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Toyota Highlander Owners: Dealer & Service Experiences
Wow, I get the first post. And, since mine been in the shop for 27 days, I can at least write something.
Our repairs were from slamming into concrete divider along the tollway in Houston at about 60 mph. I dodged a tire tread and being unused to the vehicle's handing, lost control and fishtailed down the tollway.
Damage is about $4,800. Front and rear fenders (the covers and the actual bumpers), both driver's side wheels and rims, and left rear quarterpanel, and various interior things. We had it towed back to the dealership we bought it at, and their services dept is on State Farm's service network (meaning the service dept does the estimate). Had 90% of the parts after a week, but not the wheels and rims. Had 99% of parts after 3 weeks, and this week they were to paint and align the wheels, put in the last 1% parts due in 3/14, then send it to have a final review, then to make-ready. I call 3/15 to check status. And, I'll post a review of its condition after I get it back and have some time with it.
Our repairs were from slamming into concrete divider along the tollway in Houston at about 60 mph. I dodged a tire tread and being unused to the vehicle's handing, lost control and fishtailed down the tollway.
Damage is about $4,800. Front and rear fenders (the covers and the actual bumpers), both driver's side wheels and rims, and left rear quarterpanel, and various interior things. We had it towed back to the dealership we bought it at, and their services dept is on State Farm's service network (meaning the service dept does the estimate). Had 90% of the parts after a week, but not the wheels and rims. Had 99% of parts after 3 weeks, and this week they were to paint and align the wheels, put in the last 1% parts due in 3/14, then send it to have a final review, then to make-ready. I call 3/15 to check status. And, I'll post a review of its condition after I get it back and have some time with it.
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When I took possession of the HL 2/16, the console was unavailable via the Jacksonville port where some US accessories are added. Since the consoles are now available to current purchasers I contacted the port and have an appointment this coming week to drive there from Orlando (133 miles) and have it added to my HL for the same $199 list price as if I had ordered it that way.
PS...they also said I could add on any other port installed option if I wanted, but I had already ordered my car just the way I wanted.
Consoleless in Orlando . . . but not for long.
After 6 weeks, my Highlander is back in the garage (and being used for everything, I might add). After really annoying the service advisor with calls every three days, and some minor setbacks in painting and metal work, I must say that the results were worth the wait - the vehicle was returned to factory condition and we're very pleased.
It took about 4 1/2 weeks to get ALL the parts in. The wheels and some seals and gaskets took the longest. The dealership reworked the back driver's quarterpanel (which on inspection Sat. is one big piece running over the doors!) and repainted most of the driver's side.
It was slow, but we feel the service was top-notch. The advisior even told us that we would not get it back until he was satisfied with the repair. He meant it, and it really impressed us that some one we don't know and has no personal interest in our HL cares that much about their work.
Location: Don McGill Toyota, 11800 Old Katy Rd, Houston TX.
Thanks.
Don
Secondly, with all the safety features Toyota put into the HL how come the door locks do not automatically lock upon placing the gear into drive or obtaining a speed of 12-18 mph. Or is the HL I have defective and in need to have the computer or alarm system reset in order for this to happen. Anybody else notice this. Thanks
I purchased a Toyota Extra Care Platinum 75K/72 month "$0" deductible warranty from <http://www.toyotawarranty.com/> for $690 via the internet. They don't list the HL on their site, but when I called, they told me it was the same price as the Avalon. My dealer offered the Extra Care Gold for $1500. You have 3 years/ 36K to decide if you want it. I was able to pay via credit card, with no tax (out of state). There may be even better deals out there.
My doors don't auto-lock either, unfortunately (V6, AWD, limited). I don't believe that feature is available on our car.
-Steve
Any ETA on the tranny getting in?
And, I'm sorry it looks like you got a bad one --
Hope things go better,
Michael aka "wrecked on the way home from dealer and it was in the shop for 35 days"
Thanks for checkin in. It took two weeks to get the right solenoid valve. The dealer will let me know tomorrow when they think they'll have the part. They said they would pull the tranny out of another Highlander if necessary.
I feel like I'm breaking up a "townhall" love fest with the HL with his bad news.
- Allan
Kudos to the service shop if they're willing to work with you and pull another tranny.
From my standpoint, bad experiences deserve to be noted as much as the good ones. The wind noice thing is really making a flap in the big discussion group, and that's not so good. Then again, they're driving 85 - so I don't have too much sympathy ;-). I tend to think your issue is isolated, since no other posts mention it. But, not all HL owners are online
Good luck!
And, the brake assist assists me way too early - surprised me a couple times, then the ABS kicks in and the thing still doesn't stop too well.
Any comments?
My HL stops just fine, ABS only kicked in a couple of times (sand, wet, etc.), pedal does not go to the floor. This seems like it is specific to your vehicle, and not to the HL (or any car) in general.
Good luck,
-Steve
ONLY DRIVING AND SOMEONE LET DOWN THE REAR WINDOW
AND THERE WAS SO MUCH NOISE IN THE CABIN MY EARS
BEGIN TO POP THERE WAS VIBRATION OF THE SUNROOF
THE ONLY RELIEF I COULD GET WAS TO ROLL THE FRONT
WINDOWS. HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM
REMEMBER TO ROLL DOWN THE FRONT WINDOWS. NEED TO
KNOW IF I SHOULD RISK THE SAFETY OF MY HEARING OR
CUT MY LOSES AND RETURN THE HIGHLANDER ?
Wally
basically: I am a visiter to Cali. I was told that it would be possible to register in Washington (my residency), I was told I was getting a 5.92% interest rate, and I was told I couldn't get 15,000 miles/year only 12k. All were lies, since this was the first time i've ever dealt with a lease, they took full advantage of me. I signed, trusting them (my mistake). They added a $460 California registration fee and I found out later that they gave me a 7.92% rate (using a lease calculator). I called the fleet manager, who I dealt with, and he failed to return my calls for two weeks, then flat out lied to my face. Then spoke with the GSM and worked with her for a week (she also let me know i could've gotten 15k miles/year), then she passed me on to the head of the financial department. And he informed me that she was basically done dealing with me. I contacted their customer service, she said everything looked "fair" and offered me a Gold package upgrade, or 3 free oil changes to keep me quiet. Don't know that there is much else I can do. But whatever you do, don't go to the dealership.
I wish you luck in trying to resolve the issue. I leased for 5 years, didn't get a whole lot off MSRP but the finance manager was a relative. I got a 37% residual in 5 years, and it really was the only way we could have "afforded" the vehicle. Again, best of luck and even though to you got a bad deal, you got a great vehicle.
Guys I am in the market to buy a 4x4 V6 HL Limited with some extra goodies like LA, EJ VD,SR etc. But slowly I am veering away from toyota becoz of the two dealer experiences I have been having.
I negotiated with a dealer for the HL $600 above invoice. we agreed he called me to the delaership and then jacked up the price by 1000 dollars, inspite of deciding on the price and trading faxes. but i just walked away from the deal as I did not want to pay 1000 dollars above predetermined price.
Second time the same thing happenned. I was just on my way to pay and pick up the HL and the dealer called again to say the price has been jacked up by 1000 bucks, I threatened to walk away from the deal as I did not want to pay 1000 dollars above predetermined price, he relented and now he is giving me the HL for $32,200 which was decided.
But these experience have left a bitter taste in my mouth and now I cannot trust any dealer.me and my wife are pretty disappointed due to this. Anyway if i dont go for HL then its toyota's loss ( not that they care ) but nevertheless they may lose a buyer.
Took it to the dealer, and after a week, they said it was fixed. They actually had to strip out the entire rear cargo area down to the metal and then re-weld the inner fender. Claimed the Unibody construction had not been properly welded! Just what a new owner would want to hear.
Picked up vehicle and noticed same noise, now worse and also coming from the right side as well. Put vehicle back in dealership. Contacted Gulf States Toyota in Houston, Texas. People spoke with were extremely nice and understanding of concerns of the car being re-welded. Said they would be in touch with me in 2 days. Once I walked out the door, never heard another word from them. Even after calling and leaving a message. Oh well.
Vehicle again repaired this time by disassembling the rear struts, putting in new rubber gaskets, and greasing the mounts. Another week in shop. Claimed another HL had came in with similar problem and was able to diagnose both vehicles problems!
Anyone else hear of this.
Regarding the rubber gaskets on the struts, yes, I have heard of this. This particular problem was a problem on some Avalons (like my '97) except on the front. The noise was a muffled thump, which happened when going over speed bumps, etc. The dealer never really eliminated it completely, but did reduce the noise significantly. BTW, I think I'm beginning to hear a similar noise from the front right of our HL as we speak. I'll be monitoring it to see if it develops more. Perhaps it's normal for this model. Good luck with GST. I haven't had to deal with them yet and hope I never do. Having to deal with one of their dealers is trying enough. Just hold your ground and stay informed via resources like Edmund's and Yahoo Clubs.
I was looking to get a 4 cylinder HL and the dealer has a few that are bare but have that stupid toyoguard markup and a roof rack and a cheap package as well as some towing package.
Do you guys think I can get the 4 cylinder model without any of the extra stuff? Also any suggestions on what I should pay for the base model with no extra features in Florida. Also when running it with the AC a lot since I live in Florida what kinda milage do you think I can get? The sticker has 22 27 if I recall it right. Does it sound like this one can get that. I have a 95 Corolla and it gets like 38 miles/gallon lot of city driving can't beat it with a stick. Just wondering about the Highlander mpg cause if its not as stated I'd rather just get a Honda Odossesy.
Aftrer doing some more Edmund's research, I contacted two dealerships (including Naperville) through their websites and requested quotes on the HL I wanted. One called and practically the first comment from them was that I needed to be prepared to give them a deposit over the phone. Fortunately, Toyota of Naperville again came through with the internet sales manager, Jay Jones, calling me with the quote and following up with email confirmation. A day later I called back to accept the deal and we closed it that afternoon in about 30 minutes with EVERYTHING exactly as he had initially said it would be. At the time he said they would have the vehicle in 2 weeks, which they did. I picked up the car today and it was a smooth, pleasurable experience.
I felt like I got a good deal, below Edmund's TMV and significantly below what the slimey dealers were telling me, and I traded no ill-will as part of the process, which was a refreshing change from some previous car-buying experiences.
If the dealer knocks of a couple grand, i'm willing to suck it up and live with it. But if they're not going to do anything, I'm willing to go all the way. So that I don't sound biased, for those of you who don't mind the noise, it's a great great SUV.
p.s. i drove my 91 ford explorer yesterday with only rear windows down, it didn't make the noise.
Our personal experience has been just the opposite!
Took me four emails and over an hour and a quarter to finally get their price on stock number 34084, and only then did I learned that this particular vehicle which is still listed in their inventory, "34084 isn't yet here, but will be here at the end of next week sometime. $26,715 will take that car when it lands ONLY if you are nicer in person that you are thru emails, sir."
Repeated attempts to reach the owner or the sales manager, Marty Brylsky have been futile.
Save yourself valueable time, and don't believe their inventory listings, as all of the vehicles listed in their inventory are not there physically, but perhaps may be coming in at some later date.
When I found out that the vehicle my future son-in-law desired was NOT there as advertised, and that they didn't even know exactly when it would be there in stock and ready for delivery, I advised him to go ahead and buy from the dealership where he was patiently waiting for the outcome of my search, which he did.
He is now driving that new HL, and couldn't be happier. He may have paid a little more, but at least he dealt with people who were straight up with him, and not advertising something that they didn't even have in stock.
Good luck.
You do not have copies of my correspondences back and forth with them, do you? So how can you determine that I wasn't nice based on what she said back to me after I had emailed her four times over an hour and a half time frame simply asking for a price?
This remark by them was after attempting to determine for more than an hour and a half to get their price. My simple question should have been answered in her first response to me which was almost immediate BTW, instead of: "I thought you already have a HL?" Maybe I wanted to buy one for my soon to be a mother daughter. Does it matter? Aren't we allowed to have more than one HL? Or maybe see 'thought' that I was playing games on Saturday afternoon and simply passing the time of day?
But to try to make a person jump through hoops for almost an hour and a half is ridiculous, especially when the largest dealer in the World (Longo)is not only much closer and has a much larger inventory (over 50 HLs physically there in stock), and the prices turn out to be the same.
Their fleet people pay attention, and quote you the price right now, not whenever they feel like getting around to it. And they sure don't make snide remarks either.
We were not after an exchange of hellos, and how are you, and where do you live, etc. Just simply trying to get a price on something they advertised as being in inventory, when in fact it was not, and still is not!
Did you fail to grasp that point?
Isn't that a violation of the law, to advertise something for sale that is not in stock?
You (and I) are free to deal with whoever we choose, correct? They are there only because of people like us that are buying or at least trying to buy what they are selling. Were there no customers, would they be in business?
I rest my case.
Please take yours to the dealer. I'd be very interested to know if they tell you the same story.
Best of luck!
When I was finally ready to buy, I emailed 8 dealers in LA & Orange Counties. The price I agreed on with Dianne was more than $800 below the next lowest price, which was from the largest dealer in the world(Longo). I will say that I was impressed with Longo's quick email responses and followup. They even sent a nice message when I told them that I had already bought one elsewhere.
Anyway, the price & service that I got from Dianne & Chris was excellent. I picked up my Highlander yesterday. Anyone whose dreading having to face an auto dealer should email or call Dianne or Chris.
I saw message #39 & 40 above from hlltd, and my only advise to people is that if you're not getting the answer you're looking for from an email, use the phone. Email is convienent, but messages can often get misunderstood.
As for the fender flares, I decided that I liked the ones from Toyota's Gulf States region better. Steve Gantz, Parts Manager at Carson, offered to order them for me. He also ordered the black pearl emblems which will look great on my Silver Millennium Limited V6 AWD. Steve has been great to work with(all via email). Should be seeing the flares & emblems soon!
As many of you probably do not know, Dainne was banned from Edmunds for promoting Carson Toyota.
Now all of a sudden appears this 'individual' who calls himself bikerjohn, with glowing reports of how great everyone is that is associated with Carson Toyota.
All here can believe what they choose to believe; That is their choice.
However, this would appear to me to be a very poorly disguised way of shamelessly promoting herself and the fleet department, and also the parts department by this "created" person to make an end run around Edmunds ban on promoting any commercial use of these pages.
Gerald, please let us know if you find out that these flare parts are indeed available in the GST region.
TOWN HALL USER PROFILE
In the Town Hall, my username is gotcha_covered.
My name is empress window-washer.
I live in CA USA.
My email is debutante@coolpacific.com.
And here's some more about me:
Just when you think it can't get any worse... it does!
Tell us a lot, doesn't it? Are we afraid to tell anything about ourselves? Now who is paranoid?
Do you suppose this person might actually be Dianne herself?
I think so! What do you think?
I personally do not give a dam what you or anyone else thinks of what I think or say.
If you don't like what this older retired person has to say, it is very simple. Don't read it.
If this bikerjohn person (aka 'john walters') would care to further identify himself, then I will eat my words. But this will not happen I'm sure because bikerjohn is not a real person, but a phantom created to blow the Carson Toyota horn since Dainne is banned from doing so herself here by Edmunds.
Like I said before, I'd don't care what you think, and I've been around this Old World considerably longer then most all of you, and have learned a thing or two in those extra years.
You may fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you're not fooling everyone here all of the time including this fellow. I have no connections with any car dealerships, and am no one's 'bird-dog.'
I do know how I was treated by this agency when I tried to ascertain a price for someone that was waiting for a reply at another dealership. Four emails, and over an hour and a quarter later, I finally determined that this vehicle that was supposed to be in inventory was, in fact NOT there, but coming in later at some unknown future date not certain. And that is what I posted, and that is how it happened. I have all emails to prove to anyone that what I have said it true if they are interested enough to simply ask for them.
Believe what you will; I couldn't care less!
What I do know is that every time I hear the word Carson mentioned, I get this sour taste in my mouth.
It was mentioned above to deal over the telephone rather than by email. Why does the website ask us to email them? Well telephoning doesn't work either. We tried the other night, and Dainne was too busy to field the call herself, and handed us off to someone else.
If you want to deal with that bunch, that is your prerogative. I wish you good luck. We haven't had any success at all.
Why not take you own advise?
How much time do you spend away from your computer? Not much, huh? Oh, I forgot. When your not selling, you're in church.
Personally, I don't see anything wrong with posting opinions about dealership experiences. Let the reader determine the validity of the claim. I have no doubt that the large majority of those who frequent this and other similar sites will, in time, be able to distinguish a line of BS from the truth.
Darrel, I don't know whether or not this "bikerjohn" is a real person. At this point, I am willing to assume that he/she is. While your point of Dianne (or anyone) re-joining the club under another user ID is indeed a possibility, why bother to get so upset about it? Like you, if others do not like what is offered by Carson or any other dealer, then, like you, they will take their business elsewhere, justifiably so. The dealership which did not get your business will adjust their practices to be more accomodating, assuming that they have been told of the experience and believe that action is warranted. BTW, did you write the GM or somebody from Carson and express your concerns or are you only campaining here? We all now know that you had or have a beef with Carson and while it is certainly your right to express it here, you have done so with an overtone of anger and I don't understand it. The last I heard, your son-in-law ended up buying his Toyota HL from Longo, right??? On a final note, you might want to send a private message to the moderator here expressing your concerns as this might be a more effective way of determining the true identity of "bikerjohn", or any other "suspects" you might have.
Regarding the GST fender flares, I'll let you and everyone know if and when I hear anything.
Oh, and one other thing Darrel. I'm NOT predjudiced against the elderly. My Dad is now 77 and there isn't a time I talk to him that I DON'T still learn something!
Just my thoughts...not that anyone asked!!!!