Mike Calvert Toyota — Local services in Houston

I sent the email below to the dealership general manager on January 2 and have yet to hear back regarding my concerns during a recent vehicle purchase.

Good morning Mike,

I’ve been reflecting on whether to reach out, and ultimately decided that, if I were in your position, I would want to hear about a recent customer's experience.

With the holiday season and travel, I apologize for the delay in contacting you.

On December 7, I purchased a 2025 Sequoia TRD Pro from your dealership, through Rene. The negotiation process went smoothly, and I appreciated Rene’s professionalism. However, I wanted to share some issues we encountered during the process: Cleanliness and Make-Ready: During the test drive, I mentioned that the vehicle was not properly cleaned. There were remnants of food (likely fried) in the seats and cup holders, and greasy fingerprints on the interior of the doors. Rene assured me the vehicle would be cleaned before delivery, but when we picked it up, it was still in the same condition. I was disappointed with the make-ready team's attempt to prepare the vehicle, as it gave the impression that attention to detail was lacking.

Add-Ons: After finalizing the price, we were asked to wait for about 20 minutes to meet with the "add-on" guy, who tried to sell us items we already had, like wheel locks. This felt unnecessary and time-consuming.

Finance Experience: The finance representative, while initially friendly, was evasive when we asked about interest rates. We were only given information on warranties and how that affected the total monthly payment, which we didn’t ask for. We wanted to see the interest rate and monthly payments only. After pressing, we were finally shown an interest rate that was much higher than expected for our nearly perfect credit. We had to specifically request a different bank option, which resulted in a rate over 1% better. Despite indicating that we weren’t interested in any warranties, the representative continued to push for over 10 minutes until I had to firmly state that we were prepared to leave if we didn't move on.

Loan Paperwork Issue: An additional issue I’d like to address is with the loan paperwork. I specifically requested to be the primary on the loan, as the vehicle is mine, not my husband's. However, the finance representative mistakenly put my husband’s name first. As a result, all emails, loan details, and information are going to him, creating a significant inconvenience when trying to set up accounts with Toyota and the finance company. All of the emails, Social Security information, and phone numbers are tied to him instead of me, which has been very frustrating.

ToyotaCare Discrepancy: Another point of concern was when the finance representative promised us a ToyotaCare package with 5 years, 50,000 miles, and oil changes every 10k miles. However, we received an email from Toyota stating it was actually 2 years, 25,000 miles. This discrepancy was quite disappointing, as I trusted the information she provided.

Vehicle Condition: After purchase, we noticed two 1-inch scratches above the driver’s door handle and a gouge on the passenger side. These imperfections weren’t visible on the dreary day of purchase, but they were noticeable once we were able to inspect the vehicle in the sunlight.

Dash Cam: Finally, when I went to set up the dash cam, I couldn't find the password. I reached out to Rene, and while he promised to follow up immediately, I have yet to hear back. It's been three weeks.

I was planning to post a review on the Google page as requested, but wanted to reach out to you directly first to share these concerns and get your perspective.

Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to...

AVOID THIS DEALERSHIP AT ALL COSTS

My wife and I purchased a Toyota Certified Pre-Owned vehicle from Mike Calvert Toyota last month. We’ve bought vehicles at other dealerships over the years, and unfortunately, have come to expect the usual dealership “games”: dragged-out pricing negotiations, long waits, pushy financing and extended warranty pitches, etc. Mike Calvert is no exception. If you just roll over and accept their miscellaneous BS fees and overpriced add-ons, you’ll be out the door quickly. But if you try to negotiate a fair, out-the-door price and decline their extras, expect to spend 6+ hours getting strung along as they try to wear you down. Sadly, this is par for the course at most dealerships — but it’s not the reason for our 1-star review.

The real problem started after the sale.

As part of our purchase agreement, the dealership promised to provide all-weather mats, remove a few minor dents, and buff out scratches on the passenger side (this was documented in a written "We Owe" agreement). To their initial credit, the dents were removed. But the mats weren’t in stock — another empty promise from the sales team. Worse, the collision center attempted to buff the scratches and ruined the paint in the process, leaving deep swirl marks all down the sides of the car. The paint now looks significantly worse than when we bought the vehicle.

We went back to the collision center, who agreed the damage was there but told us they couldn’t fix it without sales team approval — and from there began a ridiculous game of finger-pointing between departments, with no one stepping up to resolve the issue.

We then got Toyota Corporate involved, and were connected to a customer relations manager at Mike Calvert. To her credit, she quickly shipped us the missing mats. She also initially said she’d help schedule a paint repair at a Toyota dealer near us (in Austin), which gave us hope. But that quickly changed: we were later told that “management decided” Mike Calvert Toyota would not repair the damage because “fixing the paint wasn’t in the original purchase agreement,” and that “they’re not really sure what happened, but the damage must have occurred elsewhere.”

Let me be clear — the dealership caused the damage, and now refuses to take responsibility. They are using the absence of a paint clause in the purchase agreement to dodge liability, even though their own people caused the issue.

We’ve documented everything and made it clear how unacceptable this is, but they clearly don’t care. We’ve received nothing but broken promises and runarounds.

As if that weren’t enough, shortly after we wrote a check for the vehicle, our bank account information was somehow used to pay off a random credit card we’ve never heard of. Fortunately, our bank supported us and reversed the charge, but we’ve never had a security issue like this — until we handed our account information to Mike Calvert Toyota. Make of that what you will.

Bottom line: we will never do business with Mike Calvert Toyota again. Their lack of integrity, poor customer service, and failure to take responsibility for their actions should be a major red flag for any...

I am compelled to share my extremely disappointing experience during my recent service visit, which demands your immediate attention.

On Monday, June 30th, I dropped off my Toyota Tundra at your service department to address some recalls. During the check-in process, I was offered a rental vehicle; however, I was not informed that the rental would only be complimentary for the day of service.

While my truck was in your care, your team recommended an oil change and tire rotation following the diagnostic work. I agreed to this additional service, understanding it would extend the timeline for completing my vehicle’s repairs. However, I received no updates on my truck’s status until 6:00 PM on Wednesday, July 2nd, when I was finally told that it was ready. Due to my work schedule, I could not collect my vehicle before closing that evening, so I arrived today, Thursday, July 3rd.

Upon arrival, the initial service representative informed me that I would be responsible for paying rental charges for the three days following the completion of my vehicle’s service. I made it clear that I had never been advised of this policy and requested to speak with a manager.

James Bagwell, the Service Drive Manager, came to speak with me and responded condescendingly and dismissively, asking, “Did you think you were going to have the rental indefinitely?” His unprofessional attitude was completely unacceptable.

Frustrated, I requested to escalate my concerns to his supervisor. Gwen Leigh, the Customer Relationship Manager, came out to address the situation and shockingly defended James’s behavior, labeling him as one of the most “pleasant” team members. This response only further fueled my dissatisfaction, as it is clear that the root of the issue lies in a lack of effective communication and respect.

This entire situation is particularly disheartening because, when I dropped off my truck, I had a positive conversation with your sales associate, Lewis Byrd. I had every intention of purchasing a new Tundra to replace my current vehicle, along with a new vehicle for my wife. However, this experience has made it clear that I will not be doing business with Mike Calvert Toyota in the future.

To summarize, my primary concerns are: Lack of upfront communication regarding the rental vehicle policy. Absence of follow-up communication during the service period. Rude and condescending behavior from your Service Drive Manager, James Bagwell. A Customer Relationship Manager, Gwen Leigh, who defended inadequate customer service rather than addressing my concerns appropriately.

This experience has severely undermined my trust in your dealership and your commitment to customer service. I was prepared to continue servicing my vehicle and making future purchases with Mike Calvert Toyota , but this will no longer be the case.

I strongly urge you to review this incident thoroughly and take immediate action to rectify the significant gaps in communication and customer service that led to this unacceptable experience. Your prompt attention to this matter...