Complaint Review: Advantage Toyota valley stream Basil Rabie

 On April 23, 2017, I financed a 2016 Toyota Prius C from advantage Toyota valley stream, car salesman Basil Rabie, who assured me that the car was new and would be reliable for my needs that included transporting my mom to the hospital for treatments to her heart, a tumor and lungs. Since I have fibromyalgia, I have to use a cane so he could visibly recognize that I had special needs, however Basil assured me that the car had all of the options I was looking for including the emergency braking system as shown in the commercials.

When I went home, I enrolled in the Toyota financial portal and discovered that the car did not have the breaking feature as Basil said. Before I received the prepared car, I was given the contract to sign which included extra coverage for repairs that exceeded the insurance, a loaner vehicle while the car was being repaired and a full gas tank or voucher. When I entered the car the gas tank was only half full, but I thought the gas voucher would come in the mail, however it never did. I drove the car to the supermarket, then home. I only wanted the car for specific appointments and errands. A few weeks later when I went to turn on the car to take my mother to the doctor, the car had no power. I called road side assistance and they towed the car back to advantage Toyota where I was expecting a temporary vehicle or at least a courtesy ride home. I received neither. Andrew in repairs told me that they would have to see if the car was malfunctioning due to my error or the car was defective and that until then he did not have a loaner car to give me and his courtesy transport drivers had left for the day. I spent 20.00 dollars to get home in the rain.

A few days later, Andrew informed me that the car had a defective battery which he changed and that everything was okay. I picked up the car and went home. I did not need the car for a couple of weeks because I left the country on vacation. When I returned, I attempted to turn on the car and there was no power. I called road side assistance and waited 3 hours for service. The car was towed back to Toyota advantage. I believe that the car is a lemon and called Toyota financial, where I was connected with customer experience. I was assigned a case manager named Michele that to this day I have never spoken to. A worker name Joan Collins called me stating that she was helping Michele out. Joan asked me to explain the situation and I made it clear that I did not trust the car and that I needed reliable transportation to escort my mother to her medical appointments. Joan made fun of me stating that I did not know if the car was actually a lemon and that Michele would have to call the dealer first. The car had already been at the dealer on Monday and Michele had not called the dealer up to Friday of the same week. I heard people laughing in the background because Joan had placed me on speaker without my permission. I felt disrespected and stated that on my customer survey. A supervisor named Eric called me and left a voicemail stating that Joan Collins, the person that disrespected me was now my case manager and would help me. When I texted Andrew, he told me that the resolution was that I will be picking up the same car and that when it broke down again, I must wait for roadside assistance to tow it back to the Toyota repair shop.

Based on lemon law, I have to have the car break down 3 or 4 times for the same defect to obtain either a comparable car or refund. This is very frustrating because I am ill and so is my mom. I don't understand how anyone in good conscience would allow someone to be inconvenienced like this.