My dealer tells me I need over $1000 worth of repairs

Have them push the car out to the parking lot. Get a new 12v battery. It's a 1 minute install. Start the car, and drive back into the shop and tell the shop manager to go start selling used cars.


iPhone ?

 

^^^ RFLOL

Worse case, have it towed back home or shop of choice. If you have AAA or even your insurance company may have the service included.

 

Ya, MAF cleaning is a $5 or $6 spray can cleaner used on the MAF sensor.

If the MAF is like a German car, then a fook'ed (not dirty, but failed) MAF will prevent your car from starting.

To get it to start on a German car, is to unplug the MAF and the car will start but will have a check engine light.

A fook'ed up MAF needs to be replaced, not cleaned.


iPhone ?

 

Then this is what will happen: "Sowwy we tried cleaning it but it is broken, $800.00 please" when the part is only $25-40.

 

The $94.00 cabin filter alone would make me get out of there!

 

If you have to spend at least $229 just to get your car back at this stage, then I'd say get them to do "HV TRANSAXLE SERVICE $239.00" - assuming that is a simple drain and refill of the ATF.

It's still a bit of rip off (from memory I think I've seen quotes around $150 or less to have the dealer do this), but of the things on your list it's probably the one that you'd most benefit from.

The reason that the car now "starts" (makes ready) whereas it wouldn't previously do so for you, is probably just that the 12 battery recovered somewhat since the event that drained it. If a battery is not completely toast, then after you remove the load that's draining it, it will sometimes "bounce back" a little bit after just sitting for a while. Also, once you get it to "start" (make ready) just one time then the car begins charging the 12V battery, so it might now appear to be functioning somewhat normally.

It's most likely however that the 12V battery is now weakened, and I would probably replace it anyway (or at least test it out a little more thoroughly).

 

You almost certainly need to call other dealers for pricing on the same services. You can just name a few and they'll be able to give you a relative idea of how much you're being overcharged.

 

Transaxle fluid change, assuming that's what they plan on doing, should not be more than $100. I would do it yourself if possible, safer. 4 quarts of Toyota ATF/WS will cost you under $40.

Still, none of their proposed services seem to address your initial problem.

 

Yeah but apparently the OP has to pay them a $229 diagnostic fee anyway, however they have agreed to deduct this from any work done. So essentially he has to pay $229 anyway, so he may as well get the most useful of the listed services. Pretty sure the typical figures we've seen thrown around here (dealer quotes) for the ATF drain and refill have been in the $120 to $160 range.

 

If I were stuck in his situation (had to pay dealer something), I'd have them do the battery ($129 isn't bad for a new battery installed.....), and the drive belt.

Either way - sounds like a very shady dealer. Get your car out of there ASAP. None of that stuff would prevent the electronics (lights, door locks, ETC) from turning on, except the battery.



iPhone ?

 

My guess is that they charged the battery while they had the car in the shop, and that corrected your problem.

The rest is prudent maintenance stuff, but the prices are outrageous.

 

hv inverter service?

hv battery service?

emission service?

i'd have to know what they actually would be doing.

 

My local dealer(Keene NH) and they are very good, wants to do a trans-axle flush and rebuild, 375$, they won't just change the fluid, pity but reality.
OP's in NYC, anything that can happen, happens

 

okay, so they're not that good.

 

Yeah they will. It's just that they'll call it a "trans-axle flush and rebuild" and charge you $375 for draining and filling $40 worth of ATF. Yep they're good.

 

Yep $129 for a new 12V battery dealer installed is not bad at all - except for the fact that it's not one of the things on their list. Look closely, it says "HV BATTERY SERVICE $129.00".

Whatever the heck a "HV BATTERY SERVICE $129.00" is?

 

No, I specifically explained the problem to them, they do service the trans-axle, it's a timed by the book operation, and yes, they are a good dealer

 

I would pay their diagnostic fee get a printout and call a tow truck.
Make sure that you get a printout, because that's going to be the only useful thing that these clowns will be giving you.\

On the way out the door, make sure that you get the service manager's card and see if you can get information from the GM about the owner.
Be polite, but inform them that you're about to become their social media nightmare.

Start mailing out copies of their inspection report explaining that you have a vehicle no-start condition, and they charged you $250 for an "inspection" whose diagnosis have nothing to do with the original complaint.
I'd give the GM (dealership's general manager) a chance to fix this, and then I'd involve Toyota Customer Care, the BBB, and any internet rating service for car dealers that you can find.
Show the dealership's GM this thread.
Maybe after you out these bums.
It will at least inform them that you're going to be getting informed second opinions about what they charge you for their "services."
I'd see if I could get a detailed explanation (for example) on what a HV Battery service entails for $129....or an Emissions test accomplishes for $239.

Don't expect much from the mother ship (Toyota) on this.
Toyota's thing is selling new cars, and you're rolling a car that they will view as being near the end of its service life.
You just need to call their attention to a scummy dealership that's sullying their reputation for them one shafted customer at a time.

Remember.....dealerships are expensive for a reason, and it's not always because they're crooks. You have to pay mechanics to do quality work in an expensively equipped shop.
They have a right to charge three figure hourly rates with a half hour minimum....which usually means a floor of about $150 for a diagnostics visit plus whatever repairs they accomplish.
What I'm seeing here is a VERY poor application of this process.
You had a vehicel towed there for a "no-start" condition that resulted in the printout that you detailed in your OP??!!
That would be like going to a doctor for blurred vision and having them tell you that you need a colonoscopy.

Yeah....it's possible I guess, but I'd need a more detailed diagnosis.

Then?
It's going to be time to do some internet research on things that YOU can maintain on this puppy, and service that you will have to farm out to an independent mechanic.
Start with the Aux battery.

Good Luck!

 

how many hours to do a trans-axle flush and rebuild? what does a 'rebuild' include? how do they 'flush' it?