Toyota Car Dealer Ripping Me Off - Anything I Can Do?

[w1150699]

My car is in repairs with a Toyota dealer at the moment, and I feel a bit lost as to what is happening and whether or not I am being ripped off more than normal.

Here’s what happened.

Monday

13:00. Started the car and the clutch was sticking to the floor. Phoned the AA.

13:45. AA arrives, and the suggested that potential Master Cylinder problem. Car towed to nearest Toyota Dealer – 1 mile away.

14:00. Arrived at Toyota and advised service department what AA had said. Advised by reception 1 hour wait for them to look at car.

15:30. Toyota advises appears to be Master Cylinder problem, but need to run ‘diagnostics’ at a cost of £100/hr required to confirm.

17:30. Called Toyota to check progress. Advised that diagnostic not ran yet.

Tuesday

09:00. Toyota called to advise Master Cylinder needs replacing, costing £220 to fit. Toyota also advised car requires 2 new front tyres, £60/tyre. Total cost at present, approx: £450.

Toyota also advised that unsure if whole clutch needs replaced after Master Cylinder replaced, as unable to determine if this will fix problem.

18:30. Called Toyota to check progress. Servicing closed, receptionist advised car still on ramp, so repairs not complete.

Wednesday

09:00. Toyota called to advised that the steel pipe connecting the Master Cylinder to the Clutch pedal had burst on re-pressurizing with fluid. £70 to repair (part not available until tomorrow). Toyota also advised that unsure if rubber tubing connected may be damaged during the pipe replacement.

I am now quite unsure of:

1. What the diagnostics at a cost of £100 is for if it cannot determine if the master cylinder replacement will fix the issue.

2. Whether if it is the master cylinder at all, or just the pipe connecting that was damaged to start with.

3. If (2) is the case, then why this isn’t picked up during the ‘diagnostics’?

4. If (2) is not the case; if during master cylinder replacement, pipes are damaged are these not the responsibility of Toyota?

5. If the rubber tubing is subsequently damaged, should these not also be attributable to Toyota?

Anyone any thoughts? Ie. Anything I can do?

[dervdave]

My immediate thought was that the burst pipe may have been leaking and was the underlying cause in the first place.

The £100/ hrs labour for diagnostics before they do anything always ****** me off when I`d the Jag and in this case why was it done.

The tyres could`ve been done later.

Have a word with the workshop manager and see if you can get some answers.

[Parts-King]

We charge to diagnose but refund it if you have the work done, you could always ask

If it needs a new cylinder and the pipe has burst too, then they cannot help responsible for that BUT it did not have a very good diagnosis if it wasnt noticed

I would be having a word with the manager and giving a few home truths about what has happened along the timeline, he may not even be aware!

Kingo

[acetip]

Your dealer seems very expensive at £100.0 an hour,may expect this rate in parts of London. but then should not need many mins to confirrm if its the M/cylinder.

Would not have thought that replacing a steel brake pipe would cost £70.0 to repair unless its very difficult to get at.

It may have been a lot cheaper if the car had been taken to a independent garage.

You agreed to them doing a diagnostic on the m/cylinder problem, so why were they eaxaming tyres as this was not part of the problem. and are they charging you also for the tyre inspection time as well.If the rubber pipe was damaged by them than thats their problem not yours.

Dont like the sound of this dealer.

Has anyone else had anyting to do with them. and had trouble with them.

[Parts-King]

, so why were they eaxaming tyres as this was not part of the problem. and are they charging you also for the tyre inspection time as well.

Every vehicle through the workshop has a VSR, Vehicle Safety Report, as part of a duty of care, it is FREE

The vast majority of customers rarely look at their tyres (hard to believe I know) thats why the customer has been informed he needs two. If he left the garage and got 6 points and a potential £2K fine after leaving the gates, then he would not be happy. He does not have to have the work done, but must be informed

Kingo

[MikeSh]

Agree with most of the above. However I assume the rubber hose runs from the end of the metal pipe across to the gearbox. If the car is old enough that the metal pipe has burst (presumably through corrosion) then it may well be impossible to separate the rubber hose without damaging it - it's the same with old radiator hoses. It's really not the garage's fault and at least they have warned you rather than just sticking it on the bill. It's probably worth replacing it anyway at this point.

[w1150699]

Thanks all for your comments so far.

kingo. Who do you work for? A Toyota dealer? Or independent.

I did want to go for an independent, but thought posters for this short of thing would be the bulk of the cost, so thought might as well go to main dealer.

My thoughts exactly on the diagnostics

-I feel they definitely should hanger find root cause.... I just keep feeling like it could have

Been the pipe as opposed to the actual cylinder. This, and the time taken its the main reason I am so unhappy.

any how... I will be having words with workshop manager when settling the bill.