Getting Toyota/dealership to pay for broken oil door past warranty?

Hi Rob,
That is a good start. If they don't do it initially, contact your dealers Customer Service Representative and see if the helps.

Worse case senairo, you can get an engine under cover off of ebay for $80. Or you can run around without it... a few members are doing so now with no ill-effect.

 

My car was in for service at around 72 000 km, and the adviser came back with the broken-off panel in his hand - it broke off while they were changing the oil. I just told them "You'll replace what YOU broke!" after they suggested I needed to pay $450 for a whole new underpanel. They scheduled me in to have it repaired after a semi-nasty email!

-Iain

 

I am driving without the oil change flap I didn't remove it but the dealer did without me knowing. I still have the engine uderpanel just not the one that folds down to change the oil. I'm not paying Toyota hundreds of dollars for 50cents of plastic. Almost every other car in history has never had a plastic cover under the oil pan with no ill effects. Plus the cover is not even strong enough to hold itself to the car how could it prevent any damage to the car? I'm sure it was only Toyota trying to gain mpg.

 

Couple of thoughts:

1. It's not the plastic panel alone that's the issue, more the plastic grade. Honda's second gen Civic Hybrid has a plastic engine underpanel, with a hinged portion. It's plastic is softer/thicker and seems pretty much impervious to cracking.

2. If you can keep the pro's away from it, say by doing your own fluid changes, and take the time to remove the panel completely for an oil change instead of just bending down the flap, it will last. It's still worthwhile picking up a few replacement fasteners.

 

More the reason I will be asking to see the underside after my free service"

 

Someone reinstalled their flap with metal hinges. That might be a good preventative maintenance move. It was on PC, probably at least a year ago.

 

I'm glad you got yours fixed, you had a lot better luck than I did. I had pretty much the same experience, door broke off but my car was over the 36K miles before the TSB was issued.

The local dealer tried to talk Toyota into covering it but they just flat refused. I called Toyota "Customer Care" twice and that was like talking to the cable TV company.

I also tried to use my Platinum Extended Warranty but I was told the under engine cover was considered a trim piece or a body panel so it is not covered.

Fortunately I had the broken off door so I came up with a kluge that will hold it on. I could also have purchased a new panel for around $220 and put it on myself so fixing it was no problem.

I am a little unhappy with Toyota because I think this thing was poorly designed and should have been covered. I feel like I was punished because I was one of the first to buy a Gen3 and I put to many miles on it to soon.

I am going through the same thing now with the front fender rattle TSB #0064-12 issued 4/16/12. I have had the rattle since 2009 but I don't think they will cover it because I am way over the 36K mile limit on the TSB. Service Manager, who I trust, is trying to get Toyota to cover it but if they refuse I will probably pay for it myself.

 

Mine was somewhat falling apart, a dead beaver rempved it for free

 

Interesting story.

1. Had my oil changed at dealer, kid making 7$ an hour getting yelled at by his boss for not doing 5 cars an hour, just starts ripping the panel off to save time.

2. Dealer saves 30 cents in labor.

3. I no longer go there, dealer lost hundreds and hundreds of dollars from me cause i wont have my service done there.

4 Dealer lost the chance to sell me my next car, thousands and thousands lost too.