[thoughthard]

I stay away from the Meineke that is close to me. Some customer with a Neon returned because exhaust was riding on his rear axle. Meineke added an aftermarket muffler. Something about the welds they did on the rear tow hook failed. Since when is the rear tow hook involved in any exhaust installation? :thumbdown

I would dig around on local message boards to see who they are using...

 

[TTercel]

HAHA I thought you got raped. More like you could have gotten raped. Dont know any shops in your area at all soryy name if you lived in TO there are many to go to.

 

[SolaraTRD]

HAHA I thought you got raped. More like you could have gotten raped. Dont know any shops in your area at all soryy name if you lived in TO there are many to go to.

well, I'm looking for more of a national brand business. Doesn't have to be a small independent shop just around me.

 

[touringcamry]

The exhaust gaskets (universal gasket) that I've messed with cost about $6 ea. The woman at Napa Auto Parts told me that if with one gasket it still leaks, double up the gaskets. The were not reusable from my understanding because the heat from the exhaust will melt the coating or something. But even before the coating melts, there should be no leaks.

 

[swegyptian]

There are no national shops that will carry a solid reputation through all of their stores. There are just too many variables. I think asking detailed questions about their warranty policy would be a good thing to do though.

 

[toyomoho]

These exhaust system pipes are expensive; you are not the first to complain. Try to narrow down where the noise is coming from. One common source is the flex pipe leaking. A muffler shop can cut the old one out and replace it. If something else, unless the pipe is totally bad, a muffler shop should be able to fix it.

 

[GrkBallaG]

Well if we did stuff like that id tell you to come to my shop. Anyway meineke is good, thats where i got my flex pipe done about 2 years ago. The menekei on pecan avenue is where we take ALL our exhaust promblem cars and they do a great job.


:lol: , they put your car as a 2 door TRD model!!

 

[Corona67]

Well, I finally went to the dealership and they checked out why my car was making a fart can noise.

Please read everything, besides looking at the pic.

Here's what they came up with.

He confirmed the part number & price. Yeah, its a damn $1,000 PART!!!
He was like wth as well and gave me the diagnostic for free. ($59.99 value)
He said, better off going to a muffler shop. (he owns several hotrods and his title is Assistant Service Manager.)

Nice guy to do that for me...

Now, I need help. How much is the parts listed at say a muffler/exhaust shop??

- Flex Pipe and a collector Gasket?

Where's a reputable place to go? I found out SEARS doesn't do exhausts. I don't think Midas Muffler is good, are they?

Thanks for you help TN :thumbup:

Well, that pretty much sucks. I'm confused: Isn't the exhaust/pollution control covered for 8yr/80K?
If they won't cover it, I'd look into whether they have a hidden warranty on the part. Manufacturers frequently cover parts past the published warranty to keep customers happy.

I'd call Toyota and lean into 'em pretty hard. Good luck.

C

 

[nodrogkam]

good luck!

ive had good experiences with midas but that's mainly with suspension and brakes (sometimes).

 

[REN69]

:slap: :slap: :slap: :slap:

 

[falnfenix]

have you contacted Toyota about their dealership not honoring the warranty?

said dealership could lose the right to sell Toyotas if they try to charge you for a warranty item.

 

[Driver]

A lot of dealerships won't honor the warranty if a non-toyota certified mechanic has so much as touched your vehicles. Like Our Honda dealer tells us that if we don't get the oil change done from a Honda dealer it will void the warranty. :disappoin
First of all SolaraTRD, i am surprised your car has only 35K miles on it. I put close to 30K on my car every year.
Anyways, back to the topic. The dealership sure is trying to get you to pay for a his son's PS3 and Wii. Plus the guys at the service departments are fucking shameless. They make a 1000 Dollar bill like it's pocket change. The only thing i can tell you about Charlotte is try using citysearch.com for reputable repair shops. In MD, i have started seeing Solaras in the Junkyards, so if you want to venture into one of your local one's you can try to see if you can get one from there too.

 

[ekim55121]

last i heard is illegal to do something like that, it was a big dispute over some ink cartridges some time ago and epson, any way what it boiled down to was that it didnt matter if the affected parts have nothing to do with any thing they did work on or changed out, they would have to prove in court that if you changed your oil, it caused your exhaust to leak.

 

[camrycoupe95]

I see you are in Charlotte. But up in the Midwest there is a muffer chain called Exhaust Pros. They custom bend an exhaust systems at a fraction of the price of OEM. Example, I had a 1988 Honda Accord beater a few years back. The flex pipe, midpipe and muffler were shot when I bought the car and I got a great deal because of it. Honda and Midas wanted over $650, but the car was only worth $750. EP custom bent what basically was a cat back system for $225. The most expensive part was the flex pipe.

Anyway look for a place like EP around your area that custom bends pipe. You could save some cash. :thumbup:

 

[falnfenix]

A lot of dealerships won't honor the warranty if a non-toyota certified mechanic has so much as touched your vehicles.

that's illegal and you CAN get them for it, because non-certified mechanics can do warranty work as well...it's just more annoying. take it to another dealer.

SolaraTRD, you too. take it to another dealership. you should NOT be paying for exhaust issues on a car that young.

 

[SolaraTRD]

I called Toyota Service Center in Torrence, CALI a week ago.
I asked if the part is under their 8 year/80,000 mile exhaust warranty.

She said: "You would have to take it to a dealer for them to see the part."

I'll call em again today and tell em the exact part.
Yea, I don't have 40,000 miles on it yet.

I'm considering of doing Meineke. (thanks GrkballaG) I'll see how it goes today with phone calls. Been real busy with work
Thanks all. =)

 

[falnfenix]

go to another dealership before you go to meineke.

 

[RAV4EVR]

Well, I finally went to the dealership and they checked out why my car was making a fart can noise.

Please read everything, besides looking at the pic.

Here's what they came up with.

He confirmed the part number & price. Yeah, its a damn $1,000 PART!!!
He was like wth as well and gave me the diagnostic for free. ($59.99 value)
He said, better off going to a muffler shop. (he owns several hotrods and his title is Assistant Service Manager.)

Nice guy to do that for me...

Now, I need help. How much is the parts listed at say a muffler/exhaust shop??

- Flex Pipe and a collector Gasket?

Where's a reputable place to go? I found out SEARS doesn't do exhausts. I don't think Midas Muffler is good, are they?

Thanks for you help TN :thumbup:

Exhaust systems are expensive if replaced at the dealerships. I have been through this with my ex-camry (1996).

I did not trust the muffler shops.. i.e... Tuffy etc.etc..

The dealer forwards their cars to some shops they have a contract with for the work the dealership is not able to do.

I figured, if the Toyota dealer has picked this place, they have got to be good so I took my car there myself. It was like an "auto care" place. Decent looking. The mechanics were not as CLEAN. I interviewed them for about 15 minutes and they started getting a little agitated so I decided to let them do the work anyway.

I wish I can do the work myself.

They replaced more parts than they needed to. I only needed one part but they WERE NOT SURE if that was it so they replaced two. The manifold at my engine and the catalytic converter. ONLY the catalytic converter needed replacement because it was RATTLING and was almost 10 years old.

Anyway, the Meinike and Tuffys I did in college and I hated them. They give u life time warranty on many parts but that does not include labor and also when u go back the next time, they replace ALL parts for you that are directly or indirectly related to the problem. Try a big store and interview your mechanic before letting him touch ur car.

I have had mechanics puncture the CV boots right infront of my eyes to PUMP grease inside the CV joints because there was SOME NOISE coming from the front suspension. Not to my car but I have seen them do it to other car.

After I pay off my Sequoia, no more Toyotas (cars) for me because my money is going towards the "maintenance equipment at home"... I wanna be capable of doing anything to my vehicles without taking it to anybody........ wheel balancing/alignment/all fluid changes/timing belt change.
Nobody should be trusted unless it is ur daddy.

OK... I am calm.. I am fine..

One more thing.

DO NOT sit inside the LOUNG while some BUBBA is sticking fingers inside ur car. STAND out side and WATCH them stand where they need to be standing and doing what they need to be doing...

My 1988 Camry had original alternator until 200k miles
(college years) .. then I went to these morons to replace alternators (after market shops I call them)... their alternator didn't last more than 40k miles. Until 400k miles this Camry had gone through 6 alternators these idiots put into it. U drive off happy but not for too long..
I don't know why I mentioned the above para but I did.


PS.. If ur warranty things work out.. The best.. May be try a different dealer.



:sosad:

 

[SILVERadoTACOMA]

When I read your initial post I had thought of the scene from "The Mask" where jim carey as "the mask" goes back to the muffler shop that was ripping him off and shoved tailpipes up their ass :lol:

But seriously, look around for local shops (not the chains).