First Shipment to the US Got Wet From Typhoon?

[splifrover]

Has anybody else heard this. My wife is wanting a new 4runner and went to the stealership to test drive one. The sales guy told her that the first shipment was sent back due to a typhoon getting them wet. He sales guy suggested on waiting a few months before purchasing one. He also said that he would check the vin# for to make sure it wasn't part of the first shipment. Has anyone else heard of this???

 

[pahns51]

Has anybody else heard this. My wife is wanting a new 4runner and went to the stealership to test drive one. The sales guy told her that the first shipment was sent back due to a typhoon getting them wet. He sales guy suggested on waiting a few months before purchasing one. He also said that he would check the vin# for to make sure it wasn't part of the first shipment. Has anyone else heard of this???

There seems to be allot of confusion going on. I went to 2 dealers in the Denver area and got different answers when I asked about availibility. One said around the thanksgiving time frame the other said the first week of December

 

[toto]

The car dealers are taking a page from the airlines - blame the weather!

I don't get why car dealers can't just tell the truth about things. Everything has to have a sensational explanation behind it. Their dogs and siblings must have eaten their homework a lot as kids. They don't have new 4Runners, and don't know when they will because availability is still pretty thin. End of story. No, wait... maybe space aliens took them all to another planet as food!

There was another thread here about "no new ones until 2010", but a forum member already has one.

The 2009's were few and far between as well. Toyota is trying to manufacture them in quantities that are consistent with demand. That means they're simply not making so many as to have a bunch of them on every lot within just a couple of months. It's also very difficult to find dealers with a Sequoia in stock, and those aren't a new model this year.

 

[pahns51]

The car dealers are taking a page from the airlines - blame the weather!

I don't get why car dealers can't just tell the truth about things. Everything has to have a sensational explanation behind it. Their dogs and siblings must have eaten their homework a lot as kids. They don't have new 4Runners, and don't know when they will because availability is still pretty thin. End of story. No, wait... maybe space aliens took them all to another planet as food!

There was another thread here about "no new ones until 2010", but a forum member already has one.

The 2009's were few and far between as well. Toyota is trying to manufacture them in quantities that are consistent with demand. That means they're simply not making so many as to have a bunch of them on every lot within just a couple of months. It's also very difficult to find dealers with a Sequioa in stock, and those aren't a new model this year.

True, The one dealer told me they are only getting 13 4runners in the first big shipment. They had no 10 FJ'S, a handfull of Highlanders maybe a couple of Sequioa's. They had plenty of Camarys and Tacoma's............

 

[mikeync]

I don't get why car dealers can't just tell the truth about things.

If every sales guy knew the truth then we would know it. Since they don't they make up excuses to have something to talk about soon enough they think it is the truth as they heard it from a guy that knows a guy that knows a person that has a dog that is Japanese and knows the owner of Toyota......

 

[benormous]

If every sales guy knew the truth then we would know it. Since they don't they make up excuses to have something to talk about soon enough they think it is the truth as they heard it from a guy that knows a guy that knows a person that has a dog that is Japanese and knows the owner of Toyota......

I agree. I don't think its an issue of companies telling the truth, more that salesmen can't admit that they don't know.

I try to avoid salesmen and am knowledgeable about vehicles I go to look at. Back when I was looking at B5 Audi S4's a salesman told me the 4 was for four wheel drive. I think most salesmen just feel like they need to talk endlessly even if it is mostly garbage...

 

[BROOKLYN]

it sounds like BS

 

[LyteFly]

it sounds like BS

I'm with BROOKLYN on this, he is the expert in this area :jk:

 

[killthrash]

Reminds me of the Nintendo Wii shortages with limited supply being the reason. I think they've created quite a buzz about the 4runner, and limiting the supply is a good way to do that. Make people stand in line, and you'll get almost full sticker price for them - give or take a few hundred.

I'd really like to see someone get a new trail edition. But it looks like dealers are pushing SR5's and Limited's.

 

[Uneek]

:iagree: sales rarely tell you tell the truth. On the other hand at my company, we support enterprise customers and we always stress it's ok to tell the customer "I don't know. But I will find someone who does and get back to you."

I think Toyota is limiting production and keeping it at a realistic level to just demand, rather than have an excess supply of them sitting at the port or on dealer lots. The downturn in the auto industry caught them amongst others off guard. (Maybe a rumor) Toyota was looking to lease addition space a few months ago at the Long Beach, CA ports for the cars imported from Japan that dealers are not taking.

 

[toto]

...we always stress it's ok to tell the customer "I don't know. But I will find someone who does and get back to you."

I would much rather hear that instead of BS. :thumb3:
No information is a lot better than misinformation.