Prime Toyota

Reported a white powder dust blowing out of the air vents and landing on me, the dash, and all around the front end of the vehicle in significant amtsThis is A HEALTH ISSUE! Many Toyota owners have this issue (even though Corolla owners have not reported it doesn't mean it doesn't exist, as the writing and the photo shown looks exactly like what I am dealing with, and moreso it is reported to be worse in the winter but that is when it was very minimal and just purchased my vehicle...so of course nothing goes wrong that quickly on a used vehicle. I am having it with the AC on so something is WRONG! AND my air vents are on recycled air and not open to intake air. Started off slowly with what I believed was pollen but has now gotten significantly worse to the point I had to get out of my car and brush myself off, as it was like dandruff everywhere all over me, and the front of my car, dashboard, doors, radio, etc. Per Prime Service it will cost $800-$1200+ to fix the problem as you have to remove the dashboard, and it is a timely job. I just purchased the car in November 2014 and do not even have 5k miles on it, and it is a certified used vehicle with 62K when I purchased it (and I have about XXXXX on it). A certified used vehicle should not have problems like this out of the gate. Was told service was done there by previous owner, which was a lie per service. I should not have to pay for this to be repaired, but it is out of warranty so Service said I do. This is the 2nd issue with this dealership and this vehicle I purchased from them in 8 months. I researched this issue online and found many articles about Toyotas, as well as Lexus and Honda, having this problem and is noted on Edmunds.com, toyotaownersforum, and others. MY RESEARCH Findings: The cabin air filters have nothing to do with the problem, and even if changed out, the problem exists. The dust is a direct result of the air conditioning's evaporator flaking off small pieces. CARspec's heard multiple explanations as to why the evaporator does this: the protective coating on the evaporator flakes off, the evaporator's aluminum corrodes, etc. The blower takes these bits of debris and pushes them through the vents into the cabin. The solution to fixing the problem is, unfortunately, to remove the entire dash, crash bar, most of the front harness, air/heater box and replace the evaporator core with an updated part - an expensive proposition - while cleaning all of the vents that may house residual dust.I also found details in "TSB-0075-08 - 5/27/08 - Excessive Dust from HVAC Vents" thread on this web site ( TSB-0075-08 - 5/27/08 - Excessive Dust from HVAC Vents ). This bulletin has been updated on January 16, 2012. According to Toyota's latest bulletin this service required 7.5 hours of work.I believe Toyota experimented with a anitfungal coating on the A/C evaporator that can dry out and flake off creating the white dust you are experiencing. I would have the dealer check the evaporator. It would be worse in the winter, since the evaporator is dry and more likely to flake when the heat is on. In the summer, the use of the A/C keeps the evaporator coils wet and therefore no flaking.It is probably aluminum oxide. This is a white powder that forms on the aluminum components of the heating and cooling system in the car. I have just had a complete new air con condenser fitted because of the same problem on a Toyota Avensis. It took them 12 months to find the problem.Toyota admits to this problem, but will not repair this problem if the car has more then 36 months or 36,000 miles on it. More [redacted]I am concerned this is a health issue re aluminum oxide exposure.Aluminum oxide and other aluminum dusts can cause drying and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. Nosebleeds may occur if exposures are excessive. Chronic inhalation of dusts and powdersreportedly causes pulmonary fibrosis.Toyota wants a lot of money to replace the evaporator coils, since it's out of warranty and is unethical to resell knowing the problem.Desired SettlementToyota admits to this problem, but will not repair this problem if the car has more then 36 months or 36,000 miles on it.I am concerned this is a health issue and already 8 months into the problem and the issue getting worse, I do not have the $800-$1200+ to have this problem fixed, as I just bought this CERITIFIED Toyota in November 2014. And I have no equity in it to sell it or trade it. TRUST ME I WOULD IF I DID as nothing but issues and lies from this dealership and while the problem seamed minor at the time through the winter, has only gotten significantly worse over the past 3 months. What's next? Yes it is a used vehicle, but it is a CERTIFIED vehicle I paid extra for, AND Toyotas are known to run forever, but I can no longer trust this one will...well it may run, but not without health issues and concerns. Would you want to be breathing this in everytime you drove this car? If this is what others are finding the colder the weather, the more powder seems to blow out how much worse is it going to get here in MA if I now covered every time I turn the car on. Spoke with Jim, Service mgr on 7/22 and he will waive the fee of $50/hour to investigate, but it is a costly job as it is going to take 8 hours or more to take the dashboard off and get to the parts involved. So I am looking at $800-$1200 or more to fix. I cannot afford this being on Social Security Disability and why I paid more for a "certified" vehicle, to avoid additional problems used cars bring. I cancelled the investigation on this matter as I cannot afford it after speaking with Jim, and have an oil change and tire rotation scheduled for Tues 7/28 at 10AM. I'd like this fixed before August 15th. It may be out of warranty, but it is HEALTH ISSUE.Business Response Contact Name and Title: sandra [redacted] crmContact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXXContact Email: [redacted]@primemotorgroup.comToyota is doing good will of labor of $800.00 customer to paid for part around $300.00. car is out of warranty. The work is being done 8/6/15Consumer Response (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)I filed a complaint with Toyota Corporate so that together Prime could work through their process for documenting the problem and the resolution as Prime indicated Corollas do not have this white powder problem. Well they do now. Prime took the time to step up and treat my situation as a test case, and handled the exploratory costs involved at no charge to me to determine what was causing the white powder blowing from the vents, and kept me in the loop. Prime and Toyota's Territory Rep assisted in the overall costs involved in this project and repair making it more affordable for me to have the problem fixed while they had the dashboard off my car. I am thrilled at the agreement of my paying the $300 for the part and their absorbing the labor costs. Great to pay $300 vs. $1800 (which was quoted to me by their service dept earlier last week when the vehicle was in for an oil change and the service rep saw the white powder all over the vents, seat cushions, door wells, etc. and knew exactly what it was and confirmed it was aluminum coming from the Evaporator unit. While Prime may not see this is a health issue, I stand firm with it being so with the many google sites stating the effects of breathing aluminum oxide for long periods of time. I am glad it is all documented with Toyota Corporate so others do not have to suffer like I have and there is a fix to the problem without extensive research needed now. I look forward to getting my vehicle back tomorrow. Again, I THANK YOU PRIME & Toyota Corporate for assisting me with this matter and handling it very quickly and professionally in the best interest of the client/customer, me.

WRONG DOING FOR THE SALE/FINANCE OF MY 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA. I received my 3rd rejection from an unapproved submission of my application for finance from a bank. I DID NOT give approval to anyone at Prime Toyota Rt2 to send them my application. I was very firm and clear when I was there and spoke to the sales rep when completing my application, and even wrote on the bottom of my application that ONLY TOYOTA FINANCIAL WAS TO BE CONTACTED. I did not want a lot of hard inquiries on my credit report as I know dealerships will send to a pool of banks. I also knew that I had a long and strong history of great financing with TFS and ONLY wanted to work with them regardless. AS car dealers tell me...the inquiries do not hurt your report. That is BS and I am witness to it. These inquiries stay on my report for 7 years, and others see these hard inquiries, and too many is not good. Prime Toyota BROKE MY TRUST with going behind my back and submitting my unapproved information for financing inquires to banks other than TFS. I also do not want to hear Prime was shopping for the best rate, when I know for a fact I could not do better than TFS as I had over 6 years history with them, and if anyone would approve me they would. I stated this to the Sales Rep all of this when I agreed to finance the Toyota Corolla. With this huge break in trust and respect, I no longer can recommend Prime going forward to anyone....and that is just sad as I love my Corolla. I should have stayed with Acton Toyota as they "listen" to their customers. I feel shafted, and so disrespected by Prime Toyota.Product_Or_Service: 2009 Toyota Corolla SAccount_Number: XXXXXXXXXX with TFSDesired SettlementIt is hard to go back and erase the wrong doings of Prime Toyota as the hard inquiries are now starting to show up on my credit report. Who knows how many they sent my financial information to, as it was done behind my back and without my approval. They get a sale and I get 7 years of hard inquires to hurt my credit. No money can fix that. But I will ask for a gesture on their part in good faith of 1 car payment be made by Prime on my behalf. Please listen and not disrespect your clients wishes.Business Response We did not see any such notations on credit report. And its standard practice to solicit several banks to obtain the best rates for our customers.Consumer Response (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)No proof of has been submitted to me that it was not written, as I only received the request for financing form, which this comes AFTER the whole sales process to complete and put in the form. So it would not be on this form. And funny, I was approved by the ONE bank I asked for in the first place. I told the owner, my comment about who I want to use for financing is noted on the initial credit info sales form which is taken to the sales manager to discuss pricing etc. AND because it typically is the standard practice for car dealerships to solicit several banks, THAT IS THE REASON WHY I NOTED THIS, and CLEARLY NOTED IT TO MY SALES REP AND SALES MANAGER. Only TFS (Toyota Financial Services) was to be contacted. Again, them soliciting for the best rate is total BS when THE CUSTOMER only wants to do business with ONE SPECFIC BANK and made that clear. Again, when does the CUSTOMER be heard, and not be shafted in the finance process. Again, my approval was NOT given to solicit from anyone other than Toyota Financial. So they went behind my back, and were shady in doing so by not telling me they did this. Hence I have to receive the painful BS when I get the numerous (4) rejection letters by these banks when I knew I would ONLY have a chance at financing IF THEY USED TOYOTA FINANCE. So they get a car sale, do wrong to the customer, and the customer ends up with pain and suffering for the NEXT 7 YEARS with HARD inquiries on their credit report. I went in having my ONE PREFERENCE as to what bank I wanted to finance with. So I know the "games" they play, and I thought Prime would be different. You might as well be Norm Wagner with this sort of customer game experiences.Final Business Response [redacted] can cancel the extended warranty coverage. The unused portion or the warranty can be refund .It will be credited to the TFS loan. please call [redacted] at XXX-XXX-XXXX to cancel the warranty.Its standard practice to solicit several banks to obtain the best rates for our customers.Final Consumer Response (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)Why would I cancel my extended warranty and have no warranty coverage on a used vehicle? That is just crazy. I was told by Prime's finance manager: when the 2 years of extended warranty are over that I am paying on, that it still would NOT change my payment total due with the bank. So why risk not having any warranty by cancelling it early, and having it refunded to the bank with no effect on my wallet. It was the folks that offer the extended warranty that explained what is covered and for how long, which was not communicated during the purchase & sale. So that does not resolve the matter that is truly at hand.It may be standard practice to solicit several banks to obtain the best rates, but I knew this going into the dealership, and that is why I, AS THE CUSTOMER, STATED AND MADE IT KNOWN THAT I ONLY WANTED ONE SPECIFIC BANK CONTACTED AND ONLY GAVE PERMISSION FOR THAT ONE BANK (TFS) TO BE CONTACTED, regardless of rate, because I KNEW I would get the best rate with the company I had a long successful history with and did not want all the "hits" on my credit report.Again, when does the "standard" take over what the CUSTOMER wants, gave permission for, and asked for up front. The customer obviously does not matter with these people. I had to learn the hard way AFTER the fact. I have to suffer for it for 7 years because of the hard inquiries, while they walk away with a sale. NO ONE should suffer this type of mental anguish and well being from a dealership who just had to listen, and do what THEIR CUSTOMER WANTED.Yet, no remorse, other than "sorry" has been given by the owner. Sorry does not cut it. Sorry is too easy to say and doesn't cover the additional 7 years because of this transaction. How about you suffer a financial hit, as I am now going to have to deal with because of your wrong doings. IT ALL MATTERS! This dealership even filters out their negative online reviews with a software tool on Yelp...gee I wonder why, and how many other online review sites is this type of tool used? Again, had to learn that AFTER the fact.I am taking back my JOY and am DONE with this dealership and will NEVER recommend them, as they cannot do right by their customers. Simply put: They cannot be trusted. PERIOD. This is actually my 2nd HORRIBLE experience in Sales with this dealership. What made me think they were worth a 2nd chance. SHAME ON ME.WHATEVER!