Just Got off The Phone...30 minute argument with Toyota

[shrimpgordita]

Well this had been an entertaining morning/afternoon. I just finished with a 30 minute argument with the Toyota Customer Assistance guy. I was attempting to get Toyota to pay for a rock that went through my AC condensor. Here was my argument:

1)No front grill was installed on 2000 and 2001 models of Toyota Celica. Ironically there are holes for a future installation that occured in the 2002 model. This defect leaves the Radiator and the AC condesor unprotected on a car that sits 5.5 inches off the ground.

2)This problem is extremely common as I have seen in other threads throughout NC.org. It is obvious that the grill on the 2002's was placed there when Toyota realized that they had made a manufacturing defect by not protecting the condensor.

I spoke with a guy named Clint at Toyota headquarters. He put me on hold after I made my argument and told me that it was Toyota's final position that they would not cover my claim. I took the advice of others and attempted to make the biggest stink possible. He didn't budge. I repeatedly asked to speak with his supervisor, but he said that he has been given the power by the president of Toyota to express Toyotas final position. He told me that I could seek other means such as the Consumer Protection Agency or Arbitration. What do you guys think???

[autxr]

I think you should call your insurance company. The "defect" was there when you bought the car, it was a VISIBLE defect (if you want to call it one). Let the buyer be ware. They dind't hide anything from you.

Know what I thought when I looked at the Celica in October 1999? I thought "boy that's a big opening there, they ought to put a grill in."

I bought the car anyhow.

Scott

[GTS LAID]

its not necessarily a defect that caused your problem to occur... to make it sound better to you.. think of this scenario... if toyota decided that for the 2003 celica they were going to install 13" rotors that helped the stopping distance by 30 feet... your complaint is analogous to someone calling in to complain about an accident they had using an 01 or 02 cause they couldn't stop soon enough...

its just another way they've made the car better...

[shrimpgordita]

Not quite....I dont think that your analogy stands. We are not talking about a performance specification. What we are talking about is a calculated decision that Toyota made to cut costs by not putting in a grill. Grills are used on almost every car ever made. Also it is irresponsible environmentally to have the consenser fully exposed as it is now. They realized that they made a mistake, and instead of offering a recall they passed the cost on to the consumer. Corporations are machines to make money. The only way they will ever issue a recall is if the cost of lawsuits would outweigh the cost of repair. Obviously nobody sues about AC!

[Personafied]

Sorry I am gonna have to agree with Toyota on this one. Thats just one of the hazards of everyday driving.

[autxr]

I don't ever remember seeing a recall that was for something other than a safety issue. Having your AC fails isn't a safety problem.

Yes, most corporations are FOR PROFIT. If you don't like that fact, then don't spend money with them.

Maybe Toyota did decide they needed a grill there, but should that improvement be retroactive?

My '91 Sunbird doens't have airbags, but a '93 Sunbird did, I guess GM owes me an air bag?

Same car, in '91 it didn't have CFC free AC, but 2 years later the same car did use CFC free AC, does GM owe me an upgrade?

I bought a computer, 2 months later I could get the same brand with the same clock speed, only it was a dual processor machine rather than single, I guess they owe me a new computer too.

Would the grill have even stopped the object that hit your condensor? Why should Toyota be responsible for the road hazards in your area. Your tires aren't covered for punctures, should Toyot areplace them for free when you run over some nails?

Scott

[GTS LAID]

"i dont think your analogy holds scott"...lol... just kidding man...

anyway if they've taken this stand on it you're better off just claiming it through your insurance... here in NJ an at fault accident is only if the company pays more than 500 in damages.. so you can pay whatever difference it comes out to and have them pay 499 so that it doesnt go against you.

[Griffin]

Originally posted by shrimpgordita
Not quite....I dont think that your analogy stands. We are not talking about a performance specification. What we are talking about is a calculated decision that Toyota made to cut costs by not putting in a grill. Grills are used on almost every car ever made. Also it is irresponsible environmentally to have the consenser fully exposed as it is now. They realized that they made a mistake, and instead of offering a recall they passed the cost on to the consumer. Corporations are machines to make money. The only way they will ever issue a recall is if the cost of lawsuits would outweigh the cost of repair. Obviously nobody sues about AC!

No environmental hazard - R134A is treehugger friendly :)

Griffin

[Nightrider]

Originally posted by Griffin


No environmental hazard - R134A is treehugger friendly :)

Griffin
Nobody has proof about that

[REdOX]

I've actually heard that the european versions of the celica always had the grille installed from the very start. Hence all the mounting holes and brackets always came on the bumper. I bet Toyota Canada/USA decided to cut costs and remove it for a few years.

[J3adSeed]

so how much is it costing you to get fixed? i thought someone else on here had that happen and the dealership fixed it? if i were you i'd go to every dealer in town and be really really nice and cool about it and see if they'll do it for you. maybe you'll get lucky. its all about who's the boss and whether or not they want to help you. they could do it if they wanted. but if you start saying its a defect and they should have the grill, and the others have the grill, and getting hostile then they'll fight you back. you could always try that after you get the no's.

[pepsiman]

its not your fault!
its all toyota's fault! don't even spend 0.1$ to fix that.
you probably spent about 25,000$ to buy your car and you gonna pay for vehicle defect?
JUSTICE!

[REdOX]

If one of my headlights gets hit by a rock and I need to replace it should I blame toyota for not putting headlight covers/protectors on my car?

If you can pull it off more power to you... Good luck!

[TRD-CELICA-GT02]

shrimpgordita, I'd have to agree with Toyota's side with this. If you didn't know, Toyota sells the front grill for the 00 and 01 models due to the incident of road hazzards damaging the condensor. And you should also understand that a road hazzard due to normal driving conditions is not covered under warranty. So it was your responsibility to have bought Toyota's celica grill to be put in your front bumper area.

Trust me, when I first got my 02 celica. I've encountered a road hazzard where a large rock tore the metal on the body/chassis. I went to Toyota about it but obviously it wasnt covered under their warranty. It basically has to be a mechanical problem that their warranty covers. So for road hazzards, we're basically a**ed out and have to deal wit it....

[Phaseshift]

Originally posted by TRD-CELICA-GT02
shrimpgordita, I'd have to agree with Toyota's side with this. If you didn't know, Toyota sells the front grill for the 00 and 01 models due to the incident of road hazzards damaging the condensor. And you should also understand that a road hazzard due to normal driving conditions is not covered under warranty. So it was your responsibility to have bought Toyota's celica grill to be put in your front bumper area.

Trust me, when I first got my 02 celica. I've encountered a road hazzard where a large rock tore the metal on the body/chassis. I went to Toyota about it but obviously it wasnt covered under their warranty. It basically has to be a mechanical problem that their warranty covers. So for road hazzards, we're basically a**ed out and have to deal wit it....

You're not a**ed out if you have road hazard insurance!

[Griffin]

Originally posted by Nightrider

Nobody has proof about that

True - and they never conclusively proved that R-12 did diddly squat to the ozone layer, but hell if Du Pont's marketing department says that R134A is a happy gas and the government agreed enough to force everyone to use it then who am I to argue :) I live in LA where we don't have any damn ozone left anyhow so who cares... Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go have a steak, re-register as a Republican and buy a supersized SUV :D

Griffin

[daSchtick]

It's whining like this which exemplifies the American attitude. No one can can accept ANY RESPONSIBILITY today. Everything thing is someone elses fault! Your dad, Homer Simpson would be proud of you!

The lack of a grille, weather it is you opinion that there should be one or not, does pose on added risk to the condenser. True. But YOU chose to buy the car reguardless, and in doing so, you have accepted that risk for "looks fast". Add the chicken wire grille if you need to, but I'd rather keep a good distance from the dump truck in front of me instead.

I am with Toyota on this one - 100%.

[laser_doc]

i would of agreed with you guys that take toyota's side before, however, until it happens to you.

i'm not a car buff, so i didn't realize that the AC condenser was in such a vulnerable position----if i knew that, i would of bought a grill immediately---even though it wasn't available in 2000 yet.

i'm very very careful not driving behind cars that drop pebbles. i have a set of PIAA fogs, and no problem at all----if you all look at your condenser, any small pebble will cause small dents all over, i guess a large rock hit mine and busted a hole.

now, it will cost me >$1000 to replace it!!! if i go through my insurance, it will raise my premium considerably.-----

like i said, until you have to part with $1000 for a bad design, you really don't understand.

[JaCelica2k]

I agree. I would have sided with Toyota, but when my car was less than six months old, I had to pay 1,000 to get the condensor replaced. I am still not sure to this day if a rick or a wrench hit it. (I took it in to get it serviced and AC was working, when I left it wasn't........never heard a rock hit it and have always been very careful about following). The next week I ordered a grillcraft grill. I think it looks a lot better than the factory ones.

[carboncelicatrd]

thats it i want my grille!

[btagoc]

This is kind of silly... now car company has ever covered road hazards under waranty. There is this thing called insurance. If you want your car protected from dings and rocks and such, get it. If you want to risk it and avoid trucks, do that.

Don't blame toyota for some rock bouncing off the ground and hitting your car... its no different than if it hit your windshield, and probably not a whole lot more expensive.

[REdOX]

haha.. this thread is still alive. That's sad. :)