New guy: interior of our 07 looks like junk

[ncsu]

Hi all, new guy here, nice site. We bought my wife a white 07 V6 Camry with tan leather interior and took delivery July of 2006. Already the door panel leather is separating from the actual panel and sagging. (both sides) I saw the TSB about the back seat wrinkling (hers is too) Has anyone else had problems with the door panels?
Thanks,
Ben

[lammydi]

Take it back for a replacement of those door panels....it's a new car.

[JSM1284]

My drivers side did that, I actually think it was from when I got it tinted from the tint solution dripping down and getting behind it. But either way, They replaced my door panel no charge.

[ncsu]

well, we just got home from the dealer. They looked at the interior while the car was there for an oil change and said they could send it to an upholstry shop for repairs. They also said the backseat recall didn't apply since it was only for SE's and ours is an LE. Is there a difference in backseats between the models? Can't say I'm thrilled about them dying and regluing parts on a new car anyways...

[gdanaher]

Toyota does not build LE's with leather interior.


The question came up for me and I asked. The interior is installed regionally and in Gulf States they don't install leather on the doors. They leave it in fabric. I thought about having leather added but passed because they would have to do major surgery to put leather there and I figured something bad would happen. Anyway, your dealer's body shop may be the same gang that installed it originally.

[ncsu]

Originally Posted by gdanaher

Toyota does not build LE's with leather interior.


The question came up for me and I asked. The interior is installed regionally and in Gulf States they don't install leather on the doors. They leave it in fabric. I thought about having leather added but passed because they would have to do major surgery to put leather there and I figured something bad would happen. Anyway, your dealer's body shop may be the same gang that installed it originally.

hmm, interesting. Did the Se's have leather on the doors?

[ncsu]

Well, just thought I would update this for those that are interested.
Gdanaher was correct, our car has "port installed leather" I never knew that was an option, but everyone we've talked to at Toyota/the dealership/the upholstry shop agrees it is crap.

Here is the sequence of events that lead to where we are today (maybe somebody at corporate Toyota with a soul will read this...?):

We hesitantly agreed to allow the upholstry shop to redo the leather (actually vinyl) inserts.
We go to the upholstry shop to pick it up-
1. Glue dripped all over inside of doors.
2. Tabs on door pulls are broken from being removed and hanging loosely; Rattle when the doors are closed.
3. Later discover when my wife gets to work, driver's side door doesn't open from inside.
4. New vinyl still wrinkled, already coming unglued.
5. Bleach spots on panels still unaddressed.

Let me stop at this point and clarify a couple things. I am not a nit-picky anal person. I daily drive a 1-ton diesel truck with 1 inch of mud and chainsaws in the floorboards at any given time, so I'm not the type of person to sit and look for something wrong with doorpanels to complain about.
However, this is a brand-new car we paid a lot of money for and we work hard to take care of it. We want it to look like a new/presentable car.

I called the service advisor from the upholstry shop parking lot, told him to order the damn Toyota panels. No way am I letting these monkeys touch the car again. He agrees to. Calls my wife a week later, says they'll be in in a week and he'll have her car detailed and a loaner waiting for her.

She takes time off work for her appointment. No loaner car there, they are sending the car to a different upholstry shop.

At this point I go through the roof. Speak with shop foreman & service manager. He claims he doesn't have the authority to order factory-installed leather panels, only repair those; Gives me Toyota Customer Care's #. I offer to pay the difference in Leather packages. He said the can replace ours with cloth panels or I can buy the factory-leather panels for $1k each and install them myself.

Call Toyota Customer Care, start case.

"Toyota Rep" at same dealership calls me and says his district manager will only continue to repair the panels. I refuse to have the car taken to any more shops; Tell him I will only accept new panels.

Thats where we are now. I honestly believe the panels are beyond repair at this point. Between the glue, the broken tabs, the bleach spots, and then the vinyl, I just don't see what they could salvage. The case has been closed according to the rep. at the dealership.

Sorry for the book... Any advice is welcome at this point...
Ben

[Epsilon]

Sorry to hear bro. Hopefully things will get better for you.

[JoeS_07SE]

I would not listen to the rep at the dealership about the case being closed. I would call back to Toyota Customer Care referencing the case number, and tell them that you are still unhappy, and you refuse to have them repaired. Tell them to send a regional rep if possible to inspect the car. Also you can recommend to the Customer Care person that you want another dealership to look at the car. Like a 2nd opinion. Toyota Customer Care should resolve the issue. I dont belive the case is closed, I think the rep at the dealer is full of it. As far as I am concerned the case cannot be closed until you are satisied or at least an attempt has been made!

[Epsilon]

Originally Posted by JoeS_07SE

I would not listen to the rep at the dealership about the case being closed. I would call back to Toyota Customer Care referencing the case number, and tell them that you are still unhappy, and you refuse to have them repaired. Tell them to send a regional rep if possible to inspect the car. Also you can recommend to the Customer Care person that you want another dealership to look at the car. Like a 2nd opinion. Toyota Customer Care should resolve the issue. I dont belive the case is closed, I think the rep at the dealer is full of it. As far as I am concerned the case cannot be closed until you are satisied or at least an attempt has been made!

Amen brother! There's always higher people up you can talk to in order to get things done.