Toyota Dealer Complaint

Customer Comments...

Name: James

Complaint: This is actually a very abbreviated account. Toyota of America has had the complete story for over a month in writing. I bought a used 2009 CERTIFIED Toyota Matrix from this dealership. The salesperson( a human ping pong ball) assured me the car would be polished and sparkling when I arrived to pick it up. In point of fact it looked no different from when I first saw it, i.e. dirty. In retrospect that observation should have made me very suspicious. In any event, the money was exchanged. The deal was done, and I was thankful that I would never have to deal with anyone at Lia Motors again. Little did I know! The next morning I discovered that the left front tire was low on air causing the sensor light to go on. It was that way every morning requiring that I fill the tire myself before departing the house. On September 9th I called and reported this situation to the salesman. He suggested I drive the car down and they would “replace” the tire. Meanwhile, since it was still dirty I proceeded to wash, compound, and polish it. It was not long, however, before I discovered why Lia Motors had not done so. The car has been stored somewhere in the presence of a chemical that was causing it to corrode, most particularly in places where the finish is plastic, the side mirrors for example. What’s more, the exterior glass and mirrors would not clean completely. There is a permanent film that is beginning to obscure the view. What happened to that 100-Point inspection? As you might expect I called and added this observation to the flat tire problem. They suggested I drive it down and they would determine how it could be remedied. Naturally, they would also “replace” the tire. Upon arrival I drove the car into the service bay and waited for close to two hours. Then, I walked out and noted that the car was parked outside the service area. I asked a mechanic how long it had been there. “At least an hour and a half.” he said. This prompted me to seek out the salesman and ask: “What is the problem with the finish and what can be done?” These were the two answers verbatim: “We don’t know.” “Nothing.” “Well, I assume you at least replaced the tire as you promised”. I knew they had not because the stem cover was still missing as it had always been. Naturally he needed to have a meeting with someone on that question, but the answer came back as, “Yes.” “You put on a new tire?” “No, we “plugged it.” The next morning (after a one-hundred mile drive down and back) the tire pressure warning light was on. This, of course was untenable, so I took the car to my trusted mechanic. He reported LIa had put a plug in the side of an Eagle radial tire. Not only would it not hold air, it was dangerous and needed replacement. The folks at Goodyear were aghast and in total agreement. I have the tire just for the record. Naturally, l called the dealer back and again asked what they proposed to do now as regarding the finish and the $200 I had just spent on the tire. I also spent $55.00 for the 15,000 mile service they failed to complete. They called back in fifteen minutes and said, “We’ll buy the car back.” This seemed to me a dandy idea and I asked whether they planned on coming to pick it up or, if I were to drive it down, how they intended to get me back home. One hour later they called and anounced they planned on totally “undoing” the deal, thus I would have my previously owned Audi to drive home. Well, of course, I had no intention of buying my old car back. I had been totally honest as to its condition, and what’s more, I couldn’t buy it back because according to their own Lia Motors website it had been sold a day earlier. “You just missed it – come in and look at our other fine offerings.” Whoops! Beware people. Picture the worst possible image of a car dealer and this crew will exceed it by miles. When I mean I would like a resolution, I mean I would like Toyota of America to resolve the issue. I won't deal with liars and cheats more than once.