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Toyota Dealer
The basic warranty is almost up on my 07 Tacoma so I dropped it off at the dealer to fix a front end rattle and a horrendous brake squeal (front disk, rear drum). The Service Adviser calls me:
SA: Your brakes need a front and rear adjustment for $95.
Me: Isn't that covered by warranty?
SA: No, it's a wear item
Me: So, how exactly do you adjust the front brakes?
SA: We adjust the calipers
Me: There is no adjustment on calipers
SA: Just a sec.... (muffled conversation)... OK, we lube the calipers and adjust the drum brakes.
Me: If the rear brakes need adjusting then maybe the self-adjusters aren't working. That should be covered by warranty.
SA: No, that's not covered by warranty. The brakes need adjustment every 5k miles
Me: If they need adjusting every 5k miles why isn't that in the maintenance schedule?
SA: There are a lot of things that aren't in the maintenance schedule
Me: If it's not in the maintenance schedule it should be covered by warranty.
SA: Wear items aren't covered by the warranty
Me: Self adjusters aren't wear items
SA: Well, they aren't covered
Me: Skip the brakes. What about the front end rattle?
SA: That's coming from an exhaust access panel that came loose. We can fix that with isolation tape.
Me: There's a panel that's held on with tape? Seems it should be screwed down.
SA: Nope, it's taped
Very confidence inspiring...
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Toyota Dealer
Kwschumm,
I don't know about this one.
Though I don't have your specific model information, we find nothing, on any Tacoma, relating to an "exhaust access panel" in any of the Tacoma manuals we have here.
Me thinks somebody is pulling your leg.
Tell the Service Manager that you want to take a good look at that loose exhaust access panel. hehehe.
Joel
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Toyota Dealer
Most if not all states have a "Lemon Law" which should be described in the documentation, either in your owners manual or separatly supplied with the vehicle. Generally the law provides that in such a dispute (involvivng a vehicle in non-commercial use and up to a certain age), you give the details to the manufacturer at the contact location provided. If then the dealer will or can not satisfy you, you can ask for a free arbitration hearing, after which the arbitrator can order any remedy up to a refund of your purchase price. So usually you will get what you want through manufacturer intervention -- they don't want the next step to happen.
Toyota has a relatively good reputation for service satisfaction, but dealers are having a hard time these days. Good luck.
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I wouldn't call it a lemon. The brakes are easy to fix, and whatever they taped up did stop the rattle. These are the only problems that have happened in 35k miles, but since it was still under warranty it seemed easier to let the dealer fix it, especially since the dealer is 200 feet from my place of work.
The BS that these guys feed people can be very interesting.
Another guy at work told me an interesting story about this particular dealer. He took his Toyota in for a radiator problem. The dealer told him they replace all the Toyota radiators with Mac brand radiators because they are better.
It turns out the owner of the dealership also has a financial interest in Mac radiator.
Hmmm, I wonder if Toyota knows about that.
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Ken, I think you just got a lesson in 'dealership anatomy'.
They just pointed out to you the 'profit center' of the operation. 
Seriously, little things like this are a big money-maker for a lot of shops, especially since brakes are one of the things nobody thinks of or checks till they make noise or something. Up here one very large national chain has started offering 'free brake inspections'. Free till they tell you that your car needs brakes that is......
But it is true that the sliders and adjusters do seize up pretty regularly on most cars, combination of brake dust and rust usually does it. However, anything more than once a year is just a waste of time and money IMHO.
Best of luck.
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I agree, KS, in fact, Toyota doesn't make lemons. But "lemon" is defined in the lemon-law wording. Typically, it's any problem that the dealer can't or won't fix in a certain way (maximum number of days, maximum number of tries, whatever) and that the maker, given a chance, won't satisfy you on. If the owner's demands are unreasonable (eg wants free repair and the problem is outside of the warranty) the arbitrator simply rejects the application.
At the hearing, both sides are invited to present and can bring their own experts. Looser than a court of law, like no requirement to follow precedent, and bringing a lawyer is discouraged. Most cases are decided wholly or partly in favor of the applicant.
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I'm sure Toyota makes lemons, but in this case it's a lot easier and faster to just fix it myself. It's real easy to pull a drum, clean the brake dust out and lube the backing plate contact points. Maybe 15 minutes a wheel and a whole lot less frustration than dealing with bureaucrats.
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Ken:
Like Murf says, most calipers sieze up in damp regions of the country if they (the vehicle) sets around for any length of time. Here in Michigan (the rust belt) it is very common.
If it had lots less miles than 35K, I think most auto manufacturers would warrant it. As an example, I bought my wife a used 2008 Taurus X with 9,000 miles on it this spring. It had been at the dealership during the winter months and sat around I'm sure getting some salt spray from test drives. After we had it a few weeks the brakes got a real flutter in them. The rotors had rusted from sitting around. The local Ford dealer took a very light skim on them and now they are perfect which was covered under warranty.
There may, however, be some sort of defect. A friend from Knoxville was telling me today about his one neighbor that has a Toyota van. She took it to the dealer for an oil change at 50,000 miles. They had always provided oil changes and service. They told her she needed a new engine cause it was all gummed up inside. They wanted about $4,000.00 to do it. After lots of questions, they offered to do it for $2,300.00. After my friend did some searching on the internet, he found out that Toyota has many silent recalls. Apparently this was the case. This certain engine had a defective vent and some other issues that caused premature engine failures. After allot of discussion, she got a new engine "Free".
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When I was doing brakes in dry country (SW) it rarely if ever was a problem. I've noticed here in wet country (NW) that when vehicles sit for a week or two it can be a problem but this truck gets driven almost daily. There's no doubt that a good cleaning and lubing of caliper slides and backing plates will fix it up.
Toyota had a problem for awhile with their engines sludging up worse than most other manufacturers, though that was a few years ago. Not sure exactly what the fix was for that, other than maybe better oil.
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Ken,
Reminds me. I drive a 2007 Tahoe with 45M miles on it. I've had it in 3 times because the disc brakes pulsate due to warping in the disc....it needed turned. Had it done at 15M, and again at 30M and at 45M as it was pulsating as I came to a stop....took it in and asked why I needed to do this every 15M miles. I do not drive hard. Original tires have 45M and probably another 10M left..
The kid says I need to avoid mud puddles...water warps them. I reminded him we live in Washington state where in our little corner here we get 60 inches of rain a year and it was kind of hard to avoid "mud puddles" much less constant standing water. He looks at me and shrugs.
I just hate the lowest common denominator of service help these days...anywhere, anytime. They're all 24 year old idiots, making minimum wage and couldn't give a #$%&, just trying to get rid of you. He got rid of me.....for good.
Brian
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