(SERVICE CENTER)…read more
Three Months for a Warranty Repair, Multiple Misdiagnoses, and My Car Was Returned Unsafe
I brought my 2021 Toyota Supra GR A91 Edition to Fremont Toyota for warranty work because the vehicle could no longer measure its oil level. This is a well-documented issue on the A90/A91 Supra platform, with the oil pump being a known potential cause. My service advisor assured me they would take care of it. This was in Late May
After diagnosing the car, they told me it only needed an oil level sensor. I approved the repair Early June. The replacement part took about three weeks to arrive, which I understand is outside the dealership's control. What was frustrating was the complete lack of communication. I never received a call or update when the part arrived. Every status update throughout this entire repair process came because I contacted them first.
Once the repair finally started Mid June, another week passed with no communication. I called again and was told they had discovered another part was needed before they could continue. Again, no proactive update from the service department. Another week went by with complete silence, so I drove to the dealership unannounced just to find out what was going on. To my surprise, my car was already finished Early July and ready for pickup. No one had contacted me.
Unfortunately, the repair did not fix the problem. The oil level still would not read correctly, so I had to bring the car back.
During the second visit Early July, I asked if they could show me diagnostic data confirming the oil pump was operating correctly. They could not. I then borrowed a professional scan tool from a friend's shop and found an "abnormal oil pressure" fault code. I brought this information to Fremont Toyota, and they agreed to investigate further.
After inspecting the vehicle, they told me the oil control valve had failed. I specifically asked if they were certain it was not the oil pump and whether they had verified the pump was functioning properly. They assured me the oil pump was fine and that only the control valve needed replacement.
Two more weeks passed with no communication. Once again, I had to call them myself to learn the status. I was then informed that replacing the control valve had not resolved either the fault code or the original problem. Only after that unsuccessful repair did they conclude that the oil pump itself was faulty, which was one of the primary concerns from the beginning.
Nearly three months after first dropping off my vehicle, the oil pump was finally replaced and the issue was resolved. Even then, I was never notified that the repair was complete. I had to contact the service center myself to ask whether my car was ready for pickup. Car was picked up Early August.
I thought the experience was finally over until the following day, when I found a bolt on my garage floor. Concerned, I took the car to a trusted independent shop for an inspection and alignment. They discovered that the skid plate protecting the oil pan had not been properly reinstalled. Multiple fasteners were loose, and three bolts were completely missing. Had I continued driving, the skid plate could have detached while I was on the freeway.
Waiting for warranty parts is understandable. Diagnosing a difficult problem is understandable. What is not acceptable is the repeated lack of communication, multiple misdiagnoses, requiring the customer to continually chase updates, and ultimately returning a vehicle with critical underbody panels left unsecured.
The technicians eventually repaired the original issue, but the overall experience left me with very little confidence in the quality control and attention to detail. After almost three months without my car, I expected better communication, better diagnostics, and a final inspection that ensured the vehicle was actually safe to return to the customer.
