How Toyota Deals with Lemons--BADLY

Hi everyone,
Thanks for your words of encouragement and support. I faxed a letter to Toyota's customer service department in Torrance, California. I explained the situation (and the car's history), and told them the dealership currently has my car, awaiting my decision after giving me a price estimate for a fix of $4900. I gave them until Thursday (last day of April, when car salespeople are most willing to deal) to tell me whether they would a) fix my car so that I have a working 2001 Prius, b) take title of the car and give me the private party value for a working 2001 Prius to be applied toward the purchase of a new 2010 Prius, or c) do nothing at all. If the answer is c), I buy a Honda.

No matter how it turns out--and so far it's looking more and more like the answer will be c)--I will post my experiences here. I'm sad and frustrated, but mostly resigned and demoralized, especially because I just spent $3000 one month and two months ago fixing it.

 

I am not that person--I did not buy my car knowing that it (the battery or the CVT) was a salvage/rebuild, and to my knowledge it was not. But in my struggles with Toyota, I found MANY 2001 Prius owners who had suffered the catastrophic failure of the CVT. I imagine it was a manufacturing defect from the first few months of production that they corrected.

Not interested in suing. Suing is never, ever, ever worth it. Moreover, I can't imagine a legal claim here--I'm not saying Toyota was OBLIGATED to sell me a car that did not incur $15,000+ in repairs in the eight years of its life. I'm saying that if they are interested in keeping the kind of reputation that has inspired custormers who, for instance, display a Toyota emblem with the phrase "The only warranty I need" as their .sig, that they OUGHT to make me whole.

 

The worst experience by far was with Grossinger's Toyota. Only AFTER suffering at their hands (do a search for "kenworthey" to get the history) did I learn that several of my colleagues had also had very unpleasant experiences there.

Libertyville Toyota was ok at first (although tremendously expensive), but they really, really dropped the ball with this last set of issues. Among other things, when I brought it in two months ago, they forgot to check the diagnostic codes (!!). They replaced the starter battery presumably based solely on my complaint that the battery kept going dead and the check engine light was on; and I left, thinking they had confirmed that a bad battery was the problem. One month later, the triangle-exclamation came back on, so I brought it back in (keep in mind I live over 60 miles away from Libertyville Toyota and took it there on a recommendation). There, they charged me $98 to read the diagnostic codes, which told them that I needed a new $800 HV ECU (which they had themselves replaced two years before--sorry, no longer under the one-year parts warranty!), that the entire exhaust system was bad, a CV boot needed replacing, there was an oil leak, and maybe some other tiny stuff. They only gave me prices on parts, and it was pushing $3000. I complained then about the ECU and told them I thought they should pay for it; that an $800 computer should not need replacing, let alone in two years. I drove the car home, and despite several calls, they never called me back.

I finally took it to a local guy who said the CV boot simply had a loose bracket (repair cost, about $10). He replaced the entire exhaust system, repaired the oil leak (which involved replacing some gasket or something), gave it a full tune up and oil change and whatever the other small stuff was--everything but the HV ECU which he said he couldn't/wouldn't touch--for a little over $2000.

I kept meaning to get back to the HV ECU complaint with Libertyville (as the light was still on), but didn't get back around to it. Three weeks later, the car failed to start at all. I called Libertyville. Not only did they tell me they would not covere the HV ECU they had replaced two years before, but that if I brought it back in, they were going to charge me ANOTHER $98 to diagnose.

I had it towed to Toyota on Western, who told me the entire hybrid battery system, including the HV ECU needed replacing, and it would cost $4900. (I'm assuming that's both parts and labor but don't really know--either way it's too much for this car). That was Saturday. I faxed my complaint letter to Toyota Monday morning, and they have until tomorrow to tell me what they are going to do. I expect I'll be buying a Honda tomorrow.

Does anyone know what a 2001 Prius parts car is worth? Virtually brand new starter battery, brand new exhaust sytem, newish tires.

 

I did, Jabber. He was great--very knowledgeable, seemed very competent and like a real straight-shooter. He even happened to have Toyota on the line about another issue, and asked them about my fax--they had no record of it, even though it had been sent/received on Monday! He suggested a phone call. I suppose I will call tomorrow if I've still heard nothing--but that fact that they've had my fax in hand now for 3 days and haven't even entered it as a "case" tells me that Toyota's customer service is about the same the level of efficiency/interest as it was in 2005/2006, circa my CVT problems. (Exactly who do I have to fax around here to get some service?? )

I wish my Toyota was at Crystal Lake Toyota (is that what it is called?) instead of where it is. But it is not, sadly, and I am without a car, and tomorrow is the deadline I gave Toyota since it is the last day of the month and that is the best day to buy cars, and I don't want to wait another month without a car. We'll see if they pay me any attention by close of business--that is, the fourth day after which they received my fax.

To the person who asked about Chicago area service at dealerships; I haven't taken my car to this place, but if a phone conversation tells me anything, these guys seem pretty straight. As per Jabber's recommendation: "It just so happens I do. Call Justin at Pauly Toyota. 815-459-7100 Tell him Jeff mentioned you."

 

Testing: I posted two messages close to an hour ago (one a reply to a post, one a new thread), and they have not shown up. Just seeing if I still can post on this site...

 

I was being polite, cwerdna. The answer is, "Of course I didn't buy a car with a salvaged title. And I know this because of course I carfaxed it--who *doesn't* carfax before purchase?" Moreover, your question as I understood it was not whether it was a salvaged title, your question was whether or not the CVT was salvaged at the time I purchased it in 2003. And since carfax wouldn't report something like that, the answer was, "To my knowledge, no." But I also wonder what point you are trying to prove here? That somehow, I deserved what I got?