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G'day gang,
A while back I did a post on the cracking of the black powder coating on the Sovereign bar of my 05 TD GXL, following is the on going saga.
Visit No 1.
I visited my local Toyota dealer whilst still in warranty to have the bar inspected and recieved the response, well you have been driving the vehicle. What the I said!!, they took some photos and sent them off to Toyota.
A few days later I received a phone call stateing that Toyota had agreed to replace the three lower sections of the bar. Good old Toyota.
Visit No 2.
Drop the vehicle off agreeing that I would have it back by 3:00 pm as I needed to pick up the kids, on an RDO this day. At 2:30 I get a call saying that it won't be ready till about 4:00pm,.
I arrange for my daughter to leave her swimming lesson early and go home with a friend.
Ride the treadly up to the dealer, 5:00pm out comes the vehicle and off it goes for a test drive? Keys back to me, I have a quick look and say why is the alignment where the bar meets the guards so out of whack. Oh it must have moved when it was tightened.
Of course no one who is doing the fitting would check this would they?
Can you spare an hour or soanother day.
No problems I will arrange time off work, put the wife out as it is her daily driver and just pop it back on another day.
I get home and have a closer look and I get more frustrated, the alignment is crap, the splash guards are not attached and the original fixing holes are torn, the alluminium air con pipe in front of the condenser is pushed in, the black plastic front sections of the bar are scratched, obviously from where it the bar has been placed on the work shop floor.
I take a series of photos and send them off to the dealer in an email outlineing my dissatisfaction with the fitting.
After a number of phone calls over a number of days I get to the service manager. I need to have a look at the vehicle and you will need to bring it in. No appology for the poor quality of work and the inconvience I am being put through.
Visit No 3.
I arrive at the dealers and have the service manager say, I have had a look at the original bar and we are going to have to pay for it as it should not have been replaced under warranty as it is covered in chips.
Bring it out I say and lets have a look at it then.
Off he goes and comes back with the centre section of the bar, he points to some deep fresh gouges on the polished section and says see. This is where I do not raise my voice and explain to him that they are not chips but gouges where his qualified service people have dragged the bar on the concrete floor. I point out the cracked black powder coating explaining this is why Toyota is replacing the bar under warranty, maybe he would like to check the photos that they sent off.
Visit No 4.!!!!
I wash the vehicle that morning, (10.5K of tank water at home ) prior to dropping it off and state that I must have it back by 2:30, and that I do not want any surprises, scratches etc.
Phone rings, it is taking a bit longer than expected and it won't be ready till about 4:00pm, but we will loan you a car.
I pick up the loan car, pick up the kids, drop one at home then take Sophie with me to the dealer.
Out comes the Prado have a quick look, alignment looks ok and off we go.
Big mistake should have gone over with a fine tooth comb.
When Home I have a close look, the splash guards are still not attached and what is that, a dent on the front of the guard about the size of a five cent piece with a chip in the middle.
I take a photo and then ring the dealer.
Yes that is correct we have a dent marked on the book in sheet. I explain that I had just washed the vehicle prior to dropping it off and I know that it was not there.
We have it marked on the sheet have a nice evening.
I send off another email asking for both book in sheets to be sent to me, the response I get back is sorry we can not do that, but you are welcome to view them in person.
Visit No 5!!!!!!
Have a look at both sheets and yes the first sheet is marked with a cross and the second sheet is marked with a cross and the wording dent.
I state how I am very dissapointed as I know that the damage must have been done during the second fitting.
Sorry it is marked on the sheets, thanks for coming in, have a nice evening.
Driving home I am fumeing, then I see the light.
I have photos that I had sent to the dealer after the first fitting clearly showing no damage what so ever. So how can the first book in sheet be marked up showing damage.
This is where they made the mistake if only the second sheet had been altered after the fact then I would not have a leg to stand on.
I send an email containing two photos, to the service manager, one out of the original group and a new one showing the damage. I ask the question how can the first sheet be marked to show damage when there is none.
I takes about two weeks and numerous excuses before I get to talk to the service manager.
He states that there must be something on the guard for the sheet to be marked, we argue about the fact that the photo shows no damage.
Now I have been patient as I usally find it best not to loose your temper when you are in situations like this.
About now I say that I believe that the sheets have been altered to cover up the damage, and he agrees that it would be possible to do this, but of course that would not have happened.
Could I bring the vehicle back so that he can have a look, and thank you for calling and have a nice evening.
Visit No 6!!!!!!!!
Yet to happen..
Now I know that the damage is only small and if I had not been mucked around so much and approached openly I may have been happy to let it go.
But now no way!!
Here in is a lesson for every one who has work carried out on their vehicle no matter by who. Both walk over the vehicle together at book in time and mark down every mark etc, both sign the sheet and take a copy with you.
Well sorry for such a long winded post, but I have to vent to someone.
Cheers Bruce
First photo sent showing poor alignment.
Second photo showing damage
A while back I did a post on the cracking of the black powder coating on the Sovereign bar of my 05 TD GXL, following is the on going saga.
Visit No 1.
I visited my local Toyota dealer whilst still in warranty to have the bar inspected and recieved the response, well you have been driving the vehicle. What the I said!!, they took some photos and sent them off to Toyota.
A few days later I received a phone call stateing that Toyota had agreed to replace the three lower sections of the bar. Good old Toyota.
Visit No 2.
Drop the vehicle off agreeing that I would have it back by 3:00 pm as I needed to pick up the kids, on an RDO this day. At 2:30 I get a call saying that it won't be ready till about 4:00pm,.
I arrange for my daughter to leave her swimming lesson early and go home with a friend.
Ride the treadly up to the dealer, 5:00pm out comes the vehicle and off it goes for a test drive? Keys back to me, I have a quick look and say why is the alignment where the bar meets the guards so out of whack. Oh it must have moved when it was tightened.
Of course no one who is doing the fitting would check this would they?
Can you spare an hour or soanother day.
No problems I will arrange time off work, put the wife out as it is her daily driver and just pop it back on another day.
I get home and have a closer look and I get more frustrated, the alignment is crap, the splash guards are not attached and the original fixing holes are torn, the alluminium air con pipe in front of the condenser is pushed in, the black plastic front sections of the bar are scratched, obviously from where it the bar has been placed on the work shop floor.
I take a series of photos and send them off to the dealer in an email outlineing my dissatisfaction with the fitting.
After a number of phone calls over a number of days I get to the service manager. I need to have a look at the vehicle and you will need to bring it in. No appology for the poor quality of work and the inconvience I am being put through.
Visit No 3.
I arrive at the dealers and have the service manager say, I have had a look at the original bar and we are going to have to pay for it as it should not have been replaced under warranty as it is covered in chips.
Bring it out I say and lets have a look at it then.
Off he goes and comes back with the centre section of the bar, he points to some deep fresh gouges on the polished section and says see. This is where I do not raise my voice and explain to him that they are not chips but gouges where his qualified service people have dragged the bar on the concrete floor. I point out the cracked black powder coating explaining this is why Toyota is replacing the bar under warranty, maybe he would like to check the photos that they sent off.
Visit No 4.!!!!
I wash the vehicle that morning, (10.5K of tank water at home ) prior to dropping it off and state that I must have it back by 2:30, and that I do not want any surprises, scratches etc.
Phone rings, it is taking a bit longer than expected and it won't be ready till about 4:00pm, but we will loan you a car.
I pick up the loan car, pick up the kids, drop one at home then take Sophie with me to the dealer.
Out comes the Prado have a quick look, alignment looks ok and off we go.
Big mistake should have gone over with a fine tooth comb.
When Home I have a close look, the splash guards are still not attached and what is that, a dent on the front of the guard about the size of a five cent piece with a chip in the middle.
I take a photo and then ring the dealer.
Yes that is correct we have a dent marked on the book in sheet. I explain that I had just washed the vehicle prior to dropping it off and I know that it was not there.
We have it marked on the sheet have a nice evening.
I send off another email asking for both book in sheets to be sent to me, the response I get back is sorry we can not do that, but you are welcome to view them in person.
Visit No 5!!!!!!
Have a look at both sheets and yes the first sheet is marked with a cross and the second sheet is marked with a cross and the wording dent.
I state how I am very dissapointed as I know that the damage must have been done during the second fitting.
Sorry it is marked on the sheets, thanks for coming in, have a nice evening.
Driving home I am fumeing, then I see the light.
I have photos that I had sent to the dealer after the first fitting clearly showing no damage what so ever. So how can the first book in sheet be marked up showing damage.
This is where they made the mistake if only the second sheet had been altered after the fact then I would not have a leg to stand on.
I send an email containing two photos, to the service manager, one out of the original group and a new one showing the damage. I ask the question how can the first sheet be marked to show damage when there is none.
I takes about two weeks and numerous excuses before I get to talk to the service manager.
He states that there must be something on the guard for the sheet to be marked, we argue about the fact that the photo shows no damage.
Now I have been patient as I usally find it best not to loose your temper when you are in situations like this.
About now I say that I believe that the sheets have been altered to cover up the damage, and he agrees that it would be possible to do this, but of course that would not have happened.
Could I bring the vehicle back so that he can have a look, and thank you for calling and have a nice evening.
Visit No 6!!!!!!!!
Yet to happen..
Now I know that the damage is only small and if I had not been mucked around so much and approached openly I may have been happy to let it go.
But now no way!!
Here in is a lesson for every one who has work carried out on their vehicle no matter by who. Both walk over the vehicle together at book in time and mark down every mark etc, both sign the sheet and take a copy with you.
Well sorry for such a long winded post, but I have to vent to someone.
Cheers Bruce
First photo sent showing poor alignment.
Second photo showing damage
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