Among our many loyal readers, few imagine that one day they will have to use our services. So begins an e-mail sent to us a few weeks ago by Lionel B., a reader from Pom Pertouse (31).
This lucky owner of a Toyota Rav4 222 AWD with 2019 year has been battling with Toyota France for some time to resolve a problem affecting the SUV.
The story begins a little over four years ago, when Lionel received the keys to his brand new car. Predictably, he then signed up warranty extension offered by the brand, should protect it from any unpleasant surprises for 6 years and 200,000 km. Enough to be calm for the future!
Rub the steering wheel
Unpleasant surprises, our reader just had two in a row. The first concerns leather steering wheel cover. Only 75,300 kmhere is this one elite fully. So at the last service, Lionel informed his dealer and asked for this part to be replaced. He is hardly surprised by this shortcoming and even tells his client that he is not the first one to have this happen to him.
The second bad news is that this part not covered by extended warranty. Therefore, the price is set at 1,592 euros. However, the garage submitted a support request which was accepted by 47%, reducing the estimate to €844. Not enough for Lionel!
Our defense strategy
When our reader heard about Toyota’s offer, he was very disappointed. Indeed, in his opinion, the steering wheel is not a wearing part, and since his Rav4 is only 4 1/2 years old and 75,300 km, the repair should be free. Especially since the defects associated withleather covering Toyota steering wheels are quite common.
The calculation of our experts coincides with Lionel: such care is the responsibility of the brand if the car has not reached 5 years or 100,000 km.
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Source: Auto Plus
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.