alternator & starter not under warranty

[ferguson]

I took my FJ to Toyota of Tampa Bay today because of suspected pulley damage and occasional dead clicks from the starter. It's now costing me $337.69 for a remanufactured starter, $575.07 for a new alternator, and $106.69 for a new tensioner assembly.

This is what the reciept says on it, I'll let it speak for itself:

"TECHNICIAN FOUND EVIDENCE OF MUD BUILD UP ON STARTER. ALTERNATOR AND TENSIONER PULLEY AND IS THE CAUSE OF THESE COMPONENTS FAILING. SHOP FOREMAN AND SERVICE MANAGER OBSERVED CONDITION AND REGIONAL SERVICE DIRECTOR WAS CONTACTED. CONCERN IS NOT WARRANTABLE BY TOYOTA. ADVISED CUSTOMER OF CONDITION OF FAILED PARTS..."

So, according to the regional service manager, they won't fix it for free if there's mud on it. You can drive through 27.5" of water, make sure it's clean first though.

I guess my FJ is just another car to them.

[gnwhite]

Man that just sucks. I got mine warrantied. Maybe call 1800 go toyota. Thats the advice i got from a member.

[Sliver]

ferguson previously said:

"TECHNICIAN FOUND EVIDENCE OF MUD BUILD UP ON STARTER. ALTERNATOR AND TENSIONER PULLEY AND IS THE CAUSE OF THESE COMPONENTS FAILING. SHOP FOREMAN AND SERVICE MANAGER OBSERVED CONDITION AND REGIONAL SERVICE DIRECTOR WAS CONTACTED. CONCERN IS NOT WARRANTABLE BY TOYOTA. ADVISED CUSTOMER OF CONDITION OF FAILED PARTS..."
.

Sue their a$$. The FJ is not advertised as a soccer mom SUV....it is advertised as a rugged off-road vehicle, for crying out loud.....off-roading is a reasonable intended use. It is disingenious to say, on the one hand -this is a rugged off-road SUV, and enundate potential buyers with ads showing the vehicle forging thru creeks and over roack beds and the like, and then on the other hand, indicate that somehow, a part exposed to 'mud' or dirt (within reasonable and intended use) by the owner somehow invalidates the warranty....give me a break.

I am not a lawyer....but I cannot belive their position is defendable. Any legal help on the forum....please offer some advice ?

[SoccerDad]

Ummm, I feeling somewhat violent today...

I would go back to the dealership with a copy of FJ vol 1, Ask for the service manager, upon arrival of said manger, flip through the numerous pages of promo material including the pretty pictures of FJ's trudging through mud , sand and water.

Then I would calmly close the book , and proceed to beat the living @#%# out of the Service Manager with the damn magazine until he/she agrees to fix your rig.

But that's just me , on wednesday & fridays. And by no way should you follow my lead.

[fjal]

ferguson previously said:

I took my FJ to Toyota of Tampa Bay today because of suspected pulley damage and occasional dead clicks from the starter. It's now costing me $337.69 for a remanufactured starter, $575.07 for a new alternator, and $106.69 for a new tensioner assembly.

This is what the reciept says on it, I'll let it speak for itself:

"TECHNICIAN FOUND EVIDENCE OF MUD BUILD UP ON STARTER. ALTERNATOR AND TENSIONER PULLEY AND IS THE CAUSE OF THESE COMPONENTS FAILING. SHOP FOREMAN AND SERVICE MANAGER OBSERVED CONDITION AND REGIONAL SERVICE DIRECTOR WAS CONTACTED. CONCERN IS NOT WARRANTABLE BY TOYOTA. ADVISED CUSTOMER OF CONDITION OF FAILED PARTS..."

So, according to the regional service manager, they won't fix it for free if there's mud on it. You can drive through 27.5" of water, make sure it's clean first though.

I guess my FJ is just another car to them.

I don't know the answer to your problem but from now on I would take your FJ to Wesley Chapel Toyota. They sponsored a FJ get together and created a mud track for everyone to run on. They seemed to be getting into the idea of off roading and supporting the FJ crowd.

[uphill]

Go over their head to Toyota Corporate and explain what Soccer Dad suggested (without pounding somebody's head soft).

There have been a LOT of situations as recounted on the Forum where Toyota feels one way and the stealerships feel differently.

But Soccer Dad, I know what you mean.

[BMThiker]

From another recent dealership issue I've read, once the REgional Service Mgr gets pulled into the loop, he may have problems going to another dealership. The report on the receipt is the epitaph for his problem. Now it's in the system and anytime someone plugs his VIN into the Toyota service computers, it will read:
"TECHNICIAN FOUND EVIDENCE OF MUD BUILD UP ON STARTER. ALTERNATOR AND TENSIONER PULLEY AND IS THE CAUSE OF THESE COMPONENTS FAILING. SHOP FOREMAN AND SERVICE MANAGER OBSERVED CONDITION AND REGIONAL SERVICE DIRECTOR WAS CONTACTED. CONCERN IS NOT WARRANTABLE BY TOYOTA. ADVISED CUSTOMER OF CONDITION OF FAILED PARTS..."

I'm not sure Toyota is going to ever cover this in this instance.

Maybe its just me, but there seems to be a lot of power in what your dealer service manager reports to Regional. It's best to play nice with these folks until you can't. Don't go in griping and b!tchy from the start.

[PaulThePhotographer]

fjal previously said:

I don't know the answer to your problem but from now on I would take your FJ to Wesley Chapel Toyota. They sponsored a FJ get together and created a mud track for everyone to run on. They seemed to be getting into the idea of off roading and supporting the FJ crowd.

^^^^ What he said^^^^

[PaulThePhotographer]

BMThiker previously said:

From another recent dealership issue I've read, once the REgional Service Mgr gets pulled into the loop, he may have problems going to another dealership. The report on the receipt is the epitaph for his problem. Now it's in the system and anytime someone plugs his VIN into the Toyota service computers, it will read:
"TECHNICIAN FOUND EVIDENCE OF MUD BUILD UP ON STARTER. ALTERNATOR AND TENSIONER PULLEY AND IS THE CAUSE OF THESE COMPONENTS FAILING. SHOP FOREMAN AND SERVICE MANAGER OBSERVED CONDITION AND REGIONAL SERVICE DIRECTOR WAS CONTACTED. CONCERN IS NOT WARRANTABLE BY TOYOTA. ADVISED CUSTOMER OF CONDITION OF FAILED PARTS..."

I'm not sure Toyota is going to ever cover this in this instance.

Maybe its just me, but there seems to be a lot of power in what your dealer service manager reports to Regional. It's best to play nice with these folks until you can't. Don't go in griping and b!tchy from the start.

I would still take it out of there and take it to another dealer. Why reward their bad reporting.

[FJORD]

This may be a dumb question but why wouldn't you thoroughly clean the FJ before taking it in for repairs. This isn't the first time the old evidence of "off roading" arguement has been used to deny repairs.

Then again maybe you couldn't see the mud