Toyota Certified PreOwned Expectations

[HossBoss]

So, to get right to it, I purchased a CPO 4 runner (2007, 68K, SR5) in April of this year.
Today, I am at 71K and change and for the past few days I have been able to hear the wear-tabs on the drivers side (cant discern if its front or back, but its drivers side). I have also noticed that it has been pulling to the right when I take my hand off of the wheel.

The Toyota website says that during the 160-point inspection required to gain the Certified PreOwned branding the following two items were done: "Brake pads/shoes must have minimum of 50% wear remaining" and also, "Vehicle tracks and drives straight on level surface"....

So, the dealership should be taking care of these things, correct? I mean, even if the brake pads are causing a slight tick in the alignment, they certainly didnt wear down past 50% in 3,000 miles.
Im basically calling out to those who have purchased a CPO 4Runner to see how your service has gone...

 

[blaniac22]

Makes sense to me that they should cover it given the mileage driven and time elapsed....unless you've been racing up and down Pikes Peak there's no reason why you should have to pay for a brake job on a CPO vehicle of ANY make or model 3K miles in.

My experience with certified pre-owned wasn't a good one....my car needed an oil change, based on service records and the oil condition.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/618506-post44.html

I've also had friends, family members have issues with CPO vehicles, and have seen a lot of posts on various message boards about them.

The CPO program is only as good as the integrity of the dealership....I personally think it's just a marketing ploy/borderline scam. It shows that even if it is a CPO, an independent 3rd party checkout should be completed before purchasing any used vehicle.

That's not to say you got a bad deal or the 4Runner won't treat you well. The car we bought under the program has been awesome - it's still on the road 150,000+ miles later with nothing other than routine maintenance. I just learned you still have to keep your guard up and do your homework on the dealership and the vehicle you are looking at. Don't take a salesman or service manager's word for it - have the vehicle checked out.

That's my rant for the day.....:AK47:

 

['04-Sport]

I would take "Toyota Certified anything" with a grain of salt. Although it is a bit "off topic" I had my 4Runner repaired at a "Toyota Certified Collision Center" in September/October 2007 (yeah, it took 30 days to get the truck back, but that's another story). The total repair was about $8,000 - I've spent another $4,000 out-of-pocket to fix things that were not done, or not done correctly, since then. Of course the dealership is no longer in business so I have no recourse against anybody.

Good luck with your 4Runner - I hope the dealer takes care of you.

 

[terra4r]

I agree to take it with a grain of salt, treat it as just another car sitting on the lot with a +$2k "certification". I've looked at a few lexus/toyota CPOs that were in rough shape with a high asking price, so imo, that CPO label means nothing.

But anyways, even though it's a wear item id take it in and see what they say and if its covered under 12mo/12kmi portion. "The Comprehensive Warranty covers any repair or replacement of components which fail under normal use due to defect in materials or workmanship. "

Are there any records prior to your purchase that indicates they've worked on it?

 

[Rix]

probably a bad caliper, and would be covered under the certified warranty.

 

[cknsls@adelphia]

I agree to take it with a grain of salt, treat it as just another car sitting on the lot with a +$2k "certification". I've looked at a few lexus/toyota CPOs that were in rough shape with a high asking price, so imo, that CPO label means nothing.

But anyways, even though it's a wear item id take it in and see what they say and if its covered under 12mo/12kmi portion. "The Comprehensive Warranty covers any repair or replacement of components which fail under normal use due to defect in materials or workmanship. "

Are there any records prior to your purchase that indicates they've worked on it?

Agreed! CPO is meaningless. When you buy a used car of any type, your best program is the one called "BUYER BEWARE!"

Best of luck with your issue.