A little background, I bought this van used from Bergstrom Toyota(Oshkosh, WI) with 60K miles a couple years ago, and it came with a sterling service history at their dealership(which I am starting to doubt) and accident-free carfax. Since then, I have changed all the fluids based on the Toyota recommendations. Toyota claims the coolant is lifetime, so I never checked the level.
I took my van in for some AWD service(changing fluids), to have them check a noise coming from the rear tire and have the power door recall fixed - what I ended up with was a $5300 bill. At 85K miles(barely broken in for a Toyota), my van needed a head gasket and three(yes THREE) wheel bearings. The head gasket was leaking down the backside of the motor, so there were no symptoms other than the coolant was low. Thankfully it was found when I took the van in for the other things so I avoided having to replace the entire engine.
The cost of this repair depleted my savings account, but even more disheartening than that was the fact Toyota,my favorite brand I tell everybody about, didn't do a damn thing about it. Legally I know they don't have to, but when you tout longevity of your products everywhere,we pay a premium for your quality and have a loyal lifetime customer(we've purchased 15 Toyotas over my life), you'd think they'd make some sort of offering. Even a $100 coupon off the service would've been welcomed. After multiple calls and a letter to their HQ, they stand by their original decision to do nothing, Keep that in mind if you are thinking about buying a Toyota. If you do, at a minimum, make sure it is certified or has a good warranty.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
A little background, I bought this van used from Bergstrom Toyota(Oshkosh, WI) with 60K miles a couple years ago, and it came with a sterling service history at their dealership(which I am starting to doubt) and accident-free carfax. Since then, I have changed all the fluids based on the Toyota recommendations. Toyota claims the coolant is lifetime, so I never checked the level.
I took my van in for some AWD service(changing fluids), to have them check a noise coming from the rear tire and have the power door recall fixed - what I ended up with was a $5300 bill. At 85K miles(barely broken in for a Toyota), my van needed a head gasket and three(yes THREE) wheel bearings. The head gasket was leaking down the backside of the motor, so there were no symptoms other than the coolant was low. Thankfully it was found when I took the van in for the other things so I avoided having to replace the entire engine.
The cost of this repair depleted my savings account, but even more disheartening than that was the fact Toyota,my favorite brand I tell everybody about, didn't do a damn thing about it. Legally I know they don't have to, but when you tout longevity of your products everywhere,we pay a premium for your quality and have a loyal lifetime customer(we've purchased 15 Toyotas over my life), you'd think they'd make some sort of offering. Even a $100 coupon off the service would've been welcomed. After multiple calls and a letter to their HQ, they stand by their original decision to do nothing, Keep that in mind if you are thinking about buying a Toyota. If you do, at a minimum, make sure it is certified or has a good warranty.
- Ben T., Neenah, US