shop and they installed a new computer for $300.
 
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
That's not disturbing, it's to be expected. Plus, you're not exactly a profit center for them based on what you drive. Sounds like you got their message.


Yeh but the dealer wasn't trying to deliver a coded message that OP should have another shop fix vehicle for pennies....
They were actually trying to rip him off...
If he had agreed would they have said just kidding let's just tighten these bolts?
Ha, no.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Yeah I have my fair share of slimy dealership stories too.

But this past summer I took my Camry in for an alignment at a Toyota dealer. They didn't try to upsell me anything. I was sitting there waiting for the list but none came.

How much did the alignment cost? I've been avoiding getting it done at the dealership cuz of cost and front end shops because most in my area aren't too honest.
 
Originally Posted By: THafeez
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Yeah I have my fair share of slimy dealership stories too.

But this past summer I took my Camry in for an alignment at a Toyota dealer. They didn't try to upsell me anything. I was sitting there waiting for the list but none came.

How much did the alignment cost? I've been avoiding getting it done at the dealership cuz of cost and front end shops because most in my area aren't too honest.


I usually get the 3 year warranty at Goodyear. I think NTB also has one. Firestone does it too, but lots of people seem to hate them. The Goodyear one was $169. The one I go to seems ok, they try and up sell once in a while, but I just go there for tires and alignments.
 
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