Downtown Toyota-Subaru of Oakland - Service Center

Loyal Customer at Downtown Toyota/Subaru since 1992 will NEVER come back after this experience. Subaru...Where is the LOVE??? I have held off on writing this review for quite some time as I do not typic NEVER come back after this experience. Subaru...Where is the LOVE??? I have held off on writing this review for quite some time as I do not typically have the time or interest to write negative reviews. Additionally I am an Emergency Services Health Care Provider and COVID was in full effect, #savinglives. Here is a summary of why this dealership should never be used to repair your vehicle. Buyer Beware. For starters, I was a loyal customer at Downtown Toyota since 1992. We are a Toyota and Subaru family and have been my entire life. There were two repair issues that they nearly robbed me for that you need to know about. 1. CVT Tranmission-lemon 2. Driver's Seat position motor 1. The CVT transmission on my 2013 Subaru Outback died. Prior to this final death and well before the transmission warranty expired, we brought it into Downtown Toyota/Subaru 3 times complaining of an odd noise coming from around the engine compartment. It was misdiagnosed each time and never was it mentioned that it could have been the transmission. Several thousand more miles and we were now past the factory warranty, we brought in again. My wife was informed at the service counter that the car needed a new transmission for 8K. She asked if it was under warranty they said no. While still at the service counter she was then immediately approached by a sales associate offering to buy the car for next to nothing and help her get a new one. She refused the terrible offer and called me. We did some digging and found out that in fact this transmission had been so bad that Subaru had added an additional 40K warranty which we were now 5k past due to the car having been misdiagnosed 3x. Again did they tell us about this?? No. After much wrangling and escalating to Subaru (no-love) corporate, they finally agreed to give us the transmission, but we still had to pay 2k for the labor....the entire thing should have obviously covered under a warranty repair. When I balked at the labor the service manager told me that "he had to make something off of the repair" and that he couldn't do it for free even though it was covered under warranty. 2. This one is hilarious. At the same visit, my wife informed them the seat motor that moves the driver's seat forward and backwards had died. Their technician "looked" at it and she was informed on the same day as the 8k repair estimate for the CVT that car needed an entire new motor tray for the seat and this was 2k out the door. Easy to imagine that a 10k repair estimate was not going to be possible. "Looked" is in quotes because I took it to another shop in Oakland where the mechanic in less than 3 minutes figured out that a wire had fallen out of just that motor, he told me he needed and hour and $120 and it would be fixed. How does a little mom and pop shop like this find a loose wire but the mighty Downtown Toyota Subaru doesn't? Incompetence or something more? Like I said, I have literally been a customer here since 1992...! The service writer John Rowe, that took care of me all those years was always honest and tried to get me good value. I don't know what has happened since. My biggest concerns are: 1. They knew the car had an extended CVT warranty, didn't tell us but then immediately tried to buy it from my wife...while she was still at the counter! Smells fishy to me, easy way to flip a car, buy it from us, get the repair done under warranty and then sell it for a healthy profit. Subaru is supposed to be all about love and loyalty...I felt none despite my years as a customer or the number of Subarus I have driven. 2. How on earth does a fancy Toyota/Subaru Certified technician miss something that can be fixed in less than an hour? While a mom and pop generalist mechanic found the problem with me standing there in 3 minutes and fixed it before I could even finish lunch...What is going on here? 3. Did anyone from DTS ever try and contact me and make this right? No. Where is the love? More

Easy to schedule an appt online; Excellent service; Staffs are nice and helpful; Reasonable price service; Staffs are nice and helpful; Reasonable price More

No comment I do not have anything more to say. I already filled out this survey and this format will not let me leave this page. I already filled out this survey and this format will not let me leave this page. More

Staff here are always very friendly and helpful. You can pull your car in right in front of their office and there’s usually no waiting time to check in. The service took exactly the length of time You can pull your car in right in front of their office and there’s usually no waiting time to check in. The service took exactly the length of time they estimated and I was out of there quickly. More

Respectful and knowledgeable staff. Work was finished when they said it would be done. This is the first time I visit Toyota for vehicle maintenance and I will definitely be returning Work was finished when they said it would be done. This is the first time I visit Toyota for vehicle maintenance and I will definitely be returning. More

Fast and efficient service great customer service and friendly as always Patrick is the best friendly as always Patrick is the best More

Took car in three times to get AC fixed and first two times it worked briefly and then died again. Third time didn’t even work after; failed fix but they didn’t test apparently. And deeply under staffed, times it worked briefly and then died again. Third time didn’t even work after; failed fix but they didn’t test apparently. And deeply under staffed, and can’t seem to work with the same person from moment to moment. At least they’re not charging me more each ac “fix” - but now I’m convinced I was overcharged for the initial AC compressor replacement. Been coming for years and really gone downhill. More

Customer service was excellent. Checked me in for my appointment and let me know it will take a couple of hours without waiting. Complimentary Lyft service from and back to shop was Checked me in for my appointment and let me know it will take a couple of hours without waiting. Complimentary Lyft service from and back to shop was great. More

Nice, friendly employees,cxcellent,fast service, and the car runs like brand new. T conveniently located fior my needs. car runs like brand new. T conveniently located fior my needs. More

Great service. This will be our service department from now on. Great customer service for us. This will be our service department from now on. Great customer service for us. More