Bienvenido a Toyota Nuestro Concesionario en Richmond

I got an email from Group 1 Toyota Fort Bend: "Recommended Services (OTHER) : during the process of bleeding the coolant system, noticed a harsh chirping noise coming from the belt tensioner and the idler pulleys. recommend replacing all idler pulleys and belt tensioner along with a new belt and water pump" I knew that the water pump had been changed by the previous owner just 3K miles ago. I took it back and asked the service advisor Angel Montalvo to confirm that the water pump, pulleys and belt tensioner were not changed by the previous owner as reported to me (via CarFax). The response I got back was "Verified all parts are working properly." and that I needed to Evacuate and Recharge the AC system and AC System Cleaning. I later learned that an A/C evacuation and recharge be done should only be performed if: The A/C no longer cools properly. The system has been opened for repairs (compressor, condenser, evaporator, hoses, etc.). Refrigerant has leaked out and the leak has been repaired. Moisture or contamination has entered the system. Simply recovering and refilling refrigerant as preventive maintenance is not recommended. In fact, if the system is cooling well, opening it unnecessarily introduces the possibility of contamination or leaks. What about "A/C System Cleaning"? Many shops sell services that include: Evaporator disinfectant/foam treatment Mold and odor removal Vent cleaning These are only worthwhile if you have: Musty odors from the vents Visible mold Reduced airflow caused by debris on the evaporator Otherwise, Toyota does not list this as routine maintenance. I asked to speak to the service advisor Angel Montalvo but he was not available. The new service advisor could not determine whether the parts were new or original. I feel that the Service Advisor Angel Montalvo is selling un-necessary services. I feel like I was "Taken" by Service Advisor Angel Montalvo and his technician. I will be more careful of the Group 1 Toyota Fort Bend service department in the future.

I brought my vehicle in for a transmission issue. They said it was because I needed a driveshaft spacer due to my lift and need to take to an Offroad shop to fix. Okay. Did that. That made the overall ride smoother but still have the transmission issue. They also told me at this visit for a transmission issue that I needed lower control arms. I approved that but then, they gave my truck back to me that was incredibly out of alignment and was horrible to drive and I didn’t have any steering issues when I brung it in for service. I brought it back and they couldn’t figure it out and said I would need to take to to an off-road shop for that as well and get adjustable upper control arms. So… while I brought it to the other shop for the driveshaft spacer, I also told them what they said about the alignment. Turns out the upper control arm ball joints were bad and this is why they couldn’t align it. This could have been diagnosed and fixed there at Toyota the entire time….. and I still have my transmission issue.