Toyota dealer rip off in NY

[biker90]

After months of getting the runaround from this dealer I figured I should let other people know in case you or someone you know is planning on getting a car from this place.


In December of 2010 I purchased my 2nd vehicle from Interstate Toyota in Monsey NY( rockland county NY).
When I looked at the car I mentioned to the salesman that the rear suspension looks low he stated "Don't worry just make a appointment for service and well take care of it"
About 2 weeks after I paid top dollar for this car ( plus I paid extra for a bumper to bumper warranty) I went back to interstate Toyota service and told them that I have 2 issues with the car 1 that there is a technical bulletin for a transmission problem on this make & model so I wanted them to check if this was already done by the prior owner,
and 2 The rear suspension of the car was sitting very low.

After talking to the service manager she assured me that I was signing paperwork that if it's found that any of these problems are of my doing then I will have to pay $103.00 diagnostic fee.
After they kept me there for 4 hours they tell me that the bulletin was already taken care of, and that my car IS sitting lower then it should but because it is still within their measurement they will not replace it.
And then they had the guts to hit me with a $240.00 bill for diagnosing each item ($103.00 for each plus tax & miscellanies fee) when I refused to pay it the service manager became really nasty and immature and told me that I'm not getting my car back and then she just refused to talk to me (like a 5 year old).
I went in to the sales manager and he told me it's not his department and I was told to call this guy and that guy with no luck.
Until I went in to the showroom and caused a scene they finally released my car.
I emailed interstate Toyota and got all kind of responses but no followup. I then went to 3 different mechanics including a Toyota dealer and they all said that I need to replace my struts and springs so after getting the run around for 2 months I went and replaced them by a mechanic.
When I emailed interstate Toyota they told me to fax them the bill but again no followup just talk. Until I threatened to go public then all of a sudden I get a phone call from a Jim McMahon Stating that he is the owner of the company and he is going to take me to court over defamation e.t.c.
So I did what i should have done before I went there and goggled Interstate Toyota and found that I wasn't the first one they shafted every review I found had similar stories. here are some examples.

Unbelievably bad experience. I went to the dealership with the Consumer Reports 'build a car' report. The report had a price that Interstate would charge for a Sienna, with the roof rail cross bars as an option. I agreed to buy for that price. When I brought the car home, I realized that the crossbars were not there. The salesman, John, was understanding and did work to resolve the problem, but upper management was certainly far from understanding and cooperative. Would certainly not go back here for Service, and have no confidence that their supposed 'lifetime power train warranty' would not somehow be voided.
Additionally, make sure you ask about all costs associated with the purchase of a vehicle. After looking over the paperwork, we found a $379 administrative charge. Considering we paid cash, it's hard to imagine what this is for, other than additional profit. It indicates that this is negotiable, however, it is totally glossed over while signing papers as you are picking up the car, so unless you 'catch' it, and then threaten to walk away from the deal, you are stuck with this hidden cost.

Unprofessional, rude, and untrustworthy is what comes to mind when I think of the experience I had at Interstate Toyota in Monsey NY. A reflection of Toyota's Corporate offices, it appears it has become something of a "thing" to scam hard working consumers. Allowing unsafe vehicles to populate our roads is something which Toyota should be ashamed of.
However, Interstate Toyota should not be held liable for the scam, fraud, and deception of their parents, and should only be held liable for the damages they create on their own
My experience with the staff at Interstate Toyota was awful, and most unwelcome. My brand new Camry entered their lot in March 2010, with severe transmission damage, which may or may not have incurred as a result of improper build. With my warranty still very much in effect, Interstate Toyota refused to fix it, and wanted to charge me $8,000 for my one year old leased Camry. The manage, particularly, was unprofessional, and treated me most disrespectful, and in an outright rude manner.
My insurance company was requested to visit, and with the unfounded, untrue allegations made by Toyota's manager at Interstate Toyota, my claim was then refused.
After visiting another branch in the city, my issues were resolved, my transmission fixed, and all of Interstate Toyota's claims found untrue, unfounded, and merely speculation and an attempt to prevent a rightful claim to my Warranty.

On Mar 17, 2011, at I purchased a new Toyota at Interstate Toyota, Monsey, NY. Financial manager Eric Scharf told me that in order to have financing of 0% I have to purchase bank protection plan, otherwise I cant have 0% of financing and my APR going to be 6.99%. I was asking him if this is mandatory or optional. He explained that this is mandatory otherwise I wouldnt get 0% financing. Due to my poor English, of course I didnt read the documentation and disclosures he gave me to sign and signed all documentation.
Thats how he sold me Additional Warranties scamming all his approach and presentation. My daughter, whos perfectly speaks English was there with me and she was asking him the same question, on which he positively stated, that this is mandatory plan to pay for and there is no options, if we would like 0% financing.
In a while, why we were talking on a phone he denied all his scamming miss presentation, was laud and rude, and hang up the phone.
Lately my brother in law, which was talking on my behalf contacted dealership, and spoke to Debbie Patane which was very nice and polite, but couldnt make any decision without manager Jim McMachan. He contacted on a phone and was stating that all I am stating is not truth, that his manager didnt mislead at all, and all this situation is He said, she said, and thats only what we have, and he has all documentation signed. He also stated that my daughter as a family witness is not a legal witness. This man is very demanding, pushing and a good talker. He is experienced and can prove you that black color is white, and state this is truth.
He promised to speak to his employees and contact the next day, which he never did.
Now he ignores all calls and emails and never answers the phone.
This is all about scamming by a financial manager and after that humiliati

So I am reaching out to all these people and my attorney is going to file a class action.
so if you know any one in NY thinking of going to Interstate Toyota have them read some reviews first. thank you

[Tom in Tacoma]

I've moved this to the Feedback: Buyers, Sellers, and Vendors forum. This way people looking for the good and the bad will find it and not just the Avalon owners.

There's a redirect in the Avalon forum for those that saw it and go looking for it again.

Good luck!

[biker90]

Oh I almost forgot. When I bought the car it was a certified Toyota with "160 point inspection"
The next day it rained and when I turned on the wipers they were completely shredded with pieces of rubber literally hanging from it of course I was no where near the dealer so I had to buy a set fir 45 bucks at auto zone, then while browsing this forum I saw mention of the cabin filter and when I pulled it it was so black the it was probably the original. It musta Been only 158 point inspection on this car.

[ASG14]

Contact the Corporate office, and don't wait. Either your leaving out a part of the story, or they are playing some serious games that Corporate needs to know about. So don;t wait. And have all your paper work with you when you call, espetially dates of service and the RO number (the numper on the paper from your service). Let us know how it goes, good luck.

[hevster1]

Obviously I do not get on here often otherwise I would have replied to this earlier. ANY vehicle which is certified pre-owned must pass a pretty intensive inspection process. However many times dealers do not perform this properly or the inspections are done by unqualified individuals such as the cleaning crew. Because of this I strongly suggest having ANY used vehicle inspected by an independent repair facility prior to purchase. There is usually a small charge for this but it is well worth it in the long run.

I do them at my shop in Montague NJ for 25.00. That is an average charge. I have seen charges as high as 100.00 for this. For a Toyota, I suggest a specialist or at least someone with experience with them. In the NNJ area I would recommend:

A.M. Teresi Auto & Marine in Bogota NJ: 201-487-5248
R.A. Auto Waldwick NJ: 201-652-5250
M&M Auto/Cycle LLC Montague NJ: 973-293-8588

I hope this helps people who are not only looking to purchase a used car but for service after the purchase