Handling Problems ? Check Out This

[Alex68]

Hi all,

I've been reading this forum since I discovered it but considering I'm italian I never posted as my english could be not as good as it may needed.

I own an Avensis 1.8 liter SW purchased in Feb 2005 in a local dealer here in Rome. Last monday (a week ago) I had the car serviced for the annual check up (what is the right translation for the italian "tagliando" ?) in a Toyota service point (actually it was the same place where I purchsed it and my wife's Yaris). Beside the standard oil and filter replacements, they replaced something on my steering system because of a preventive repair campaign that Toyota Italy has issued for all Avenis produced in a certain period (I'm not sure if this applies also other markes such as UK).

Anyway, 10km after the service, while I was manouvering at very low speed in my tiny garage I heard a metallic "bop" and after that my steering wheel was not any more in control of the wheels. Basically I could steer the steering wheel in any direction for all the time I wanted without any effect to the wheels.

I guess if that would have happend in a highway or just in the city I could not be here to write this post .....

I would not bore you in describing how long it took to take the car out of the garage to have it towed to the nearest Toyota center (different from the previous one, of course). The most important thing is that I contacted this morning Toyota Italy and after a day spent over the phone I still got no anwer at all, no commitment on the car reparing, not even a temporary replacement car.

Basically the could not care less about what happend.

Is that normal ? I mean is Toyota Service around europe really so lousy ? Has anybody had a similar problem with the steering wheel ?

Thansk for reading up to here my post and any comment is more than welcome (also on my english ... ;-)

Alex

[Chris Dance]

Where I live the Toyota dealership has changed hands 3 times. Fortunately each dealer has been very helpful so far.

I think there has been a steering rack problem in the past but I have not heard any fault like that on the later Avensis cars.

I hope you get it sorted let us know how you get on.

[Ringthane]

You were very lucky that it didnt happen on the highway.

I guess its ironic that the translation of "tagliando" is Cutting. Maybe that's what they did to your car!

[campioni06]

Thansk for reading up to here my post and any comment is more than welcome (also on my english ... ;-)

Alex

Salve Alex, Now you can make comment on my Italian ....

Anch'io ho problemi qui a Londra con i coglioni che lavorano a Toyota. Gli porti la macchina per un service o per fare giustare una problema e te ne creano un altra. Io fra poco vendo la mia Avensis e ritorno al passato, cioe' una bella golf!

Toyota customer service is appaling!

[Alex68]

Tomorrow (friday) I should get finally my car back. The dealership that fixed (hopefully) the car told me over th phone that they found a loose bolt. Basically they didn't told me "it's the other dealership that made a lousy job" but it sound it pretty much like that.

Disappointly, I got no support at all from Toyota Motor Italy, not even a single phone call to me to tell me where the car had been towed for repairing.

I cannot uderstand how a company could spend so much money on tv and newspapers ads and so little money on customer sadisfaction. I still believe Toyota products to be much better than competitors (ok, I was used to fiat .....) but now I have seriuos doubt about their training system for their people servicing cars or answering their toll free number.

For "campioni06": il tuo italiano non è niente male ma con quel nickname sei italiano o cosa ?

For "Ringthane": good joke !!!!

Thanks for your replays. I'll keep you posted in case Toyota will take some responsability for that (anyone wants to bet about that ..... ?)

Ciao,

Alex

[campioni06]

For "campioni06": il tuo italiano non è niente male ma con quel nickname sei italiano o cosa ?

Sono Italiano a meta' - nato a Londra, genitori Italiani. Che festa al centro di Londra quel ormai distante 9 Luglio :D

I had a similar problem in London where one dealer did a bad job so took it to a second one who then repaired the bad job of the first. And Toyota UK were not interested either.

[Steve84]

The steering part replaced sounds like the intermediate shaft. Toyota carried out a recall. I had mine replaced in december, got a nice letter of toyota gb. The recall was issued because toyota had found that the shaft could crack, it would then come off its spline resulting in total steering loss. Thats in the worst case. The recall work should have a new shaft of different desgin and sliding joint fitted. This effected the new shape 1.8 avensis from 2003-2005 models, also other toyota models where affected. Has for poor work carried out by toyota dealers i can say its happened to me. I had a corolla which needed a new short block and the garage never torqued up the keyway. That failed and resulted in the engine failing.

[Alex68]

The steering part replaced sounds like the intermediate shaft. Toyota carried out a recall. I had mine replaced in december, got a nice letter of toyota gb. The recall was issued because toyota had found that the shaft could crack, it would then come off its spline resulting in total steering loss. Thats in the worst case. The recall work should have a new shaft of different desgin and sliding joint fitted. This effected the new shape 1.8 avensis from 2003-2005 models, also other toyota models where affected. Has for poor work carried out by toyota dealers i can say its happened to me. I had a corolla which needed a new short block and the garage never torqued up the keyway. That failed and resulted in the engine failing.

Steve,

thanks for the details. It sounds I'll to write to Toyota Europe since Toyota Italy basically told me "it's not our resposability what our dealer did to your car" !!!!

[Shoto]

Some people have posted on this site with tales of poor support from Toyota dealers. There seems to be variation in the standard of service just as can be found with dealers for any make of car. Just like many others who have posted, I've never had any problems with my local Toyota dealer.

[Alex68]

Some people have posted on this site with tales of poor support from Toyota dealers. There seems to be variation in the standard of service just as can be found with dealers for any make of car. Just like many others who have posted, I've never had any problems with my local Toyota dealer.

Shoto,

this is exactly my point. When I buy a Toyota I expect a very high quality car and a service at the same level. Since it is obvious that what happend to me is just an accident and not the standard, why Toyota has not taken a clear position on that.

If I had received from Toyota an aswer that souned like "What happened to your car is totally unacceptable for Toyota standards and we've take these actions to prevent it from happening again. Also, what we can do to recover your trust in our brand" I would have been very happy. Instead I found that, at least here in Italy, it seemes that (covering) the dealer is more important than the customer .....