Renee is the reason I am writing this review. She is an amazing sales woman with the utmost respect for what you want in a vehicle. She paid attention to every request I had, showed me all the options, and respected every decision I made. I suggest you ask for her immediately! Tell her I told you to :) She made car shopping a manageable experience (unlike some other dealers in the area).

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Buying a new car should be a fun and exciting experience, unfortunately with Toyota of San Diego it definitely was not.

The sales experience was OK at best. Jeff P. was the salesman and seemed eager to say whatever I wanted to hear to get me to make a purchase. I later found out that he made bogus claims about fuel economy features of the vehicle and with gas prices like they are these days this is a huge disappointment. As I was buying a used vehicle, I had him write some paint repair into the contract using a process he described that would make a huge improvement in the scratched panels. I will say that he gave me a great deal on my trade, but was barely willing to budge on the sticker price. I left the dealership that night with a good feeling about my purchase, but not great. It was all downhill from there.

3 days later, a day after Jeff P. said he would call I was contacted by the dealership to setup an appointment to have the paint repaired. I brought the vehicle in the next day and left it for them to work on all day. I returned at about 5pm that night and the service manager handed my keys back and said "Sorry, nothing we can do about it, better talk to your salesperson." They didn't even attempt a repair, not a single thing that was described to me during the purchase process was carried out.

I walked back into the dealership looking for my salesperson who was nowhere to be found. I asked the front desk for a manager and they called one who after 10 minutes never appeared. By chance Jeff P. happened to call the front desk while I was standing there and I was able to talk to him. I was assured he would handle it first thing in the morning and he would call me to reschedule. By the next evening, I hadn't received a call so I called the dealership and got him on the phone once again, he explained he hadn't forgotten about me and would call later that night. He never got back to me.

The next morning I went back to the dealership and asked for a manager, after waiting around for another 10 minutes one finally showed up. Ross came out and inspected my vehicle and told me that it would be a very involved process to fix the scratches, which is what I was told from the start and why I had it written into my contract. He clearly didn't want to deal with my issues and after 20 minutes of back and forth he agreed to elevate the issue to another manager. Again, I had to wait for a call back.

I was actually called back the next day, on time, by Ross. He told me their paint guy would be in the following Friday between 9am and 12pm, and I was to call Matt, the service manager, to setup an appointment and they would do their best to fulfill the terms of our contract. Friday rolled around and I called exactly when instructed, I was told by the switchboard that Matt was at the dealership, but not at his desk. I left a message explaining the situation and all of my contact information making sure to let him know I needed to be there by noon to meet with their paint guy. Once again, there was no call back.

This has all taken place over the past 2 weeks and I'm sick of it. I do want compensation for the broken terms of the contract, but I don't want Toyota of San Diego touching my vehicle. At this point I have no recourse but to post reviews and spread my experience. I highly suggest using a different dealership as this one, across all departments, has zero concern for the customer after the sale and apparently has no problems lying to make a deal.


*****UPDATE*****

It's been about a month and a half and since I bought my truck and I finally got the dealership to make good on their contract. The general manager, Bernie Perri, contacted me directly and was willing to do whatever it took to make me happy with my purchase. I wasn't thrilled about having to go back to the dealership, especially after my initial review, so we worked out a deal to have the work completed by a third party and Toyota San Diego would foot the bill. Bernie was very responsive to all of my communication and promptly sent me a check after I had the work done.

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WARNING - if you don't want to deal with a bunch of 'snakes in the grass' like the sales reps at this dealership, pulling shady moves even over just $149, DO NOT come to Toyota of San Diego. We still couldn't believe a dealership this size would lie just to hike up the price, from what the sales manager had agreed on and whose words we though were gold, by another $149. We heard the sales manager was friendly and easy to work with, but to our disappointment he was also just as sleezy. This place does not have any business ethics so if you're looking for a dealership that is up-front, STAY AWAY (or be cautious if they send in the great white shark , Mu-Ha-Mud). When we realized we were paying an extra $149 for no added feature, simply because my dad liked the car and 'mu-a-mud' knew he can squeeze another $149 out of us, we confronted him. Sure enough he stumpled on his explanation just like being caught with his pant down. Don't mean to be that descriptive - our experience at Toyota of San Diego was that BAD.

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We had spent all day of my first day off in 9 days shopping for a used vehicle. We had to purchase a vehicle because my boyfriend was starting a job the following day after having been laid off for 2 years. I had test driven a vehicle at another dealership and was waiting for a response from financing, when we decided to take a walk. There was a Chevy HHR parked in your lot which caught my eye. Thomas came up and greeted us and we explained that we were just looking while waiting for a response from another dealership. He invited us to come back if things didn't work out and handed us a card. Well, after several more hours the original dealership couldn't help us and it was getting late and we really needed a vehicle. We inquired as to the closest rental place and they said that Toyota San Diego had a Hertz. Well, I thought it had to be a sign.. Thomas invited us back and Hertz just happened to be there. I took a chance and have never been more happy. We went right up to Thomas, told him exactly what we had to work with and explained the most that I felt comfortable paying monthly. He introduced us to Eric who immediately began the paperwork. They showed us the Carfax and also showed us that there was a recall issue that had been taken care of and they showed us the paperwork for that as well as the results of the inspection and work done on the vehicle before it was put up for sale. The finance department was even able to get me a payment for less than I originally said that I wanted to pay. We were so happy. The entire process took about 2 hours. It was obvious to us that the entire staff was happy to be there. They were all friendly and genuinely caring. We were also impressed with Ying Pan, the finance manager. Not only was she beautiful, but she had a wonderful personality that really helped make a day that started out so horribly end on a really positive note. We are definitely lifelong customers. There is no reason for us to go anywhere else.

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I was looking for a Tundra for a long time and was trying to find the best one that fit my needs. I went in and Michael was very friendly when he said hello. I told him what I was looking for and he then told me he had that exact truck and walked me straight to it. After getting back from driving the vehicle we went inside and he then showed me the best options for my purchase. The whole process was very easy and I did not have to wait a long time which surprised me due to the fact that I went on a Saturday. Thank you so much for my great experience and I would definitely recommend all of my family and friends to go deal with Michael McGrath.

Gary

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I leased my 2012 Camry SE last Sunday from Toyota San Diego. Daniel Cole was a great salesman. But first of all he is a great person. He gave me a great deal. Also Ana Caruso from finance did my paperwork super fast. Great service. 100% satisfied !!! Thank you !!!

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From the moment we walked onto the lot, we were treated as important consumers. Clinton and Alex were able to answer all of my questions regarding the Sienna (from colors, to options, to mileage, etc). I was pleased with Clinton's hard work in trying to get me the best price and APR possible with my credit. They both understood where I was "coming from" as a person and our need for a reliable, affordable vehicle for myself and my three young children. Tan explained the finance and various options in no, nonsense terms, and did not pressure me into purchase anything I wasn't comfortable with. Purchasing a new vehicle can can anxiety as well as excitement. However, Clinton and the rest of the Toyota crew did an excellent job in putting my mind at ease and I was able to drive away in a brand new vehicle!

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I have been a loyal Toyota customer for my entire driving life. I am a huge fan of the company, and even am a stockholder. I originally owned a '99 4Runner that broke down after 150,000 miles, as the transmission went bad. Instead of paying $4k to replace the transmission, I decided to buy a newer 4Runner.

I met with Rich Dowdy (used car sales, toyota san diego), and he showed me a nice 2006 4Runner. The only thing that I asked for as part of me buying the car, was that my new Satellite Radio, and Kicker speakers, and bluetooth, be transferred from my old 4Runner, to my new 4Runner, at no charge. He assured me this would happen. He gave me his handshake and his word. He said all I needed to do was set up an appointment with service, and get it switched.

Two Saturdays later I showed up to my scheduled appointment at Toyota San Diego to get this done. I waited for over 2 hours, and was eventually told that they "could not find the keys" to my old 4Runner, and to call back and reschedule. Disappointed, as this wasted my Saturday morning, I rescheduled. Unfortunately, when I came back, it was explained to me that my car had already been sold off, and that the stereo and speakers were not taken out.

I tried to contact Rich Dowdy for months afterwards to rectify this, even showing up 3 times in person. He kept ignoring me, not returning phone calls or emails. When I finally spoke to him, he said that he could not help me - that it was too far after the fact. Due to the fact that it was not "in the paperwork" of the purchase, they could not even give me an equivalent stereo or speakers. As a consolation he offered to "fill up my tank of gas." What a slap in the face. This is a guy that gave me a handshake, looked me in the eye and told me that it would get done with no problem. There was no mistake about what was agreed upon. Months later, I am SOL. His word means nothing, and I highly suggest that anyone dealing with this individual go elsewhere.

Now, I'm not the type of person that ever posts on these websites. But I was absolutely deceived by Rich, and I feel that anyone thinking of making a purchase from him should think twice. As for Toyota San Diego, they should think seriously about whether they want to keep someone who has such a lack of integrity. For a dealership that I think does a lot of things right, Rich Dowdy really spoiled the experience.

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They fool me around. Not honest. Wasting my time. Has been there 4 times, spend two or three hours there. Same price come out, or even more. Call me all the time, saying that got the price for me, but i got there. They will change the whole story. Fucking Crazy...after runs my credit, then tell me the price is impossible...

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Toyota of San Diego is a very reputable dealership. It always tries to accomodate the customers. John Levy in the service department is always very helpful, honest, and friendly. I feel complete trust in his expertise and knowledge. I feel that his recommendations are meant to keep me safe and my car running smoothly.

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