I took my car to Suburban Toyota for servicing for them to address two issues. 1) the hood of my car would not shut correctly, and 2) I was hearing a loud "clunking" sound when I turned the wheel of my corolla to the left. The clunking sound appeared to be coming from the left rear tire. The female assistant service manager who I dealt with told me that my hood just needed to be lubed, and that the clunking sound was because I needed an oil change and somehow that was making my timing belt make this "clunking sound". I asked how this was possible as my timing belt was in the front of my car, she said that it was because it "echoed". I took my car and left.
This dealership charged me close to $25 just to lube the latch of the hood of my car, and the doors, (and close to $25 more for the oil change). This is a service that most other shops perform for free as a customer courtesy with the oil change. But I guess to Suburban Toyota I was not worthy of this customer courtesy.
My car continued to make the clunking sound after the assistant service manager said that this sound was remedied with the oil change. When I called back she was rude and commensed to argue with me over small details. She now stated to me that they never heard a loud rear clunking sound from the rear of my car when they test drove my car. Well if they never heard the loud clunking sound, why did she tell me previously that the loud clunking sound was coming from my timing belt because I need an oil change? Rather than tell me to come back in to the dealership (after arguing with me and essentially accusing me of either lying or being crazy because my car was still making the same sound) she told me to "call back" in approximately three days. She did not even make an appointment with me.
To make a long story short, I took my car to a more competent Toyota dealership and they identified the clunking sound from the left rear that Suburban Toyota claimed they never heard when they allegedly test drove my car. This other dealership fixed the problem (a rusted brake drum on my left rear tire that needed to be resurfaced). I called Suburban Toyota back and spoke w / the Service Manager who was also rude. He accused me of poorly maintaining my car (he says that cars that are well maintained never have problems with their hood latch needing to be lubed), and claims that they did check my car completely (he even said specifically under my car!) but never identified the sound. If they had properly inspected my car and specifically under the car as they claim, THEY WOULD HAVE FOUND WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT!!!
Suburban Toyota's stance is that they did not charge me for a diagnostic test (which is basically the main reason I took my car to them, to diagnose the clunking sound) only for an oil change and to lube the latch of the hood of my car, so it does not matter that they were rude to me, lied to me, and did not properly inspect my car. When I said that the credit card payment may be cancelled to let the credit card company investigate this matter, the service manager said that they would take me to small claims court. For $50.75.
I called Toyota Customer Service to report the incident and was told that their Customer Relations associate would be in contact with me in three business days. She never did. When I called back Toyota Customer service four days later, they said that Suburban Toyota is not going to contact me, and will not contact me because "They feel the matter has been taken care off".
If Suburban Toyota had really inspected my car, and taken the time to listen, they would have diagnosed and fixed the problem. Not only did they not do this, they were rude and they lied to me.
Deo
troy, Michigan
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