I'll let you know on Tuesday.

 

Same here. I don't know about everyone else but I don't really have $600 to throw down on my perfectly fuctional truck!

 

Well I just got back from picking my Runner up at the STEALERSHIP and that is exactly what they are. My repair order says that the relay rod and the tie rod assembly's were replaced and that the front end was "SET". When The service advisor called me on Friday to let me know that it was finished I asked him if he had put a printout of the front end alignment with my repair order. I don't think that he was ready for that question because he sort of paused and stammered for a moment and then said that their printer on the front end machine was down and he could not supply me with a printout. That's what really made me worry. Of course I checked the truck when I got home and the tie rod assembly's had not been replaced and the alignment had not been touched. We all know if you do the tie rods you have to atleast set the toe. So I called back to the STEALERSHIP and asked to speak to the service manager and was told he does not work on the weekend and that I would need to cal back on a normal business day. So guess who will be getting a call on Monday !
I know that this a very negative statement about my experience with the STEALERSHIP and if the moderators wish to strike this post from here because of that it would be fine. But I just think that everyone is entitled to know what to look out for and what they can possibly expect from a STEALERSHIP. That's how they got their name anyway !

 

LOL -- yeah, I might as well do both, right?

Yeah, the reason I say no idea is because I'm not sure what I'm looking at up in the wheel well. I know something in there is a pitman arm, and there are tie rods on both sides, but everything is caked in mud at the moment.

Ed

 

Just talked to two dealerships today:

one said that they could do the recall, they will order the part. They only do the toe because that is all that is effected & covered int the SSC document (the canadian one must be different??)

The other said that the alignment wasn't included - I said it is in the the SSC document - they went and checked and said only the toe would be adjusted (I think because my questions was if the toe or all weas included)

I am going to call a couple of others and see what they say. I will keep you updated.

 

well mine goes to the stealer thurs. i am more looking forward to the possible free alignment then anything else. good news is i confirmed the head gasket was done in 2000 by the previous owner.

 

OK - third dealer also said they only do the toe - looks like I will be paying extra for the rest of the alighnment. All of the dealers also siad that if the tie rods were seized then there would be extra costs. :cry:

 

Bastards. Well, actually I blame Toyota - if we didn't have to go in and replace this part, we wouldn't HAVE to replace the tie rods! The only reason is because we kinda like being able to steer!

I would seriously recommend everyone check out their Pitman and idler arms and tie rods before having this recall done. AT LEAST get the parts from strapr22 and have the dealership put them on when they do the recall (at half the book rate since the recall includes the labor for one end of all these parts)

 

Just picked up my 91 4Runner. They replaced the tie rods under the service campaign, as they said they would, because they couldn't align it with the old ones. The dealer is Lithia Toyota of Redding, CA.

 

Great Thanks!!!!!

 

Just had my 94 'Runner in for the steering relay rod service campaign. I just replaced one of the CV halves and the LBJ so I needed an alignment. Took it in to Kearny Mesa Toyota (in San Diego CA.) They gave me a rental car for the day (NO COST) replaced the SRR (NO COST), didn't like the look of the tie rod and replaced it (NO COST) and checked and adjusted the alignment (NO COST.) Then when I went to pick it up they said "Thanks for having your service done at Kearny Mesa Toyota." - gave me my keys and I was done!

Soooo... why would anyone NOT buy a Toyota is my question.?.?.?...
-s
p.s. the shop there is HEAVEN. Clean white bays w/ 4 pt lifts forever. Squeaky clean. If I ever have to get a real job thats where I want to work Thanks Toyota!

 

They are just buttering you up for the time when you have to come in to replace your head gasket for the second time and its no longer under warranty!

Its nice to know that there are some dealers out there that just take care of everything.

I have found that each dealership is different and even the techs that work at the SAME dealership can have different pay structures based upon who is on their "team" of repair techs. I think this affects how they approach any given repair job. Sounds like Kearny Mesa Toyota really focuses on customer satisfaction....you got a rental car!!!!!!!!! and they must not penalize their techs for adding things to a warranty repair that may not be reimbursable to the dealership from Toyota.

 

Well sort of an update on mine from post #143. After talking at great length with the service manager about what they did and didn't do to my front end he said that he is very concerned about doing the right thing by Toyota. Being that they have a very good relationship with Toyota and that he would not want to compromise his good standing with them. He did not even mention what was right by me or the safety or the repairs to my Runner. He only cared about what Toyota would think of him. After all was said and done he finally said that I needed to bring my Runner back in so that they could "do what is right by Toyota" and replace my tie rod assembly's and do a complete alignment. He then went on to tell me that there are 4 different levels of the recall. One is to just replace the relay rod, two is to replace the relay rod and set the toe. Three is to replace the relay rod and the tie rod assemblys and set the toe. Four is to replace relay rod , tie rod assemblys and do a complete alignment. What I received was number 1 and that Toyota was billed for number 4. Can we say warranty fraud ? I didn't say that did I ? OOPS !
And he said that they would give me a loaner for the day. You know , that's nice of him to do that BUT, if they had done the right thing the first time I would not have to make a second trip back and go through this crap again. And they wonder why they don't see as many people coming back for service after their car is out of warranty. They can't even do warranty service correctly the first time !
On the other hand I am glad to see that some people have had a positive experience with the dealership's that they have gone to !
Mine just hasn't been one of them !
We will wait to see what Thursday brings and I pick my Runner up. Wish me luck !

 

Update on my runner:

After 5 trips to the dealer, getting the service manager involved and the nice conversation I had w/ the telemarketer calling to ask how my visit to Toyota went, I took my truck in for the new inner and outer tie rod ends, new pitman arm, new ideler pully, and new steering stabilizer. All at no charge.

In a previous post I explained how after receiving my runner back from the recall work, and getting home, I noticed that many of the brand new parts I had installed the month before now had torn dust boots. I took it back and was told that they knew about it, they just forgot to mention it. Then they told me that they only tore two of the four boots that were messed up. Even when I pointed out that the tears were all identical and indicitive of the use of a pickle fork to seperate the joints, the service writer kept saying the the tech wouldn't lie!

So for the second time in a month my truck has all new front end parts, and I have another dealership on my list of places never to go.

Anthony

 

Haha PA! - I wuz kinda thinking that. Hopefully not the case. I'll still do almost any job on my rig myself but when I have to resort to a dealership I know where I'll be going. Good to know there are some honest businesses out there (rare in SoCal these days.)

Anthony and 94Runner - well, dealerships are like a box of chocolates...
-s

 

I would like to think that someone at Toyota is watching this thread and scratching their heads and wondering, how can the SEALERSHIPS take something so easy and screw it up so bad !
But, not likely !

 

Ummm - maybe someone should forward a link to this thread to the customer servive department at toyota?

 

What number did you receive and how can you tell which number you were billed for?

The question here is what conditions determine who gets what level of recall service.

You said it alright! The stealership can bill for a level 4 and only perform a Level 1. Difference in parts and labor between the two could start to add up.

 

I had level 1 performed on my Runner. The only real way that I new that something was wrong was that the relay rod and the tie rod assembley's had been billed out on my repair order. And the tie rods had not been replaced nor any thing done with my alignment. Plus the service manager said that level 4 was charged to on the warranty copy of the repair order.
As far as the conditions that determine which level needs to be performed, by what the service manager told me is it depends on the findings of the tech when he is replaceing the relay rod. He never would really get into any details as to how the tech would draw his conclusion on what needed to be replaced and whether a part or full alignment would be done. I'll try to quiz him in the morning and see if I can get any specifics.
And as far as a link to Toyota with this thread , I am pretty sure it has already been done and with no response !

 

just got back from droping mine off at the dealer.. it should be ready sometime tomorrow. i didnt have time to clean all my tools and other crap out of it which makes me a little scared. usually if i have to give my car to some place and i am not there to watch, i strip it of everything that could grow legs.