Dear Claudienne,

I am writing to seek your assistance with a very vexed matter with Toyota Jamaica Limited. In 2019 I bought a Toyota Rush motor vehicle from Toyota Jamaica. From the start the vehicle was a real disappointment. I had several problems and an email that I sent to the manager of the service department stated as follows:

“It was one problem after another, the speakers for the radio were not working properly, there was a noise somewhere in the dashboard, squeaking in the seats, door squeaky when opened, the visor on the passenger side light was staying on. This was disconnected by the service department that ordered a replacement but to my dismay when I eventually went to have it installed I was told that the vehicle was out of the warranty period and that I would have to pay to have it done. The visor is literally breaking apart — it seems as if the material is rotten, and it is just one thing after another, maybe some of which I have forgotten. My latest issue is the fact that four years after purchasing this vehicle, the roof and bonnet are now burning out! I bought a 2005 Nissan Sunny in 2011 or 2012 and up to 2019 when I sold it to purchase the Rush, the colour was still intact.

I want to place on record that when purchasing the Rush I asked for a red vehicle, but was told that I would receive a maroon red vehicle. However, when I went to the depot to register the vehicle I had to change my documents to reflect that I owned a purple vehicle.

Although Toyota took some steps to correct some of the problems, the matter of the paintwork was not addressed. I wrote to the manager who forwarded me to the service department’s representative or manager (not sure which), who invited me to take the vehicle to the Toyota garage for it to be examined. After the vehicle was examined she told me that they would write to Toyota Japan regarding the matter.

Although the manager promised to call, she has never called. I kept calling and occasionally I was able to speak to her. During one of the calls, she told me that Japan would not deal with the matter and had asked the Jamaica Toyota office to address it. Since then they have been silent, and all my calls to her have been unanswered. In my mind Toyota has dealt me a bad deal and seem to think that I am maybe asking too much to have the problems addressed.

The paintwork on the vehicle continues to deteriorate and I am wondering if they are ignoring my plight because the warranty period on the vehicle has expired.

I am now seeking your help to see what can be made of this matter.

BF

Dear BF,

Tell Claudienne has been in communication with Toyota Jamaica in regard to your concerns. In an email the company sent you on October 18, 2024, they agreed to replace the left front sun visor on your vehicle at no cost to you. The detailed estimate of repairs set out in a PDF in the email made it clear that you would have to pay $440,001.50 to rectify the paint issues on your vehicle.

The email stated the following:

“Let me apologise for the delay in presenting the attached document to you. Attached is a copy of the estimate of repairs to rectify the paint issues highlighted. We will be taking responsibility of supplying and installing the left front sun visor ie the cost will be borne by Toyota Jamaica Limited. Please review the attached document and let us know if you have any questions via this thread.”

Tell Claudienne notes that a paragraph of your email response to the estimate Toyota sent you stated:

“In perusing the quotation, I confess that I looked more than once to see if I missed a line item to say Toyota will absorb this cost. Unfortunately, that was not so as not even the GCT was waived. No consideration was given to accept responsibility regarding the vehicle defects, not even a compromise to take some responsibility by covering half the cost to repaint the vehicle. It is my hope that no other customer experiences such poor customer service and if they do, some better resolution will be reached.”

We wish you all the best.

Have a problem with a store, utility, a company? Telephone 876-936-9436 or Cell/whatsapp # 876-484-1349 or write to: Tell Claudienne c/o Sunday Finance, Jamaica Observer, 40-42 1/2 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston 5; or e-mail: edwardsc@jamaicaobserver.com. Please include a contact phone number.