Recent Toyota Dealer Experience

[Spector]

While waiting for a car in service I was looking at the maintenance section of owner's manual for a Rav 4. Salesperson arrives and we discuss OCIs and he states that the oil changes must be done at the dealer! After a discussion he says, well they can be done elsewhere but must be done by an ASE certified technician for the warranty to be honored. I stated that I do my own and he said well, unless you are a certified technician your warranty will be voided. I asked if all of their techs were ASE certified and he said yes. I then went to service and asked them and of course they stated the oil change techs are not certified, too new on the job for them to spend money getting them trained. So, I sent them a nasty note about salespeople basically giving false info to customers as well as info on the Magnuson-Moss Act.

Service rep was interesting, said yea, sometimes the salespeople stretch the truth!!!!

 

[Onetor]

Sometimes!

 

[FordBroncoVWJeta]

Dude is a tool. No such thing as a ASE cert for oil changes...

 

[Sayjac]

Originally Posted by Spector
….Service rep was interesting, said yea, sometimes the salespeople stretch the truth!!!!
Ya think. Otoh service reps ime, could be pot kettle.

 

[demarpaint]

They try.........

 

[CARJ]

If you bring your car into the dealership just for an oil change, it will go to the newest guys that make the least per hour. They usually don't tie up their best techs on jobs like that unless it's slow.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

What do you expect from a salesperson? 80% are usually guys and gals that cant get a job anywhere else.

I always ask for them to show me this in writing. You can yap it up all day about anything and it don't mean a thing.

I had argument with Subaru service manager (Exeter Subaru) on the REQUIREMENT to use synthetic oil in our older Forester FB25. I showed him the text "hidden" in the owners manual that stated that you may use conventional oil - not just for top off but for the OCI. I also mentioned to him that most "synthetic" oils don't hold higher specification or approvals than quality "conventional" oil. I did use synthetic - at that time they were trying to say you had to use Subaru Genuine Synthetic.. I'm sure this was a S.O.A push to give dealers more service $$$$ with maint requirement dwindling.

ex: See the push for brake fluid flush every 2 years now?

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted by Spector
While waiting for a car in service I was looking at the maintenance section of owner's manual for a Rav 4. Salesperson arrives and we discuss OCIs and he states that the oil changes must be done at the dealer! After a discussion he says, well they can be done elsewhere but must be done by an ASE certified technician for the warranty to be honored. I stated that I do my own and he said well, unless you are a certified technician your warranty will be voided. I asked if all of their techs were ASE certified and he said yes. I then went to service and asked them and of course they stated the oil change techs are not certified, too new on the job for them to spend money getting them trained. So, I sent them a nasty note about salespeople basically giving false info to customers as well as info on the Magnuson-Moss Act.

Service rep was interesting, said yea, sometimes the salespeople stretch the truth!!!!

As a sales person (not at a dealership), I really hate this. It gives us honest hard working folks a bad name and keeps the "used car salesman" stigma going.

 

[KrisZ]

A.B.C. Always be closing.
The guys is trained to say/do whatever it takes to bring customer in the doors. Scare tactics usually work best.

Selling cars and servicing them is still a predatory business practice for the most part. You never know, that guy/gal bringing in their old car for an oil change special, may be talked into driving away in a new car.

 

[jeepman3071]

It's all in an effort to upsell. The sales people (service advisers are also sales people) will upsell even if it means lying to the customer.

This came up at the local Jeep dealer when my father bought his Grand Cherokee new in 2013. He told them that he would be doing their 1 free oil change then I would be taking over maintenance, and wanted to know what needed to be done records wise in order to maintain the warranty. They said as long as we kept receipts for oil changes with the correct grade and noted the mileage we would be okay.

The reality is it would be very hard for them to deny a warranty claim on an engine because of oil changes, unless it was clear the oil was never changed by evidence of sludge and severely worn bearings. Even then it seems there is still a chance an engine will be replaced.

 

[WyrTwister]

Originally Posted by Spector
While waiting for a car in service I was looking at the maintenance section of owner's manual for a Rav 4. Salesperson arrives and we discuss OCIs and he states that the oil changes must be done at the dealer! After a discussion he says, well they can be done elsewhere but must be done by an ASE certified technician for the warranty to be honored. I stated that I do my own and he said well, unless you are a certified technician your warranty will be voided. I asked if all of their techs were ASE certified and he said yes. I then went to service and asked them and of course they stated the oil change techs are not certified, too new on the job for them to spend money getting them trained. So, I sent them a nasty note about salespeople basically giving false info to customers as well as info on the Magnuson-Moss Act.

Service rep was interesting, said yea, sometimes the salespeople stretch the truth!!!!



Sad to say , but if a car sales person told me it was day , I would have to look out the window to verify .

You know how to tell if a car sales person is lying ?

 

[Leo99]

They're probably having a good laugh about your nasty note. Don't waste your time.

 

[csandste]

He is correct.....as long as he moves to Australia.

 

[JLTD]

Originally Posted by Spector
... Salesperson arrives and we discuss OCIs and he states that the oil changes must be done at the dealer! After a discussion he says, well they can be done elsewhere but must be done by an ASE certified technician for the warranty to be honored. I stated that I do my own and he said well, unless you are a certified technician your warranty will be voided. ...


I shake my head.

You can always ask them: can you show me in the warranty where it says that? I must have missed it.

 

[diyjake]

You should have asked the same sales person "how often do I need to replace the muffler bearing? and must it be replaced by ASE certified technician as well?"

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted by diyjake
You should have asked the same sales person "how often do I need to replace the muffler bearing? and must it be replaced by ASE certified technician as well?"

Piston return springs.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted by jeepman3071
It's all in an effort to upsell. The sales people (service advisers are also sales people) will upsell even if it means lying to the customer.

This came up at the local Jeep dealer when my father bought his Grand Cherokee new in 2013. He told them that he would be doing their 1 free oil change then I would be taking over maintenance, and wanted to know what needed to be done records wise in order to maintain the warranty. They said as long as we kept receipts for oil changes with the correct grade and noted the mileage we would be okay.

The reality is it would be very hard for them to deny a warranty claim on an engine because of oil changes, unless it was clear the oil was never changed by evidence of sludge and severely worn bearings. Even then it seems there is still a chance an engine will be replaced.



The entire system is predatory. Manufacturers require dealers to use their floor plan financing. They require dealers to invest a ton of $$ into their facilities/training and then pay low rates on warranty work. Dealers can't survive on sales, parts, and warranty repairs alone.

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl


The entire system is predatory. Manufacturers require dealers to use their floor plan financing. They require dealers to invest a ton of $$ into their facilities/training and then pay low rates on warranty work. Dealers can't survive on sales, parts, and warranty repairs alone.

And that's why flat-rate techs love to upsell and service writers are pushing for MOC or BG products as add-ons.

I personally want to see Tesla's sales model of company-owned stores and employees catch on.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted by nthach
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl


The entire system is predatory. Manufacturers require dealers to use their floor plan financing. They require dealers to invest a ton of $$ into their facilities/training and then pay low rates on warranty work. Dealers can't survive on sales, parts, and warranty repairs alone.

And that's why flat-rate techs love to upsell and service writers are pushing for MOC or BG products as add-ons.

I personally want to see Tesla's sales model of company-owned stores and employees catch on.



State franchise laws are a huge impediment. The state and local govts say the loss of dealerships would be too large of a hit to the local economy. Not to mention that the huge national and regional automotive conglomerates would fight tooth and nail against it. No free market for you the customer.

 

[SeaJay]

He is a sales man. Giving the customer accurate information is not part of his job requirements. Selling, and keeping the customer returning to spend money is what he is paid to do.