Lost all faith in Stevenson Toyota West

[On the RX]

I am very irritated with Stevenson. Is it justified? I think so. Did I drop the ball on addressing this sooner? I sure did.

I am 20 days past the 12 month parts warranty on a new lower ball joint. The LBJ was found to be sloppy during my alignment. It has less than 3000 miles on it. They offered a new one at wholesale cost.

I understand they are no longer subject to act on their own since selling to the man. However, if I was a manager, I would most certainly comp a new part so close to the end of a warranty. IMHO, this is an example of poor customer retention ideals.

At this point, I question on the value of buying a part from them due to principle alone. $100 drop in retail price makes this a hard decision. Do I allow my frugal brain to make the decision or my moral brain? Still undecided, still pissed.

End rant!

 

[Corbet]

If it makes you feel any better I had a terrible Stevenson experience last spring and probably will never go back for anything.

 

[lars]

Make me a third. I had a terrible experience with Stevenson and have chosen never to return. Chose to go in for an oil change. Made an appointment. I arrived at the specified time. Waited in the garage by my 4runner, and waited, and waited. After abbot 30 mintutes, I wen and tried to find somebody. Took me talking to three people to fine out that they were being and that I would have to wait three hours, past my appointment time, for them to start a service; What good is an appointment that is not kinda honored. This was the second experience. After I purchase my 4runner from them, one of the flares around the back left tire was falling off. Went in and was told they would order one and to come back next week. I did. They didn't open the box the flare came in. It was not painted. They say that would take care of and to come back next week. I did and it was pained the wrong color. All around a very disappointing experience.

 

[RayRay27]

I am very irritated with Stevenson. Is it justified? I think so. Did I drop the ball on addressing this sooner? I sure did.

I am 20 days past the 12 month parts warranty on a new lower ball joint. The LBJ was found to be sloppy during my alignment. It has less than 3000 miles on it. They offered a new one at wholesale cost.

I understand they are no longer subject to act on their own since selling to the man. However, if I was a manager, I would most certainly comp a new part so close to the end of a warranty. IMHO, this is an example of poor customer retention ideals.

At this point, I question on the value of buying a part from them due to principle alone. $100 drop in retail price makes this a hard decision. Do I allow my frugal brain to make the decision or my moral brain? Still undecided, still pissed.

End rant!

Sorry Adam, I have to one-up you. Back in January of this year Jonny at Cruisers and Company started talking about doing the 5-speed A750F trans swap in the 80 series. We'll I tried to jump on board as quickly as I could with this project. Obviously in order to do a A750F swap you need either a decent used one out of a 2005 to 2007 land cruiser or Lexus equivalent or you go the new/remanufactured way through Toyota/Lexus. Well in July 7th, my wife finally paid me my allowance after 23 years together and I bought a reman from Stevinson becausei got a great deal on it.

I figured it would take a few weeks or so to get it because according to Stevinsons site they were in stock nationally and one would be shipped here. Every few days I kept checking my order status to see if it was updated to full filled. Nothing. So roughly after two months I contacted Stevinson to see when it might arrive and basically was told they dont know because there was currently a national shortage and Toyota was gonna have to fire up the production ine to make more A750F's. Being the pain in the ass that I am, I contacted Toyota brand engagement to see if or when I may get my trans. I was essentially given the same answer and that I may have to wait several months to get one.

I finally accepted my situation and went about my biz. Just a few weeks ago I ordered some cabin air filters from Stevinson for my other cars and got an email that they were ready to pick up so I drove over to pick up my cabin filters and the service clerk told me to hold on for a second because he had to check something out. He goes in the back for several minutes and comes back to tell me that my transmission was sitting in the back and had been there for months on the floor. I pooped myself. I didnt have my truck so I had to wait until the following Monday, two days, to pick it up.

Stroll into Stevinson on Monday to pick it up and a different service clerk helped me this time and he told me and I quote "oh yeah that's been sitting there for months, I was starting to wonder if anyone was ever going to pick that up. It's a real expensive part for someone to buy and not come get" My wife was with me and was completely floored by their response. I dont have a problem with telling the club what I paid for my trans because I love everyone here, $3600.00 of my money was sitting on the floor over there and not a single person bothered to reach out to me for three months. Who knows if I wouldn't have bought those cabin filters if they would have sent it back.? There is a shipping tag on the box that it came in and the date says 7/21/2026.

Im not sure i can do biz with them anymore.

 

[On the RX]

go in for an oil change.

I work across the street in the office complex. I have a company 2024 tacoma. It was due for its final "free" oil change and service almost a year ago (when I picked up my ball joints) They did tell me that they needed it all day. It seems they schedule everyone within a few hours in the morning to stagger the drop-offs and then I'm guessing the techs cherry pick what they want to do since they get paid by the job. It's bad form to schedule a time, have a waiting room, then take all day for a 30 min job.

 

[OilHammer]

This is why bloatco’s are a big problem in our society. You cannot serve two masters…

 

[DanielChase]

I am very irritated with Stevenson. Is it justified? I think so. Did I drop the ball on addressing this sooner? I sure did.

I am 20 days past the 12 month parts warranty on a new lower ball joint. The LBJ was found to be sloppy during my alignment. It has less than 3000 miles on it. They offered a new one at wholesale cost.

I understand they are no longer subject to act on their own since selling to the man. However, if I was a manager, I would most certainly comp a new part so close to the end of a warranty. IMHO, this is an example of poor customer retention ideals.

At this point, I question on the value of buying a part from them due to principle alone. $100 drop in retail price makes this a hard decision. Do I allow my frugal brain to make the decision or my moral brain? Still undecided, still pissed.

End rant!

Profile the people that will listen, pick the best one, tell them there’s a long ass thread on our club forum (the club that held meetings upstairs in their building for years) discussing all the ways Stevenson has let down their long time fans/customers, tell this person that they would be your hero today if they would enable you to post one happy ending in this thread…

Good luck.

 

[allen.wrench]

Profile the people that will listen, pick the best one, tell them there’s a long ass thread on our club forum (the club that held meetings upstairs in their building for years) discussing all the ways Stevenson has let down their long time fans/customers, tell this person that they would be your hero today if they would enable you to post one happy ending in this thread…

Good luck.

Definitely a good approach. Hit them with the whammy, one, two punch. "Hey you guys are doing a shitty job, and I'm part of a big public club that's previously loved working with you guys but lately we have a collection of bad experiences with Stevenson. I believe in second chances, and I trust you are able to help make things better today. What can we do?"

The last ~2.3 years I have had a few issues with my local Toyota dealership, Tony Divino Toyota of Riverdale UT. Issues they specifically created when I carefully told them what I expected, they agreed to it, and then they fumbled. I posted at least part of my experiences to the Wasatch Cruisers forum. Happy to go get the link if anyone is interested.

I hate it whenever I'm told "everything is fine", and they mess up my truck or the deal we were working out for a new Corolla. In my case the cost of repairs and the damage they caused trying to repair things were on the order of tens of thousands of dollars. Hard to say exact value since it depends on how each dollar is counted, but it is a decent amount on the order of 30-65k$. I did try to work with the Toyota dealership that were next closer to me, but they did far worse by flat out saying I was wrong to seek protection from my credit card company, and told me to get out. Performance Toyota of Bountiful UT in case anyone is interested. I gave Divino another chance, and I will admit they owned up to their mistakes. They do keep bungling things now & then, but it does mean a lot that they have consistently worked with me to fix the situation instead of slamming the door in my face.

It is all about good customer service backed with real performance of the necessary job. My mature side wants to add: as customers we also need to know how to play our part of the game.

I feel your pain dude.

Allen

 

[Johnny Utah]

It’s a bummer that they won’t budge on the warranty. I understand why, but it’s not very customer service oriented.

I too had a bad experience at stevinson west recently. I don’t like to badmouth people or businesses but I think their culture has changed.

My experience with them is less significant than others have shared but still frustrating.

I went in to grab a part that I had ordered. It was mid-morning, not busy. It was me and one other guy that was at the desk discussing something with the parts guy (don’t remember his name).
I stood there in line (I was the only one in line) waiting for the guy to finish up with the customer at the desk. No acknowledgment or even a glance up from the computer screen.
They chatted away about something that seemed very important. I waited, patiently. Probably ten minutes went by (felt like way longer), still no acknowledgment whatsoever.
Finally they finished up, turns out they were talking about which tires the customer wanted stevinson to put on for him. Sheesh, I thought, really?

Anyway, got my part and left. No love lost really. We use Mountain States at work and have had great experiences with their parts team. Can’t say anything about the sales or service departments though.

 

[zgfiredude]

In my recent experience with multiple businesses and poor customer service I will offer this: The people who work there (anywhere) just don't care anymore! The ONLY way I have gotten any attention to what I thought was serious enough to warrant attention was to blast their social media sites. They are hell-bent on getting or keeping a positive "review number" with the public that they pay attention to "negative press" so to speak.

I once got a personal message from a VP of Sales with a large seat cover manufacturer and they did the right thing resolving the problem.....I did my part and went back to my posting and followed up with the positive solution. That's really all they are after, but inter-personal skills with the in person staffing are long gone.

Good Luck.

 

[HoneyBadger]

I stopped going to them for parts simply because they kicked out our club and stopped giving a discount. I've just been going to Groove because they give a club discount and they're right around the corner from my shop. Also their parts guys have been very helpful.

But this is crazy... I didn't realize things had gotten so crappy over there at Stevenson.
I will say that I was forced to go to them for a specific part that Groove only had one of and I needed two of, and I needed it immediately. And Stevenson's base list price was like 25% higher than Groove's base price, that I got a discount off of. Wild stuff.
So yeah, long story short, I pretty much pretend like they don't exist any more.

 

[BMFS33]

The worst. I went to them one time for my “free” service after purchase. That was enough for me. Oil all over the place pooling on the skid plate and my garage floor. Never again. Not even for free. I’ll never go there again,

 

[MileHigh80Guy]

Mountain States will be my go to now locally.

Same experiences, 25 minute wait in line for a part counter guy to discuss, diagnose and install a 2025 battery into a guys fob. While 2 others chatted about lord knows what to pick up a will call over the phone 2 days prior, called again verified ready to pick up and walk out order 20 minutes earlier on the phone, after 25 minutes of whatever the fuck was happening it took an additional 20 minutes for the guy to go back and forth from the counter to the desk, look at the computer, back to the back, back to the computer back to the back, still missed half my order... 3rd time was the charm to get everything... I CALLED TO VERIFY IT WAS READY 20 minutes ago?? How???

That was the 2nd terrible experience, the 3rd and final being the part online is $100 less than the part on the shelf, takes 3 days to get there and they only "put the order in to Toyota 2 days a week"... What a shit business model I'm not buying NOS parts for $100 more.

1st being a almost 2 month wait for a windshield and gasket with no order fulfilled, denied or a response to 3 emails and 2 calls. Gasket arrived 7 weeks before they told me the windshield was NLA... but was order-able on the Toyota site... Whatever, mostly Toyota USAs fault on that part.

 

[CTS]

Wow, some rough experiences w/ Stevenson! The handful of interactions I've had with their parts department have been good, but I usually order online from Serra Toyota when they do their big sales. It takes a month to get parts from Serra, but if you're not in a hurry, it's been a good option for me.

 

[RayRay27]

Wife took her 2019 Highlander in to get a noise diagnosed at Stevinson today. They just quoted us 11k to replace the transmission.

 

[Cruisertrash]

@HoneyBadger I go to Groove as well. Don at the parts counter is great and I've been training him for a few years on oddball 40, 60, and non-US parts that have potential US part crossovers. He'll dig deep on the computer and make phone calls for me now. He's learned to game the system when my bulk orders get flagged in the system by breaking it up into multiple smaller orders and spacing them out a day at a time - he figured this out without me asking and now just does it for me. Jose at the parts counter was good too but he was replaced with a younger guy who's still getting the hang of some of my "old truck" requests. I have little experience with the service end of things, just two 60 Series fuel tank recalls over the course of 5 years. Both were a little touch and go, back and forth, but got done. I don't blame them for that. They're doing oil changes on 2023 Corollas all day and my truck isn't something they ever really see. It's probably older than most of them by a couple decades. Ryan was my service writer both times and he was fine.

Mountain States denied me on both fuel tank recalls so I hold an unnecessary grudge against them haha.

 

[HoneyBadger]

Wife took her 2019 Highlander in to get a noise diagnosed at Stevinson today. They just quoted us 11k to replace the transmission.

So now they're smoking crack over there!?

 

[madorbit]

Oof none of that is good!

I’m not a huge fan of Mountain States but they’re close. Their prices are list or list+ most of the time. Any kind of discount over there would be awesome but not likely.

 

[OilHammer]

A 2019 needs a transmission? You doing Marco rental neutral drops? Sheesh. Please tell me they didn’t direct you to trade ins and new car sales as they handed that quote over.

 

[Lastresort576]

A 2019 needs a transmission? You doing Marco rental neutral drops? Sheesh. Please tell me they didn’t direct you to trade ins and new car sales as they handed that quote over.

the gasser highlanders have horrible transmissions and need replacements around 30k-50k miles. its crazy there hasnt been a recall on them. supposedly its been fixed, but doubtful. The cvt in the hybrids is pretty solid though.