Toyota aftersale "bad" service -
I just took my Fj to Toyota service center for regular 25000Km service, i was surprised to receive a call for the servcie adviser that my brake pad need to be changed and he gave an estimation of 1500+QR.
first i accepted, but after checking on the net and consulting some other fj owner they confirmed that they never did pad replacement before 40000-50000km.
I called back this "adviser" and told not to do the pad change.
when i went to receive the car, i noticed that the oil and filter change is less then 300QR but they added other items to push it to 600QR.. one of them is checking the brake system.
btw the front pad were at 5mm and the back were at 8mm.
i was very upset that the service adviser tried to fool me, and tried to raise some incorrect safety and technical issues to convince me but I refused to pay for services i didnt ask for and raised a complaint... i kept the car at the toyota service waiting for the complaint to be processed...
Any advice...
tx guys
My experience with Toyota has been very similar or worse. The first time I took my car (Toyota Prado) for a so-called routine service, exactly 2 weeks after the "service". the battery died on me while I was out! How come those that supposedly serviced the car didn't detect that the battery was about to quit? immediate after another so called service, I noticed the a/c suddenly wasn't cooling as well as it used to.And in fact ,with time , it got so bad within a weeks, all that was coming out was hot air except on the passengers side! The customer service in addition is non existent; they never provide a courtesy car, ask you to come and get your car back at a certain time but end up only getting your car back days after , and then after several calls and visits to them! This is specifically wrt the Medinat Khalifa Toyo. Save your time and energy and don't bother going to the Consumer Protection Dept, I can guarantee you that absolutely nothing will come out of it;been there, done that
A very true and correct view has been presented by fadyanwar. I happy to see some sensible post appearing at QL after such a long time.
As per my humble observation this very common here in the market. Every brake pad have a "noise maker" that makes squeaking sound when your brake pads are no longer thick enough to hold them away from the brake desk.
I've witnessed something similar with tires, they will always try to hard sell you the assumption that if you tires are older than 3 years then you should replace them. Actually this is a huge fallacy. Each tire have a small indicator on them in the groves to show you how much tread is available before you might consider changing your tire and actually the expiration time varies from 6 to 8 years depending on brand.
Something similar with oil changing interval, the interval does not depend on the oil brand actually it depends on your car vendor requirements, you might want to check you car vendor service manual to know the correct interval for changing the oil. You don't expect some random guy to know about your car more than the ones who had designed it.
Also it's very common in gas stations to try to sell you fuel additives and engine flushes with the oil changes. What people don't usually know that engine flushes are basically detergents which are now are being included in all modern oils to prevent sludge formation. Also for the fuel additives, these might actually cause trouble on the long run and cause you issues in the engine specially they are not designed nor tested for the weather conditions in gulf.
The list goes on and on, so as a rule of thump never put something in your car or remove something unless the service manual says so. If it's not mentioned on the service manual then don't use it! Simple as this. Don't fall into the trap that you are doing good to your car by buying unknown products, if they were required they would be included in the service manual, if not, then they might cause your car harm rather than good.
Normally Toyota asks to change brake pad when thickness is 5mm or less. Before they do the service, they give you an estimate of all the works which will be done. If you do not want a specific work you can always tell them that, unless it can damage your car. While booking the appointment itself they ask you if you need full service or just oil & filter. So it always your decision.
While QR 600 is no doubt on the very high side for just checking the brakes, there are couple of things you need to keep in mind. As Antonio RN has rightly pointed out in his comment, you own a premium car. Also that you had the service done at the agents as possibly (repeat possibly) you have little confidence on workshops in the city. Costs are always higher at the agents compared to that in the market. But for a premium car owner, it hardly means anything. What is QR 600 compared to the safety of your life? Suggest, you relax and drive safely with peace in your mind leaving this incident behind.
I really have a doubt on Toyota service center's integrity
I really have a doubt on Toyota service center's integrity
Tx Antonio and Ani,
While the concerns of Antonio are very logic nevertheless changing the brake pads at 8mm seems to be a rip-off (i understand that the new pads new are 12mm).
they might have "advised" to change the front pad only.
it is not about money ... it is about trust ... how i will believe future "advise"...
Ani.. can you please tell how i can lodge a complaint with the consumer protection dept...
tx again
hello. an FJ Cruiser is a premium vehicle and that entails high-priced maintenance. i don't believe the service center is trying to "fool" you. 600QR for a 25K km service sounds reasonable. for the brake pads, service centers will always try to be on the safe side. they will not risk having brake failures after a service (to avoid liability) so they gave you an option because it's expensive. since it's your decision, liability falls on you. the extreme heat in the summer sure eats the brake pads faster than in a temperate climate. you have to consider that when it comes to brakes. hope this helps.
I guess you may also try checking and if legit, lodge a complaint with the Consumer Protection Dept. for your concerns. Im sure they have be of some help to you.
btw, on a safer side, to be more sure of your brake pads, you may also have it checked by any repute local garages.