Bad Toyota Business - Dealership Issues

Just wanted to share my story... I bought my truck this January and decided to get new tires 6 months later. Mind you this a certified truck and I have the paperwork showing it passed tire inspection. I was told they replaced the tires, aiming it was all 4 but I was wrong..... what I found was 2 new ones and 2 vulcanized ones. Toyota said that they were not responsible for the truck after the initial inspection in October even tho it was on their lot. Long story short they got Nitto to pay for half of one tire but would not admit that they did a crappy inspection. Called Corporate HR, they talked to the dealership and they refused to talk to me. Then they got rid of the tire that was purchased. I have bought 4 vehicles from them but we’re worried about losing $600 so they lost mine and the rest of my family’s business.

 

I realize that they wouldn’t take the tires off for inspection but the outside was visiblely damaged...

 

wow that really sucks. They should own up to their mistake.

 

That’s bad business. Why is it people (most everybody now-a-days) won’t take responsibility for anything?

 

You should still follow up with corporate. Theres a large Toyota dealership in the LA area i no longer give any business (parts, purchasing, or service) because of their repeated mishaps and negligence. Corporate toyota ended up giving me a few hundred in credit towards parts, that i used at another dealership.

 

I have to admit here I’m not sure what you’re mad about. You bought a used truck, accepted delivery and then 6 months later you go back to them saying there is visible damage to the tires and they should replace them. If you really stop buying Toyota products over that, you’re . Just my opinion here.

 

I'm confused or maybe I'm just misreading this. If after looking the truck over, test driving, wheeling and dealing, YOU bought the truck and 6 months down the road YOU decided to buy new tires...how is the dealership at fault? And how is Nitto paying for a partial tire?

 

I hope it wasn't Longo

 

Hey Lance. I appreciate the fact that you are upset about the tires. The vulcanizing is a question of "is it a safe fix" but the tread and sidewall damage after having the vehicle 6 months may be considered questionable by any dealer. Buying used does require a certain amount of buyer responsibility. Pre inspection by your "own" mechanic under the hood and on a lift is a good idea. I just bought a 2014 in Feb of 2017 similar to your purchase. Got an extended warranty bump to bump and immediately replaced tires so skipped the pre inspect I usually have done. If they helped you out at all I would be happy. If it was a couple days or a week after purchase would be different, but 6 months later, I don't know. Here is the cpo inspection requirements so them saying it passed inspection probably means they checked the tread depth and basically that was it. Also FYI, front end alignment is only required if vehicle isn't tracking correctly on test drive. I had to pay for alignment day 2 of ownership with new tires. Went to dealership after reading cpo checklist and told them truck wasn't tracking properly so got it aligned. They reimbursed me for the alignment. If you did get new tires hopefully you got an alignment as well.

 

I have to agree with the side of "its a little too late too late". Maybe there was some language that the dealer used that was perhaps a little confusing, but if the truck is a solid purchase then i would chock it up to a lesson well learned.

 

Am I following this right?

The tires passed their tire inspection and were safe for you for at 6 months until you replaced them just to replace them. That's when you noticed they had been repaired.

When you buy a vehicle it's pretty obvious what 4 brand new tires look like. If the issue was so noticable, you would have noticed it before they were off the truck. They had tread and held air.

The tires that passed their inspection didn't fail you.

You brought up the issue 6 months later. In their defense they have no idea what you did with the truck in that 6 months.

 

Yep those are vulcanized...

 

I understand what your saying, they said they put new tires on it and I assumed they did all 4, makes me wonder how bad they were. Ultimately, even tho it makes me mad, I am glad I was able to change them before something like that happened. To think of the sidewall damage and the several trips my family and I took really gets me heated.

 

I can understand for off road use, these were 285/55/20 Terra Grapplers lol

 

If you did not notice the problem for 6 month, how is it the dealer's fault not noticing it? How long should the dealer be on the hook after selling a used vehicle? I agree that they could've been nicer and pay for the tires. But I don't see why they should.

 

Mainly because I’m not a Certified Toyota technician. I paid more money for a vehicle that was “thoroughly” inspected. With that certificate, it puts Toyota’s stamp of approval on it. Other vehicles are sold as used with no liability, Pre Certified go thru 120 point inspection. So I have document that says all tires are good, it’s falsified in my opinion. Makes me wonder if there was anything else missed.

 

Nah. This dealership was in the 818 area..

 

Wow.... I’m just using a different dealership.

 

I guess that’s what really makes me salty. I am more upset about the danger this put my family in not the money. I wanted bigger tires anyway. I didn’t get into but the service manger cussed at me and every time I reasoned with him he came up with something, I proved him wrong and he say a different story. I trusted a piece of paper and paid more for it and found this.

I also took it to another Toyota dealership that I currently go to 4 hrs away and they said that their techs should have never missed that and that inspection holds a lot of weight.... they said they would’ve replaced the tires.

 

Not that any of this matters... but since I’ve got a lot responses, I thru a poll up for kicks and grins.

 

Yea i would try to document any interaction with that dealership and continue contact with Corporate. Even if they don't work out a deal for the tires, they should contact the GM. I would try to do that on my own as well. Let the GM know how his/her service manager is treating customers, that you're not really expecting any further compensation but to clue him into their employee's behavior at least.

 

Thanks for thoughts and participation. I’ll keep everything everyone has mentioned in mind for next time!

 

I had a lifted 03 Limited lol

 

And I love mine!

 

I would never get anything else, I have a Camry to. On cars I’ll occasionly get a Honda but I’m all about “foreign” vehicles lol. In fact fact I just got my 18 headlights installed DIBS!!!