Toyota Financial Services dumps problem car on Toyota Motor Sales & Vice Versa

The saga continues. After repeated letters and phones calls to Toyota Motor Sales of USA in regards to our sludged 97 Camry, in exasperation Mr. Van Huang exclaimed that this was a case of lack of maintanence on a leased vehicle from Toyota Financial Services (TFS) and therefore we should be complaining to them.

Enter Mr, Jim Merritt of TFS who on his first letter to us admitted that lessees were responsible for the condition of their leased vehicles but if TFS was unaware of any damage then they would be unable to enforce the contract. Say What? Apparently if a lessee can drive their vehicle into the dealership without blowing smoke, shaking or "other visible signs" then the car must be in great shape. No mention of say maintanence receipts for oil changes if not done at the dealership etc etc.

Take heart lessees if you can get the car back don't worry about any things you may have forgotten to mentioned like slipping transmissions, shoddy body repairs hidden by superficial touchups, poor running engines that have been gunked up with 50wt. oil and STP etc., etc.. In fact TFS says it is under no legal obligation to inspect a returned leased vehicle.

Needless to say when we brought the issues up to Mr. Merritt he responded in his next letter by citing multiple law cases. I didn't realize We were dealing with a lawyer also since his title states Executive Administrator. However in exasperation Mr Merritt exclaimed "Any claims as to a manufactures defect, which may have caused the problems with your engine" should be directed to Toyota Motor Sales of USA.

Get the picture, don't you miss the days when Ford was Ford, Chevy was Chevy Dodge was Dodge etc., etc, Now we have corporations with bi-polar disorder who jerk customers back and forth claiming it's not their problem but the other halfs problem. If their object is to wear us down then they are mistaken.If it is to give us the feeling we are dealing with unresponsive halfs of the same corporate brain then they have succeeded.

P.S. Toyota Financial Services has "cautioned" us about registering any complaints on this website that to quote again "Does not defame Toyota's hard earned reputation which we will vigorously defend." If they spent more time listening to customers and correcting their mistakes then they wouldn't have to spend so much time and money defending their reputation. If we turn up missing contact TFS.

Ed Corkren