19th Oct 2006, 08:21

Hi guys, I don't know what the dealers are like in the US as I don't live there, but here in the UK they are winning award after award for there customer service. I Personally found the customer service at Toyota with my old Rav 4 far better than the service I'm receiving from my present Audi Dealer with my current problematic A3.

22nd Oct 2006, 16:43

As other comments have pointed out, Toyota in the U.S. does have a horrible reputation for poor customer service, and this, of course, has a negative impact on how satisfied Toyota owners are with their cars. I never have any experience with customer service because we drive only GM and Ford products and none of them has ever REQUIRED a repair. I guess we're spoiled on that. I can't fathom where the silly idea that foreign cars NEVER have problems and American cars ALWAYS do came from. In 35 years of driving not one of our American cars (we've owned about 30, as we normally own 3 at a time) has ever had a problem. We did buy one Japanese car in the late 90's. It was a nightmare of problems and we sold it after one year at a huge loss. No more "superior" Japanese cars for us. We can't AFFORD them!!

1st Nov 2006, 21:37

There was an item on Recall Watch today about yet ANOTHER Toyota recall for a major safety issue. This time it was for their F-150 wannabe, the Tundra. Gee, and I thought ALL Toyotas were supposed to be PERFECT.

11th Nov 2006, 15:50

A recent news item stated that Ford is "now as reliable as Honda or Toyota". Of course, they have been MORE reliable for the past 10 years or more, but such an admission from a Japanese-biased organization such as the National Consumers Union says a LOT. Car and Driver ranked the sleek and great-driving Ford Fusion ahead of the Camry in a recent comparison, and stated that the Camry was boring. I could not agree more. My next car will probably be a Fusion.

11th Nov 2006, 21:17

I agree that every manufacturer has lemons as no car is perfect.

However, Toyota takes care of the lemons and knows how to fix them properly, unlike those jokers over at the Ford Motor Company.

22nd Nov 2006, 15:34

All dealerships vary in the level of customer service. I do seem to hear an inordinate amount of criticism about poor service from Toyota dealers, or refusals to honor the warranty. As for comment 21:17 I agree, except that I'd substitute "Ford DEALERS" for "Ford Motor Company". I finally switched to GM because the service departments at the Ford dealerships in our area are some of the most incompetent on the planet. They not only were totally incapable of servicing the car without botching whatever they did, but there was evidence that their technicians were actually SABOTAGING cars that were out of warranty in order to generate more business. The GM dealership we now deal with could not be better. They go out of their way to satisfy customers, and have always been prompt, efficient and courteous. We now own GM products except for my Ford truck, and when it is ready to be traded (in another 300,000 miles) I'll look at a Chevy or GMC. I've been very lucky in that I have never had to take any of my Ford trucks in for anything (I do my own oil changes), but if I require any repairs on the Ford after warranty, I'll take it to my GM dealer, not Ford. Dealer service is a major consideration for us, and in view of all the bad press our local Toyota dealership has gotten for failure to honor warranties and defrauding customers, I'd definitely steer clear of them. I'm sure there are some very good Toyota dealerships out there too, as local management determines that, not the company, but here it is NOT very good.

21st Dec 2006, 11:28

Judging from recent recalls, numerous mechanical problems and horrible customer service, I'd have to say the words "Toyota" and "Quality" definitely don't belong in the same sentence.

1st Feb 2007, 11:26

Thanks guys for your comments, I was just about buying Toyota and I won't. You have scared me to death. I'd rather buy used car then deal with these dealer crooks.

1st Feb 2007, 13:29

Well, hopefully you're going to buy a Honda or at least a Hyundai or Nissan. Surely you can't be foolish enough to buy from the Big 3? I would say find another dealer if you don't like the one you visited. Toyota still makes the best cars on the road, so don't short change yourself with something lesser because of a bunch of baseless comments.

8th Mar 2007, 19:47

Hey everyone.

I used to work as a Toyota salesperson about 2 years ago. I can confidently say that Toyota is a great product - I've owned a 1993 Corolla, 1998 Corolla, 1996 Camry, and the new 2007 Camry which is loads of fun might I add!

I will say that I do not take my Toyota to the dealership for every problem. I might have them diagnose it, but I ALWAYS get a second opinion from a very trusted mechanic - needless to say he normally works on it. The tech's at Toyota dealerships (or at least the ones I have had experience with) are not the brightest bulbs out there, so I would definitely recommend seeing someone else. I'm not saying this for all dealerships, but again - I'd much rather go to a Mom & Pop owned shop that's been around for decades and have them work on it. Hate to say it, but it's worth always getting a second.. third.. fourth opinion.

Anyway, sorry to those that are having troubles! I hope your current or future purchases with Toyota are or become as good as mine have been! :)

28th Mar 2007, 20:55

Boy am I glad that the Toyota's in Australia are either made here or imported from Japan.

30th Jul 2007, 23:34

Gentlemen, in my opinion, dealers for the most part, are all the same. Its all about the money. I have owned Olds., Pontiac, Cougar, MGB, C1500, K1500, Honda Acord, Subaru and logged thousands of work miles on Suburbans and Big 3 trucks. I don't recall one dealer who I trusted would treat me fairly. I purchased the imports hoping it would reduce my contact with the 'dealer'. They probably did reduce dealer contact somewhat, but dealer relations were no better. The 89 Honda was probably the best in this regard. My 94 K1500 was probably the worst. It still raises my blood pressure when I think of past poor vehicle quality, workmanship and greedy dealers. I will be shopping again soon and I don't look forward to it. Shop wisely and trust no one.