Toyota. I want to share our honest experience so people can consider it when making an important decision like where to buy a vehicle/service it. If you do decide to shop here or have services done, be prepared to stand up for yourself and fight for the professionalism you deserve. Be prepared to check every single thing over thoroughly before pulling away. We bought our 4Runner there 7/24 & love it, however we didn’t love how the sales team started out very friendly but when we opted out of the extra warranty they had this whole routine to pressure us into it, but we didn’t. The wait time back in the financing office was extremely long and seemed like part of the tactic. Part of our deal over the phone was Toyota brand floor mats and a trunk mat. Instead they gave us used mats(in good condition) and told us they couldn’t find a trunk mat. Based on that experience we didn’t plan to return for service.
11/24 we brought it in for service for an Insurance claim on rodent damage including wiring and chewed engine and cabin filters. We figured Toyota mechanics would be the best in those circumstances. We asked them to rotate/balance the tires as well. After we took our vehicle home we noticed a certain mark on the rear tire that was still in the rear proving that the tires had not been rotated even though we were charged. We brought our vehicle back in and they did rotate the tires that time, but they were not professional or apologetic in the least. Very cold, unhelpful, definitely didn’t care about making the customer happy or keeping us as customers. I asked to be refunded since I had to take a day to come back for them to fix their mistake. The service advisor refused and basically called me a liar even though I could prove that the rotation had not been done. His biggest concern was watching their backs and not putting us as the customer first. He said if I had a problem to talk to his boss, Mike Cleveland. I asked to be called by the boss. Several days later I hadn’t heard back, so I filed a complaint with the Lithia corporation explaining that I would file a complaint w/ the Better Business Bureau if I didn’t receive a refund and an apology from the boss. Lithia corp responded promptly that the dealership would reach out in 3-5 business days. Nearly 2 wks later I hadn’t heard back, so on 12/8 I filed a complaint with the BBB. The very next day the service manager Mike Cleveland called me. He explained what probably happened with the rotation that they always put the best tread on the front. I understand that, but explained to him how that should’ve been communicated to us so we could make that decision/ at least know why the work hadn’t been done, and not been charged for it. After I directly insisted on being refunded he said absolutely we’ll send a check. I could tell his top priority was defending his employees honor and covering their backs, measuring his words and NOT apologizing. I talked to him for probably an hour because I was not going to back down until I was satisfied that they had done what they could to make it right. Finally, I explained to him that I work in the customer service industry too and It’s great to believe in your employees and be a united front, but you have to make the customer happy and try to keep a loyal customer base so your boss makes money and you keep your job. I explained that I understand that mistakes and miscommunications happen, but how it was unprofessional to not tell us and let us make the call on the rotation, and then charge, that the way the service advisor treated me was unacceptable, and that he still had not apologized! Then he apologized and stopped just making excuses and admitted what went wrong and that he would talk to his guys. Then just today I noticed that they had never replaced the engine/cabin filters/housings that are still chewed and full of rodent feces! Disappointing & stressful experience
