Chicago Northside Toyota

From the moment I walked in salesperson, Stuart Reace was honest, forward, and patient. He took the time to ensure that I was getting what I wanted. He test drove multiple cars with me, explained all the specs, and was respectful of my price limits. I’d work with Stuart in the future. During financing, Mark was kind and was working hard to get me out the door. However, he took little time to really explain the extended warranty that I got talked into. I felt a little bit bambuzled by this after the fact, but understand that these pitches are part of the game. I’d do a little more homework before heading into the finance department again, but would willingly sit down with Mark again. Finally, the used RAV4 that I purchased is running well, but is already in need of maintenance (an oil change I believe). I am shocked that this maintenance was not done prior to the used car’s sale. I feel that with the amount of money I just spent, my new/used car could be on the road for a solid three months before these needs occurred. This wouldn’t keep me from purchasing at Northside in the future, but it would have me making a list of questions and checking it twice before I roll out the door.

I went to this dealership to buy a used Camry hybrid xle. As a normal customer, I was trying to negotiate on the price just as a dealer, their job is to make as much money as possible. However, the Sales Manager, Peter Panos was the rudest at providing customer service. His wordings included - "Since you can Not afford this car..." and "I have had enough, Enough is Enough". All this because he kept trying to tell me to buy Camry SE, which according to him was cheaper than XLE. I said OK, what's the price. After 10 minutes he came back and said never mind, it's more than the XLE. Then he said buy a new 2019 LE Hybrid. He gave me a price of $29k and said they will not negotiate. I told him his price online is cheaper and he wouldnt agree until I pulled it up on my phone and showed him. This angered him and said enough is enough and indirectly told me to get out. I have bought Toyotas for myself and my family since 2000 but this was the turning point. I immediately went and made a better deal for a Honda Accord hybrid. Make sure you check the price online as they will price you higher!!! ... also on the way out I asked the name of the sales manager and he said Joe Adam's. Turns out that was another lie. His name is Peter Pana.

(Following is an email sent to Northside after the experience, to which there has been no response.) I would like to recap and share some feedback on my recent experience at Northside Toyota for an oil change on 11/10. In the weeks prior to that date, I received several calls from various Northside employees (none of whom left a name) soliciting my business for an oil change, having been a past customer with my phone number and car information saved in your files. Everyone who called seemed entirely unaware that I had received other calls already. I told each one that I was planning on an oil change soon but had not decided where to go. One employee offered to email coupons for an oil change service but never did. Another time after hanging up I received a confirmation email for an appointment that I had never scheduled on a date that I had never discussed. I replied to the email to cancel it, but was called again days later by yet another employee to confirm the appointment, which, again, I had never scheduled in the first place. Eventually, after yet another call, I did decide to come in for an oil change. The last employee with whom I spoke offered a coupon for a full oil change at $39.95 and scheduled me promptly for that Saturday at 1 pm. Upon arrival, I was checked in relatively quickly and courteously under the time and confirmation that I had received via email. It was then discovered that my car had a recall that would require up to 1.5 hours in addition to the hour planned for the oil change. I had not expected this additional wait time, but still decided to stay in the lobby while this work was completed (anticipated up to 2.5 hours, completion time of 3:30). At close to 4:30, a full hour thereafter, I was still waiting and no one had updated me about its status. I approached the service window and saw my car parked near the receiving doors, apparently complete. The original service representative who checked me in noticed that I was looking around and approached me to discuss. From what I could gather in the ensuing exchange with other employees, someone else who evidently should have updated me was too swamped and had not had the time to tell me that my car had been ready for up to 30 minutes. It also emerged that the 1.5 hour recall work had not even been performed (no current available fix, I believe, was the reason given), so a 1 hour oil change ended up taking more than 3. My primary service representative was apologetic, offering a $10 discount in acknowledgment of my patience and emphasizing how busy a day they were having. I understand how this can go and appreciated the gesture. However, upon checking out I was given a bill for upwards of $50, so asked for the figures to be reviewed. I had been charged the full amount before the $10 discount was applied, instead of the $39.95 initial quote I’d been pitched over the phone. The service technician (and a manager?) reviewed the documents and said they were not aware of the $39.95 coupon I’d been given, despite it having been included clearly in my confirmation email. I was told that that rate usually was not available for synthetic oil changes, which I can understand, but my car’s make and existing service history with Northside were known to everyone who called me to solicit business, so I don’t know why that information would have been missed. At this point the additional $10 discount offer was withdrawn, since at that point the work would have been ‘done more or less for free.’ Unless, as one employee told another, he’d like to give me $10 from his own pocket to cover it, but then quickly clarified that as a joke. I was not especially in the mood for jokes at that time, so just paid and left. I would here like to emphasize that my interactions with employees were all courteous, if not always actively aware of the situation. I have no complaints about the disposition of the employees and completely understand that some days can be hectic and certain thing fall through the cracks. Once the problems became apparent everyone was apologetic and candid. Still, enough things went wrong during this visit that I feel compelled to share the detailed feedback, as I am now doubtful that I will recommend Northside to others or return for service myself. As several friends have told me since, I could have gone to Jiffy Lube for a comparable expenditure, a third of the time, and left with a cleaner car to boot. I hope my dissatisfaction does not come across as unreasonable. I know that Northside has expanded massively in recent months, having been a customer at the prior facility, and hope that the growing pains can be worked out. Unfortunately some of that pain was mine recently, and as matters stand now I will likely not return until these issues have been resolved.

The sales manager Zach Leist that Rico has involved in the negotiation process was EXTREMELY rude and disrespectful. He asked us what our other car is. We told him it's '16 Audi A6. He said that Audi is garbage and that's why Uber and Taxi drivers are driving Toyotas and not only that but his manners in general were having a day off that day(or he is always like that, we don't know) We couldn't believe what we heard! Rico was emberassed and my wife wanted us to leave the dealership, but I have decided not to because of Rico the salesman. I am in delivery bussiness and switching my Toyotas every 2 and a half years. I have heard that Northside Toyota has new building and thats why my family choose that place, but after that kind of unprofessionalism and rudeness I will not go there again.

Went into this dealership because I received a letter in the mail stating that my vehicle had a recall. Left my vehicle there for a few hours since I also decided on getting an oil change and tire rotation. Came back later that evening and was told that I was all set to go. On my way home my car steering wheel service light flickered on and off which put me on alert but still decided to go head home. As I was parking my car my ABS light turned on and I couldn't turn my steering wheel easily; mind me, at this point its only been about 10 minutes since I left the dealership so I decided to head back. On my way back the steering wheel light turned on and off several times as well as the ABS light - I was afraid I wouldn't make it. When I arrived at the dealership I explained to the gentlemen all the issues that I just experienced and that it had to be because of the work done on my car. He sent my car up and I waited... 30 minutes later I was told that they cannot find that anything is wrong with my car and that they can't re-in act the issues I was having. I explained to them that there is something seriously wrong with my car but they had no answers for me and their manager was unavailable to come out to speak to me. I left the dealership and the same issues occurred again. So I decided to head back the next morning to speak to a manager. I had them take a look at the car again but still nothing...the manager tried to BS me and gave me the spiel that my car is an old car and that I should buy a new one...are you kidding me? it only has 85k miles? why all of a sudden is it having a steering wheel issue if it never did before? why right after I went into their dealership? The recalls that they completed were for air bag sensors so I am 100% sure thay they screwed up some sensors in my car but wouldn't take the blame for it. This is so messed up, now I have these issues with my car and I am afraid for my life when I drive it. My commute to work is half an hour on lakeshore drive and my car keeps lighting up like a Christmas tree. I don't know what else to do ...I feel helpless. They screwed up my car and now they don't know how to fix it so they are not admitting to it.

I purchased a 2015 Honda Civic in 2017 from this dealership. This is my 2nd negative review about this place. They installed a new car battery (well, they said it was new) before I purchased it because the existing one was dead when I tested the car. It has been a year now and the battery they installed went dead again. The battery brand is Toyota True Start and had a 84 month manufacturer warranty. So just like any person would, I went to the dealership to get the battery replaced. The lady sitting in the front desk in service dept with the name Lilian had no smile on her face and told us that they dont cover it because it's a Honda car!! So I went to the sales dept and explained the situation. He listened and said that it shouldnt be a problem and walked over to the service dept. But the lady there kept saying because its a Honda car they don't cover the warranty. I did not waste my time arguing with her of course. But this is something that they should have definitely covered because they installed the battery. If you can sell Honda cars to customers with half dead batteries, you should also be able to offer a battery replacement to the customer. It should not matter if it's a Honda car. You installed it and you sold the car!! When I spoke to the salesperson who sold me the car, he said to bring the car in and they would be able to replace the battery since there was a manufacturer warranty. But they didn't. My advice to consumer is please be careful when doing business with this dealership or better yet, go to a different dealership. They are so unethical and will lie to you. I ended up going to a Honda dealership where I was treated with honest customer care and purchased a battery with a great discount. These liars are not worth stressing about.

Stopped in to look at new cars and was impressed by the quality and quantity of vehicles available.. The customer service was exceptional. Friendly and comfortable I love the new store as well.. I’ll definitely be back to shop with Mr.Odom..

Though the folks I've dealt with at this dealership are nice people, it doesn't make up for the fact that the price they quoted me to fix my rear brakes was over twice the estimate I got from three other mechanics. Over twice the price. AND the three other mechanics from whom I got estimates offered to check my car over for free, not charge me $149 for a diagnostic test. I had taken my car to Northside in June and had gotten some work done there when they said I'd need a $149 diagnostic test. The next month, I had to take the car back because my rear brakes were metal on metal. Why they let me leave in June after a $149 diagnostic test, which they said they'd need to charge me AGAIN a month later (!), with bad rear brakes upset me so much. They let me leave with unsafe brakes. And then wanted to charge me AGAIN for another diagnostic test when you could plainly see that my back brakes were metal on metal. I'm not a mechanic and I could see it without any sort of testing. I neither will return to Northside, nor will I recommend them. I understand that everyone needs to make a profit, but charging someone over twice the amount than something should be and then trying charge another fee on top of that for something I didn't need? Well, that's just not right. I've been told time and time again to never take my car into the dealership for service. The mechanic that I'm now using said that even if I need a Toyota part, they can order it and install it. The only time you need to go into the dealer is if there's a recall of some kind. Expensive lessons learned.

I have been in five different dealership,Chicago NorthSide Toyota was the last one on my agenda even though it is 1-1/2 distant, after speaking to very knowledgeable salesperson Stuart Reace he was not your typical pushy like other dealership I have been in and then their pricing of my RAV4 Toyota limited was all over the place, I dealt with Stuart immediately with his firm pricing and was extremely helpful I do thank him for all of his help even though after this is done he called to make sure everything has been done to my satisfaction. The second and most outstanding person in Chicago NorthSide is the finance manager Mark Elgazzar WOW I was so impressed by his knowledge and helpful to make sure my transaction was done properly and based on his recommendation to buy additional warranty and protection I cannot thank him enough I hope other dealership would learn from these people of how to deal with customer service I will definitely send my son-in-law to purchase a vehicle from them oh and sorry forgot to mention the service department excellent.. I usually don't do any survey but in this case hat off and thank you

Steven Lu, service advisor is very helpful, professional with good manner. Thank you Steven for your great service.This is my 2nd Corolla that I bought from you and suggested my friends to go there which both of them bought from you too (highlander and rav 4).