Service Department Scam

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Prius The First @ Mar 23 2007, 06:53 AM) [snapback]410803[/snapback]</div>

Based on your recommendation, I made an appointment with them for Monday.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(M. Oiseau @ Mar 23 2007, 11:00 AM) [snapback]410808[/snapback]</div>

I bought my Prius at Toyota of Muskogee. The only work I let them do was disabling the reverse beep and enabling the alarm. My mom bought a Prius in western Arkansas and I think she gets the oil changed in Muskogee. She lives in Wagoner.

I got my steering shaft recall done at the only Toyota dealer in Anchorage, Nye Frontier Toyota. They knocked it out in about 30 minutes and it was defect-free. I gave them a stellar rating on the feeback sheet.

 

Long story, kept short:

Dec. 2005. While stopped at the end of a line of traffic my 3 month old Prius was rear ended. Though the impact speed was low. Only about 15-20 mph. I was caught off guard, my foot slipped from the brake and I was pushed into the SUV in front of me.
Mostly front end damage to the car from the SUV's trailer hitch. Punched a hole in the bumper and wrinkled the hood. The rear bumper popped loose but was repaired not replaced. Except for the cosmetic damage the car seemed fine. Even before any repairs were done it still went straight down the road. The next 6 months the car was golden, well Driftwood actually, until the 60C recall.
July 2006. After getting the 60C recall done I noticed that the Steering wheel was off center. About 5 degrees to the right. I should have left well enough alone but I took it back in to have the shaft adjusted only to get it back 10 degrees off. Left of center this time. Progress not perfection.
Round 2b.
After he had a few (choice) words with the mechanic I was told by the Service Writer a front end alignment was needed and he would see to it that it was dead on center. It was. End of story I thought. Until...
Another 9 months passed and the ole Driftwood was really starting to feel it's oats. The wife and I literally drove the wheels off the thing. From Yellowstone to Vegas. From Monterey to Sequoia. "This land was made for you and me". Sorry. You get the picture. Lots of miles, no trouble. Why we even drove it back to Omaha through South Dakota to say hi to my mom with passing horn toot for George and the boys.
It was now time to take care of the car that was taking such good care of us and so it was in for the 30,000 mile service. <ominous organ music> Oil change. Filters-oil, air and cabin. I'll wait on that transmission fluid change but, yeah , rotate those tires.
On the way home the steering seemed a bit off. The tire gauge showed one at 50 psi the other front tire at 20. Popped the hood and was punched squarely in the nose by Captain Hazelwood. Joseph P.. Do these guys even own a funnel? A pint at least, there spilled over the air cleaner and even onto the cowling. After about an hour, oil cleaned up and tires all at good inflation levels I thought, "My Prius deserves better that this". "Maybe that new set of tires. The ones I've been promising you". Why not? "That nice set of ComforTreads we saw in the window the other day". Sure why not, and lets get a new 4 wheel alignment while we're at it. "Nothing is too good for you Toyotinha".
Insanity: repeating the same action and expecting a different result. It took me years to learn not to pick up that bottle of whiskey why would I be any faster with car dealerships? "Thank you Sir. May I have another?". After getting the tires at Discount Tires it's back to my old friends at Tony Divino Toyota for that alignment. Thats Tony Divino Toyota on Riverdale Road in Ogden for all your botched mechanical needs. And off home we go.
Boy these ComforTreads are quiet, and the old nag seems to take the bit in her teeth just a little better than she used to. In the words of Wheezy, "I think I feel a song coming on". "Camptown ladies sing this song. Doo-Dah! Doo-Dah! The Camptown racetrack is five miles long. Oh! Do-Dah day. Goin' to run all night! Goin' to run all day! I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag. Somebody bet on the grey." But wait. What's this. Oh no, it can't be. The f***ing steering is off center. AGAIN.

And one and a 2........We've got a reaally big shoe for ya tonight.

Meanwhile back at Tony D's. I ask for the steering wheel to be centered, you know to go along with that 80 dollar alignment you gave me. The writer comes back after some time and informs me that the alignment is good, my problem is that accident I had 18 months ago. The toe in on the left back is out of spec. Has been all this time, but has been saving up a big surprise for me. That it let loose, all at once. On the same day they did a 4 wheel alignment. Yeah thats the ticket, all at once see. Like we gave it to your sister. Ponders me, "You didn't give me an intentional bad alignment back in the recall days to cover up that botched installation of the steering shaft did you?" "Funny how it's off the exact same way after your "good" alignment as it was after the recall".
He gathered back up the keys he had been trying to drop into my hand and ran off to have a chat with the fellas in the shop. "The warranty won't cover an accident", he shot back over his shoulder.
Through the window I could see him take the Prius for a test drive and after a few minutes he came from his "talk". He had been mistaken. The mechanic said that the toe in on the rear wasn't fixable but he had fixed the centering of the steering wheel. It was perfect now. That toe would get worse in say 60,000 miles and the entire rear axle would need to be replaced, but that was for another day. For now I was good to go. What a relief. So what did you do to fix it? He muttered something. About my sister I think.
Last night we took a drive over to Nevada. The wife had some nickels burning a hole in her pocket and I had a diet to destroy. You'll never guess what's still off center. 10 degrees to the left and no it aint my testicles.....well now it is.
I'm at my wits end. So what do I do now. Is it the rear left which is "Slightly out of Spec" to blame? Is it the return of the recall from hell as I babbled? Do I need to replace the rear axle to get my steering, which isn't pulling off center it just sits there comfortable like, to be on center? Can it be shimmed? Or do I just need a decent alignment done by someone else?

Don't push me cause I'm close to the edge.
I'm trying not to lose my head.
Thanks for reading.
It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from goin under................