Dealership will charge if nothing found. What???

The dealership is charging you for time, for as everyone knows TIME = $$$$, surely?

 

they should take it for a ride with you, so they can hear the rattle. if they can't hear it, they will charge you. if they can hear it, they should not charge you, whether they find it, fix it, or not. and if they do anything different than that, i would call toyota. all the best!

 

Go to another dealer, they usually don't charge if you are under 12k miles and 1 year, it's courtesy

 

Yeah, starting to seem like there's a $70 "cover charge" at dealerships, at least with mine. There's been maybe 3 incidents where the brakes went into "fail safe" mode and warning lights come on. I take it in, they fiddle around a bit, find nothing conclusive: $70 please.

 

I agree, try another, and if they also charge, go to a good body shop where they actually know what they're doing, not some first day shock jockey with no idea.

 

Dealerships can really vary with their attitude and approach in this regard.
I think sometimes it can even just be what "mood" your service adviser happens to be in that day, or how backed up or busy they might be.

I think if I brought a nearly new vehicle in, still under bumper to bumper coverage, what I'd want is my dealership to trust my diagnosis. In other words, if I say it has rattles then they believe it has rattles, and work with me to resolve the issue.

It's kind of binary in my opinion. Either your vehicle has a rattle issue that IS beyond the norm, and is something that can and should be fixed, or it does not.
If you are hearing a whole lot of rattling? Then it does have an issue.

I personally wouldn't want or expect my dealership, with a vehicle with only 1000 miles on it, to threaten me with a $79 charge if they for whatever reason failed to find something that does exist.

I'm surprised at the attitude, because most dealerships want to establish a long term relationship with owners. Most will at least look at a problem like that initially as a courtesy. It's kind of up to you. I don't know how many dealerships are in your area. But if I just didn't like the vibe from a dealership, you can switch.

Looking up reviews of service departments at various dealerships sometimes can give you an idea whether people have been generally impressed or disappointed.

I might consider just looking for a dealership more open to simply being supportive.

 

The "problem" with a brand new vehicle, is any issue that IS a warranty covered issue you almost are forced to have addressed as a warranty issue.
First of all, as a warranty issue it shouldn't cost anything to fix, through Toyota and the dealership.
Secondly, if you go out on your own, to an independent body shop, and they start messing with it, you could void the warranty. It has rattles AFTER a 3rd party Non-Toyota entity has disassemble/assembled the area? Becomes something Toyota could blame on the 3rd party.

I'd really recommend trying to let Toyota and a dealership solve this problem under warranty. --Maybe not THIS particular service department which sounds non-supportive, but at least for the first go round, I'd want the problem recorded as a warranty issue through Toyota.

 

I would contact Toyota directly to get their policy on issues like yours. After that, I would go to a different dealer (if possible).

In any case, I would try to obtain a written letter from Toyota to shove under anyone's nose whenever anyone is confused.

Good luck.

 

...."The car, with only about 1,000 miles, still is covered by the 3yr/36,000 mile warranty. So I figured they'd look at it and if they fond something that they'd fix it under warranty."....

If that's the case, you're clearly covered. I'd suggest a more assertive approach--perhaps a "drop-and-stay".

 

I have never been charged in this situation .... have owned countless new cars. In fact .. have had things fixed when it really was not covered ... like fixing one of the undercarriage covers knocked loose by a parking curb. Normally called a goodwill or courtesy repair. I have also never had a dealer no be willing to do a free check-up that includes a test drive -- that's how they generate business.

 

two names, botch and chambers. oh, and prime motors. three.

 

1. The dealership has this policy so that you will not waste the service department's time. If you report a problem that their mechanic cannot confirm, they cannot charge Toyota for that time under warranty. Hence they will want to charge you.
2. I understand that you might not find this policy to be customer-friendly. If you can find another dealership in your area with a more liberal policy, you may want to direct your service business and future product purchases in that direction.
3. As previously suggested, with a subjective issue like a noise, it would be best for you to take the service writer for a ride to make sure that person acknowledges the rattle can be heard. That will increase the likelihood that some positive action will result.

 

Respectfully disagree.

The car is under warranty. The dealer has a duty and a contractual obligation to repair a rattle defect under warranty provisions. Once again, I'd suggest a drop-and -stay.

I had several rattle issues in my now-sold new Subaru....which the service department "couldn't find". As soon as this information was delivered to me, I jumped in the car with the service manager. We had a delightful drive down a local backroad.

Guess what? The rattle issue was clearly identified as we motored down the street and the issues were attended to when we returned to the dealership. As per warranty...

 

I am not sure what we are disagreeing about. I totally agree with your personally demonstrating the noise to the service manager. I suggested the OP should demonstrate the noise to the service writer so that no one's time is wasted and the issue doesn't get to the point where the service dept wants to charge the OP due to "no trouble found".

 

Well, your number 1; for example.

An individual dealership can't create a "policy" with regard to warranty repairs.

There is no cost burdened by customers who present their warrantied auto for covered repairs or adjustments within the warranty period. This is a contract between buyer and seller.

A rattle noise is clearly covered by new car warranty. Peruse warranty coverage on new-purchase autos, and Toyota's own new-purchase periodicals.
The original poster's issue is clearly a warranty issue that should cost him nothing.

 

A rattle that can only be heard by the owner and cannot be demonstrated to anyone else would not count IMO.

 

Can only be heard by the owner??

Nope....a dealership wants to move warranty issues out of their service bays. If they accept the car, indicate that they can't detect or "duplicate" the matter, then they simply receive manufacturer $ for "examinining" a warranty issue.

Their service bill is Toyo paid, but it's minimal compared to, say, folks who purchased an "extended" warranty when originally purchasing their auto.

If you really believe that a legitimate warrantied consumer issue can be charged -off to the customer, you're mistaken.

I find it hard to believe that new car buyers suffering from rattles and noises......are the "only ones that hear them".
Go to the dealership with me, my friend, when I have a warranty issue. It gets corrected.