Toyota Canada Customers Get Price Gouged With Cheap Faulty Parts
At Toyota Canada dealerships you will pay more for your vehicle even though the Canadian dollar is at near par with the U.S. dollar. The U.S. dealers are told by Toyota U.S.A. not to sell to Canadians. Canadians have fewer vehicle option choices and are generally required to buy more expensive option packages to get a single option upgrade vs. Toyota U.S.A.
I purchased a 2010 RAV4 4X4 base model and wanted a simple alloy rim upgrade for this vehicle, which is available at Toyota U.S. dealerships. In Canada you are required to buy an option package which includes a Sirius Satellite Radio, 6 disk CD changer and rear tinted windows to get an alloy wheel upgrade. I did not want any of these 3 items and I consider it to be a waste and redundant. I was able to get some aftermarket rims through the dealership after much hassle.
The other accessory I requested was the dealer-installed body side moldings, which I had viewed on the Toyota.com (U.S.) website. I was shocked when I went to pick up the vehicle and saw these cheap 1" wide one size fits all, cut to fit aftermarket moldings on my $30K vehicle. They have a rough cut edge that expose a hollow opening rather than a sealed manufactured edge. This hollow edge will collect, road salt, water, and debris while creating rust and freezing damage problems. The moldings will actually do more harm than good. It turns out Toyota Canada installs these cheap $10 aftermarket moldings and Toyota U.S.A. customers get the real Toyota genuine quality $120 3" wide moldings actually made for this vehicle. Since they both retail for about $200CDN installed, then this is a by-definition price gouging. The dealer confirmed they cannot be removed without damaging the paint.
I am therefore advising Canadians to seek out Toyota U.S.A. dealerships willing to sell to Canadians if not the whole vehicle, then at least the accessory upgrades to get the quality and value you deserve. Also since Toyota Canada is treating Canadians as second class consumers to the U.S., then I am advising all North Americans to consider not buying Toyota anything at all.
I am also currently relaying this molding issue to class action lawyers on behalf of myself and other fellow Canadians harmed by this. I will be also contacting Transport Canada to possibly force a recall of the affected vehicles to remove these damage causing moldings and to repair the damage done by them.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
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Toyota Canada Customers Get Price Gouged With Cheap Faulty Parts
At Toyota Canada dealerships you will pay more for your vehicle even though the Canadian dollar is at near par with the U.S. dollar. The U.S. dealers are told by Toyota U.S.A. not to sell to Canadians. Canadians have fewer vehicle option choices and are generally required to buy more expensive option packages to get a single option upgrade vs. Toyota U.S.A.
I purchased a 2010 RAV4 4X4 base model and wanted a simple alloy rim upgrade for this vehicle, which is available at Toyota U.S. dealerships. In Canada you are required to buy an option package which includes a Sirius Satellite Radio, 6 disk CD changer and rear tinted windows to get an alloy wheel upgrade. I did not want any of these 3 items and I consider it to be a waste and redundant. I was able to get some aftermarket rims through the dealership after much hassle.
The other accessory I requested was the dealer-installed body side moldings, which I had viewed on the Toyota.com (U.S.) website. I was shocked when I went to pick up the vehicle and saw these cheap 1" wide one size fits all, cut to fit aftermarket moldings on my $30K vehicle. They have a rough cut edge that expose a hollow opening rather than a sealed manufactured edge. This hollow edge will collect, road salt, water, and debris while creating rust and freezing damage problems. The moldings will actually do more harm than good. It turns out Toyota Canada installs these cheap $10 aftermarket moldings and Toyota U.S.A. customers get the real Toyota genuine quality $120 3" wide moldings actually made for this vehicle. Since they both retail for about $200CDN installed, then this is a by-definition price gouging. The dealer confirmed they cannot be removed without damaging the paint.
I am therefore advising Canadians to seek out Toyota U.S.A. dealerships willing to sell to Canadians if not the whole vehicle, then at least the accessory upgrades to get the quality and value you deserve. Also since Toyota Canada is treating Canadians as second class consumers to the U.S., then I am advising all North Americans to consider not buying Toyota anything at all.
I am also currently relaying this molding issue to class action lawyers on behalf of myself and other fellow Canadians harmed by this. I will be also contacting Transport Canada to possibly force a recall of the affected vehicles to remove these damage causing moldings and to repair the damage done by them.
- geoffon, London, ON, Canada