Pontiac Vibe to Toyota's dealer for maintenance

[decripit]

Hi, I own a Pontiac Vibe since 2 months and now I'm most ready for my oil change (yeah! baby!! yeah!). So my question is simple: The Pontiac Vibe is a Toyota (at the base) so can I go to a Toyota dealer for maintenance? Thanks!

[Big_Red]

You can go anywhere for your maintenance, but why would you want to?

[decripit]

Ok sorry it's not crystal clear..Does the Vibe and the Matrix are exactly the same cars? Can I use toyota's genuine parts (oil filter, auto transmission fluid, prestone, spark plug, air filter, etc...) on a Vibe?I't s because I have good rebates on toyota stuff (including service and parts)THANKS A LOT FRIENDS!!

[Pappy]

No, Toyota is NOT ALLOWED to touch your car. I'm in the same boat as you and wish it were NOT the case....My local Toyota deale is great at knowing HOW to work on product. ALL my Pontiac dealers are idiots AND thieves from my own personal experience...Sad, but I bought this car understanding it in advance. Mike

[decripit]

Hi,(update) good news, just for infoscuse my english (it's not my language)I went to my "best friend" Toyota dealer (I owned two Toyotas before this Vibe) yesterday for a oil change and lubrification for 24.95$ (canada) and VOILA!! No more "&*(&/!|@£¢ GOODWRENCH SERVICE sh*t"Well, the technician (toyota) told me that I'm not alone with my Vibe to come here.Apart from warrantly stuff I can go here with no problem (85% of the Vibe is a toyota)HI GUYS!!(why I buy a Vibe?: don't like to look of the matrix and the delay. I got my Vibe in two weeks)

[avarice]

quote: No, Toyota is NOT ALLOWED to touch your car. I'm in the same boat as you and wish it were NOT the case....My local Toyota deale is great at knowing HOW to work on product. ALL my Pontiac dealers are idiots AND thieves from my own personal experience...Sad, but I bought this car understanding it in advance. MikeAre you sure about that? I would see why a Toyota dealership would not honor the warranty, but why would they not allowed to perform maintenance on the car. Maintenance can be performed by pretty much anybody and the warranty would remain in effect.

[Vibe Rater]

quote: I got my Vibe in two weeks)Huh? You didn't factory order I assume? Bought it off the lot?

[decripit]

Yes..2 more Vibes (blue and shadow monotone) on the lots at this timeI'm in Québec, Canada. According to my dealer, Vibes in Canada are currently stocking (can I say that?)...no more back-order as of november 4)

[Pappy]

Positive....it's a conflict of interest for one brand to service another. Gentlemans agreement between em.

[Pappy]

Great if it were possible, BUT, the dealer would lose it's dealership if it did. Check and see. I've been a service manager for about 20 years now by the way.... Mike

[Pappy]

quote:Why then do you often see a Dodge Caravan in a GM garage, or a Honda Civic in a Toyota garage...I don't want to say you are not right but if this can't be the case just for the Vibe/Matrix combo? If you are talking about "factory" dealerships, I have NEVER seen this! But you had me so full of hope I called Toyota Carlsbad (just in case). They are STILL laughing, and it's been a couple of hours.... Now they thin I have Alzheimers. First a station wagon, now this! (grin) Mike

[Tronix]

Contrary to the Popular belief here. YES, you can take your car to toyota for maintenance. In Fact you can take your car to any certified repair shop for repairs or service. Your rights are Protected under the Magnuson-Moss ACT. A Dealer can not make you return to them for service. The only way they can do this is to provide those services or repair parts free of charge. this is how Mercedes and BMW get around this ACT. Much like replacing your stock air filter with a K&N air filter for more HP. it does not void your warranty. you are protected on this as well, however you can not do this on a New mecedes, because the dealer provides FREE air filters to its consumers.Here is a Link to the Magnusson-Moss Act if it helps ease your mind. http://www.mlmlaw.com/library/guides/ft ... dermag.htm I have done extensive research in this field. If you need any help with Law structure or documentation let me know -Tronix(Law skool)GT

[Pappy]

quote:Contrary to the Popular belief here. YES, you can take your car to toyota for maintenance. In Fact you can take your car to any certified repair shop for repairs or service. Your rights are Protected under the Magnuson-Moss ACT. A Dealer can not make you return to them for service. The only way they can do this is to provide those services or repair parts free of charge. this is how Mercedes and BMW get around this ACT. Much like replacing your stock air filter with a K&N air filter for more HP. it does not void your warranty. you are protected on this as well, however you can not do this on a New mecedes, because the dealer provides FREE air filters to its consumers.Here is a Link to the Magnusson-Moss Act if it helps ease your mind. http://www.mlmlaw.com/library/guides/ft ... dermag.htm I have done extensive research in this field. If you need any help with Law structure or documentation let me know -Tronix(Law skool)GT While what you say is very true, there is ONE proble....Toyota will NOT work on a domestic and vice-versa, UNLESS they are a joint dealership. You can do whatever you want regarding warranties, but a Toyota dealer is NOT even going to take the car in, unless of course they are ALSO a Pontiac Dealership....Simply call and ask. They are NOT allowed to do so! Mike

[Pappy]

quote:This might be the case in the US, but not in Canada.Also what happens, when you buy a used Toyota at a GM dealer, they will service and certify it! Ok, I thought we were talking new cars here and for factory "book" mainenance.... If anyone has a dealer that WILL do it, great, let me know of one in San Diego! I don't have a competent Pontiac dealer I know of local. As far as used goes, you can do it yourself as long as you keep parts receipts, and your warranty is intact. You see, my problem is not with worry about any warranty, I simply have NO Pontiac Dealer in my area who knows enough to be "competent" in my opinion. My local Toyota dealer, may just be the most competent in this country? They are incredible. I have BEGGED them to be my servicing dealer. Even with my 20+ year relationship as a customer and as a competing auto repair service manager, my connections don't even help. They are simply not ALLOWED to work on my car and keep their Franchise with Toyota. If this is different somewhere else, neat. I wanted to deal with my Toyota dealer for supercharger installation and any potential warranty issues that may evolve because of it. I have failed to find a way. If there IS one, somebody let me know.... Mike

[Cubanpete]

Dear Mike:For Warranty service I agree they(Toyota) cannot perform warrantywork on your vehicle even if its the same vehicule with the exception of the slicker US designed Body, but if you go in there for a tune up and oil change and you are paying for this, they will serve you. There is NO law in the US or Canada that in order to keep factory wararnty all your tune-ups and NON Maintenence work MUST be Done by GM, as a matter of fact they cant even include that in the contract as that is a form of monopolizing there income, which is illegal.You can basically go to any garage, the warranty is not voided, but if internal work has to be done like change a clutch, or the computers on board, thats a different storyGood LuckCubanpete

[Pappy]

quote:Dear Mike:For Warranty service I agree they(Toyota) cannot perform warrantywork on your vehicle even if its the same vehicule with the exception of the slicker US designed Body, but if you go in there for a tune up and oil change and you are paying for this, they will serve you. There is NO law in the US or Canada that in order to keep factory wararnty all your tune-ups and NON Maintenence work MUST be Done by GM, as a matter of fact they cant even include that in the contract as that is a form of monopolizing there income, which is illegal.You can basically go to any garage, the warranty is not voided, but if internal work has to be done like change a clutch, or the computers on board, thats a different storyGood LuckCubanpete Again, I agree complely about warranty. My wife's cats are allowed to do it. But as a service manager myself, I have to say again.....MY Toyota dealer will NOT even do an oil change or tune up on ANY other brand, PERIOD. Now IF my Toyota dealer ALSO sold Pontiac, they would of course do so and vice versa. And once again, if you can find a dealer who WOULD do general service on your "different" brand vehicle, great! I simply cannot find one in San Diego who will. My experience has been that Toyota dealers hold themselves to a MUCH higher degree of expertise in working on product than the Domestic dealers do. This almost kept me from buying the identical Vibe. I have a VERY intimate knowledge of the grief coming my way if I have to deal with Pontiac or it's dealers. I run a fairly good size auto repair shop now for over 20 years. But I personally prefered the Vibe over Matrix to such a degree, I took the chance. NOW, with the Supercharger coming, I think I made a mistake. Cuz I KNOW I will buy it and trash my new car and Pontiac will treat me like crap, scratch their incompetent heads, and blow me off....Damned that 0& financing from Pontiac! That with their selection of 17 Vibes to choose from against Toyotas NON inventory....well, I made my own decision. Please don't think I'm saying anyone HAS to go to ANY dealer for service. Maybe I just can't be clear on a keyboard? PLUS, I don't type so by the time I figure out whre all the keys are, I forget what I'm trying to say (old too ya see!). I just hope we ALL have only GREAT experiences with both brands of our fantastic lil wagons. And thanks to these forums, if we DON'T, we'll all find a way to help each other through it! Thanks again, Mike

[Heh! heh!]

I'd prefer to go to the nearest dealer so I could walk home.

[Nytmare]

Pappy, I am a Business Manager at a Pontiac, Buick, GMC dealership (Alaska Sales and Service, in Anchorage and Wasilla), and I can guarantee that any dealership WILL service ANY make of car. PERIOD. In fact, most actively seek out the owners of other brands in order to attract them to the lot. If you are a service manager at a new car lot, how many 'new' cars do you actually work on? The answer is virtually none. Once a car is sold, the second it crosses the curb it becomes a Used vehicle. I have been involved in every aspect of the car business except for manufacturting, and if there is a dealer in the country who is refusing to work on another make, I've never seen it, and find the very idea to be foolish in the extreme. There is NO agreement between dealers to not work on other brands, have you any idea how cut-throat this business is? If a dealer could do it, they would be the ONLY one servicing ANY make of vehicle, just to gain a 100% market share! Somewhere along the way, you have made an error in your thinking, and I hope this clears it up.

[Nytmare]

BTW, sorry for the revival of this thread, but I just couln't believe what I was reading,..... and I'm new.

[Pappy]

It took me 2 months to get my Toyota dealer t agree. FINALLY, they have offered to only do the mainenance-NO warranty or troubleshooting work. Mike

[Lorin]

quote:Pappy, I am a Business Manager at a Pontiac, Buick, GMC dealership (Alaska Sales and Service, in Anchorage and Wasilla), and I can guarantee that any dealership WILL service ANY make of car. PERIOD....Sorry, not true. I asked Mike Raisor Pontiac in Lafayette IN to work on my Oldsmobile because they had the best (dealer) service department in town and did great work on my Sunbird. They refused. This car was out of warranty, so no issue there. They said they only worked on brands sold by their dealership.

[Pappy]

quote:Pappy, I am a Business Manager at a Pontiac, Buick, GMC dealership (Alaska Sales and Service, in Anchorage and Wasilla), and I can guarantee that any dealership WILL service ANY make of car. PERIOD....Sorry, not true. I asked Mike Raisor Pontiac in Lafayette IN to work on my Oldsmobile because they had the best (dealer) service department in town and did great work on my Sunbird. They refused. This car was out of warranty, so no issue there. They said they only worked on brands sold by their dealership. My Toyota dealer was the same way, took FOREVER to change his mind. I know the owner personally was the ONLY reason I think they helped me. Frustrating ain't it!

[Lorin]

I bought two filters from the Toyota dealer for an XRS at only $5 each. They even through in a little brouchure explaining the wonders of Toyota OEM filters.

[Vibe Rater]

I'm taking the VIBE in for the first oil change on Monday morning. Where am I going? - to the nearest Toyota dealer. Just called and made an appointment, no problem. They provide maintenance service for all makes and models. They require 24 hours notice for non Toyota vehicles (this doesn't include the VIBE BTW) so they can have the parts delivered. I wouldn't let the (removed) Weed Pontiac dealer touch it. Once bitten, twice shy baby!