On April 20th, 2016 I received a phone call from telephone # 985-218-0094. I answered and was greeted by someone calling from Toyota to schedule my 2006 Corolla for an important recall appointment to modify the passenger air bags. I had received 2 prior notifications by regular mail in the preceding weeks, so I was aware of the recall. The representative scheduled my vehicle for a service appointment at Northshore Toyota in Covington, LA for Saturday April 30th , 2016 at 8:00 AM. I was told it would take approximately 3 hours. Later that day I received an email confirming my appointment.

On April 30th, 2016 I got out of bed very early to go drop my vehicle off for the scheduled appointment. My wife followed to pick me up in her RAV4. We are a Toyota family – bought both of our vehicles from Northshore Toyota. At the dealership at 7:30 AM, I was approached by one of the service department employees who were signing up the vehicles for service that day. I was asked what I needed and I responded that I had an appointment to handle the recall for the air bags. The employee looked at me like I was an idiot and asked who had I spoken to because I did not have an appointment and that he KNEW those parts were on backorder. I was kind of startled at his response and told him I had been called a week and a half ago and even had an email confirming the appointment. I was told – “No sir”. The employee then went back into the building to “check”. After 5-10 minutes he re-appeared and told me that there were 6 of these parts in stock but they were all assigned for customers. I did not have an appointment and that was that. Sorry. I asked to speak to a Manager and was told that there was no Manager on Saturdays. I had no recourse left but to leave and return home, followed by my wife. At home I pulled the email verifying my service appointment and called the listed number on the email – 1-888-480-7382. At this number I received advertisements attempting to sign me up for DISH Network TV and then State Farm Insurance and more. This was supposed to be the number for Northshore Toyota as listed on the email. So I called the original number that had called me – 985-218-0094 and got voicemail. I left a message asking what was going on with scheduling appointments. I never did receive a response back. I then went on the Internet to see if I could contact the Toyota customer service department. The site states: “Need help? Have a question? Get instant answers 24/7.” When I called the number, they were closed. I guess 24/7 means something different to Toyota. I then looked up the number for Northshore Toyota on the internet – which listed 1-877-575-7585 as the Service Dept. I reached the main operator and requested to speak to someone in charge of the Service Dept. I was transferred to the service dept., which did not pick up the phone, then transferred to voice mail, which then told me “Not available”, then transferred back to the Operator, who didn’t pick up, then to the Operator Voice mail where I received another message on “Not Available” and then hung up on. So I called back and got the operator again and was then told there was no one in the Service Department that was a manager. So I asked for a Manager of Northshore Toyota and was told that there was no Managers on Saturdays. So the Operator then connected me to “Charles” from the Sales department, who then went to the Service Department to find someone. I was then transferred to “Adam” in the service department who explained that there was an ongoing “problem” with Toyota Corporate scheduling these Recall updates and the parts being on backorder. He took down my information and said they would order the parts under my name and call when they came in. But it would be a while because there were over 4000 of these recalls in the area. So bottom line, I wasted my time, my wife’s time, was treated like an idiot at the dealership, found out that the dealership which I had bought 2 new cars from couldn’t even be bothered to have Managers on duty on Saturdays, and that Corporate Toyota apparently gives out my personal information to 3rd party vendors they hire to schedule bogus service appointments that are never communicated to the dealerships they are scheduled at. And I – the lowly customer – am treated like an idiot in the whole process.

On May 16th I received a Voicemail from Northshore Toyota stating that my parts were in and I should call for an appointment immediately.

On May 18th I called Northshore Toyota to schedule my appointment. Adam answered the phone. I was asked when I wanted to schedule my appointment and I requested Saturday May 21. I was told that they do not schedule appointments on Saturdays and it was first come, first serve. So if I brought my vehicle in they could not promise it would be completed that day. So after treating me like crap the first time around, they do it again.

On May 19th I received an email from Toyota Corporate stating that they do not have 3rd party vendors contact customers to schedule appointments for the recalls. It must be the local dealer. And the dealership says it is Toyota Corporate. And I, the lowly customer, must have dreamed up the whole thing.

What rotten service from the dealership Northshore Toyota, Toyota Corporate, and some of the employees at the dealership. I won't be back.

Just makes me wonder – my family’s vehicles are getting up their in mileage. Do I really want to purchase another vehicle from a company like this? I’ve owned Toyota’s my entire life – might be time to look into something else. Maybe other car companies CARE about their customers.