BBB Complaints

At one time, the Better Business Bureau could be counted on the resolve problems and sooth hurt feelings.

That seems no longer the case.

Route 44 Toyota/Scion


Complaint: On 6/6/14, a salesperson made a deal so that we would buy a Sienna minivan, which would be Cypress Pearl color. His manager asked us to deposit $500 towards securing this deal. However the dealership was not able to provide us a vehicle within 1 week. Also, we were informed that this vehicle in such color would not be available for next 2&1/2 months. Hence after speaking to the salesperson Mr. **** *******, we decided to call off the deal on 6/13/14 and asked him to refund this deposit. I again asked Mr. ******* on 6/17/14 he affirmed that in order to have our refund back, I would have to go to the dealership personally. Without going personally, they would not refund money by any other means such as mailing us a check. I wanted to speak to the dealership manager Mr. ***** *****, who kept on avoiding my phone calls. Initially my phone call was directed by his secretary to Mr. ******* who kept on saying that it is the company policy of not refunding the money back, if the customer does not go to the dealership personally. He later on added that I would have to speak to Mr. ***** about it. Mr. ***** didn't take my calls and his secretary kept on saying that he was busy.
Desired Settlement: Mail a check for $500 without me having to go personally to the dealership
Business Response: Our apologies for any miscommunication in this matter. Our policy for refunding personal checks is they can be refunded after 10 business days. That is printed on our receipts given to the customer to alleviate any misunderstandings. A customer would only have to come to the dealership if they wanted a refund sooner. They would need to come to the dealership with proof the check cleared their account. Otherwise, the deposit will be refunded after the 10 business days which in this case would be Friday June 20, 2014 as the check was given to us on Friday June 6, 2014. Again, we apologize for any misunderstandings that may have occurred in this matter and the check will be mailed Friday June 20, 2014.
Consumer Response:
However earlier, your salesperson Mr. ******* as well as Sales Manager Mr. ***** confirmed (through his secretary) that under no circumstances would I be able to get my refund back, unless I have to personally visit the dealership office.

The receipt was dated 6/6/14 on which I paid my deposit. I had contacted you after 10 days, on 6/17/14 and was informed that the dealership would not mail my refund check. The email reads as follows: "In reply to your earlier email......company policy still has not changed........ I need you to come in with your receipt and I will cut you a check within 10 minutes of that is long as it's between nine and five.......thank you very much. "

http://www.bbb.org/boston/Business-Reviews/auto-dealers-new-cars/route-44-toyota-scion-in-raynham-ma-79918/complaints#breakdown

Complaint: I am writing to inform you about an incident that happened in November of 2013. When I did the Toyota complaint chat on line for advice, this is the address that I was given. It has taken me quite a while to put this letter together because I was extremely upset over what transpired. After visiting the dealership two or three times, we were all set to purchase a ********** at Route 44 Toyota in *******, Massachusetts. I had given my credit card to hold a specific color to **** ******* who was extremely helpful at first. He told me to notify **** ******** if I couldn’t get a hold of him. I called to set up a time to finalize and the salesman, **** informed me we should come in friday, November 22, 2013 instead of Saturday because of how busy it usually is on Saturday and that he wouldn’t be able to set up a time to meet with us. I informed him that we needed to go to a wake but he said he couldn’t guarantee that he could keep the appointment on Saturday. This surprised me because you would think making a sale of $32,000 would be a priority, He assured us that the vehicle would be ready and set to go when we came in. We felt pressured to go in on Friday to sign all the papers, but wanted to get the vehicle that weekend so, with money in hand, we thought we better go. We were trading in a vehicle and were told that we were getting $1,500 trade in, then, just before signing, we were told that we were only getting $600. Supposedly **** was going back to talk to **** and, come to find out, **** had no idea that we were there. He thought we were coming in on Saturday. After missing the wake that we needed to go to so as to be able to get the highlander, we drove away without it. I don’t know if they sold the car I put money down or what, but for some reason, it seemed like he was trying to to anything he could to make us walk away. I have never been so upset, disappointed, and humiliated. **** also said that everything would go through as long as our credit was good. That was a lot of garbage. We have owned a house for over 24 years and never missed a payment. I realize that everyone has to be checked out but it was the way that **** said it. He should not have insinuated that we had bad credit. Needless to say, I would never recommend Route 44 Toyota to anyone and have already told many people about the way we were treated. I’m sure that losing my sale of $32,000 was nothing to them, but it was to me. The ********** is a beautiful vehicle, but one that I will never own. I would hope that in the future you choose better salesman for your company. Sincerely, ******** *********
Desired Settlement: An apology
Business Response: In speaking with **** and ****, they recall the events differently. With Ms. ********* being a referral from a relative of ****'s she was given a large discount on the vehicle up front. She was informed over the phone that her trade-in could be worth $1500 however, that figure was subject to seeing the vehicle. When the vehicle was brought in it had clearly been involved in an accident previously which Ms. ********* did not deny and thus the value was lowered to $600 prior to finalizing any paperwork. This figure was not agreeable to Ms. ********* and at that time she walked away from the deal. The vehicle was originally held for her but because she was a referral of ****'s we never actually charged the credit card. We simply held the vehicle for her in good faith. As far as Ms. ********* believing **** insinuated she had bad credit because he made the statement "everything will go through as long as your credit is good," this statement was made because Ms. ********* asked if she would receive the special financing. Without knowing Ms. *********'s credit rating the statement he made was a true one and not an insinuation of bad credit. There is nothing further the dealership can do at this time.


http://www.bbb.org/boston/Business-Reviews/auto-dealers-new-cars/route-44-toyota-scion-in-raynham-ma-79918/complaints#breakdown

Complaint: My vehicle was brought to Toyota on Rt 44 on 8/13/13 for repairs of a problem that two mechanics had already looked at and stated that it needed to be looked at by the dealer. I requested for the car to have a full diagnostic test. The service associate called and stated that no codes came up on the break system and admitted that they did not do diagnostics on the entire vehicle because he didn't believe it had anything to do with anything else but the breaks. The breaks have previously been looked at and cleared to be in working condition by two different mechanics previous to this visit. The accociate went on to convince me that it was the tires and they needed to be replaced. Strongly feeling that the tires were not the issue I questioned him a number of times, then ultimately giving benifit that he was the professional in auto repair and should be trusted in that. After putting $686 worth of tires on and having to wait almost two hours after they said it would be fixed. The issue still exited! The associate said that the problem is better but could come back. And could run anywhere from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars. The vehicle model is of 2002 and is not worth putting thousands of dollars into. BUT it has new tires! The problem still existed after leaving and infact was even worse. I called the next day to get my old tires put back on, but they had told me they had already disposed of the. A couple days later I called the service manager and he stated that I should call back at the begining of the week and we could work out some kind of reimbrsement, either on the tires or on repairs of the actual problem. I have called and left messages for him for over a month. Calling 2-3 times a week and he has not returned my call.
Desired Settlement: I would like to be refunded for the tires that I was cohersed into purchasing.
Business Response: Customer traded vehicle. Unable to fix. Dealership can take no further action.
Consumer Response: I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint.

My response regarding what Toyota responded to my complaint is that they are giving false information. The vehicle has not been traded in. I still have the vehicle still with the original problem and brand new tires that they didn't need but thay had said would take care of the problem and did not. I have called them many times and never got any responses from them.
Business Response: Working directly with customer to resolve this issue.
Consumer Response: I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved.

http://www.bbb.org/boston/Business-Reviews/auto-dealers-new-cars/route-44-toyota-scion-in-raynham-ma-79918/complaints#breakdown

Complaint: Signed a purchase a sales agreement on a Monday, on Wednesday the dealership said that they did not charge enough sales tax and registered the vehicle under the new purchase and sales agreement without my written consent. When I picked up the vehicle it had not been properly serviced. They immediately threatened me with a mechanic's lean on the vehicle for the tax money. When I asked for the managers name and he said "***** *****". Incredibly arrogant and rude men, left me shaking and very upset. This dealership should be shut down.
Desired Settlement: Stick to the original deal. Or return my two vehicles and I'll return the truck.
Business Response:Customer was notified by the Finance Dept of the sales tax descrepancy. Agreed verbally over the phone to sign the new paperwork upon arrival. Dealership in good faith then paid the sales tax with the promise of reimbursement. Dealership is simply looking for the tax difference of $1995 to be reimbursed. The vehicle was certainly serviced as all of our brand new vehicles are.

http://www.bbb.org/boston/Business-Reviews/auto-dealers-new-cars/route-44-toyota-scion-in-raynham-ma-79918/complaints#breakdown


Complaint: To whom it may concern,
On March 28 2012 a bought a brand new 2012 ****** ****** at Route 44 Toyota in Raynham (MA) It was without a doubt “The” worst car buying experience of my life which lasted for 5 grueling hours. I will spare you the minute details but here are the outline and the outcome. 1-The initial offer was the MSRP/Window sticker which included the delivery charges of $885.00 and 4 hours later when we were done negotiating they were not there anymore. No reason, no excuse just “not included”! I had to pay that above and beyond .- Approximately 2 hours into the price negotiation and, although we were not even close to a deal, my sales rep. requested I “show”
(it was more like give him) my credit card so he can tell his Manager I was a serious buyer.- After 3 hours, the negotiations were not going anywhere fast enough for me, so I decided it was time to leave , however I could not because not only did they have my credit card they also had my car keys which they had requested to evaluate my trade-in. I asked for my keys repeatedly and I mean repeatedly (honestly I felt like I was being held hostage) but instead they kept coming back with a better offer, and another one and another one and it went on for another hour. By that time I was tired, very hungry (it was 8:30 pm; I had been there since 4:00 pm without food) and
I was totally worn out. The pressure was so intense that I felt I had no other choice than to accept an offer if I ever wanted to go home that night. So, unfortunately, we shook hands on the following deal: Price of the truck: $21,185.00** Trade-in: $11,500. Down payment: $4163.00** (that is according to my sales consultant’s calculations) Monthly payments of $262.50** assuming the loan rate was 3.99%** for 36 months. My first request was
“No more than $250.00” he was at $275.00 and we split the difference. About the down payment: My request was to pay the tax, the!@#$%^& delivery charges and the balance owed on my trade-in and my rep came up with
the amount of $4163.00 (of course I believed him after all he was the one with the calculator) -A week later when I finally had time to examine my contract I was horrified to discover that just about nothing we agreed upon verbally was in the contract (which, stupid me) I signed. Price of the truck: $22,064.00 with a rebate of $500.00 never mentioned at any time (like the “vanishing” delivery charges) Seriously…who negotiates a price of several thousand dollars and… 64 ?? Trade-in: $11,500. Same…WOW Down payment: $4163.00** but it should have been $3642.00 Monthly payment of $262.50** but the loan rate is now 2.04%** for 36 months. If the loan rate went from 3.99% to 2.04% shouldn’t the monthly payments go down too?? Is it legal if they don’t go down?? About the down payment: well according to this contract the tax is $629.00, the delivery charges are $885.00 and the amount owed on my trade-in is $2128.00 for a total of $3642.00. However I paid $4163.00. Difference: $521.00 I sent a 3 page letter to ****** ***** the owner of Route 44 Toyota requesting a reimbursement of $1406.00 which is a combination of the delivery charges and the over payment of the delivery charges. I did not mention in my letter to Mrs. ***** that I was charged an extra $379.00 for the truck and an extra $25.++ for sales tax because I did not realize it until today. I’m expecting a reimbursement of $1406.00 for overpayment. Sincerely, ******** ********* * ****** Road ********, MA ***** Tel: ************
Desired Settlement: I’m expecting a reimbursement of $1406.00 for overpayment
Business Response: All figures on signed contracts were agreed upon by both parties. No further action can be taken on the dealerships behalf.

http://www.bbb.org/boston/Business-Reviews/auto-dealers-new-cars/route-44-toyota-scion-in-raynham-ma-79918/complaints#breakdown

Complaint: I purchased a 2004 ******* ******* from rt. 44 toyota in febuary of 2011. When i test drove the vehicle it had a warning light on for the air bag. I negotiated a price for the vehicle under the condition that the what ever problem was causing the air bag light to be on would be fixed before i took possesion of the vehicle. I have this agreement in writing. It was determined that the air bag light was on because of a defective seat belt which was replaced. About a month later the air bag light came back on so i brought it back to the dealership. They determined it was a code error and cleared the code. A few months later the air bag light was back on and i discoverd my A/C was not working. The air bag light was cleared again. I was unable to determine is the A/C worked when i bought the car since it was winter but this covered under my extended warrenty. I brought the car back for service and i was told the A/C was not working because of a broken shrater valve of course it was the one part that was not covered under the extended warrenty i purchased. I was charged $180 for the valve and givin the car back. The next day the A/C stopped working again so i brought it back to the dealer. They then told me they tested the whole system and charged it with freon. Once again the A/C stopped working the next day. After that i brought the car to a different mechanic and i was told the shrater valve was never replaced and the A/C system was never checked properly. It was determined it was not checked properly because of a lack of dye on the a/c compressor which is nessecary to properly check for leaks. I did not bring the car back to the dealership because it was the end of summer by now and i was sick and tired of dealing with this dealership. Then the air bag light came back on. So back to the dealership i went. This time they wanted me to pay $350 for a new seat belt which i refused since they never fixed it the right way to begin with per our agreement. This has been the worst experience i have ever had with a dealership and i wil never buy a car from rt 44 toyota again. I will also make sure i tell everyone to stay away this dealership. They are either thieves or incompetent. Neither one is a good quality for a reputable dealer.
Desired Settlement: I want ever dime refunded that i have spent in this service center so that i can have my air bag problem and A/C fixed by a competent mechanic.
Business Response: The initial airbag light was not caused by a defective seatbelt and there was no seatbelt replacement at that time. The light was caused by a code error which was cleared. The next visit was also a code error which was cleared. The third visit was for a check engine light which was diagnosed and cleared. The A/C issue was a leak in the schrader valves. The valves were tightened and there was an evac and a recharge performed at that time. Also the A/C was checked for leaks using the dye. The $180 charge was for the valve tightening and the evac and recharge, as well as checking the system for leaks. The final visit was for the airbag light. At this time it was determined to be a faulty seatbelt. The seatbelt was not covered by the service agreement and that is where the $350 charge stemmed from. All work was referred to our ******* store to ensure that factory trained ******* technicians worked on this vehicle.
Consumer Response:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns.

First of all the salesman that sold me the car told me it was a faulty seat belt causing the air bag light to be on. He stated that the seat belt would be replaced. This is why my car was not ready for three days after i purchased it. How convienent that you are now stating that it is a defective seat belt. That would mean that instead of fixing the problem you are just clearing the codes. Second of all the air conditioner still does not work regardless of what you did to it. Even though i was told the shrater valve was replaced. I had a written agreement with you that the air bag light would be fixed NOT CLEARED. I can go to autozone if i just want it cleared. Upon further investigation of this issue i discovered there was a recall on this year ******* for exactly this problem. This seems like something any competent service center would try to find out. I am extremely frustrated with the amount of times i've had to bring this car back to you to have the same problems fixed. All i am asking is what i was promised nothing more nothing less.

Business Response: We are sorry for the way you feel and your current situation. However, there are not any open recalls open on this vehicle and were not at time of repair. We can offer no further assistance on this vehcile.

http://www.bbb.org/boston/Business-Reviews/auto-dealers-new-cars/route-44-toyota-scion-in-raynham-ma-79918/complaints#breakdown



Complaint: On August 3rd I brought my daughters 93 Toyota Corolla to the Toyota dealership to have a timing belt replaced. When we picked the car up at the end of the day my daughter noticed the battery light was coming on and there was a strange noise and eventually some smoke coming out of the engine. I looked at the engine and noticed the belt that goes around the alternator was extremely tight and was causing the unit to smoke. I called the dealership and advised them that we were bringing the car back in. The assistant service manager apologized and told me that they would correct the problem for me at no charge and the car would be ready on the following day to pick up. On August 4th I received a phone call from the assistant service manager who told me the alternator was completely damaged and that it would cost $248 plus tax....after I just paid $257 for the first repair. I told him that was not acceptable. After five phone calls back and forth the final offer made to me was a fee of $118 plus tax, the cost of the part no labor fee....for damage they caused...I declined. I emailed the service manager whose name is on my receipt and I detailed all that transpired and requested a refund of the labor portion of my bill for the original repair $216, I was willing to pay for the original part they installed....but I am taking the vehicle to a trusted mechanic for the corrective repair that it will need due to the negligience on the part of the Toyota technician. I never received a response to my email which was sent at 1:15 pm, nor any phone call.
Desired Settlement: I would like the company to acknowledge they were negligent and refund me for the first repair bill. It would be even better if they reimbursed me for the bill I will get from the mechanic that will be fixing the car. The bottom line is they caused damage to the vehicle and they should take responsibility for it, and not expect to charge their customers for their mistakes.
Business Response: This vehecile was inspected on 8/4 and it was determined that the alternator bearing was making noise. Our findings were not that the belt was overtightened and the belt adjuster was working as designed. We do agree that it was unfortunate that this coincidence occured however we do not feel responsible to replace. We did offer, as **** stated to provide the labor if he purchased the part, which he declined.
Consumer Response: I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint. I realize the alternator has an adjuster but for this model it is not an "automatic" adjuster (as the manager tried to tell me) to keep proper tention of the alternator belt. The adjustment is done manually, and I verified that fact with the mechanic that ultimately fixed the car. The belt was too tight and caused the alternator to burn, malfunction and eventually destroy the part. I had to replace the alternator,which cost me an additional $273.60. I know for a fact the alternator belt was extremely tight as I inspected it myself, and immediately called the service department to advise them I was returning the car to them, within an hour of picking it up. I am extremely disgusted with the lack of customer service and unwillingness to take responsibility for their employees error. If the intial offer had been to repair the part for "cost" I would probably not have been happy, but I would have been far more likely to have accepted the offer. But instead I was told the part was old...or defective and it was not their fault. It took five phone calls each one with a lower quote to repair the vehicle, from $248 plust tax down to $118 plus tax , non of which came from the Manager. The only phone call I received from the Manager was to say he would not authorize any refund. I will not be satisfied until I receive a refund for the "labor" charge.
Business Response: We are aware it is not an auto adjuster and verified tension on belt upon inspection. We did offer to replace the alternator with you paying only for the part, but the offer was rejected. We stand confident it was not an over tight belt. Again, I am sorry the alternator had to be replaced but tried to be as fair as possible. I feel we can offer no other resolution at this time.

http://www.bbb.org/boston/Business-Reviews/auto-dealers-new-cars/route-44-toyota-scion-in-raynham-ma-79918/complaints#breakdown