Burien Toyota

I was a loyal customer for many years and was burned so bad that I can never go there ever again. I now go to Michaels Toyota in Bellevue. I work overseas and keep my 4Runner in a storage unit on a Tri bad that I can never go there ever again. I now go to Michaels Toyota in Bellevue. I work overseas and keep my 4Runner in a storage unit on a Trickle Charger. I am away for 3 months at a time. Then I am home for 3 months, before heading back overseas. When I am back in the states, I put an enormous number of miles on it, and therefore keep it maintained to Like-New condition at a great expense. Burien Toyota always performed this maintenance. This is what happened. I was hosting a Japanese National in America for a month. I was to take this person on a very detailed tour of Western Montana for 4 weeks. The schedule was complicated and I had to make sure I had this person at every hotel on the reserved day and at every one of their obligations. There was very little room for error. I came back home a few days before the Japanese National came, so that I could perform all the maintenance on my 4Runner at Burien Toyota before I hit the road. It had only been 2160 miles since my last oil change (I keep a maintenance log book in the vehicle). I had them change the Engine Oil, and the Gear Oil in the Differentials and Transfer Case. I also had them change the Belts on the engine and change the Battery and rotate the tires also. This was $644.64. A fair price. I dropped the 4Runner off on Friday, 8/21/09. I was scheduled to pick up the Japanese National from the Airport on Monday, 8/24/09. The Service Advisor called called and said the vehicle was ready, but the Transfer Case has a crack. He told me that is was cracked and leaking before I came in and the Transfer Case didn't have much Gear Lube in it when they drained it. Since they inspect and check the Transfer Case and Differentials every time they perform an Engine Oil Service, and they have been checking it off as OK on the "Quality Vehicle Inspection" reports which I have filed, I knew something was not right. I told him I will be there in 10 minutes. He told me he would not be there. I arrived 10 minutes later to find that he told me the truth; the Transfer Case was cracked and he, indeed, had went home. The crack was at the Transfer Case Drain Plug and it was Very Big and Very Bright (no accumulated dirt, meaning a very fresh crack). I drove it home (10 minutes) and pondered my options. I looked back under the vehicle again and it had a 6" diameter puddle in my drive way after only 5 minutes of sitting there. I was watching the drips at about 1 every 5 seconds. I took it back to Burien Toyota. The other Service Techs there put it back on the lift and and advised me not to drive the vehicle. Because they were not the ones that worked on it, they couldn't do anything about it. But they did give me the Loaner Car and told me to leave the 4Runner there until my original Service Advisor could address the problem. I drove the Loaner car back the next day, Saturday, and tried to get someone to address the problem, because I was very nervous I would not be able to meet my obligations to have the Japanese National in Montana on Tuesday. Nobody could look at. I tried every angle. After years of loyal patronage, and over $100,000 spent at Burien Toyota over the years, their operating policies would not allow anyone else to help me out of this emergency, except my original Service Advisor, who had the weekend off. On Tuesday, my original Service Advisor came back to work and spoke about possibly welding and maybe in a couple of weeks, and possibly, if.....I explained it is an emergency of TIME. So he found a rebuild Transfer Case at a Junk Yard and installed it. Inspecting it and looking at the fasteners, gaskets, and seals, it is obvious that it was not rebuilt. But, I was just happy to get on the road. They made me pay the $1264.44 for the "Rebuilt" Transfer Case. Why did they need to lie to me? Bolts snap, treads strip, housing crack...These things happen even to the best mechanic. My 4Runner sits in a storage unit without a single drip on the floor. I have saved every "Quality Vehicle Inspection" report and they have been checking off that there was no leaks and that the gear oil level in the transfer case was fine. If indeed, the Transfer Case was cracked and leaking at the Drain Plug, then why did they change the oil in instead of calling me to show me? I got my 4Runner back on Wednesday, 8/26/09. The Japanese National and I missed only one important meeting, one other important obligation, and 3 hotel reservations. I gave them a lot of money though out the years. After many years of being a very loyal customer to Burien Toyota, in the end, I was betrayed. It wasn't because of money. It wasn't because of loyalty. It is simply their nature. I now go to Michaels Toyota in Bellevue. What a difference! More

Have brought three different Toyotas here, for both routine and major service over the past six years. Communication is excellent, including discussions with the service techs about my MR2 Turbo. Pa routine and major service over the past six years. Communication is excellent, including discussions with the service techs about my MR2 Turbo. Parts dept. good, too. Much better than Larson in Tacoma. More

These are the good guys. No hassles & they did what they said they would do. Will definitely put them on my shopping list for the future. Pat, the General Manager came out and saw me personally. I though said they would do. Will definitely put them on my shopping list for the future. Pat, the General Manager came out and saw me personally. I thought Burien was kind of out of the way; but it was really easy to get to - not far from the airport. More

Great, honest and direct. Bought several cars there and will always go back.... will always go back.... More