New Auris Owner

[UK Republic]

Hi everyone, i have moved to here from the Yaris forum having bought a 10 reg Auris 1.6 SR on friday,i love the car for its comfort and looks, i noticed a couple of chips in the paint so today i went to Johnsons Toyota in Bootle to buy a touch up pen, there was a lady in front of me attempting to buy a wiper blade but they had none in stock, nor did they have a touch up pen for me or a wheel trim for an Avensis for the next customer who was behind me, both these people paid for their parts and now have to return next week to collect them which uses more of their fuel for no good reason, it reminded me of the Monty Python cheese shop sketch.

I then made my way to Johnsons in Southport and having spent 2 hours getting there by train and bus they didn't have a touch up pen either, i was told they dont stock them as they have shelf life of only 3 months and there are hundreds of shades of them, i am still using a Renault pen after 6 years and it is still fit for purpose,i was going to have my car serviced at Johnsons but they wont be seeing me again.

All in all a very annoying experience of Toyota parts departments, i really expected better than this from Toyota,

Chris

[Red Yaris 54]

Hi everyone, i have moved to here from the Yaris forum having bought a 10 reg Auris 1.6 SR on friday,i love the car for its comfort and looks, i noticed a couple of chips in the paint so today i went to Johnsons Toyota in Bootle to buy a touch up pen, there was a lady in front of me attempting to buy a wiper blade but they had none in stock, nor did they have a touch up pen for me or a wheel trim for an Avensis for the next customer who was behind me, both these people paid for their parts and now have to return next week to collect them which uses more of their fuel for no good reason, it reminded me of the Monty Python cheese shop sketch.

I then made my way to Johnsons in Southport and having spent 2 hours getting there by train and bus they didn't have a touch up pen either, i was told they dont stock them as they have shelf life of only 3 months and there are hundreds of shades of them, i am still using a Renault pen after 6 years and it is still fit for purpose,i was going to have my car serviced at Johnsons but they wont be seeing me again.

All in all a very annoying experience of Toyota parts departments, i really expected better than this from Toyota,

Chris

It is true that touch up paints in all the Toyota colours are not held in stock...........but this is not unique to Toyota!

The touch up can usually be obtained within a day or two and you are assured of getting a fresh batch with a use by date of approx 2 years on.

Toyota centres usually keep stocks of "service items" and can obtain any other parts quite quickly

In these days of economic recession this is standard practice for most manufacturers.

I DO NOT WORK FOR TOYOTA!

[Adam C]

When I got a touch up paint kit from my local Toyota garage, they were out on the shelf in the middle of the showroom. Presuming they don't do that with them anymore (we're talking almost two years ago now).

[balli hi]

I got my touch up kit straight from the parts counter as they had my shade in stock , i say Kit because the paints are apparently water based now so you get a paint pen and a lacquer pen to seal the paint .

[lazer_mjj]

Why would you travel 2hrs by train and bus when (a) you have a car you could use (B) Wait a day or two for the paint to be ordered in for you?

[UK Republic]

Why would you travel 2hrs by train and bus when (a) you have a car you could use (B) Wait a day or two for the paint to be ordered in for you?

Being of a certain age i get free transport on buses trains and ferries and the car was being used by another person, the point is i am quite happy to pay £7 for the item i want but not £5 for the fuel to go and order it, and next week pay another £5 in fuel to go and collect it, Toyotas are not very fuel efficient when you look at it that way are they? B)

[lazer_mjj]

Fair enough, surely they will post the part out for a small fee?

[Parts-King]

To be fair there are hundreds of shades of paint used across the range, we keep the fastest moving colours, but what we stock meets a strict criteria based on a number of factors

Sales rates (how often do you sell one?) For me if it is less than one a month we dont stock it

Cost (little in this case)

Size (little in this case)

Shelf life (I would say 6 months in this case)

Availability (If I can get one next or same day why stock it?)

I am sorry you had a wasted journey but why would you travel for two hours and not make a phone call first?

We stock 88K worth of parts across two sites (I just looked) that includes Toyota, non Toyota, tyres etc. The figure 5 years ago would have been nearer 180K. The reason we dont keep as much in stock are simple, Toyota have excellent first pick rates, near to 95% and above, if we wanted to achieve those rates, then we would need a warehouse as big as Toyota's In these days of "just in time" there is no need to keep so many parts in stock, it is a huge drain on a dealers finances and is better invested in other stocks (new and used cars)

I would offer to post out the paint, it would only be a couple of pounds and you would have it in a day or two

Kingo

[bruce e]

Why would you travel 2hrs by train and bus when (a) you have a car you could use (B) Wait a day or two for the paint to be ordered in for you?

Being of a certain age i get free transport on buses trains and ferries and the car was being used by another person, the point is i am quite happy to pay £7 for the item i want but not £5 for the fuel to go and order it, and next week pay another £5 in fuel to go and collect it, Toyotas are not very fuel efficient when you look at it that way are they? B)

Why not telephone to see if item is in stock? Also being of a certain age that is what I would have done! Also , never had to wait longer than two days for a part to be delivered.

[UK Republic]

Why would you travel 2hrs by train and bus when (a) you have a car you could use (B) Wait a day or two for the paint to be ordered in for you?

Being of a certain age i get free transport on buses trains and ferries and the car was being used by another person, the point is i am quite happy to pay £7 for the item i want but not £5 for the fuel to go and order it, and next week pay another £5 in fuel to go and collect it, Toyotas are not very fuel efficient when you look at it that way are they? B)

Why not telephone to see if item is in stock? Also being of a certain age that is what I would have done! Also , never had to wait longer than two days for a part to be delivered.

Silly me expected a dealership to have a little thing like a paint pen in stock, just as the lady expected they would have a wiper blade and the man expected they would have a wheel trim, but you live and learn, i have ordered a paint pen a will collect thursday, my thanks to Kingo for offering to post one to me.

[Crasstoe]

I just emailed my dealer (SIMS TOYOTA NORTHAMPTON) and they can get the pen in for me for Friday (I'm abroad with work atm) and at only £7 I can't complain :)

OP, sorry to hear your experience isn't as positive as mine, SIMS has always delivered on that front for me.

[UK Republic]

I just emailed my dealer (SIMS TOYOTA NORTHAMPTON) and they can get the pen in for me for Friday (I'm abroad with work atm) and at only £7 I can't complain :)

OP, sorry to hear your experience isn't as positive as mine, SIMS has always delivered on that front for me.

Thank you and thanks to all for their replies and suggestions, now i know how things work these days i will certainly telephone to check availability before setting off on another journey, i still love my Toyota.