I have an 07 Tundra, which has developed a nasty squeal (one of the engine pulleys, alternator, can't tell which). I'm in the middle of nowhere on a job, so I called the dealer to see if I could bring it in when I'm home in a couple days.

They said they aren't booking any service appointments until after Christmas! They are the only Toyota dealer in town, and I'm not limping the truck 200km in -40 weather to another one. They seem to know that, so they're quite comfortable leaving me boned with no truck until the new year.

I like my truck, but it isn't perfect, and with this dealer's attitiude, I'm going back to Ford ASAP.

End rant :banghead:

RMXC51 said:

:thumbsup:

I wish we were so busy we couldnt book anything till after christmas!

Don't they have regional reps to "squeel" to up there.. ;)

And no other dealers worth the drive?? I guess that does suck..

Should be pretty easy to pull the belt off and spin the pulleys to figure out which one is the problem, just fix it yourself.

Hey, do you have a qualified Goodyear dealear, NTB?Tire Kingdom or other certified service shop?

If they are nationally recognized (even if the nation is Canada) it usually will not void your warranty. I have had excellent service from NTB tire kingdom when my front end was a mess after 200k on my Tahoe. They let me buy my own brakes and rotors and put them on while they were fixing the balljoints and lower control are somebody messed up before I bought it. I got their credit card when I was in dire need of tires for my wifes van and they have been great to me ever since.

Chevy_Cowboy said:

Even easier, really long screwdriver-blade held close to the pulley in question (or on the bolt in the case of an idler) and the other end held up to your ear.


I'm amazed that the dealer isn't taking appt's....they're that booked up?

They tell me they're too booked up, but if I leave the truck with them until after Christmas they could probably look at it.

I'm working in the middle of nowhere and its -30C. My shift runs 8am (dark) to 9pm (dark again). I can't get a good look at the problem until I'm home again. I'm sure its nothing major, but cripes.

"Should be pretty easy to pull the belt off and spin the pulleys to figure out which one is the problem, just fix it yourself."

Maybe, but I'm not spending a penny or valuable time at home fixing a new truck that's on warranty. I suppose I could find the problem and save some time in the service bay at least.

RMXC51 said:

You just need a drive belt, I bet you have over 20K on it. Seen a few of these. I think it stretches and the auto tensioner wont tighten it enough.

I was hoping you'd weigh in on this, tech!

I'll have a look at the whole deal when I get home. Warranty doesn't cover belts, so it's one thing I CAN fix myself without them knowing.

RMXC51 said:

In the US, that would be covered for 3 yrs or 36K. Not sure if the Canadian warranty is different. We'd take ya right in and fix it while you waited for it!

I've got a proper stethoscope for that at home, 170km away. Tools aren't the issue. Time, temperature, and a super arrogant dealer are. I guarantee I'll have to wait for parts, no matter what. Wish I was closer to MDT's shop.

RMXC51 said:

Its not the Toyota, its your dealer. A dealer is only as good as their worst tech/service advisor.

I completely agree, this is a minor mechanical issue at best, I'm not knocking the truck. I just bet they don't even have a belt in stock locally.

But Ford has improved all the complaints I had on the F150 since my 2004 model, and the dealer across the street from Toyota is excellent.

u know whats funny, i wanted to take my car into my local toyota dealer (07 yaris) for squeeky shifts
they tell me to bring it in, i show up, ohhh we aren't booking for 3 or 4 weeks, probably not until the new year (same story) and this was on november 27th!!!!!

whats funny is i took it to lloydminster, and they lubed the shift linkage and then proceeded to try to charge me for it! i asked the mechanic where it shows this items service intervals, he said it should have been lubed from the factory, but it was not, and i should never have to service it if its been lubed, i raised a stink and the service lady kept trying to guilt trip me saying the mechanic wont get paid! and they dropped THAT off my bill but jeeeeez whats with these canadian dealers? they couldnt figure out why there was a weird girating noise in the passenger side at 110km/h, after replacing the airbox twice (***) they sent me on my way, i didnt have any longer to screw around, it was 4:30pm at that point and i had the car in there at 8am!

the lady also said it shouldnt be under warranty because they didnt have to replace anything on the linkage, what a joke... the bill was like $150, i asked her what my warranty was good for?

anyways the squeek in the shifting is gone, but my car is still making funky noises (and its not the tires, or road, or bearings) atleast they claim not the bearring... but jeesh

i still had to pay like 70 bucks which i was ok with, but honestly the problem still persists, I just got fed up

I bought a Toyota in hopes of never having to find out how my dealer is,so far so good. I just changed my belt and the noise went away, should have done it 130k ago.

trxcr said:

:eek::eek:

toyota_mdt_tech said:

I've changed all my belts in my Nissans and Subarus AFTER 100K miles. LOL..

LRPct said:

WOW....that's playing with fire, especially if you don't have a spare and tools along.