Here are ALL of the issues that I am experiencing in a nutshell.
Dealership’sdeceptive sales and auto loan practices.
Purchase
Originally I wanted a limited production TRD Pro 4Runner. The salesperson (who longer works there) claimed that I cannot pre-order or even put a down payment for this vehicle. 2 months later they had this TRD available for sale which tells me the salesperson lied so he can get his commission.
Loan
Dealer knew that I had a loan ready to go at my local credit union. When I was ready to pickup my vehicle the dealer purposely delayed the necessary paperwork that I needed to product to my credit union which closed at 5pm. This way they forced me into going with their loan instead. A new car sales manager was responsible for this.
I have visited the dealership 5 times for various issue (loose seat belt, windshield rattle and door rattle). All of which are still not fixed.
Hesitation while turning corners while accelerating. I have not yet brought the vehicle in to the dealer for this issue yet since I have been too overwhelmed with the current issues.
I contacted Toyota Corporate who basically brushed me off and told me to contact the dealer. The GM has not responded to my 6 voice mails as of yet. I spoke to him one time when he told me to keep him in the loop about what’s going on. Afterwards he is just ignoring me and my latest concerns.
When I was ready to pickup my vehicle the dealer purposely delayed the necessary paperwork that I needed to product to my credit union which closed at 5pm. This way they forced me into going with their loan instead.
Dealer can NOT force you to use their bank. I would have walked right then and there.
2. I have visited the dealership 5 times for various issue (loose seat belt, windshield rattle and door rattle). All of which are still not fixed.
Keep taking to the dealer to have them fix it. Document each visit. Check the lemon laws in your state.
The dealer probably could not pre-order that vehicle and just got one latter as their share of allotted vehicles. You can use any Toyota dealership for warranty problems.
Seems like some shady sales tactics were going on; nothing new here. You should be willing to walk away/cross shop with other dealers. This why we have the internet. If I am buying a new car, I finalize everything over e-mail, make a final phone call and then after I confirm everything, I walk in the dealership and deal with the person I spoke to. Last year, one Ford dealer did the bait and switch (The salesperson I talked to introduced me to another and said he has to take off). Then then new salesperson was not honoring the price and kept saying they will loose money. I thanked him for his time, grabbed a few Soda’s for my kids from their showroom fridge and walked out.
As far as your issues with the car now, seems like the majority would not be major safety issues to qualify for lemon law. But absolutely, keep the records and keep going back until everything is fixed.
I think you should also be able to transfer your loan to your credit union now. They will pay the dealer off and issue you a new loan,
I always buy my cars over email. I know what I will be buying and for how much before I step foot through the door. The main issue is they forced me into their loan since it was already after hours at my credit union and I came to pick up my vehicle. What can you do you know…now with these hesitation issues. If the dealer cannot re - create it do I keep going to another dealer? 4 attempts and its the lemon law here. It happens sporadically, but who cares. A 40k SUV shouldn’t do it at all! Ultimately if not one dealer can’t identify the issue after trying to re - create it even after going on car rides with me what could a lemon law attorney be able to do? Can’t I get blacklisted at all local Toyota dealers?
Your complaints come across as a bit odd so I won’t get too deep into this.
:“The main issue is they forced me into their loan…”.
No one forced you into anything unless the sales manager had a double barrel shotgun pointing your way or was holding a straight razor against your wrist.
A windshield cannot rattle; or at least I’ve never, ever heard of such a thing.
You will not get “blacklisted” so you need to stow the conspiracy theory away.
If you feel you have a Lemon Law issue you have to document all of this with copies of repair orders stating the complaints and what if anything was done to solve those complaints.
Me thinks you complain too much…;-( what you think are seat belt and door rattles are the seat belt fitting rattling against the side panel while it is hung up. These things do this in most of their truck based models. I think you are generally regretting buying a true off road vehicle that rides and handles poorly. These trucks in general are no fun on the road and at $40k you expected more. IMho, and I have owned a bunch of these type vehicles, unless you drive everyday in mud, they aren’t worth the headache. Complaining about rattling in a true off road vehicle is like complaining it is hard to climb into. Ride in a Jeep Wrangler extended cab…then complain. They all stink. You sound like a Highlander type . You are lining your issues up like excuses…they can deal with more then one at a time…I have not heard you say anything about how well they ford a stream or rock climb. You just bought the wrong vehicle for yourself. You are lucky you did not buy the TRD pro. You would have spent even more for an ugly color that rode and handled worse. I maybe be wrong and apologies if I am. Please just reexamine whether you even like this thing.
"When I was ready to pickup my vehicle the dealer purposely delayed the necessary paperwork that I needed to product to my credit union which closed at 5pm. This way they forced me into going with their loan instead."
I don’t understand why the OP didn’t delay picking-up the car until the following business day, when he could have gone to his credit union during business hours. Or, as was already said…Why not just walk away?
While I empathize with the OP’s problems with the new vehicle, “rattles” do not qualify for Lemon Law relief. The wording of the statute will vary somewhat from one state to another, but typically the wording of the law will state that an automotive problem must “materially affect the safety or drivability” of the vehicle. Rattles are neither a safety problem nor a drivability problem.
" I always buy my cars over email"
There is the problem. You never buy a car like this that is very specialized until you try out the exact one you plan to buy…several times. If they can’t produce it for you, wait . I had a 4Runner for ten years and this new generation one for an only car, can be a bad buy under the wrong conditions. I tried one out several times and just walked away. It is way too expensive for an only car used on road everyday with it’s on road deficiencies. I feel you were taken in, but by your own unpreparedness. No car dealer ever forced me to do anything. That sounds like a cop out statement…sorry to be blunt but I know no other way to say it. When there is something you don’t like while you sit there, you flex your quads and gluteus, stand up, and walk away. Always with a smile of course.
@dagosa. You are wrong. I always check the simple stuff before taking it to the dealer. Belt buckle was replaced after some internal component was loose and broken. Door rattle was due to something behind door cover, loose or broken cone on the speaker and a loose lightvunder the door.
I love my 4Runner which is why I am looking at adding some mods to it. If it was that bad of an SUV it wouldn’t have been around this long.
As far as the loan goes it was on a Saturday. I didn’t want to wait until Monday and take my trade in home. I ended up switching tgsbloan to my credit union after a month. No big deal. My credit is checked maybe 2/times a year and its very high credit.
As far as ms buying my vehicles over email and not being prepared, that’s purely laughable. Who walk into a dealership to buy a car anymore? I knew I wanted the 4Runner so I bought it. I have driven it before. Its a very popular SUV here in WI. If you frequent 4Runner forums you will also see how popular it is.
" I never said rattles qualify. Hesitation does. "
Yes, but Lemon Law relief is not even a possibility until you have given the dealership 3 attempts to resolve a problem. According to what you posted below, you haven’t even given them one attempt to resolve the hesitation issue:
“Hesitation while turning corners while accelerating. I have not yet brought the vehicle in to the dealer for this issue yet since I have been too overwhelmed with the current issues.”
@ok4450 if you go to 4Runner forums and search the threads you’ll see many of them talking about windshield rattles which is partially due to some harness .
I will be taking my vehicle in for the hesitation concerns next and will post what happens.
My next question is shocks and tires.
Stock vs Bilstein 5100 all around. I read the the Bilsteins are the way to go plus I can even lift up the front end a bit to get a more aggressive look. Does anyone have any experience with these?
Tires
Stock tires are Dunlop Grandtek AT20. They tend to slip in the rain and snow pretty badly. I was thinking of the Nitto Terra Grappler (which is what the TRD model comes with), BF Goodrich KO2 (comes out in March) or Michelin LTX MS/2
@ok4450 I just read your other post about the Bilsteins. Are you referring to the 5100s? 4Runner praise these as the top quality shocks for any 4Runner. Did you ever install these and have issues with this particular shock?
I do. In fact I LOVE doing it. Very good at giving back to the dealer what they give to us.
I knew I wanted the 4Runner so I bought it. I have driven it before. Its a very popular SUV here in WI. If you frequent 4Runner forums you will also see how popular it is.
I know how popular they are. I own an 05 (which my youngest drives now). Only has about 275k miles and still going strong. Not sure what types of rattles you’re getting…but some can be expected. Over all it’s a great vehicle.
The dealer wanted to sell you a car on his lot, they get money for selling cars alloted to them. They get kick backs on you using their financing. As far as changing shocks and tires, I would stick tho their shocks while under warranty. You can change tires and rims without voiding the warranty.
You are lining your issues up like excuses…they can deal with more then one at a time…I have not heard you say anything about how well they ford a stream or rock climb. You just bought the wrong vehicle for yourself. You are lucky you did not buy the TRD pro. You would have spent even more for an ugly color that rode and handled worse. I maybe be wrong and apologies if I am. Please just reexamine whether you even like this thing.