Disappointing Service Experience at Orem Toyota – - christinesorenson
Disappointing Service Experience at Orem Toyota – November 5, 2026
I have been a loyal Toyota customer for many years and have consistently brought my vehicles to Orem Toyota (formerly Brent Brown Toyota) for oil changes, emissions testing, and other services. Unfortunately, my experience today was extremely disappointing.
I arrived at 8:00 a.m. for my scheduled 8:15 a.m. emissions appointment and was promptly checked in by Joel Kitchen.
After waiting 2½ hours without a single update or follow-up text, I decided to walk over to the service garage to find out what was happening. The service employees appeared to be occupied with their phones or computers. As I walked around, an employee approached and asked if I needed assistance. I explained that I had been waiting 2½ hours for a simple emissions test.
The employee contacted Joel, and as I turned around, I noticed my vehicle sitting in the parking lot.
Approximately three minutes later, Joel came over. When I asked about my vehicle, he stepped away to investigate. He returned and explained that he had been unaware of a backlog in emissions testing and that my vehicle was now being worked on.
What I found particularly frustrating was that I had scheduled an appointment specifically for an emissions test. If there was a backlog, why wasn’t I informed? More importantly, why did no one follow up with me during the 2½ hours I sat waiting?
Joel apologized and offered to waive the emissions fee, which I initially appreciated. However,
this led to another concerning issue. For years, I have purchased the dealership’s three-oil-change-and-emissions service package. When I questioned why I was being charged separately for emissions testing, Joel explained that the state was now requiring the dealership to charge for it.
However, when Joel reviewed my oil change and emissions package, it showed that my emissions test was included at no additional charge. Despite this, he had originally intended to charge me for the service.
This was particularly troubling. What Joel initially presented as a courtesy—waiving the emissions fee—was actually a service already included in my prepaid package. I should never have been charged for it in the first place.
This raises serious questions about the dealership’s billing practices. Why was I going to be charged for a service that my package clearly included? And why wasn’t my existing service package reviewed before a separate charge was presented?
Approximately 10 minutes after speaking with Joel, my vehicle was finally ready. I left the dealership at 11:00 a.m.—three hours after arriving for a scheduled emissions appointment.
While I appreciate Joel’s apology, the overall experience was unacceptable. The lack of communication, excessive wait time, and confusion surrounding charges for services already included in my prepaid package left me questioning the level of customer service and attention to detail at this dealership.
As a longtime customer who has trusted Orem Toyota with my vehicles for years, I expect better. Customers should not have to track down their service advisor after waiting hours for a scheduled appointment, nor should they have to question charges for services they have already purchased.
A three-hour visit for a scheduled emissions test, with no updates until I personally sought assistance, is unacceptable. Being prepared to charge me for a service already included in my prepaid package only added to my frustration.
I hope management takes this experience seriously and addresses both the communication failures and the accuracy and transparency of its service billing practices. Longtime customers deserve better.
Read More
Dealer Reviews
Cars for Sale
Dealer Log In