Toyota of Anaheim — Local services in Anaheim

I was really excited about Miller Toyota. They have a ton of good reviews, but also less than good reviews. I read through quite a few of them before my visit, especially the service department. It seemed like a mixed bag. But, that happens anywhere. I decided to try them out anyways.

The issues started right as I arrived at the dealership for my 2:15 p.m. appointment for an Oil Change. I arrived at 2:00 p.m. sharp, I pulled into the service bay marked for scheduled appointments. I was not greeted by anyone until 2:10 p.m. when a older gentleman walked by and asked what I was there for. I gave him the information he needed, and was told to wait. He would go and find someone to assist me, and the other customers waiting.

At 2:18 p.m. a service advisor starts putting protective sheets/mats into cars. He gets to my car, and it’s locked. No one told me to keep it unlocked, so I locked it out of habit. He scoffs, and shakes his head. As he starts to walk away I unlock the car, he looks back and sees me unlocking the car. He then tells me I should be standing by my car, and that’s why nobody has assisted me. This came off very rude to me with the tone of voice he had. I pushed it aside as everyone has off days, especially since COVID-19 has happened.

I told him that earlier I was told to wait near the other customers I was standing near. I was no more than 3ft from my car. He then asked me to pull my car forward (prior cars were parked far apart) so that customers behind me with an appointment could also pull forward.

I get out of my car and Roberto the service advisor helping me, scans the VIN number on my car. He starts asking for information, starting with my name. He couldn’t quite make out my name when I spoke the first time (I’m speaking through a mask, and trying to some distance) and I tell him it’s pronounced Colby, like Colby Jack Cheese. He laughs a bit at that and continues with asking for information. We get that all sorted, and he starts saying something. It was hard to hear what he was saying, as the mask made everything sound like it was mumbled. Next thing I know he’s having me sign off on his tablet, tells me the Oil Change will take 2 hours.

I’m stunned and say okay. I understood they were a little busy, but it wasn’t as busy as I’ve seen dealers get before. I tell him I’ll wait for my car to be finished, and go take a seat in the waiting area. I should have clarified everything with him before I went, but I was sure he had my name right. I then get a text message from Roberto saying I could contact him with any questions at that number. I noticed my name was spelt wrong. Coldy. I tell him how it’s spelt and reiterate that this happens all the time. I get no response back. Fine, I trusted that he’d correct it.

I wait. My car is first moved starting at 2:25 p.m. and a few more times, before I finally regain possession of it at 5:05 p.m. I waited nearly 3 hours for an oil change I was told would take 2 hours! The most any other Toyota Dealership has needed was 1 hour and 30 minutes tops. If they needed it longer they let me know ahead of time, without me having to reach out to them.

They only response I got from Roberto is after I asked. His response was “should be coming up shortly”. I then had to wait another 50 minutes, before I saw my car moved again. I know when my car is moved because, I use a mileage tracker/obd2 reader that notifies me anytime my car is started/stopped.

The only good thing about my experience was with the front desk lady. She was very kind, and helped schedule my appointment over the phone.

I enjoyed seeing her smile and her help when I needed to find out who the service manger was as well. Turns out it was the man who left a sour impression about standing near my car.

I decide to check my car. I always do this after any service. I end up finding that they damaged my rear passenger tire. There’s a small slit, and a few puncture marks.

I didn’t speak to anyone about this, as I was ready to leave. Overall, I feel like I waisted nearly 3 hours of my day, for...

One of the worst customer service experiences. My front axle was making noise, but my Camry is covered by the warranty. When I made the original appointment, they asked if I needed a shuttle home, so I said yes. When I arrived for my 5:00 pm appointment they said that their shuttle stopped at 4:00 pm but the Service Manager would see if they could get me a Lyft. When they saw the cost of the Lyft they said no, they could not help. I understand that it is not their responsibility to drive me home but why add that as part of the appointment? I told my girlfriend to go to Irvine with her family, so I had no ride home. My cell phone didn’t have any battery, so I walked 5 miles home during a heatwave, carrying my work equiptment. If you think I’m exaggerating, look up the weather on September 6th in Anaheim, 103 degrees. They kept my car all weekend because the service advisor said that he was trying to get the approval for the work to be covered by the warranty but then he told me that the warranty department at Toyota isn’t open on the weekend and that he will have to call them on Monday to get the approval to do the work so I could pick up my car and make another appointment to drop it off after they have an approval. The service adviser, I forget his name, Darrel or Darnell, acted as if he hated the sight of customers, he only wanted to leave. He would wear shirts with Honda logos on them just to show everyone how little he cared about his job at a Toyota dealer. He would tell me that it was late and that he would email the receipts the next day, but he never did. When I was on my way to pick up my vehicle, he called and said that they did extra work on my car that I did not request, and was not covered by the warranty and I would need to pay an extra $850 but he was going to talk to the manager to see if they could reduce the price. I told him I was not paying for any work that I did not request, which seemed to upset him. They repaired one side of the axle and told me to pick up the car but once I did they said that they still hear a noise on the other side and will need to change that axel as well but I would have to get the approval from the warranty department and they would need to order the part which would take two weeks. When I picked up my car the wheel cover was on my back seat. Why? I mean just why put a wheel cover that is caked with brake dust on the back seat? Why isn’t it on the wheel? No one at this dealership cares about your car or their customers. I waited the two weeks and no call so I called their parts department, and they said that they could have the part delivered in three days if I wanted to buy it and install it myself. I kept trying to call the service adviser, but he did not answer the phone or return calls. I tried to call the manager to ask for a new service advisor as he was never available and did not care about the customers issues anyways but after sitting on hold for close to 30 minutes the secretary said that I cannot wait on hold any more and that she will give my information to the manager to call me back. I am still waiting for the return call today. After four weeks of waiting for the part, I called the warranty department at Toyota to find another dealership to go to in order to have the car repaired. This was over a month since the initial appointment at Miller Toyota. Just an fyi, the other dealership took my car and gave me a free rental that was covered by the warranty and had the car repaired, washed, and returned within a week. It was the type of service that I would expect when buying a Toyota so I would recommend going somewhere else, I do not see any reason to go to Miller Toyota. They are either completely incompetent or do not care...

I recently searched for a used car and found a 2016 Toyota Highlander on Toyota of Anaheim's website that fit my budget. Using their online feature, I requested a test drive. Almost immediately, I began receiving calls and texts welcoming me to the "Toyota Family" and urging me to schedule my test drive. Since I urgently needed a reliable vehicle, I took half a day off work--losing $300 in wages--and set up my appointment for 12 PM the next day.

On the morning of my appointment, I received a text confirming my test drive, which I acknowledged. However, when I arrived, it was clear the vehicle they showed me was not the same one pictured online. Additionally, the manager informed me that the car was not ready for a test drive but still wanted to proceed with closing the deal. He handed me the key so I could start the car and look inside, but it was evident that it hadn't even been processed for safety or sale. I should have left then, but the manager reassured me with enough promises to keep me engaged.

I was introduced to a pleasant Sales Representative, who processed my information and passed me to the Finance Representative. We put together a financing package--including a security system, warranty, and gap insurance--and sent it to my credit union for approval. However, the Finance Representative later informed me that my credit union denied the request because the car's price exceeded its appraised value. To proceed, I would need to put down a large cash payment, which I didn't have. I made it clear that my only available funds were the $25,000 pre-approved by my credit union. and decided to go home and reconsider my options.

Shortly after, another representative suggested I apply for Toyota financing. I firmly declined, reiterating that I only wanted to work with my credit union. I told them I would regroup and return in a day or so. Upon arriving home, I received multiple texts and voicemails stating that the dealership had lowered the price to meet my credit union's requirements. However, they now required a $500-$1,000 down payment, which I didn't have. I told them I would try to borrow the money and update them the next morning.

The following morning, I was texted to inquire if I would be in that day to complete the deal. I informed the Sales Representative that I had managed to borrow $600, and she confirmed it was sufficient. When I arrived at the dealership, I was introduced to the Finance Manager, who was supposedly finalizing my paperwork. However, I quickly sensed that he was processing an entirely different deal than the one we had previously agreed upon. Suddenly, I received a phone alert that my credit report had been pulled. When I confronted the Finance Manager, he admitted that, without my consent, he had not only run my credit report but also applied for financing--directly violating my instructions. As a result, my credit score took two major hits.

In summary: I was misled by a deceptive vehicle listing. I was falsely promised a scheduled test drive. I was lied to about a finalized deal. I was manipulated into returning to the dealership. (See Above) My credit report was pulled without my permission. Financing was applied for against my explicit instructions. I lost half a day's pay.

When I expressed my frustration, the manager attempted to blame my credit union instead of taking responsibility. As a longtime Toyota customer,

I am thoroughly disgusted by this experience and will no longer do business with Toyota of Anaheim.

Follow Up to Review: Now that I am getting letters from various auto financing companies I have discovered that they ran at minimum, three hard checks on my credit when they were only...