Toyota Warranty - How Flexible Are They

[toao]

Hi Everyone,

I purchased a second hand Avensis 1.8vvti about 6 months ago, I started to notice a rattle coming from the engine bay about 2 or 3 weeks ago and it was overdue a service so i took it in to my local independant garage who tell me the crank is knackered and basically it needs a new short motor. The car is on an 03 plate with about 6 weeks left on the warranty however it has done 63,000 and went 14,000 since its last service, Previous to that it has always had full Toyota service history religiously every 10,000 miles. Are Toyota the kind of company that would honour the warranty or is it just tough luck that the engine goes 3,000 miles over the designated limit. Any advice would be much appreciated as i need to give them a call and sort something out one way or another in the morning.

Thanks

[SMW]

Well no harm in trying but I think they will say you have invalidated the warranty by not keeping up the service schedule. It is, after all, a condition they harp on about in all the paper work.

[chatman]

Hi Everyone,

I purchased a second hand Avensis 1.8vvti about 6 months ago, I started to notice a rattle coming from the engine bay about 2 or 3 weeks ago and it was overdue a service so i took it in to my local independant garage who tell me the crank is knackered and basically it needs a new short motor. The car is on an 03 plate with about 6 weeks left on the warranty however it has done 63,000 and went 14,000 since its last service, Previous to that it has always had full Toyota service history religiously every 10,000 miles. Are Toyota the kind of company that would honour the warranty or is it just tough luck that the engine goes 3,000 miles over the designated limit. Any advice would be much appreciated as i need to give them a call and sort something out one way or another in the morning.

Thanks

I would say maybe 1000 miles over the due miles for the service is allowed.

You may be pushing it a bit on the warranty side they may they only pay some, and claim you did not keep to the service intervals..... Then again I could be wrong.

You can only try

[CircularSaw]

Why didn't you use your brain? As soon as you heard the rattle, you should've serviced the car...as soon as you got it back, let a few days pass then mention the rattle. Nobody would bother to check or remember you went without a service for 3,000 miles. If someone did, you simply would say something like "well, I just bought it". Now if Toyota refused, they'd come out as harsh...something Japanese companies do not accept...being harsh on their customers, that is.

As you are now...you have to grovel up to them. Hope you can convince them that going without the service for 3k miles didn't cause the problem...and generally are on the back foot now.

I've always said that before you open your mouth think. Before you take action, work out a strategy and play your best tactics. And that counts for everything in life...even using a public urinal.

Here's my advice: Hint at your Toyota garage you'd like to part exchange the vehicle in the near future with a new Avensis. That way, if they think they'll get hold of the vehicle anytime soon, they are more likely to do the job. So....wonder through the showroom....get talking to one of the salespeople (remember...swoon swoon!)....sit in one of the cars....say you're thinking of changing your one. Then....when he asks details...tell him a bit about your problem.

Try it...it might work. And use your head next time...

[Bosnjo]

Why didn't you use your brain?

I've always said that before you open your mouth think. Before you take action, work out a strategy and play your best tactics. And that counts for everything in life...even using a public urinal.

Try it...it might work. And use your head next time...

Changing your username won't take you anywhere beacuse you keep on being the way you are. Watch your language, no need to insult honest member looking for advice!

[CircularSaw]

Why didn't you use your brain?

I've always said that before you open your mouth think. Before you take action, work out a strategy and play your best tactics. And that counts for everything in life...even using a public urinal.

Try it...it might work. And use your head next time...

Changing your username won't take you anywhere beacuse you keep on being the way you are. Watch your language, no need to insult honest member looking for advice!

Do you know what an insult is, at least? Show me where I insulted him.

I give good advice mate...very good advice. I used to work for SEAT (hence also my love for Volkswagen). So I know how car dealerships work...on the inside. Take it or leave it.

p.s. I think you're just bitter cos Benfica lost to Barcelona.

p.p.s. Stop causing trouble..I'm helping people aren't I? Not everyone is a fairy. That's just the way I talk...

[Bosnjo]

Avensiscrap aka CircularSaw

[CircularSaw]

Avensiscrap aka CircularSaw

Listen mate...what is it with you? I've given tons of advice these last few days. Have never really gotten any on here...just given it. I may be an idiot, I'll be the first to admit, but I've never hurt anyone in my life and I adopt lost or abandoned animals (recently adopted a wandering hamster I found on the hard shoulder of the motorway...can't believe people abandon 'em!!). So yeah...I'm an uneducated, foul-mouthed peasant but is that my fault? :!Removed!: Want me to grovel on my knees or what?

[Bosnjo]

Avensiscrap aka CircularSaw

Listen mate...what is it with you? I've given tons of advice these last few days. Have never really gotten any on here...just given it. I may be an idiot, I'll be the first to admit, but I've never hurt anyone in my life and I adopt lost or abandoned animals (recently adopted a wandering hamster I found on the hard shoulder of the motorway...can't believe people abandon 'em!!). So yeah...I'm an uneducated, foul-mouthed peasant but is that my fault? :!Removed!: Want me to grovel on my knees or what?

OK, OK, let's all try to help others and let them help us.

[Steve84]

Well from my experience thay aint flexible at all. It took me 12 months 25k miles to get them to swap a engine that was burning a gallon of oil a month. Also there warranty is 3 years or 60k miles which ever is sooner. My dealer gave me some good reasons why i was using that much oil one being 16 valve cars burn oil to keep the valve train cool. Another one was the sumps on modern cars are smaller than them of cars 10 years ago. When i asked him about the short block engines i was told that there was no such thing. It was only when i took the car in blowing thick blue smoke out the exhaust the service manager said i think you have been affeted by a small number of duff engines. After talking to a salesman i know there it turned out thats done several engine replacements that week. So try your best and hope you get a more human service manager than me and one who values his/her customers.

[TheNissanMan]

I would imagine you stand no chance unforunately, the warranty is 3yr or 60k from a manufacturers warranty if the service schedule has been adhered to.

You may stand a chance if you have a Dealers warranty on top of the manufacturers warranty albeit slim if it is your faulty the service schedule has slipped.

Best advice I could give would be to speak to the Service Manager and explain your predicament and see where you go but I wouldn't hold your breath. Pretending top buy a new car won't help in the slightest as the worse condition your car is would only mean they can offer you less for it, why should they pay to fix a problem when they can make the money to fix it as part of your deal for the new car... Sales people aren't stupid (or at least I would like to think we're not :D)

Best of luck anyway...

[CircularSaw]

Right. So my last service I went over 4 months and nearly 3,000 miles. Yet I had it serviced, had warranty work done on it at the same time and it's going in for further warranty work very soon.

You people don't understand how it works, plain and simple. I needed a big service, right? If they told me "no" on the warranty...then they wouldn't get my money on the service cos I'd go to every Toyota dealer and eventually find someone who'd say "yes". Or, if that didn't work, service it in one garage...wait a month, then do the warranty back at my garage (as if they'd be astute enough to ask to see my service book". So they'd lose money. And that's all they care about....losing money.

Now...the amount of money they make on selling a new car is astronomical compared to changing a piece of metal/plastic. To lead a donkey you need a carrot, stick and a length of rope. If they think you'll be buying a new car from them and get yours as a part exchange...of course they'll be a bit leniant. Who says they wouldn't honour the warranty because they'd pay your car less in part exchange? Don't you think at this point it's more likely the person wouldn't part exchange it and sell it off privately instead or at the least part-ex it to another Toyota garage...just because. Don't you think they know that? Remember that they make money out of part-ex so your doing them a favour....they don't need to shaft you twice!!!!

[Black Knight]

That's dependant on what the warranty claim is. On something as serious as an Engine change they ARE going to check the service history. Particularly if you're going to go to them cap in hand since it's outside the manufacturers warranty period.

For similar reasons just dangling the carrot of 'I might buy another car from you' isn't going to be worth their while unless you're the fleet buyer for a company and buying 10 cars at a time from them.

If you've a good history with them you might get them to go halves on you for the work (maybe they'll do a 'you buy the engine, we'll do the work free of charge' type thing)

[CircularSaw]

That's dependant on what the warranty claim is. On something as serious as an Engine change they ARE going to check the service history. Particularly if you're going to go to them cap in hand since it's outside the manufacturers warranty period.

For similar reasons just dangling the carrot of 'I might buy another car from you' isn't going to be worth their while unless you're the fleet buyer for a company and buying 10 cars at a time from them.

If you've a good history with them you might get them to go halves on you for the work (maybe they'll do a 'you buy the engine, we'll do the work free of charge' type thing)

On your first point....obviously. An engine change is something they'd look into. But the original post isn;t about that and an engine change done within the warranty period is rare.

Your second point I don't agree with. Salespeople get commission on every sale. Obviously they'll do everything in their power to sell you a car...it's how they make a living!! And people also forget they have quotas to fill at the end of a month. And no...fleet sales aren't handled by forecourt salespeople but by a specialist office.

As for the third point....I wont argue with it.

[TheNissanMan]

I work in car sales and yes we work on commision and quota's but tbh new car sales do not make a lot of money, avg profit on a new car is £3-400...

Now admitedly I don't know whether Toyota are a margin or volume seller as I work for Nissan (voulme) but service depts very rarely will look out for the sales dept and vica versa... If a cust came in with a car with a problem out of warranty it is better for the sales team as the px is worth less, if they can't afford a new one then a second hand car will make the salesman far more money...

Filling quota's is obviously important but at the end of the day noone works for nothing which is why you have discrepancies between px price and what you see it on the forecourt for.

I know it's digressing of the point a little but as were talking about sales people it's selling an idea, most customers do not read the small print, they know what car they want and what they can pay, if they can reach a monthly/weekly amount over a period they are happy with they will have the car...

Warranty and a broken car just helps the salesman in the long run, of course the salesman will act as a go between to the customer and sales to show he is working on the customers side but to think he has any influence is about as far from the truth as can be!!

[Black Knight]

On your first point....obviously. An engine change is something they'd look into. But the original post isn;t about that and an engine change done within the warranty period is rare.

The whole thread is about whether Toyota will carry out a Short Block (Essentially a brand new engine) change under warranty!

[CircularSaw]

I work in car sales and yes we work on commision and quota's but tbh new car sales do not make a lot of money, avg profit on a new car is £3-400...

Now admitedly I don't know whether Toyota are a margin or volume seller as I work for Nissan (voulme) but service depts very rarely will look out for the sales dept and vica versa... If a cust came in with a car with a problem out of warranty it is better for the sales team as the px is worth less, if they can't afford a new one then a second hand car will make the salesman far more money...

Filling quota's is obviously important but at the end of the day noone works for nothing which is why you have discrepancies between px price and what you see it on the forecourt for.

I know it's digressing of the point a little but as were talking about sales people it's selling an idea, most customers do not read the small print, they know what car they want and what they can pay, if they can reach a monthly/weekly amount over a period they are happy with they will have the car...

Warranty and a broken car just helps the salesman in the long run, of course the salesman will act as a go between to the customer and sales to show he is working on the customers side but to think he has any influence is about as far from the truth as can be!!

Absolute !Removed!. Sorry mate...but it is. So...a new car sales makes only £300-400 average profit for the dealer, does it? Mind explaining how I got £1700 off my car when I bought it then...plus a list of other goodies thrown in. So you're saying Toyota are so nice they didn;t mind making over £1000 loss when they sold my car? Don't mean to be rude, but my bum speaks more sense after eating a bowl of rhubarb!

Mind explaining this obvious piece of misinformation...?! Apart from that...it's absurd to think anyone would make such a small percentage profit...almost laughable, in fact.

As for the rest of your post...I wont bother. For me you lost complete credibility when you said that.

[Hoachy]

On your first point....obviously. An engine change is something they'd look into. But the original post isn;t about that and an engine change done within the warranty period is rare.

The whole thread is about whether Toyota will carry out a Short Block (Essentially a brand new engine) change under warranty!

Hi

Im in the process of trying to get my oil-burning 1.8 vvti engine fixed. Instead of going straight to my dealer I phoned toyota customer relations, mentioned the info I found on this site, namechecked the site and was informed that the warrenty on these engines has been further extended to 7 years or 120,000 miles due to the known fault with the bore setting.

I will wait and see how I get on next week when they do the tests at the dealer garage but service history may mean I dont get the new engine despite the fact that the place of service has no bearing on the development of this fault.

Hope this is helpful. Mentioning this site certainly helps.

[TheNissanMan]

Absolute !Removed!. Sorry mate...but it is. So...a new car sales makes only £300-400 average profit for the dealer, does it? Mind explaining how I got £1700 off my car when I bought it then...plus a list of other goodies thrown in. So you're saying Toyota are so nice they didn;t mind making over £1000 loss when they sold my car? Don't mean to be rude, but my bum speaks more sense after eating a bowl of rhubarb!

Mind explaining this obvious piece of misinformation...?! Apart from that...it's absurd to think anyone would make such a small percentage profit...almost laughable, in fact.

As for the rest of your post...I wont bother. For me you lost complete credibility when you said that.

I'll explain it at JAE if you wish, it will make sense, there are numerous ways for dealers to make money and on the extremely rare occasion yes a dealer will sell a car at a loss [read, extremely extremely rare]...

[silverarrow]

what is more interesting is toyota know which engines are duff ie block numbers needed

i presume your car is the last of the old shape ie not current new model

if it is the new model then toyota may be interested to do a new block because this is a rare fault

also if the car is only 6 months old with you speak to trading standards becausre the law has changed and any fault within 6 months is classed as being faulty when you bought the car ask the seeling dealer.

go to small claims

so many rep cars miss the miles on a service

good luck but good will should come from toyota and the selling garage

they will both not want bad press coverage and info in a small claims court