Leaking roof issue in car wash and Toyota will not fix it!

Anyone else experience a leak from their shark fin antenna while in a car wash?

I have been to two different dealerships, one even being 2 1/2 hours away each way, total of 3 times and contacted Toyota Corporate to have a case manager involved and they keep telling me because they can't replicate it they are not willing to do anything.
I first reported this in 2024 on my 23' Toyota Tundra Limited. Not every time but at random times when in the car wash (have gone to multiple wash locations) I am getting leaks from about where the shark fin antenna is located. It dries before I take it to the dealership, so I have taken multiple photos to send them. Sometimes I have gotten drops onto my rear seat and a mold/mildew smell once in a while when I open the sunroof, however I don't think it is coming from the sunroof. They tried to look at it once when my rear dome light was falling out and ended up creasing my headliner where the clothing hooks are. Gates Toyota and Toyota of Muskegon both can not replicate the issue so they say there is nothing they can do because Toyota will not pay them under warranty to pull the headliner down if they can not replicate it, despite my photos which clearly show water marks. They are also not willing to replace the headliner they creased!

Anyone have any advice how to get Toyota to fix this? I love my truck but I am really displeased with Toyota's service, despite the evidence I am providing. Heck, I even keep a towel in my truck because of this. I hope there is a Toyota rep on here that sees this, I would hate to have to contact an attorney and go through that hassle.

 

You need to bump this issue up with their next level. There should be a contact phone number in your owner's manual.

How do I make a complaint against Toyota?

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3. Postal Mail. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. P.O. Box 259001.

 

Yep I did that and my case manager says they will have a regional tech look at my case, however they want me to pick up my truck before he can look at it next week. Is there another level I can go to?

 

I hate to say this but Toyota Customer Care is a joke and their warranties are meaningless.

I had peeling on my steering wheel of my limited. They deemed it outside influence. I replaced it myself with a TRD Pro steering wheel. I have a small claim for breech of warranty already drafted. Have a year or so to file so I am still debating it.

It is almost like Toyota wants you to sue them to get them to pay. It is a different story with Honda and Subaru. Toyota has gotten too big and measures risk very different, it is not the company it was in the 70s, 80s, or 90s.

 

Thanks for that info, for small claims do you file it locally? Just wondering if I can do that just to get something done. I’m tired of playing games with them.

 

usually, small claims within the county you live or the county you bought the truck in. You need damages and in most states, it will not be over 5 grand. The case manager basically laughed at me, so it pissed me off.

You need good writing/ drafting skills and see some actual complaints before you attempt to send them something. It needs to be rock solid, so I would get it fixed first or see where it is coming from then seal it. This appears that it would not be an expensive fix since it is a small adhesive leak. Toyota gets sued a lot, and usually they are class actions and huge product liability verdicts.

I need to add to this too, is that Toyota has an arbitration clause built into its warranty information. You are required to go to arbitration, but I will tell you that they will NOT take a case like this. It deals mainly with mechanical issues. Toyota banks on the smaller things like this not being able to be taken on by a lawyer and that you will go away.

 

Good information, thank you for that. I am going to think about this but also blast them all over online to see if I get a response. Heck I may even create a YouTube channel too lol

 

My headliner came with the creases when new.

 

With ai writing legal documents has become much much easier. Also, keep a copy of their current warranty terms when you bought the truck. Vendors are notorious for changing warranty terms as the years go by.

 

No issues with my 22 and going through car washes.

 

A strongly-worded letter from your attorney typically will get some attention.