Airbag recall mess

[EddieV4runnin]

Recall work and Warranty work are often times done incorrectly because the tech does not receive the same pay as he does for regular Customer pay. They work all day for a half days pay if they're stuck doing recall/warranty work. In some cases, newbies are assigned this type of work. In order to make any money, the tech has to FLY thru the job. The sooner he finishes that one, the sooner he can start another.

3 different Toyota techs in my area told me this. I've seen this same thing posted as well on web yack sites.

Toyota dealership service mgrs. will deny this, but as I just mentioned, their techs have told me otherwise.

Who do you think I believe?

Agree, most techs are lazy and have terrible workmanship. I work with plenty of them. My buddy who’s a tech at a Toyota dealer performed the recall on mine. He said mine was the first 4Runner he’d done and was able to get the airbag out without removing the dash.

 

[4FL]

Wow, that is totally unacceptable, that is beyond just being lazy and poor workmanship, that is negligence.

 

[TOYO74]

The OP experience and like stories from others on previous threads about this recall are something Toyota should be ashamed of.

I have my recall letter but am trying to determine where others in the Phoenix area had a good airbag replacement done.

Maybe a couple of threads could be started here: one with bad experiences, dealers names and location, and a second with good experiences, dealer names, location. Wouldn't help the unlucky ones with bad experiences, but would help guide others toward better dealers in their area. Toyota monitors websites like this one--maybe they would notice?

Also-if those with bad experiences would file a complaint on the official Toyota site, maybe it would help. Or, am I just dreaming?

 

[Citx750]

Any Recent Horror Stories

Received my letter last week for my 2016 4Runner Trail, I am surprised that mine is affected since it was not made until Aug 2016.
My appointment is tomorrow and I am not looking forward to it.

I will let you know how it goes.

Took my vehicle in at 08:00 and it was completed at 10:40. No defects, everything looks like it did prior to the recall. The passenger airbag lights on the dash work differently then they did prior to the recall. Not sure if the original airbag would have worked had there been an accident.

I'm happy. Hope everyone else has the same experience with the recall!

 

[16RedRunner]

After hearing all these horror stories I am so glad my nephew was the tech doing my recall.He had it done in an hour and a half flawless job.

 

[Jivewalker]

Mine is going in today at 2:30 for this. Can't wait to see what they screw up.

 

[97BlackAckCL]

Monday I will be going to the dealer for the 3rd Frucking time ..... they cannot put the damn dash back how it was before. I have a major curve on the passenger side.

I told them go LOOK at the white 2019 4Runner outside on the lot and put the dash back the same way as its supposed to be.

3 mondays in a row really sux balls,I dont even want to ask for a free oil change from them lol !

Man that is horrible. Regarding the free oil change, when I took my truck to the dealer for it's first free 10K oil change, I was less than thrilled to find that the service tech not only dumped oil all over my fuse box and left it sit there, but they also took my oil fill cap off and put it oil side down on my brand new $300 Odyssey battery and even moved it around a few times leaving rings of dirty oil all over my battery. Lesson learned never trust the dealer even for a routine maintenance like a freaking oil change...

 

[lukkystrike1]

Can the airbag be ordered for independent shop or home for DIY? I had my other 4Runner's (2004) dash replaced and now something inside of it rattles like crazy. Toyota service can not be trusted to put everything back together right. When removing and reinstalling dash components one has to be methodical and follow service manual to the letter. Seems that Toyota techs just go by memory because it is faster. No one opens Techstream even though they have great reference guide.

To get the airbag light off, the SN of the airbag has to be changed in the system and the ECU re-set. Unless you have access to the proper programmer, this would be a no go.

//This knowledge comes from Subaru, but since they share most suppliers this should be true, i used to work in the Indiana factory managing part of the Trim & Final Line

Edit: I had mine done last week, gave me a loaner, and the truck was done before i got done with work that day. Very happy. Used Continental Toyota in Hodgkins, IL, SOO much better than Oakbrook IL toyota! Anyone in Chicago land, i highly recommend.

 

[T4RLMTD]

Got mine done a couple of weeks ago on my '15 Limited. Also got a new battery replacement on the same trip. Yesterday it wouldn't crank and all the dash lights started flashing. Got it to start eventually and now this morning, same issue. They said they had to keep it overnight. Hoping it's just a faulty battery and not something more they'll try to pin on me.

 

[4FL]

Got mine done a couple of weeks ago on my '15 Limited. Also got a new battery replacement on the same trip. Yesterday it wouldn't crank and all the dash lights started flashing. Got it to start eventually and now this morning, same issue. They said they had to keep it overnight. Hoping it's just a faulty battery and not something more they'll try to pin on me.

Can you keep us updated on the battery thing? Was just in the other thread saying I want to buy a battery now before I am forced to, mine is a 15 also (both October 2014), and living in Miami, in the heat pretty much year round.

If your's is the battery that failed, that might push me to getting a battery right away, lol.

 

[calcrc]

Got mine done a couple of weeks ago on my '15 Limited. Also got a new battery replacement on the same trip. Yesterday it wouldn't crank and all the dash lights started flashing. Got it to start eventually and now this morning, same issue. They said they had to keep it overnight. Hoping it's just a faulty battery and not something more they'll try to pin on me.

They may just not have tighten the battery relays properly and when the truck moves it micro disconnects the relays. Hence the flashing. It happened to me one time and a double checked the connections and the positive was a bit loose. Just rescrewd it properly and it fix the problem.

 

[Rusty Spuds]

I just had my 2013 done this morning at Team Toyota in Princeton N.J. They were finished in 2 1/2 hours. No rattles or blinking lights so far. Fingers crossed.
They did offer a loaner, but I just waited.

 

[T4RLMTD]

They may just not have tighten the battery relays properly and when the truck moves it micro disconnects the relays. Hence the flashing. It happened to me one time and a double checked the connections and the positive was a bit loose. Just rescrewd it properly and it fix the problem.

Just got it back today. They said the battery they put in was defective. They tested it and it was draining after a couple minutes of having the radio on. Got a new one put in and all is good again.

 

[BKW SC]

Charleston SC Toyota dealer was great. BKW

 

[Ray Dunakin]

Yikes. I hope it's not the same dealer that did mine.

 

[Kamalani Mahie]

Yikes. I hope it's not the same dealer that did mine.

Same. I had mine done a few weeks ago. 2015 trail. The bottom footwell dash panel was not clipped in and was sitting on my back seat. Clipped it in myself and left but not without letting the service manager hear about it first. Maybe I should peep under there myself and check everything out...ugh effing stealerships.

 

[Hockey Hauler]

Scheduled the appointment last week. Part came in a couple days. Got to the dealership at 7 this AM and it was done at 8:30. You'd never know they were in there.

 

[Heavy_GD]

add this place to the garbage list.

https://www.haleycertified.com/used-inventory/index.htm

 

[calcrc]

add this place to the garbage list.

https://www.haleycertified.com/used-inventory/index.htm

LoL


/Like !

 

[Bumbo]

My experience with dealer service is generally pretty bad…. They left my interior in a mess after they preformed the recall. I called them out on it, and they did remediate it, but my gripe is that it shouldn’t even happen in the first place and had to go out of my way to get it resolved.

Does not inspire confidence… sloppy work, no accountability, and or pride in work.

Kinda sucks when the dealer experience is supposed to be the premium option.

I really try and do my own work, but things are an airbag recall don’t leave us many options. For things I cant do, I have an independent local mechanic that I trust a whole lot more than the dealer. They actually TRY and earn my business. Nice change of pace.