Toyota Motor Corporation / Fort's Toyota

Toyota Motor Corporation / Fort's Toyota

March 7, 2006 - Business Reply - From: Email User

http://www.complaints.com/directory/2005/january/1/10.htm

This complaint is completely unfounded. We did everything we were required to do and more. We even contacted Toyota and they refused to offer this customer additional coverage for his clutch. It is clearly stated that is clutch is not covered under his warranty.

Everyone he dealt with treated him properly. He is only posting this complaint in spite.

I have almost every communication between our dealership and Toyota regarding this matter on file. No were in his dealing with us or Toyota did he mention us mistreating him. You'd think if he had a real problem with the way he was treated he would have told Toyota about it wouldn't you.

His only problem with us is that we refused to give him $1000 that he was not owed.

We are currently one of the top ranked Toyota dealers in the entire country in Customer Satisfaction. I will send anyone that wants to see our ranking a copy of this report. We didn't get to be such a highly rated dealer by mistreating our customers.

Please contact me if you would like me to verify my side of the story. I have it all in writing.

Patrick Fort

General Manager

Fort's Toyota of Pekin

March 10, 2006 - Consumer Follow-up Message - From: Email User

Toyota was contacted once by myself and a report was filed to initially see if perhaps the company would provide any support. This report was prior to my ensuing poor customer service experiences, and was initiated at my insistence, not through any due diligence of Mr. Fort or any of his employees. My initial complaint report stemmed from the fact that I received the car as the "Rep" demo with only 19k miles on it, was sold the car as "new" and after my experience, the clutch had obviously been ridden hard before my purchase. I made no derogatory remarks about Forts dealership to Toyota Corporate, remaining professional and courteous, and hoping to get better treatment by being pliable.

Mr. Fort, the responses and treatment I received from your dealership are factual as stated. You may color the facts any way you like, putting a spin on it does not change what happened. I am a vocal consumer, and will continue to tell friends and family of my experience and the truth as I know it.

Good day-

Trent Keeling

January 1, 2005 - Consumer Message:

I hope you can help me. I have a complaint I'd like to register with you about the customer service of a car made by Toyota Motor Corporation. I purchased a Toyota Matrix new in November of 2003 from my local dealer, Fort's Toyota in Pekin Illinois. The vehicle had been dropped off by Toyota's regional representative as his demo car. I expressed interest in the vehicle and was offered a "discount" on the car if purchased right away. There were currently 9000 miles on the vehicle and I was told I would be sold the vehicle as new with full warranty coverage. I came to an agreed upon price for the Matrix, financed the car thru Toyota Finance, and purchased the vehicle. I also purchased the extended warranty at a cost of $900. One year later with 40,000 miles on the vehicle, the clutch disc assembly failed, pitting the flywheel and causing residual damages.

Upon my initial phone call to the dealership, the service manager immediately informed me that the clutch would not be covered, nor would tow bills, nor would they provide a rental car during service. I was apprehensive that he immediately made such statements. After assessment, he returned my call and informed me that this was just such a case, and that I would have an approximately $1000 bill to contend with. I called Customer Care with Toyota and was given case number 200412130571. I was then referred back to Heather Hendrix at Forts Toyota, and assured she could come to some amicable agreement. I spoke with Heather on December 10th, and she told me that she would check with their regional supervisor from Toyota. I didn't hear from Heather again, even after leaving messages for over a week (seven business days).

When I finally called her again and caught her on the phone, she explained that she had been out sick, and hadn't been available. She then informed me that she was sorry, but no help on these repairs would be offered from either Forts or Toyota Corporate because this was a wearing item, and that I should read my service contract more carefully. I told Heather I was greatly displeased, and that I would never buy another Toyota, nor would I recommend that any of my family or friends do business with Toyota or Forts Toyota. Heather proceeded to ask me if her dealership had performed my scheduled service. Curious, I asked why she would care.

She explained that since someone else was obviously performing my oil changes, I had displayed no customer loyalty, and that if I had, she might have tried a little harder to answer my complaints and get something done, quote unquote. I was dumbfounded with the response, and explained that it was 30 miles one way to her facility, and that it was not convenient for me to have routine oil changes performed by her mechanics. I then asked if 8 oil changes would have made the difference in whether she would stand behind her product, and she replied "not necessarily".

She then asked me why I had bothered to bring the car back to her dealership at all. I explained to her that it was because I had purchased the car from her company, that they had made the profit on the sale and the extended warranty, and I expected them to provide some customer service. She then informed me that I should have sent it to Peoria Toyota, who did not sell me the vehicle. Furious, I hung up. Upon picking up the car, I queried the service dept. rep who I paid $977 for my repairs to, and requested my parts from the repair. The parts could not be found. The service representative then informed me that Toyota regional would have also reviewed my "customer loyalty" in deciding whether to cover the damage

under warranty. I have never heard such nonsense. As a result of this, you have almost certainly lost me as a future customer, and I'll urge others to look elsewhere for their auto needs. Here's what I would like to see you do to provide resolution: Reimburse me for the repairs for my vehicle. The least Toyota could do is not charge me the dealerships markups on parts and labor. I am saddened by an obvious laissez faire on the part of all involved, and I will inform everyone who will stop and listen about my experience. Fooey on Forts Toyota, they are a scam. Trent Keeling Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely,

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