toyota getting hammered

[rosconey]

"add in the truck frame fiasco thats 10-15 years old and never fixed"


Please bring me up to speed on this. Everyday I drive a 1995 T100 Xtra cab
I bought new 4 miles from the Pacific ocean to work 50' from th Pacific ocean. Never noticed any rust? Where exactly is this problem located?
I do try to wax it every couple years. No real rust anywhere? Undercarriage, paint etc.

Thanks

try living in the snow belt,the frames rot out right behind the cab,the late 90's did this after a few years,they talked the owners into buying a second one and now those are doing it-granted they gave 2times above traden value,but now you have a second truck thats just as worthless as the previous-

[dbcad]

I hear you Deacon, the Geo Prizm was made by Toyota.

While the big American 3 were churning out junk like the k-car, citation, Taurus, over the past couple of decades Toyota was producing for the most part quality, long lasting vehicles.
Nissan isn't too shabby either. My 1997 Sentra now has almost 200k now, had to replace one starter, 2 alternators. Brake rotors are original and it functions well.

The media has blown the Toyota issues completely out proportion. I too would like to see data per 100,000 vehicles compared to other makers.

Throttle sticking is another issue. If a person is aware and concentrating on driving like they should be, dealing with a fully open stuck throttle is not that big of a problem, albeit kind of scary. You apply the brakes, turn the key one click back to kill the engine without locking the steering, and come to a stop. I have dealt with this problem before on the hot rod VW's I used to create.

If you're talking on a cell phone you might make a good news story, but your attention isn't focused on the task at hand, dealing with a wide open throttle.

Toyota could have done better adressing the issues when they came out, but their actions mimic actions from other automakers when confronted with the same issues. I believe Toyota will learn, move on, and create even better vehicles in the future.

I will buy Toyota in the future.

Charlie

[ssmtbracer]

I have never been a big fan of Toyota's but everyone I know who has one likes them and the do run great. I think the whole gas is sticking thing is a problem yes but also factor in the operator if you do know enough to put it in Neutral than maybe you should not be driving. Also Tony you must have been in a huge hurry how do you put brake pads on backward? I surprised they even fit in like that.

[araneae]

Had my scion xb in for my last complimentary oil change yesterday. While doing the usual inspection the tech noticed that the rear caliper pins were sticking a bit, probably resulting from the road salt. I got a call notifying me and they said it would run about $50 to fix. I said I'd pass on it this time. When I went in to pick it up they said the tech took care of it on the house. I have no complaints so far.

[Blerv]

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09 ... -tech_dept

[mrappraisit]

My wife and I are on our second Toyota Rav4, nothing but good impressions. The last one (an '01) we drove for 5 years and never had one thing break. Our '06 hasn't has any major issues either in almost four years of service. I totally trust our Toyota.

[rosconey]

just dropped my scion off for service under warranty-and they want to charge me 100 bucks for a diagnostic fee-wtf is wrong with these people

[araneae]

just dropped my scion off for service under warranty-and they want to charge me 100 bucks for a diagnostic fee-wtf is wrong with these people

Maybe you need to find a different dealer.

[tonydahose]

just dropped my scion off for service under warranty-and they want to charge me 100 bucks for a diagnostic fee-wtf is wrong with these people

for $100 you can buy your own reader or if you have a Murray's chain or similiar car parts store in your neck of the woods, most of them will read the codes for free.

[Blerv]

just dropped my scion off for service under warranty-and they want to charge me 100 bucks for a diagnostic fee-wtf is wrong with these people

Well my first inclination is you need to find a new dealer. Here is a little of what I have seen working in the service industry.

There are two types of service dealerships:

1.) The "just fix it or write it off":

This is the place I worked. We only charged/quoted diagnostic time if the car was altered from factory, or was out of warranty. Many times if the vehicle probably was the problem of the person driving (eg: paranoid auto-hypochondriacs) but we still would pull it in the shop and figure it out.

We even put in clutches which are obviously a wear component if the mileage was low for replacement. No matter if it was a Focus or a Mustang Cobra driven by a guy who thinks he's Vin Diesel.

If the problem was really not a problem they would often write it off as a warranty claim (eg: no problem found) if the dealership wasn't under scrutiny from the manufacturer (you can only do so much loosey-goosey warranty work till the big cheese starts looking at your books). If we were under watch for taking care of the client first and foremost, we would occasionally knock the labor down to cost (eg: the mechanics wage) and give him something for it by writing it off to the dealership. The customer still didn't pay a nickel but we put a note in the file.

2.) The "Well...what if?":

This is the kind of dealership we occasionally dealt with. If you brought a lot car (like a used ___ brand name) to them they would want to charge diagnosis almost regardless. The logic is "if it's not a covered component someone has to pay" which is more how we dealt with extended warranties than factory ones (as they pretty much cover EVERYTHING except wear/tear and abuse). These guys mostly have to be told how to do their job and they are just very conservative.


In summary 99% of the things a new car owner will experience regarding mechanical failure/error codes are covered. Dealerships will take different stances (and it doesn't matter what brand...they all do it). Having a relationship with the service department such as customer loyalty helps as they sometimes go the extra mile. Still, I would call various Toyota dealerships and explain the problem. If you have less than 10,000 on that oil change ( :D ) or haven't done something stupid to the car it shouldn't be a problem to the right dealership. You can always ask to talk to the service manager which tends to clear crap up really quick if on the fence. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Do not buy a scanner. Any vehicle past 1996 uses an OBD-II system which is more sophisticated than systems of the past. Reading codes can often reset monitors and make it harder to find the problem for the technician who has the $20,000+ factory approved/supplied diagnostic device.

Plus, most (not all) people with scan tools are R&Rtists. R&R = removal and re-installation. People read a generic code for an inefficient "Bank 1 O2 sensor" and instead of diagnosing a faulty MAF sensor or marginal spark plug (or any other of the plethora of possible reasons) they just replace the sensor. Then it burns out again in 5 months. Rinse and repeat.

If you have any questions feel free to PM. I'm not a service guy anymore nor a technician but have been in that world a while.


PS: I underlined the main stuff as it was getting very dry and long. :)