Toyota of Tri Cities

We did intall a water pump on this vehicle as stated by the customerThen vehicle was taken and driven for days and over miles before the low coolant light came onThe only thing that is happening here is the correlataion between the timing of the water pump replacement and the head gasket failureWe suggested the air in the system only because we didn't consider that a head gasket could have failed,( it is somewhat rare)Because we did work on the vehicle in close proximity to the head gasket failure we heavily discounted the additional repairs as well as provided a rental car at no cost(this amounted to discounts of over $700.00).We try very hard to diagnose and repair vehicles right the first time, but the vehicle repair business is not an exact science and this is a very high standard to achievewe also take customer satisfaction very seriously and try hard to satisfy all of our customers, this to is very hard to do as we need to balance sound business practices with customer demands and just doing the right thingIn this case we believe we have done the right thing and what the customer is aking for is not reasonableWhat would be willing to do is refund the amount paid from invoice [redacted] for the replacement of the water valve assembly as we know it did not fix the custmers concern, this is for the amount of $[redacted] Service Manager Toyota of Tri-Cities

I have seen several emails between Mr [redacted] and his salesperson but I'm not sure we have had the opportunity to inspect the vehicle for the problem being describedI do agree that a vehicle with more than 90K miles on the odometer is probably more likely to have issues periodically but the inspection process was performed and nothing was wrong at the timeI do believe it would have been more helpful had Mr [redacted] opted to speak with management to help resolve his issues before he took to social media in the manner in which he did.The General Sales Manager is Ron O [redacted] and the Used Vehicle Manager is Mike B***.....I will have Mike call Mr [redacted] tomorrow to discuss a time he can bring the vehicle in to have it inspected by a Toyota Master Diagnostic Technician to determine the cause of the failure and discuss options for repair

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because: there were voice messages left on my home phoneI responded by text and email and have not had any further communicationI would prefer that all communication by in written format for ease in follow up, accuracy and record keeping
Sincerely,
*** ***

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received, your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
Revdex.com,
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID *** and have determined that this does not resolve my complaintFor your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
In response to the Toyota's reply statement that "We did install a water pump on this vehicle as stated by the customerThen vehicle was taken and driven for days and over miles before the low coolant light came on." THE FACTS:08/28/- water pump was replaced (see attached invoice ***).08/29/- after driving car less than miles, coolant light came on(This was on a Saturday night around p.m.)08/30/- car was not driven.08/31/- drove car to appointment in Pasco and then to Toyota in KennewickCoolant light was coming on intermittently during this timeToyota did not have time to look at the car that day, so *** *** scheduled an appointment for 09/01/at 9:a.m.09/01/- Waited in lobby while technician diagnosed problem*** returned some time later and said they found air bubbles in coolant line, "burped" it, and I was good to goI was given no printout of what had transpired, and I didn't ask for oneI was thinking problem solvedAfter only driving a few miles that day the coolant light came on againI called Ms***She said I could take the car back to Toyota for another lookMy schedule prevented that so said I would return the car to the dealership the next day.09/02/- My husband followed me to Toyota in the morning where we left my carWent back to pick it up and Ms*** informed me the technician had driven the car several miles hooked up their computer, and the code indicating need for coolant valve replacement came upShe said sometimes the valve sticks, and her recommendation was that I drive the car for a couple of days to see if it would "unstick itself." After discussing with my husband our intention to drive the Prius to Woodinville, Wa, for a concert on 09/04/15, I decided I would feel more comfortable taking it out on the road if I proceeded with replacing the coolant valveI didn't drive the car any more that day.09/03/- Left the car at Toyota for valve replacementInvoice was provided for this work (see attached invoice ***)Please note that total number of miles driven from 08/28/- 09/03/15, per Toyota invoices, was miles (not as stated by *** *** of Toyota), and that included the miles Ms*** said she and the technician had test-driven it.09/04/- My husband and I departed Tri-Cities at approximately a.mApproximately 10-miles out of town the coolant light came on againI called Ms*** from the car, and she said I could take the car back to Toyota, but reassurred me it would be OK to continue driving the car to WoodenvilleWe decided to keep drivingThe warning beep and coolant light came on approximately every minutesNear Yakima (approximately 60-miles later), the car was having trouble maintaining speed on cruise control, and when I pressed the gas pedal, the car actually deceleratedWe proceeded to Yakima where we had planned to have lunch, and after talking it over, decided we should return the car to Toyota dealership for repairsWe picked up my husband's car and drove to Woodinville, arriving at the concert just minutes before it started.09/05/- We were on our way back to Tri-Cities, in Ellensburg, when I received a call from Ms***She said they had found a HUGE air bubble in the coolant line, had removed all of the coolant, and reinserted itWe picked up the Prius when we got to Tri-CitiesPlease note that on the invoice for this date (see attached invoice ***), Toyota incorrectly documented my vehicle's mileage as 93,903/93,Actual mileage must have been 83,903/83,Sometime between 09/05/and 09/18/the coolant light came on againI had driven the car approximately miles in that timeframe.09/18/- Dropped the Prius off at ToyotaMs*** called me sometime later and said the car needed head gasket replacement, which I had done (see attached invoice *** - curiously same invoice number marked Duplicate 2)
UNKNOWN:Why did it take so long to identify blown head gasket - it's my understanding it's an easy thing to check for?Did problems with coolant system that weren't repaired properly cause blown headgasket?Why hasn't Toyota admitted any wrongdoing - appearance is that coolant problems/blown headgasket stem from inferior or incorrect water pump replacement?Why did *** *** fabricate the number of miles I had driven on the new water pump before the low coolant light came on?Why didn't I receive information about the Toyota PRIUS Engine And Engine Cooling Recall (NHTSA Recall #95168)?SUMMARY:I now own a car that has compromised reliabilityI have been a champion and cheerleader of Toyota cars for yearsNow, due to the dealership trying to minimize their responsibility for problems with the coolant system after water pump replacement by saying, we see these problems with "older Prius's," my confidence is shaken.I accept *** ***'s offer to refund the repairs done on 09/03/in the amount of $Toyota should absolutely refund those charges. I think the facts point to other possible errors on the part of this Toyota dealership, and I want the record to state such
Regards,
*** ***

We did intall a water pump on this vehicle as stated by the customer. Then vehicle was taken and driven for 5 days and over 600 miles before the low coolant light came on. The only thing that is happening here is the correlataion between the timing of the water pump replacement and the...

head gasket failure. We suggested the air in the system only because we didn't consider that a head gasket could have failed,( it is somewhat rare). Because we did work on the vehicle in close proximity to the head gasket failure we heavily discounted the additional repairs as well as provided a rental car at no cost. (this amounted to discounts of over $700.00).We try very hard to diagnose and repair vehicles right the first time, but the vehicle repair business is not an exact science and this is a very high standard to achieve. we also take customer satisfaction very seriously and try hard to satisfy all of our customers, this to is very hard to do as we need to balance sound business practices with customer demands and just doing the right thing. In this case we believe we have done the right thing and what the customer is aking for is not reasonable. What would be willing to do is refund the amount paid from invoice [redacted] for the replacement of the water valve assembly as we know it did not fix the custmers concern, this is for the amount of $243.08.[redacted] Service Manager  Toyota of Tri-Cities

A refund has been processed as agreed to by Mrs. [redacted], she will be recieving a check very soon if not already. Best Regards, [redacted]General Manager

I believe Mr. [redacted] is now in contact with Mr B[redacted] the pre-owned manager at Toyota of Tri- Cities so I will let them talk from here. thank you

I have seen several emails between Mr [redacted] and his salesperson but I'm not sure we have had the opportunity to inspect the vehicle for the problem being described. I do agree that a vehicle with more than 90K miles on the odometer is probably more likely to have issues periodically but the...

inspection process was performed and nothing was wrong at the time. I do believe it would have been more helpful had Mr. [redacted] opted to speak with management to help resolve his issues before he took to social media in the manner in which he did.The General Sales Manager is Ron O[redacted] and the Used Vehicle Manager is Mike B[redacted].....I will have Mike call Mr. [redacted] tomorrow to discuss a time he can bring the vehicle in to have it inspected by a Toyota Master Diagnostic Technician to determine the cause of the failure and discuss options for repair.

I was not given the opportunity to speak with  a manager. the vehicle will not drive to their location. the vehicle is at a Toyota Certified technician here in Walla Walla and the repair costs are $2300. I posted my troubles on social media so that my friends and family. would understand the situation  is was going through. I felt the company had not given me any other options to correct the situation. their email was short and stated that the vehicle was used and had high miles. and that if I were to get it repaired they might give me a discount on parts. I have emailed 2 or 3 more times with informational updates and they have not responded. I gave the company the opportunity to work with me. Thank you
Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
Sincerely,
[redacted]

I would advise not to buy a car from this dealership. They play games and do not honor their agreements.

Review: During routine oil change, told water pump needed replacement. After pump was replaced, coolant system warning light came on. Returned to dealership. Said there were air bubbles in line which they removed. Coolant system warning came on again. Returned to dealership. Told coolant valve needed replacement. After valve was replaced, coolant system warning light came on. Returned to dealership. Told they found huge air bubble in coolant line and removed it. Coolant system warning came on again. Returned to dealership. After keeping the car for three days, said they were having trouble identifying problem so they would provide me with a loaner vehicle. After keeping my car for a total of a week, told me head gasket needed replacement. I believe head gasket was blown due to their not being able to properly repair coolant system. By the way, I was told all along that it was OK to keep driving the car. Note: This occurred at 84,000 miles on a 2008 Prius.Desired Settlement: No further charges after replacement of water pump. Assurance that if there are further damages and repairs required as a result of the dealership's service/repair mistakes that I will not be charged.

Business

Response:

We did intall a water pump on this vehicle as stated by the customer. Then vehicle was taken and driven for 5 days and over 600 miles before the low coolant light came on. The only thing that is happening here is the correlataion between the timing of the water pump replacement and the head gasket failure. We suggested the air in the system only because we didn't consider that a head gasket could have failed,( it is somewhat rare). Because we did work on the vehicle in close proximity to the head gasket failure we heavily discounted the additional repairs as well as provided a rental car at no cost. (this amounted to discounts of over $700.00).We try very hard to diagnose and repair vehicles right the first time, but the vehicle repair business is not an exact science and this is a very high standard to achieve. we also take customer satisfaction very seriously and try hard to satisfy all of our customers, this to is very hard to do as we need to balance sound business practices with customer demands and just doing the right thing. In this case we believe we have done the right thing and what the customer is aking for is not reasonable. What would be willing to do is refund the amount paid from invoice [redacted] for the replacement of the water valve assembly as we know it did not fix the custmers concern, this is for the amount of $243.08.[redacted] Service Manager Toyota of Tri-Cities

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received, your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Revdex.com,

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

In response to the Toyota's reply statement that "We did install a water pump on this vehicle as stated by the customer. Then vehicle was taken and driven for 5 days and over 600 miles before the low coolant light came on."

I would advise people to go elsewhere if buying a Toyota. While you are treated like an "elite" customer prior to the sale, once you buy and you have problems, look out.
The rudeness that I encountered with the managers at the Tri City facility was appalling. They made me feel like my concerns were minor and that I was being uncooperative and unrealistic. I might add, this is not a "Lemon Law" case, this is all after market screw ups on the dealerships part.
I bought my 2015 Avalon Touring in June of 2015, and since then I have had to bring it to the shop almost 7 times. My $40,000+ vehicle now has a leaking windshield.
After $8000 worth of upgrades from extended warranties to floor mats, $15,000 down, I am still not satisfied with my brand new car. Which, by the way, is now considered used after 3 months and 3400 miles.
I asked the dealership to trade me out like for like into another 2015 Avalon, but their response was, "we cannot take a $5000 loss. I guess a customer loss is ok with them.