Arbitration Questions

[Willis5050]

Well, I have run the gauntlet with Toyota Regional, and after checking out my car they have told me to persue arbitration. So, I am in the process of getting the paperwork done and the dates set. So what am I in for? Those of you who have gone through it, was it a tough battle? Were they fair or were they out to get you? How long did the whole process take? Did anyone get this far only to "lose" at the arbitration hearing? What kind of settlement do they usually offer? Sorry for all the questions, just wondering what I am getting myself into. Any help is appreciated.

[gsxr60097]

Whats happenning. Give details..

[Willis5050]

I have a repeated CEL and rough idle problem that refuses to go away. I have had the car looked at by three dealers (each multiple times) and all have their hands tied. I now have a long list of replaced parts and the CEL still stays on. The dealerships have given up and now Toyota Regional looked at it and couldn't figure it out. They aren't yet willing to say that my repeated CEL's are related for some reason. That is a quick and dirty summary of what has happened the last two months.

[gsxr60097]

I am suing my dealer for auto fraud and it is taking forever. I just switched lawyers so it has to all start over again. I am thinking a year. Yours might be quicker seeing that yours is directly involved with toyota...

[Willis5050]

Originally posted by gsxr60097
I am suing my dealer for auto fraud and it is taking forever. I just switched lawyers so it has to all start over again. I am thinking a year. Yours might be quicker seeing that yours is directly involved with toyota...

Wow, that sucks. What did they do to you?

[gsxr60097]

The dealer sold the car to me as a demo then switched to used when the papers got signed. Meanwhile he told me two seperate time that it was never tittled. I later found out that the entire car was repainted and it was flaking off. It isn't covered under waranty and it was probably wrecked. Thgey got the car from an auction...

[Willis5050]

Sounds like you have a case there. Was it a Toyota dealer? Do you have anything in writing?

[silver-s]

I've been thinking about pursuing the arbitration process. But about the CEL and rough idle. Did they replace the ECM and the fuel injectors? My car went through all of the problems u descibe and when they replaced the parts that i mentioned, the problems went away.

My list of problems:
ECM and all 4 injectors replaced
3 belt tensoners replaced, going on 4
Power window motor replaced
Sunroof was cracking(replaced)
Both headlamp housings cracking(replaced)
CD player wouldn't work and they never even tried to fix it
Rear hatch shocks wouldn't hold the hatch up(replaced)
Fuel sending unit went bad(replaced)
Driver fender almost fell off(fixed)

My dealership is 40 miles away. It's the closest one. So for all the problems i've had, i had to drive 80 miles just to have it fixed. And we all know that they can never fix the problem when u go there to get it checked. So for every problem i've had, i have had to drive up to toyota at least twice! Think i should go through with arbitration. It's no longer a "if it goes bad" kind of deal. It's a "when is something gonna go bad" thing. Total B.S. from a TOYOTA!!!

[gsxr60097]

nothing in writing but I had threee other people there with me..

[Willis5050]

Originally posted by silver-s
I've been thinking about pursuing the arbitration process. But about the CEL and rough idle. Did they replace the ECM and the fuel injectors? My car went through all of the problems u descibe and when they replaced the parts that i mentioned, the problems went away.



Man, that's no good. Yeah, I'm on my third set of injectors and ECU. By this point they are just replacing parts that have already been replaced. I have a looooong list of replaced parts somewhere (including no less than a new engine). Get the ball rolling with your case, call 1-800-331-4331 and talk to somebody regarding your issue. They will give you direction.

[Drew]

Arbitration can take anywhere from 4 months to 2 years. It is also BINDING arbitration. Meaning, if you lose, you CAN NOT appeal the decision. I'd maybe consult a lawyer first. Sometimes the lawyer route can take longer (most of the time it does) but at least you can appeal the decision.

[Willis5050]

Originally posted by Drew
Arbitration can take anywhere from 4 months to 2 years. It is also BINDING arbitration. Meaning, if you lose, you CAN NOT appeal the decision. I'd maybe consult a lawyer first. Sometimes the lawyer route can take longer (most of the time it does) but at least you can appeal the decision.

Hmmm, the arbitration I am going through is designed to take no longer than 40 days, oftentimes less than that if I can supply my car for inspection and meet for the oral hearing at their request. The decision is binding on Toyota but not on me. It is all done with a third party mediation commitee. I may be missing something though....