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2011 Toyota Avalon

1645 messages,  Last post on Apr 28, 2013 at 10:49 AM

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What is this discussion about? Toyota Avalon

Messages Page 69 of 166

#674 of 1645 Bad experience by gramz

Oct 30, 2010 (2:16 pm)

I bought my 2011 Avalon on May 1, 2010 and one of the first thing I noticed was the compass that kept failing to work correctly. I was really concerned as I was going to be doing any major traveling until October. At my scheduled maintenance I mentioned this to my dealer and he told me that Toyota was aware of this problem and a fix should be out my the end of September. That didn't happen.
 
I made my trip without my compass which doesn't make me a real happy owner. Today I again went to my dealer and now the story is they don't have an ideal when it will be fixed. So here I am having spent $36,000 and waited 6 months and still they don't have a clue?????????
 
Now for the good part.
 
I had my last schedule service done in August at 5,000 miles. On the way to the dealer I looked up at the sticker on the windshield and notice it said my next service was due 11/18/10, or three months from my last. Since this date was real close to 6 months from my purchase date I wasn't sure what was going on.
 
I asked the service manager what the story with 3 months was and he informed that they recommend having your vehicle service every 3 months or 3,000 miles. I mentioned to him that the manual says every 6 months or 5,000 miles. He informed me he knew that but they recommend the 3mos/3,000miles.
 
I then told him that I had the 2 year free mainntenance plan and he asked if they were going to service my car for free every three months or 3,000 miles. HERE'S HIS ANSWER
 
If you have the free service plan it only covers services every 5,000 miles.
 
Just amazing how your car can need less service when they have to pay for it.
 
I started looking at the Avalons in 2002 and took me 8 years to finally go with one. Now I'm beginning to question my decision.

#675 of 1645 service by nan48

Oct 30, 2010 (3:20 pm)

Gramz, it sounds to me like you have a greedy dealership. Our local dealership never implied anything of the sort. I only have 15 hundred miles on my car and they did call to make a routine service. I explained my low miles and he said I should service it by January because of the time passed not because of the miles. I felt good about that. I also explain that my car SEEM to pull to the left on the HWY. They said they would check that with no charge. Now by Jan. that could change. However that pull might be me. So, I believe your problem MIGHT be your dealership. I'm curious did they use synthetic oil. Probably not! I would ASK up front about ANY charge for routine maintenance is not what Toyota said. I would explain to them that what they said does out on a blog that goes out to all America or who ever reads our blog. FYI my compass works just fine. Hope this helps.

#676 of 1645 ODD by nan48

Oct 30, 2010 (3:23 pm)

Our recent trip. I pressed the black button to lock all the doors. I'm a slow walker and before I could get away from the car the car unlock itself. I was surprised. Is this normal? Is the car suppose to unlock itself by walking upon it?

#677 of 1645 Re: Bad experience [gramz] by twinb

Oct 30, 2010 (6:21 pm)

Replying to: gramz (Oct 30, 2010 2:16 pm)
Man you need to get another dealer to service the car. My '11 Ltd uses synthetic oil & that recommended official change is every 10K miles. In the coupon book the 5K mile services seem to include only a look around at things & topping off the fluids, maybe a tire rotation but I can't remember exactly.
 
When I went to the dealer for the new owner orientation for questions, etc., the service managers ran the program & spent most of the time urging us to only have work done at the dealership, supposedly because if we spent money at Toyota then Toy would treat us better than those who didn't use them. After an hour of that crap I left. Personally I don't plan to spend twice or three times the money for oil changes at the dealer than the place down the street charges. Mobil 1 is Mobil 1 everywhere.

#678 of 1645 Re: ODD [nan48] by gramz

Oct 31, 2010 (7:40 am)

Replying to: nan48 (Oct 30, 2010 3:23 pm)
If I understand everything correctly it should open until you touch the back side of the door handle.

#679 of 1645 Re: Memory Seats [tome1] by galbert

Oct 31, 2010 (2:34 pm)

Replying to: tome1 (Oct 29, 2010 12:58 pm)
Has anyone been able to answer how to program the key fob to set seat memory etc.

#680 of 1645 Headlights Moving by donb1

Oct 31, 2010 (6:56 pm)

I noticed when I turned on the lights the lights moved down, then up, then down again. Does anyone know what that is all about?

#681 of 1645 Re: Headlights Moving [donb1] by algee

Nov 01, 2010 (4:22 am)

Replying to: donb1 (Oct 31, 2010 6:56 pm)
They are self leveling lights and are setting themselves

#682 of 1645 Re: Bad experience [twinb] by iamknott

Nov 01, 2010 (9:05 am)

Replying to: twinb (Oct 30, 2010 6:21 pm)
twinb,
 
"Personally I don't plan to spend twice or three times the money for oil changes at the dealer than the place down the street charges."
 
I don't understand why the dealer would be charging you anything for service on your '11. Didn't you get the free maintenance coupons?
 
As far as the statements made at your orientation meeting, I'm not surprised. Given the amount of information available on the internet regarding invoice costs, factory incentives, etc., it is harder for the sales departments to make as much money for the dealership as in the past. I think this forces the service departments to charge more and they try to come up with gimmicks like free car washes and courtesy cars or excuses like Toyota will treat you better (which is pure BS). Toyota will treat the dealers better if their numbers are good and they receive good feedback from their customers. [I'm real tired of being told to give the dealer excellent ratings so that they can continue to give me benefits, but that's a topic for another rant.] The only plus I can see to using the dealer for all recommended maintenance is that a future prospective buyer of your car may be impressed by all the "Authorized Dealer" stamps in your maintenance log book.

#683 of 1645 Re: Bad experience [iamknott] by twinb

Nov 02, 2010 (6:05 pm)

Replying to: iamknott (Nov 01, 2010 9:05 am)
Oh I was talking about oil changes after the free coupons run out.

Messages Page 69 of 166

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