Kendall Toyota Service ripoff consumer rip-off tighten filter so work somewhere else is impossible Miami Florida
I TOOK THE AUTO TO DO A COMPLETE 60K TUNEUP. THIS INCLUDED OIL CHANGE. EVERSINCE THEN, NO OTHER PLACE OTHER THAN KENDAL TOYOTA HAS BEEN ABLE TO CHANGE THE OIL FILTER.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY TIGHTEN THE FILTER SO TIGHT SO THAT THEY CAN ONLY CHANGE THE FILTER WITH THE TOYOTA SPECIAL TOOLS THAT IS NOT AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY. THIS MEANS I HAVE TO PAY $27 EACH TIME I TAKE FOR A OIL CHANGE INSTEAD OF $9.00 SOMEWHERE ELSE.
Franklin
pembroke pines, Florida
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Stan
Phoenix,Arizona,
U.S.A.
Different SCAM revealed?!
#2UPDATE EX-employee responds
Thu, August 21, 2003
Franklin, youre chasing this scam up the wrong tree! Toyota has an SST (Special Service Tool) with a corresponding number for every mechanical procedure including oil changes. Usually its just your average tool with Toyotas special number pinned to it. The Toyota SST for oil filters are junk and no tech has one, wants one, or needs one. If you go to the dealer and ask to see all 15 to 25 technician oil filter wrenches, what you will find is that every OTHER tech uses either a different style or brand of wrench. They use anywhere from a $30 Snap-on wench to a $3 Walmart wrench, long and short extensions, ratchets and pliers whatever works best for them. Also, a filter cannot be tightened so much that another man cannot remove it. Ive seen plenty of over tightened filters and THEY ALL CAME OFF. Besides, lets say Wonder Lube tried, tried, and tried to take off your old filter. A filter is like a thick soda pop can and would crush, most likely damaging it to the point where it would leak. No, Franklin, I bet they didnt even try.
Then what gives? SCAM, I SAY! Most likely the reason youve been turned away from other shops is that there is obvious damage that an employee at Wonder Lube can see and does not want to be held responsible for such as a stripped oil pan with a massive, over sized bolt jammed in it and leaking (Im NOT saying that this is what it is but, this is not uncommon). And by going back to the place that stripped it in the first place (Kendall), they have to change it because theyre the last to service your car and besides, they would owe you an oil pan if they admitted to you they stripped it (No dealer will admit guilt). Take it to a mechanic you trust and ask him NOT to work on OR fix your car, just look at it and tell you what the TRUTH is as well as giving you a written repair estimate documenting what was discovered. An over tightened filter is a LIE unless your taking it to the Golden Girls for servic...and if that is true, you should make things right with Rip-Off Report!
Hear Ye! Hear Ye! ...I am the voice of the new PROLETARIAT, calling out car dealerships unto accountability for the many scams toward customer and technician alike. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.