‘One of the biggest scams in the automotive industry’: Toyota dealership quotes $8,600 for his repair. Then he fixed it for 50 bucks
A Toyota customer is going viral after alleging that a Texas-area dealership attempted to overcharge him for repairs.
Earl (@earlshreds) said he visited a Toyota dealership in Humble, Texas, after his car started malfunctioning. Specifically, he said that his vehicle was “shifting rough” and that the check engine light was on.
But after getting quoted an absurd price for repairs, Earl said he decided to take matters into his own hands. He called the automotive repair industry a “scam” after he managed to fix his car problems for less than $100. As of Monday, his video calling out Toyota had amassed more than 555,800 views.
“Biggest scams in [the] automotive industry,” the content creator wrote in the text overlay of his clip.
Customer calls out Toyota and automotive dealerships
In his video, Earl said the Texas-based Toyota dealership he visited attempted to charge him nearly $8,600 to get his car fixed.
Not wanting to pay that much, the content creator said that he fixed his car himself. He said he spent $50 “in fluid and parts” and manually changed out his car’s transmission fluid.
Just like that, the problem was fixed, he said.
“$50 later, changed out the transmission fluid [and] runs just fine,” Earl said of his truck. He threw up the middle finger at the Toyota dealership he visited.
“[Expletive] Toyota for doing this. [Expletive] the dealership model in the automotive industry,” he said. “It’s the biggest [expletive] scam I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”
Earl also advised his Texas-based followers not to visit the same dealership he did and alleged that he had more “horror stories” about it.
“If you want to know, let me know,” he said.
Earl shared those horror stories in a follow-up post. He said that, in addition to his transmission issues, he previously went to the dealership to receive a new catalytic converter after his got stolen. But when he took his car to the dealership, he said it put on the “cheapest” one and installed it poorly so that now the same part was “failing.”
“They used the cheapest ones, and they didn’t put them on properly,” Earl said of his previous Toyota repair job. “This is how scummy they are.”
He ended his second video by claiming that car dealerships “screw” customers.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Earl via TikTok comment and to Toyota through email. The Daily Dot reached out to the Humble Toyota dealership via phone, but it declined to comment.
@earlshreds #scam #automotive ♬ original sound - Earlshreds
Do Toyota dealerships have a bad reputation?
While many Toyota models are known for their reliability, Earl certainly isn’t the first customer to complain about the manufacturer’s dealerships.
Earlier in the year, a man on Reddit alleged that he was “treated like an idiot” at his local dealer. He said that while he was ready to make a purchase, an unpleasant exchange with a sales representative caused him to change his mind.
Similarly, in 2020, another customer grumbled on a Quora thread that Toyota dealerships had become “dishonest.”
“In my last two dealings with them, two different dealerships used dishonest and deceptive tactics to try to sell me a car,” the man wrote. “Are they all like this?”
But there’s no available evidence suggesting that specific manufacturers or dealerships are less reliable than the next.
That said, Toyota has slipped in terms of reliability, according to Consumer Reports. According to the outlet, Subaru is now the most reliable car brand, marking the first time that the automaker has received the top slot, which is historically dominated by Toyota.
Viewers similarly disillusioned by automakers
In the comments section of Earl’s video, several users said that they, too, don’t trust the car repair industry.
“Corporations executives sit around and figure out ways to steal money from consumers, legally,” one viewer alleged.
“Automotive dealerships are no different from the medical industry,” another claimed.
“Every dealership does this scam,” a third user said.
“Starting to feel like everything is a scam,” a fourth commenter wrote. “Greed for $.”
Others, however, questioned whether Earl’s fix would last his car long-term.
“It will be back with issues,” one user wrote. “Promise.”
“Give us an update in the next 30 days,” another asked.
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The post ‘One of the biggest scams in the automotive industry’: Toyota dealership quotes $8,600 for his repair. Then he fixed it for 50 bucks appeared first on The Daily Dot.