Help, Toyota cannot diagnose my problem!!!

If there are warning lights, there should be DTC codes that will tell the dealer what's causing the lights to come on. If you've spent $4100 and the problem still exists, I would definitely get to the bottom of it before picking up the car.

You have to call everyday until you get an answer to your problem. If you ignore them and let them be, they will just ignore you. In this case, "the squeaky wheel gets the oil".

 

Escalate.

By shopping dealers, you have lessened the incentive for the dealer who has the car now to do the escalation for you. You had more moral authority and a more righteous claim on the battery swap dealer's need to make your case for Toyota's involvement. That dealer guessed and didn't guess right but got a chunk of your money.

This dealer can see you aren't a loyal customer and so wants you to go elsewhere because they don't want to get involved in a tough case where they will have to flat rate charge you for something that is more difficult than the norm. In all fairness to them, hard to diagnose when there are no codes. But that is when the experts get called in.

 

Their service manager and general manager should be reachable at all times. They can be paged and they have cell phones. Don't leave messages to have someone call you, insist on speaking to their managers in charge.

 

how many miles on herwhat warning light did you getwas the car drivable?

 

At only 106k miles, your car might have been under warranty when this first started. Toyota should be paying for your $4000 battery, not you

 

has the 12 volt battery been replaced? you may want to try an auto zone or similar and ask the to check for codes. and call toyota's customer service line to complain about the dealer putting in a new battery and not fixing the problem.

 

I think he's not replacing 12 volt battery for $4100.

 

me neither, although, i suppose they could have done both at the same timebut then again, i suppose it's possible.

 

THIS.

It's time for some serious self help.
You are NOT dealing with "Toyota" but with the so-called technicians at two individual dealerships.
The point about warranty on the HV battery is an important one; potentially a $4100 point.

Then.......if the 12 V. battery is over 2 years old, you should insist that it be changed.
That probably should have been done before the other one was changed.

Call Toyota. Keep calling every day.
It sounds to me like they are guessing.......at your expense......and THAT needs to stop immediately.

 

It would be helpful if you could be more precise about your car's problem:

1. Exactly what warning lights were on? Can you post sharp photos of those lights?
2. I understand that the car was not driveable once the lights appeared. Is that because the gasoline engine would not start? Was it possible to make the car READY?
3. Look at the $4,100 repair invoice and let us know exactly what parts were replaced and what DTC had been logged by your car as documented on the invoice.
4. If any significant warning lights are on now, then diagnostic trouble codes would be posted. If they cannot be retrieved, that is because the 12V battery is weak and the relevant ECUs are losing their memory of the logged DTC.
5. The dealer wants you to give up and pick up your car. In fact if you don't pick it up soon, they will probably start charging you a daily storage fee.
6. By the service dept staff not calling, they are sending the message that they do not have the technical competence to solve your car's problems and they are not interested in pleasing you. This has been further confirmed because you paid $4,100 for a repair that did not solve the issue. So why do you want them to continue work on your car when they've already proved their incompetence?
7. When you have repairs performed on a time and materials basis, there is no guarantee that the replaced parts will solve your car's problems. The dealer tech's role is to exert reasonable commercial efforts to solve your car's problem. If those efforts prove insufficient you have no recourse other than to stop doing business at that dealer's service shop. Of course you could complain to the Toyota Customer Experience Center in Torrance, CA. Maybe that will help, maybe that will be like pounding sand, you won't know until you try.

 

ah, the vagaries of life...

 

Plus whats your personal history with the car how long have you owned it and how many miles on her when you bought it?
And how many times have you had to jump start the car?

Its not a salvaged title car is it as many dealers won't like to get involved if it is?

First thing I would do is get me a voltmeter and read the 12 volt battery voltage off the underhood front jump points. Post here. Do it first thing in the am after not driving the car for a while. Like others have said when the 12 gets low the car really gets stupid.

 

I had the same issue on my 2005 Prius, Toyota couldn't find an issue. I was towed twice. My brother tested the 12v battery in the trunk and it would not hold a load test. Replaced the 12v battery in the rear trunk and it's been 2years and never had the problem again. I would get your car back, replace the 12v battery, then when you don't have the problem again file a report with the BAR and BBB.