Toyoguard Plus Protection Group???

[LarryDestefano]

On my new Tundra purchase I got the Toyoguard Plus Protection Group.

Here's what's included:

• Roadside Assistance Program

• No Charge for First Oil and Filter Change at any Southeast Toyota Dealership

• Vehicle VIN Etch Glass Product Protection Program

• Exterior Paint Sealant, Undercoating and Interior Protection Application

• Rental Car Assistance for Warranty Repairs

I've spent over 2 hours searching Toyota's website to find out specifically whats spelled out in each of the bulleted items...I CAN'T!

My dealer told me that every new car buyer get's a free car wash and free Oil and Filter Change on their first service... And this was before I purchased the Toyoguard Plus Pkg.


I cant find where it spells out exactly what Roadside Assistance or Rental Car Assistance for Warranty Repairs means -- Anyone have a clue?

Vehicle VIN Etch Glass Product Protection Program? Is etching the vehicle VIN on glass a complex engraving procedure? Does it take precise German machinery to accomplish this?

What exactly is Exterior Paint Sealant? What's the process?

What is Interior Protection Application? Is this some type of fabric Scotch Guard? Isn't this applied to all new vehicles before leaving the factory?

And finally...Undercoating?

This Toyoguard was not a dealership add-on. It was a factory protection pkg. listed on the sticker. I had no choice as it couldn't be removed.

Well, did I just take a beating or is there some legitimacy to the Toyoguard Plus Protection Group?

If the news isn't good pls give it to me gently.

Thanks.

ETA: All questions were posed to my salesman on numerous occasions but at the time he was speaking in tongues and I didn't have a translator.

[OTR]

As far as warranty repairs go. I demanded the dealer provide me with a free rental car while my truck was in the shop. He tried to give me a hard time about it, I told him that this repair is an inconvienence to me and requested the GM. I got my free rental approved without hesitation. I will demand what I think is fair to me as a costomer because costomer service is going down the toilet these days.

[fla_guy]

This is a regional thing. Being in FL you are in the SET region, and they have their own gimmicks to make money. This is one of them!!

The stuff they do is done at the port. The glass etching is cool, but is about a $30 procedure (guessing). The undercoating is some rubbery stuff that they throw around under the vehicle. I don't like it - it is tacky when hot. Plus they don't do it the same. I saw one vehicle with a lot more undercoating than mine had. I asked the salesman to check it out and they put it on the hoist and said that I had all I was supposed to have. The paint protection is probably some spray, and the fabric protection is just a bottle of scotchgard.

Yeah, you get a free oil change with it too.

You might have more luck searching South East Toyota's website.

This is the quickest $700 those jokers ever make!! But it is not very common to find vehicles in the SET region without the Toyogard stuff.

Essentially, none of it is bad stuff, but they make a lot of profit on it.

[shottist]

Welcome to South East Toyota country. Fl_guy is correct. Nothing they do hurts anything and SET has found an easy way to turn a buck at your expense.

[LarryDestefano]

Thanks to all for the fast replies.

WOW! This sounds like a gimmick.

I took fla_guy's suggestion and went to South East Toyota's website. I searched every link and found no reference to the Toyoguard Plus Protection Pkg. Hmm, strange.

I'm concerned primarily with the Roadside Assistance and Rental Car Assistance for Warranty Repairs.

I guess I'll have to call Toyota tomorrow and ask where it spells out specifically (in writing) what covers Roadside and Rental Car Assistance for Warranty Repairs under theToyoguard Plus Protection Pkg I was forced to purchase.

Does Roadside Assistance mean free towing or jump if I break down by the side of the road? Does Rental Car Assistance for Warranty Repair mean that I get a free rental for however long my trucks in the shop for warranty repairs? Inquiring minds want to know.

Will report back with official responses to my inquiries.

To be continued...

[PENER]

ToyoGuard is not factory option, but as stated above regional add on. that's why it ended up on the sticker because it's added before the truck hit the dealer's lot.

it's true that this add on is purely a money maker for set AND the dealer. there are some dealers that have it on most of the trucks they order. it's not something that a very sane person would buy if they had a choice, though very often you find a truck that you love wih that option already on...

FYI
1. first oil change does not come with every Tundra purchase. just because the dealer offers or agrees to do it it's a separate issue. that particular ToyoGuard (there are proly 2 or 3 sets of those) gives you a free oil change at ANY set dealer.

2. paint protection consists of: paint sealant application, spare bottle of sealant for you for future use and PAINT PROTECTION PLAN (see the paint protection warranty card)

I have toyoguard on my truck but it wasn't my choice, the truck I liked already came with it. the package is a waste of money IMO and I don't give a damn about the free oil change either as I always use synthetics only and I'm scared to let service dept change the filter on those new Tundras.

[Brandon1]

You can get much better protection with your own Paint/Truck detailing regimine than with the toyoguard piece of crap.

[Negra]

No different then any other Extended Warranty Plan they hose customers for.

[FL_Tundra]

There is around 400% profit for the dealer on the Toyoguard package. They love to sell this. The roadside assistance basically covers locking your keys in your vehicle, running out of gas, and the usual. The rental car coverage only applies if the dealer has to keep your vehicle overnight in order to finish repairs. Does not cover rental if they can fix the problem the same day. Some dealers will give you a car for one day repairs if they are decent, but it is not part of the Toyoguard protection.

[Spartalee]

The vin etching is on all high dollar parts to deter thieves from sending your beloved truck to the chop shop.

The also supposedly add a coating to the bottom of the truck to reduce sound ( when riding in a truck without it you cant really tell the difference) but on their defense you can see it .

The roadside assistance is good if your wife is driving the truck and does not know how to change a tire or something but it only works for 50 miles from dealership

it would also be good if you need a tow since that is free as well

And of course the rental car which means nothing since any reputable dealer will give you one if you have to come in for service

And here in Alabama it is free oil changes for the life of your warranty. I dont know about in Florida.


Oh and in response to the guy above they give you a rental here if they have to keep your car more than 45 min. you just have to return it before they close that day.

[LarryDestefano]

Originally Posted by Negra

No different then any other Extended Warranty Plan they hose customers for.

Correct me if I'm wrong but the Extended Warranty Plan is a dealer add-on whereas the Toyoguard Plus Protection Plan is a factory installed accessory package. To me that's a big difference.

I think it's much harder telling the dealer you're not paying for a factory installed package already listed on the factory sticker price versus an Extended Warranty the dealer arbitrarily decides to add onto the sales contract.

Sneaky little buggers they are.

[LarryDestefano]

Originally Posted by FL_Tundra

There is around 400% profit for the dealer on the Toyoguard package. They love to sell this. The roadside assistance basically covers locking your keys in your vehicle, running out of gas, and the usual. The rental car coverage only applies if the dealer has to keep your vehicle overnight in order to finish repairs. Does not cover rental if they can fix the problem the same day. Some dealers will give you a car for one day repairs if they are decent, but it is not part of the Toyoguard protection.

Ahhh, that explains everything. Thanks Tundra.

[LarryDestefano]

Originally Posted by Spartalee

The vin etching is on all high dollar parts to deter thieves from sending your beloved truck to the chop shop.

The also supposedly add a coating to the bottom of the truck to reduce sound ( when riding in a truck without it you cant really tell the difference) but on their defense you can see it .

The roadside assistance is good if your wife is driving the truck and does not know how to change a tire or something but it only works for 50 miles from dealership

it would also be good if you need a tow since that is free as well

And of course the rental car which means nothing since any reputable dealer will give you one if you have to come in for service

And here in Alabama it is free oil changes for the life of your warranty. I dont know about in Florida.


Oh and in response to the guy above they give you a rental here if they have to keep your car more than 45 min. you just have to return it before they close that day.

Spartalee, thanks for the more indepth info.

[OrangeTexan]

Read this:

CarBuyingTips.com new car buying guide, avoiding dealer scams, new cars, used car buying

Look under the section for buying new. This guy has a lot of good info. For the short:

This extra stuff they are charging you for are marked up considerably. Vin etching is only done to the glass, and does nothing to deter the a thief from choping up the car or taking to Mexico. The paint sealant is probably the cheapest stuff they can find, probably not applied correctly, and will wear off in about 6-12 months. Undercoating does nothing for you since its typically only sprayed in the fender wells - what about the rest of the car?? Interior protection is simply Scotchguard - and is not applied if you are getting leather. Buyer beware. These are all port installed options (wherever they are distributed from like Gulf for Texas and SET for Florida) so depending on your region what you get might be different, and you know they are not taking their time to do it 100% right. One thing is for sure, it is all crap.

If you are negotiating the price of a car, and it is "already installed", you can still be nice, but simply tell them they are putting themselves at a negotiating disadvantage, since these options hold no value to you. I did that with my fiance's 4Runner. Using this guys advice on the web site, I was able to get her 4Runner (loaded Sport Edition) for about $700 below invoice after factory rebate (which was about $1500).

[StatCoder]

All you need to know is in these two Wikipedia entries. Basically, your purchase of Toyoguard goes towards financing an 11.1 billion dollar company that serves as the middleman between Toyota and you.

Southeast Toyota Distributors LLC - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

JM Family Enterprises - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia