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Poor Treatment/answer From Toyota Customer Care?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by mypineprius, Feb 8, 2008.

  1. mypineprius

    mypineprius New Member

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    Well actually NO I just do not believe Toyota Customer Care? Really Cares At All!
    Here is a quote from a customer care? supervisor about my Continuing Input Problems with my 2008 Prius Touring Factory Navigation System 2/6/08
    "Good Day Robert This is Juleesa Cabrera From Toyota Customer Care in Torrance calling.
    We are well aware that you are experiencing continuous problems with your factory navigation system in as much as you cannot input your home street address.
    Plus you are unable to access turn by turn navigation to or from destinations or back home.
    Toyota does not presently, nor do we expect to have at any time soon, any solution to this.
    You will need to PURCHASE update discs from the manufacturer when they come available.
    Toyota WILL NOT Supply you with any update discs FREE as they are considered "customer pay items".
    She goes on to say, "We have contacted the manufacturer and learned that because your home is located in a 'rural area' it is more as likely NOT mapped accurately this version. Again, as updated discs become available you will need to purchase them from Toyota."

    Well I have news for you Toyota. This subdivision has been here for 15 years, the streets were all mapped and platted at the time of it's inception. County Road Maps as well as the Telephone Book Maps BOTH SHOW MY STREET. This is a
    Brand New Toyota Factory Navigation System with NEW 7.1 Navteq Disc.
    This System Should Have NO PROBLEM WITH HOME ADDRESS INPUT!

    So, according to Toyota Customer Care? If you are having difficulties and problems with your Factory Navigation System, well that's too bad for you. They Are Not Going To Help!
    We paid for an expensive Navigation System that cannot even find home street addresses, nor give you turn by turn navigation to and from ANYWHERE?

    I believe if we would all band together, contact Toyota Corporate 1-800-331-4331 and send written complaints to them at the; Toyota Customer Care Dept WC 10 19001 South Western Avenue, Torrance,CA. 90501. direct your complaints to both the Supervisor of Customer Care, Ms. Lorraine Smelcer, and Toyota USA President Mr. Jim Lentz then also send written complaints to; ConsumerAffairs.Com: Knowledge is Power! Consumer news, reviews, complaints, resources, safety recalls as well as sending an email to; [email protected] to DEMAND Toyota Resolve These Factory Navigation Systems Input Problems.

    Just so all you folks out there know, 70 other people that I found so far, are complaining about continuing Problems and Difficulties with Toyota Factory Navigation Systems. Want to take a look? Just 2 websites are:
    http://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/f...ory-nav-15220/ after you read those 6 pages of complaints, go to
    http://priuschat.com/forums/audio-el...tml#post556155 for 6 more!
    We all paid BIG to have these Navigation Systems and they sure should work properly!

    As a Sidenote about this; My wife was at Office Depot and input our home address into a cheap Tom Tom, and a Magellon Aftermarket Navigation System. Both systems accepted input of our home address and gave my wife exact turn by turn navigation directly back to our home. Moral of this story obviously is; SAVE YOUR MONEY, BUY AFTERMARKET SYSTEMS.

    If one cannot utilize the system input of home street address, you are also unable to utilize turn by turn navigation features. Those are two of the most important reasons I paid dearly for to have the Factory Navigation System.
    This Navigation System is veritibly USELESS in it's present state. Toyota Needs To Hear This From All With Complaints!

    My question back to Toyota is; Why am I being penalized for YOUR SYSTEMS PROBLEMS and INACCURACIES?
    If the information on these discs is NOT ACCURATE, Toyota Needs to Find A Better Manufacturer. Or, give those with problems update discs FREE!
    Either I get update discs FREE or I want a refund on the Faulty Nav. System, as it cannot resolve these problems by itself!
     
  2. Flying White Dutchman

    Flying White Dutchman Senior Member

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    i agree

    if toyota will sel the nav dvd for something like the TOMTOM map price's i wil acccept it .. but this i dont accept
     
  3. mkiefer83

    mkiefer83 Junior Member

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    If you're sitting at your house and you place a marker on the map, does it show you at a specific address or basically in white space?
     
  4. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Toyota's reply did not indicate that your streets are new, only that they have not been "mapped" by their database supplier. Much of the world is like this. The mapping companies start with the areas that give them the biggest return for the investment, which of course means large cities and metropolitan areas. As time permits, they add less densely populated areas, such as yours.

    I live in a village that has been here for 150 years. My street has been on the map for more than 150 years, but still I can't get turn by turn directions. There are just not enough people in this area to make it a priority. I'm sure eventually all of the streets will be available for all of the navigation systems, but that is going to take some time.

    I do think Toyota can do a better job with their NAV system, and I think the updates are overpriced. I also think part of your trouble is your expectations. I really don't see this as a major customer service gaff on the part of Toyota, but simply a matter of economics. Service levels are lower when you live in the sticks as we do. It's just part of the deal.

    Tom
     
  5. forrestt

    forrestt New Member

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    I read your rant from a couple days ago in this thread:

    http://priuschat.com/forums/audio-electronics/39216-navigation-disk-update.html

    complete with all the CAPS.

    I have nav in another of my cars, and a portable system I use when I travel in rental cars. No system is perfect. I don't believe it's Toyota's fault - they are using mapping supplied by a third party. My Mazda will not locate our home, but the Prius' will. I stored it as a POI in the Mazda in 15 seconds and life was good.

    Just yesterday I was storing some points in the Prius and it wouldn't accept one address - it said no such number on that street. Come to find out, the software said that address was Avenue instead of Road. That's not Toyota's fault.

    Have you tried the suggestion given about making a point of interest while sitting in your driveway so the system can help you find your way back home? Storing it as a point, you can get then get information and see how they describe the address you're at.

    Or, worst case, get rid of the Prius and find a car with navigation to make you happy. Life isn't worth all the anger. I don't think there is such a thing as perfection in a car, particularly one that costs so little.
     
  6. Tom6850

    Tom6850 Retired

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    You say your development has been there for a long time. Does your development show up on the display? If it does, when you are parked in front of your home hit the "MARK' icon in the display. It will record that location and you will be able to find your way home. No NAV system is perfect. I also have a Garmin Nuvi 660 which I like a lot. But both the Prius and the Garmin have their limitations. As the other poster said some streets might be labled as avenue, boulevard, etc.

    It took me a while to get used to the Prius Nav, but I really do like it. It one system that my wife can operate.

    One advantage of the Garmin is that their updates only cost around $60.00.
     
  7. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    ranting about 3rd party products to Toyota is imm, a waste of time. they are not in the mapping business
     
  8. Doc Willie

    Doc Willie Shuttlecraft Commander

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    You can input your home location by other means. While you are sitting in your driveway, you can mark or save that as a location (I can't remember the specific screens or commands, but it is in the instructions), and manipulate that as you will.

    I have had similar problems with some locations. My daughter's street address in Boston is not there, though the buildings next to it are, even though they are all old buildings.
     
  9. Doc Willie

    Doc Willie Shuttlecraft Commander

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  10. okiebutnotfrommuskogee

    okiebutnotfrommuskogee Senior Member

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    This does not concern the NAV system, but I would like to put in a good word for Toyota Customer Care. In Nov. of 06 I had a problem with my 05 Avalon. It concerned the steering shaft (not the defective weld), but a noise problem.

    There was a TSB that covered it and required the replacement of the shaft. They were on back order and ended up taking three months to get the replacement. It was not dangerous and I was never without the use of the car. A very nice guy, Jay Mahoney, with Customer Care in California kept me informed with frequent phone calls.

    About the time the replacement was due he offered me a $250.00 reimbursement towards future servicing or accessories at a Toyota franchised dealership. I asked if he would send that to me in writing. When the letter arrived, it wasn't for $250.00, it was for $300.00 and good for 18 months.

    So far I have only accumulated about $200.00 worth of expenses to send in and have about 5 months to go, but I am sure that I can spend the rest of their money before the time is up.

    All I have to do is either mail or fax the paid tickets to the address in the letter for reimbursement. So Customer Care is not all bad. Now if I could just figure out what to buy next.:D
     
  11. 9G-man

    9G-man Senior Member

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    It does seem like Toyota Customer Care would have researched the complaint, if they took the time for a follow-up callback, and offered the same remedy that we have here. Using an alternative method of waypoint input for the HOME location should be obvious.