Problems with my Toyota - advice please

brookfield

Hi,

I having problem with a Toyota Previa (52 plate - petrol Auto), which I feel is unreasonable

Car Purchase from new in Nov 2002
42,000 miles - used mainly as a second car to run around ferrying our 3 children
Always serviced at a Toyota dealer

First year out of the 3 year warranty and thing started to go wrong....

Last September the drive shaft went - £400
Just before Xmas the engine management light came on - turns out it was the oxygen sensor which needed to be replaced - £350
Two weeks ago the engine management light came on again - the dealer is trying to determine the problem, going in for second visit this week.
This weekend the engine immobiliser light came on and we are now having problems locking the car .

I brought a Toyota because of its reputation for reliability, and I paid a premium for this compared to some of the other makes available.

I feel even though it’s out of warranty this level of faults in a car with such little use is un-reasonable.

I’ve expressed my disappointment in the car to my dealer, and asked them to contribute towards the cost of repairs – so far I’ve been offered 10% discount on labour and £100 towards parts by Toyota. Though welcome I feel this is not enough.

If anyone can help or offer any advice I would be grateful, the two main questions in my mind at the moment are....

Is this level of faults normal for a car of this age, and am I being unrealistic in my expectations ?
Do I have any other avenue to explore other than appealing to the Dealers better nature ?


Thanks

joshm_2

You say the car has done 42K and this is predominantly journeys to ferry your children around. If by that you mean multiple short journeys around town then I'd expect it to wear a lot quicker than a car exposed to a mixed life or that of a motorway mile muncher - e.g. I'd rather have a car with 120K on the clock that had lived on the motorway than one with 40K that had been used as a runaround.
I admit I would probably have moaned a bit about the drive shaft going so quickly. Also, I would expect the engine management light to be diagnosed FOC and probably fixed FOC too unless they can prove it's completely unrelated to the old fault. As for the immobiliser, yes I guess I would not expect that to go either. So all in all I would push for more. Not sure there is any other route you can take other than to complain. Perhaps you could strike a deal with them about purchase of an extended warranty for peace of mind, and make a proviso that you will only buy it if the existing faults are rectified at a more reduced rate?

ok, maybe my 120k vs 40k is a bit of an exaggeration, but you catch my drift...

saintjanet

I once had an alternator replaced on a Toyota MR2 that was not under warranty,the car was not bought from the dealer who did the job but as it had only done 22k the dealer felt it should not have gone and contacted Toyota.They agreed to pay half the cost.

That was about 15 years ago so perhaps they are not as obliging now!!

plane_boy2000

To be honest I think that you have been unlucky, and although iritating teh faults are not what I would call major.

You could try writing / calling Toyota customer services and expressing your disapointment with the car, and reiterating that you bought Toyota for reliability. They may make a goodwill gesture.

IMO most cars are now horses for courses - no one manufacturer is vastly more reliable than another.