I will no longer be using Northtown Toyota for service, - mgilpatrick
I will no longer be using Northtown Toyota for service, nor will I recommend them to anyone.
My family has been a loyal service customer for years, which makes this experience especially disappointing.
We brought our RAV4 Prime in for its 70,000-mile service, including inspection of the hybrid motor cable corrosion service campaign. We were told the cable showed corrosion but hadn't yet triggered the required fault code. Since the parts were backordered for weeks or months, we chose to leave the vehicle because we were told a failure could leave us stranded.
About a week later, we considered trading the vehicle for a new RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid due to the indefinite wait. During the appraisal, the salesperson told us the open campaign reduced our trade-in value. That made no sense since it was a manufacturer issue, not owner damage. Their offer was roughly $5,000 lower than every other dealership we later visited, so we took the vehicle back.
Interestingly, about a week after mentioning we were shopping elsewhere, Northtown suddenly had the previously unavailable parts. Coincidence or not, I'll let others decide.
I happened to be getting another appraisal when Northtown called saying the parts had arrived. I drove directly there and was told the repair would likely be completed that evening. Around 8 PM I was told it would instead be finished the next day.
The next day I heard nothing until I called. Then it became Friday because a "master technician" had to perform the repair. Friday became Saturday. Saturday came with no communication. Monday I was again told it would be done that afternoon, then later that evening I was informed it still wasn't finished but was "next on the lift."
What should have been a one-day repair turned into more than a week with almost no proactive communication. Every update required me to call, my text messages requesting updates went unanswered, and every delay came with the same explanation instead of an honest timeline. Throughout all of this, Northtown claimed they had no rental vehicles available, leaving us to arrange transportation at our own expense.
When I finally picked up the vehicle on Tuesday, the experience somehow became even worse.
There was a large chunk missing from the steering wheel. Before leaving the dealership parking lot, I photographed the damage and texted the service advisor, who acknowledged it and said management would be notified.
After weeks of following up, the service manager finally called only to argue that I had no "before" photo of my steering wheel. Customers should not have to photograph every inch of their vehicle before dropping it off for service. The expectation is that it will be returned in the same condition.
The manager also claimed no one had entered the vehicle because the repair was underneath the car. That was simply untrue. The rear seat had clearly been disturbed, the child seat had been moved, and items inside the vehicle had been shifted. This repair requires access under the rear seat. Northtown also failed to complete its own vehicle inspection video, eliminating documentation that could have resolved the dispute.
Eventually, the manager said he would speak with his vinyl repair specialist. Despite several follow-up attempts and repeated assurances that they would "take care of it," I have been completely ghosted. The steering wheel remains damaged.
Over the course of a month, I had my own vehicle for only a few days. Northtown had it the rest of the time. I dealt with poor communication, constantly changing timelines, no rental assistance, ignored update requests, and ultimately received my vehicle back damaged with no meaningful resolution.
After years of being a loyal customer, this experience has completely destroyed my confidence in Northtown Toyota. I cannot recommend them, and I strongly encourage you to select another dealership.
Read More
Dealer Reviews
Cars for Sale
Dealer Log In